The stairs seemed endless. The air grew warmer with each step, carrying the faint scent of smoke and something sweet—like fruit roasting over an open flame.
When they finally emerged, Elara blinked against the sudden brightness.
They stood on a ledge overlooking a vast underground city. It stretched for miles, its towers and bridges woven together like a spider's web, glowing with veins of molten gold that pulsed through the stone itself. The walls of the cavern were studded with crystals, refracting the light into shifting rainbows across the streets.
"It's beautiful," Kastor breathed.
Serenya's face, however, was unreadable. "Don't let it fool you. Beauty here is just another weapon."
They descended a winding path carved into the rock, joining a road that curved toward the city gates. Massive doors of black steel loomed ahead, etched with runes that shimmered faintly.
Two guards stood at the entrance. They were tall, wearing armor made of interlocking gold plates that caught the light like a second skin. Instead of swords, they carried spears tipped with shards of glowing crystal.
One guard stepped forward, eyes narrowing as they took in the group. "Outsiders are not welcome in Emberdeep."
"We're here for the shard," Serenya said bluntly.
The guards stiffened, glancing at each other. Then, without a word, they turned and pulled the gates open.
Inside, the streets were alive with motion. Merchants sold wares from stalls carved into the walls, offering jewelry made of volcanic glass, fruits steaming in their own skins, and small cages containing glowing, insect-like creatures.
But there was something off. Conversations died when Elara passed. Eyes followed her—some curious, others hostile.
Kastor muttered, "Feels like we just walked into a nest of snakes."
"Snakes smile before they bite," Serenya replied.
They were led to a building near the city's center, taller than the others, its entrance framed by twin pillars of molten rock. Inside, the air was thick with incense.
On a dais at the far end sat a man draped in robes the color of cooling ash. His crown was not of gold or jewels but of living flame, flickering silently above his head.
"The Emberlord," Serenya whispered.
His gaze swept over them like a blade. "Few from the surface dare to seek Emberdeep, and fewer still speak of the Ash Crown in my presence."
"We don't have time for games," Elara said. "We know a shard is here."
The Emberlord leaned forward. "And why should I give it to you?"
"Because without the crown, the Guardian will be freed," Serenya answered.
A flicker of something—fear? anger?—crossed his face. "Perhaps I want it freed."
The words hung in the air, heavy and dangerous.
Before anyone could reply, the doors to the hall slammed open. A woman strode in, her armor blackened and cracked as if it had been through fire. Her hair was bound in tight braids, and her eyes burned like embers.
"Father," she said, voice sharp. "These surface-walkers bring trouble. Let me deal with them before they bring the Vault's wrath down on us."
The Emberlord smiled faintly. "My daughter, ever so quick to draw blood." He turned back to Elara. "If you want the shard, you'll earn it in the Pit."
"The Pit?" Kastor asked warily.
"A trial by fire," Serenya said, her voice tight. "Survive, and they'll give you what you seek. Fail, and… well, the ash will take you."
The Emberlord gestured to the guards. "Take them."
They were escorted through the city to a massive arena carved directly into the cavern wall. The crowd roared as they entered, the sound echoing like thunder. Lava channels ran along the edges of the fighting floor, casting an orange glow across the sand.
At the far end, gates rose, and something stepped out.
It was a beast unlike anything Elara had ever seen—its body a fusion of metal and flesh, plates of molten armor fused to its skin. It had no eyes, only a maw lined with jagged teeth that dripped liquid fire.
Kastor swore under his breath. "We're dead."
The beast let out a roar that shook the ground and charged. Elara dove aside as molten claws tore through the sand where she had been standing. Kastor swung his sword, sparks flying as it struck the creature's plated hide.
"Go for the joints!" Serenya shouted, loosing an arrow that sank between two molten plates, making the beast shriek.
Elara clutched the shard, feeling its heat pulse in time with the creature's movements. It was almost as if it was… calling to it.
The beast lunged at her, and she thrust the shard forward. Light flared, striking the molten plates and shattering them like brittle glass.
Kastor seized the opening, driving his blade deep into the exposed flesh. The creature screamed, stumbling backward into one of the lava channels. The molten flow surged around it, swallowing it whole until only steam remained.
The crowd fell silent.
The Emberlord's daughter stepped into the arena, her eyes locked on Elara. "You fight well… for a surface-walker."
From her belt, she pulled a small object—a fragment of black metal etched with glowing runes.
"The shard," she said, tossing it to Elara. "But know this: the Ash Crown destroyed our world once. If you bring it back, I will kill you myself."
As they left the arena, Serenya glanced at Elara. "Two shards down. Five to go."
Kastor groaned. "And probably five more people who want us dead."
Elara tucked the shard away, feeling its weight join the first. "Let them try."
But as they walked out into the glowing streets of Emberdeep, she couldn't shake the feeling that their greatest enemy might now be following them from the shadows.