The labyrinth stretched endlessly before Nathan, a sprawling maze of molten rock and shifting flame. The air was thick with the acrid tang of sulfur, searing his lungs with every breath. He pressed forward, his steps uneven, his body aching from endless battles and relentless heat. Each step was a negotiation with his own exhaustion—a question of how much farther he could push before his legs gave out entirely.
The fire around him seemed alive, its glow pulsating in rhythm with the pounding of his heart. Dormant anomalies, twisted forms of flame and ash, littered the path ahead. They were hunched and motionless, their ember-like eyes dim and unseeing. Nathan slowed his pace, his instincts screaming caution.
