It was another gray morning in the world of Noxar. No sun shone, no birds chirped, only faint ash drifted in the air and settled on shoulders as if burdened by a thousand years of oblivion.
Inside the cave, everyone was taking what little respite they had. Hana silently gathered her equipment, while Saya buried the remains of the old fire beneath the ash, as if burying unborn dreams. Hiro Shin was trying in vain to carry Taiko's heavy gloves, handing them back to him with a laugh, "How do you lift these, you giant? If you put them on the ground, you'd become a statue!"
Taiko laughed and took them from him, then slapped Hiro on the shoulder, sending him reeling as he shouted, "Ah, you dislocated my shoulder! You're a monster, man!"
Kaito stood beside Tsuki, wearing a black tracksuit with two white stripes. He was silent, his features as cold as the stones of this world, his eyes reflecting nothing. Tsuki gave him a worried look, but didn't speak.
Everyone left the cave, walking behind Minamoto and Taeko, who led the way in heavy silence. The ground was still as it had been: a lifeless surface, covered in a thick, suffocating gray layer that stuck to shoes.
Time passed slowly, and with each step, the gray dust began to thin, as if the air had finally decided to breathe. Hana felt it first, followed by the others, their gazes scanning the surrounding emptiness.
Minamoto suddenly said, "We're approaching the turning point..."
The words needed no explanation; the sight before them was enough.
The feet stopped, and the eyes widened.
Before them lay a great abyss, stretching deep down, like a giant mouth that had swallowed the light, the heat, and everything familiar. In the middle of it, a massive staircase carved from stone and marble appeared, covered with black weeds that climbed its sides as if trying to escape it.
Kaito stood looking at the staircase, then at his father, then at Tsuki, who grabbed his arm without looking at him, just gripping it tightly.
Taiko said, putting his gloves back on, "This is where the dead surface ends... and beyond that, we may never come back."
They began to descend. Step by step, in complete silence. The air was heavier, and the walls grew closer the lower they went. Each step felt like a sliver of peace was being stripped away.
Half an hour passed, and the staircase seemed endless, until an old smell began to appear: a mixture of iron, moss, and rotting ash.
Then...
Minamoto stopped suddenly.
Everyone behind him stopped.
Kaito stepped forward a little and raised his head.
Everyone's eyes widened.
They had arrived at…
Fin chapter