The oppressive heat of the Scared Realm became more pronounced with each step, radiating from the very ground beneath Kael and Mareth's feet. The air itself seemed alive, shimmering and thick, making it difficult to breathe. Even the mist that had previously cloaked Shroud's Divide had thinned, replaced by a hazy, golden glow that hinted at an unseen source.
Kael wiped the sweat from his brow and glanced down at the map. The section labeled Shroud's Divide now appeared more like a warning than a guide. Its once-shifting paths seemed to stabilize, but not in a comforting way. Instead, they spiraled inward, leading toward an area ominously marked Infernal Rift.
"We're heading into the furnace," Mareth muttered, his voice hoarse. He adjusted the straps of his gear, which had grown unbearably hot to the touch. "Is it just me, or does this place feel like it's trying to roast us alive?"
Kael nodded grimly. "It's not just you. The temperature's been climbing steadily since we passed those shifting walls."
He glanced at the surrounding terrain. The ground was no longer made of the cracked earth and blackstone they had grown accustomed to. Instead, it had taken on a reddish hue, glowing faintly as though molten veins ran just beneath its surface. Here and there, vents of steam erupted, hissing like angry spirits.
"Keep an eye out for those vents," Kael warned. "They're unpredictable. One wrong step, and you'll be scalded."
Mareth groaned. "Lovely. Because fighting giant crystal beasts wasn't dangerous enough."
Kael smirked faintly, but his eyes betrayed his unease. Something about the heat felt unnatural. It wasn't just the temperature it was the way the air seemed to pulse, a rhythm that matched the faint thrum beneath their feet.
As they continued, the heat intensified further, forcing the pair to slow their pace. Every breath felt like inhaling fire, and the distant horizon wavered like a mirage.
Kael stopped suddenly, his eyes narrowing. "Do you see that?"
Mareth squinted, following Kael's gaze. In the distance, the land seemed to ripple and shift, as though the heat itself was warping reality. Shapes moved within the waves, indistinct but menacing.
"Great," Mareth said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Another mystery. Are those more beasts, or is the heat messing with our heads?"
Kael didn't respond immediately. Instead, he reached for the map again, studying the notes around Infernal Rift. Scrawled annotations warned of strange phenomena: "Mirages conceal danger." "Flames that aren't flames." "Beware the burning sky."
"I don't think those are mirages," Kael said finally, folding the map. "Whatever they are, they're real. And they're moving."
Mareth sighed, drawing his sword. "Of course they are. Because nothing in this cursed place stays still."
The first sign of danger came as a low, resonating hum. It started faintly, like the distant sound of a deep bell, but quickly grew louder, reverberating through the ground and into their bones.
"What is that?" Mareth asked, his voice tight.
Kael shook his head, scanning their surroundings. The rippling shapes in the distance were growing clearer now, resolving into tall, humanoid forms wreathed in flickering heat. Their bodies seemed to be made of molten rock, their movements slow but deliberate.
"Rank 1 , Tier I ,Heat Golems," Kael murmured.
"Heat Golems?" Mareth repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You say that like it's something normal."
"They're rare," Kael admitted, unsheathing his sword. "Usually found near volcanic regions. They're strong, but slow. We can outmaneuver them if we're careful."
Mareth let out a nervous laugh. "Careful? In this place? That's rich."
The golems began to advance, their heavy footsteps leaving molten imprints in the ground. The air around them shimmered with waves of heat, distorting their outlines and making it difficult to gauge their true size.
"Stick to the edges," Kael instructed. "Avoid direct confrontation if we can."
As they moved, the temperature continued to climb, and Kael couldn't shake the feeling that the heat itself was alive. It pressed against them, sapping their strength and dulling their senses. Even the blackstone path, which had been their guide through much of the Scared Realm, had disappeared, leaving them to navigate the treacherous terrain on instinct alone.
At one point, they came across a fissure in the ground, its depths glowing with an intense orange light. The heat radiating from it was almost unbearable, forcing them to back away.
"What do you think caused this?" Mareth asked, peering into the fissure.
Kael frowned. "I don't think it was natural. Something's causing the heat to build up, and it's affecting the land."
"Great," Mareth said. "So, what? We're walking into the world's biggest oven?"
"More like the source of it," Kael said, his expression darkening.
The golems drew closer, their forms becoming more distinct. Their eyes burned with an inner fire, and their movements, while slow, carried an air of inevitability.
The first golem attacked with a sweeping strike of its molten arm, sending a wave of heat in their direction. Kael and Mareth dodged in opposite directions, the ground where they had stood moments before melting into a pool of lava.
Kael countered with a quick slash, his blade biting into the golem's molten flesh. It let out a guttural roar, the wound glowing brighter as if trying to seal itself.
"These things don't go down easy!" Mareth shouted, deflecting a blow from another golem.
"They're built to endure!" Kael called back, dodging another attack.
Despite the heat and the relentless advance of the golems, Kael couldn't shake the feeling that the real danger lay ahead. The heat wasn't just an obstacle it was a warning. Something deeper within Shroud's Divide was responsible for the oppressive temperature, and whatever it was, it was far more dangerous than the golems.
As the battle raged on, Kael found his thoughts drifting to the map's ominous annotations. Flames that aren't flames. Beware the burning sky.
The heat wasn't just a hazard it was a harbinger. Something was awakening, and they were heading straight for it