𝚁𝚘𝚕𝚕 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙳𝚒𝚌𝚎: 𝚀𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚌𝚔

🅒🅐🅜🅟🅕🅛🅤🅡🅡🅘🅔🅢

15. CAMPFLURRIES

『 Jiwoo's POV 』

We were traveling in a charming caravan, drawn by horses—courtesy of Yuna. Ni-ki and Kai were handling the reins, while the rest of us sat in the back, discussing what lay ahead.

Jini and I watched the trees pass by, chatting to pass the time. Every time my expression faltered, she would squeeze my hand reassuringly. She’s the best.

Kyujin and Sunoo were deep in conversation about some spell. I could tell Sunoo was nervous. He’s my brother, and if there was one secret he’d never shared with anyone else, it was his phobia. Not even Ni-ki or Yuna knew. That was something only I could pride myself on.

“Do you guys feel that?” Kyujin asked suddenly.

I didn’t understand at first, but then I felt it. The temperature was rising.

“Yeah,” I confirmed, fanning myself. “It’s getting really hot.”

“We’re approaching the Fire Realm,” Huening Kai announced. “The heat’s only going to get worse.”

As we traveled further, I had to shed my jacket, and soon, Kyujin, Sunoo, and I were sweating. Meanwhile, Jini, Ni-ki, and Huening Kai looked completely unbothered. It was infuriating.

Finally, the caravan in front of us came to a halt, and we followed suit.

“We’re here,” Edlynne declared.

We climbed out, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. I had expected something terrifying, a place straight out of a nightmare. And it was—blackened landscapes, rivers of lava, and towering volcanoes. But it was also mesmerizing. Even the trees burned with a strange, almost ethereal glow.

“Are there… people here?” Sunghoon asked, his voice wary.

“Yes,” Edlynne answered. “There are creatures that thrive in extreme heat, along with fire-wielding beings.”

“We’re not immune to extreme heat!” Sullyoon exclaimed, panic creeping into her voice. “What about us?!”

“Relax. Yuna and I have a plan,” Edlynne assured her.

“Oh, goodie,” Kai muttered. It was impossible to tell whether he was being sarcastic.

“Sunghoon will temporarily cool the air for us, while Bae and Yuna create a mirage to keep us invisible from any potential threats, including Enya’s fire,” Edlynne explained.

“That’s why we told Sunghoon not to use his ice magic earlier—it would’ve drained him,” Yuna added. “Same reason Bae and I didn’t speed up the journey.”

“Okay, but what about the actual retrieval of the stone?” Kai asked, shooting Yuna a sharp look.

“It’s in the works, but I’m figuring it out,” Yuna replied with a tight-lipped smile. “Thanks for asking.”

Tension crackled between them like the flames surrounding us. Edlynne and Sunghoon quickly intervened before it escalated further.