-Thud!!
Ash landed on the black, charred ground with controlled grace, his body adjusting instantly as his feet met the surface. Behind him, the portal he had emerged from was already close to stabilizing, its edges trembling as space slowly stitched itself back together.
Before him stretched a vast sea of lava, glowing endlessly, its surface rolling and bubbling like a living thing.
Flat stones had been arranged across it in a deliberate path, clearly meant to allow passage. There was not a single monster in sight, yet smoke rose from every direction, thick and heavy, filling the air with heat and ash.
At the farthest point his eyes could reach, a towering volcano loomed silently.
That was his destination.
