The underground library, with its ancient stone walls and shelves full of dusty books, seemed to vibrate with accumulated magical energy.
"Everyone ready?" asked Kaizen, his voice resonating in the chamber. He looked at each of his friends, searching their eyes to make sure they were ready to face whatever came their way.
Og'tharoz was the first to answer. "I'm ready. There's no time to lose."
Blood Lily straightened her black cloak and loosened her shoulders. "Let's get on with it," she said, her red eyes shining with determination.
Kaizen turned to Alina, who held the bottle of shiny liquid in both hands. "Are we going to drink this now or when we get there?"
"The potion has a concealing effect of only one hour. Ideally, we should only drink it when we're at the gates of hell." Alina explained.
"Very well, then please leave this to me for now."
"As you wish." She said.
Kaizen took the potion bottle in his hand and put it in an inventory. Then he turned and said:
"Who goes first?"
Og'tharoz stepped forward and raised his right hand. "My entry has been forbidden in Muspelheim, so I want to be the first to test this key that the God Týr has given us."
As he spoke, a circle with unusual runes appeared in the palm of his right hand. The runes glowed with an intense light, and Og'tharoz closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the light.
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Suddenly, the circle of runes glowed even brighter and replicated itself on the demon's back, forming a glowing portal.
The world around them changed instantly. Kaizen and Bloody Lily looked at each other briefly, taking a deep breath of the thick, hot Muspelheim air.
The searing heat was almost palpable, as if each breath brought with it invisible sparks.
The landscape around them was a vision of the apocalypse. Rivers of lava flowed slowly, like blood in the veins of a sleeping giant. The mountains, with their blackened, smoking faces, seemed to watch the intruders with a menacing gaze.
The deep red sky always seemed to be burning, with clouds of ash forming and dissipating in an eternal cycle. The reddish light gave the environment an almost surreal appearance, where shadows constantly danced and changed shape. It was a world of extremes, where intense heat mixed with a sense of imminent danger.
Kaizen and Bloody Lily found themselves on a stone platform, surrounded by a lake of bubbling lava. In the distance, they could see their companions, already gathered and waiting for them.
"Welcome to hell," Jayaa said, a tired but genuine smile on her face as she opened her arms like one presented.
"It's not actually hell yet." Xisrith said, patting Jayaa twice on the shoulder.
"We were beginning to wonder if you'd changed your minds," said Andrew.
"No way," Kaizen replied, holding Bloody Lily's hand. "We're all in this together."
Og'tharoz approached, his eyes burning much brighter than ever. "We must move quickly. We're in a safe place for now, but Muspelheim is always changing. In this lost world there is no moon to control the tide, and the lava seas can cover any area in minutes."
"We need a plan," said Xisrith, his voice calm and calculated. "Muspelheim is not a place where we can afford to improvise."
Kaizen agreed, his mind already working on various possibilities. "First, Og'tharoz, you know this place well. Any suggestions on how to find the entrance to hell?"
"Let's find a safe place first, then I'll explain to you how we're going to find it. I know I should have warned you about this before, but it's just a few messages." Og'tharoz replied and pointed to a rock formation in the distance, where a cave was partially hidden behind a lava waterfall. "That looks like a safe place, a waterfall is never covered by the sea."
"Then that's where we're going," said Kaizen, taking the lead. "Let's move fast. We have a mission to accomplish."