65 – THE CRATER

The domain disappeared in a blink, and Aleazm materialized before me."Let go," he commanded. Suddenly, we found ourselves on the surface, joined by Toko who must have been instructed to accompany us.

We arrived just as sand cascaded like waves from an explosion. "Crashing shhiiiii," I heard, followed by a deafening "Booomm!!!" Multiple sonic booms echoed simultaneously, traveling at speeds far surpassing that of sound. We ran for hours, seeking the source of the explosion, maintaining a state of high alert. Armed with Aleazm's fire and Earth abilities, Toko's metal nature, and my void nature, we were well-prepared.

We reached an area where the sand had turned a scorched black, as if a volcanic eruption had just occurred. With our abilities, crossing this terrain wouldn't pose a challenge. Aleazm, leading the way and possessing control over lava, cooled the ground as his feet touched it, creating a safe path for us to follow.

I couldn't identify the moment when my body began to slow, eventually grinding to a halt. My eyes widened in disbelief at the sight before me, a mix of awe and fear overwhelming my senses. Instinctively, I looked to Aleazm, hoping he would downplay or refute what I was witnessing. But he too was frozen in shock. I glanced at Toko, only to see him looking at Aleazm, seemingly awaiting an explanation. Our eyes met as we simultaneously turned our gaze in the same direction.

Before us lay a supermassive crater. The entire area radiated intense heat, and the outer region resembled a river of molten glass. It was so vast that even with my maximum sensing range of about a hundred and fifty miles, I couldn't determine its depth or width. Perception and sight differ greatly; your eyes can see much farther than what you can sense around you, and yet…

Together, we steeled ourselves, taking a few moments to comprehend the scale of the devastation before us.

"I can't gauge the extent of it," Aleazm's words snapped both Toko and me back to reality. His statement ignited a new wave of fear within us. I wasn't sure of the scope of Aleazm's perception, but without question, it was likely far greater than Toko's and mine combined. And his eyesight? His expression said it all.

"I will stay here. You and Toko should leave and bring back the Grand Elder and the Chief," he continued.

I was about to protest, but before I could utter a word, he interjected, "Would my chances improve with both of you here? No! You would only be a hindrance. My domain is with me; I should be able to hold off the enemy for a few minutes at least."

I clenched my teeth in frustration at my own weakness, and in anger and despair at the unexpected enemy that had disrupted our tranquil existence.

"Don't worry, I doubt whatever it is would kill me within a few minutes. It seems to enjoy toying with me," Aleazm declared.

"Whatever caused this wouldn't need more than a few seconds to finish me off," he thought.

"It would take us far longer than a few minutes to get home. It took us hours to get here… Grand Elder, your wisdom truly surpasses all," Toko thought.

With a heavy heart, I(Waka) turned around. I cast one last glance at Aleazm's back, as if it might be the last time I'd see him. Then, we truly let loose, sprinting at full speed, throwing caution to the wind. If whatever was out there wanted to kill us, it would have done so already.