The heat that Karteira and Nia had felt outside was gone inside the structure, as if by deliberate design.

  Karteira, who had stepped into the vortex of rising fire, examined herself with concern.

  "I'm not burning. What is this strange fire?" she asked, though no answer came.

  Nia hesitantly reached forward, her fingernails brushing the elusive substance.

  "You're right... It's not even warm." She pushed her entire arm through it. "It feels normal. Like air."

  "Exactly," Karteira replied. "There's no texture to it."

  "So what is its purpose?" That was the real question.

  The symbol beneath her feet remained stable. The other location she had noticed earlier was—

  "Hm~" She pondered for a moment.

  "Nia. Let's move upward." After a brief glance at her companion, she crouched.

  "I'll follow you." Nia’s wings spread wide, vibrating intensely.

  Karteira jumped, but instead of falling as she normally would, she was propelled upward at tremendous speed.

  Nia followed closely, circling the pillar of flame that carried Karteira.

  After a few seconds, Karteira was ejected from the vortex. She plummeted downward, aiming for a floating platform.

  CRASH

  The platform shook and dipped slightly before returning to its original position.

  Her companion landed beside her, boots striking the glass-like surface.

  Standing up, Karteira exhaled slowly.

  She lifted her foot and struck the floating platform.

  TUNG~

  The metallic reverberation echoed throughout the hollow tree, bouncing off the inner walls.

  Yet even after that powerful kick, not a single scratch marred the surface.

  "Impressive," Nia giggled. "To withstand one of your kicks."

  "Don't patronize me," Karteira replied with a faint smile.

  They moved around briefly, gauging the size of their foothold.

  "It's small... Hopefully the next platform won't be smaller." A bead of sweat rolled down Karteira's temple as she looked upward.

  "You've just jinxed us." Nia floated playfully in front of her.

  "Must be nice to fly around like you do," Karteira muttered.

  The fairy grinned.

  "Right?"

  Karteira returned the smile, but her eyes were already scanning the platform.

  The casual banter faded.

  "Here. The same symbol is etched into the glass."

  Taking a few careful steps, Karteira triggered the sigil’s activation.

  Holding her ground, she remained at the center as the fire vortex formed around her.

  "Be careful, Karteira. One of them might actually burn you." Nia reached toward her, visibly concerned.

  Stolen story; please report.

  "I considered that. If I feel anything wrong, I'll pull out and heal. There's nothing to worry about." Fixing her gaze on the next platform above, she crouched without hesitation.

  Ready to launch, she gave Nia a firm look.

  Nia answered with a determined expression, her wings vibrating.

  With a powerful surge, both shot upward at incredible speed.

  Five meters. Ten. Twenty. Fifty.

  They climbed immense distances in seconds.

  The pressure pressing against Karteira would have crushed an ordinary person's organs, but her natural resistances held firm.

  She saw the end of the spiral approaching and prepared to be ejected again.

  As expected, she was launched toward the next platform.

  Except—

  I'm off... I won't land on it if I continue like this.

  Karteira narrowed her eyes, calculating.

  She glanced at Nia, who was already poised to assist.

  The platform rushed toward her.

  There's no other choice.

  In less than a breath, Karteira donned her Cerulean armor. It enveloped her from head to toe.

  Steam vented from her waist as four plates opened.

  They locked into place, her body radiating condensed light magic.

  The plates on her right side snapped open, releasing a concentrated jet of steam that forced her leftward.

  She adjusted with alternating bursts until she descended precisely at the center of the next platform.

  Nia hovered beside her, wide-eyed.

  "That was amazing!" she said, genuinely impressed. "I had no reason to worry."

  Karteira brushed off her knees and rose to her feet, acknowledging her with a brief glance.

  After catching their breath, they looked down.

  This platform was smaller than the previous one—reduced to nearly half its size.

  Karteira glanced past the edge, noting the dizzying height.

  "..."

  It barely fazed her. Her attention shifted immediately to the next obstacle.

  "Monkey bars... Great."

  Instead of a sigil to propel her upward, a series of lateral bars floated peacefully in the air.

  "Do you want me to try first?" Nia asked.

  "Please."

  Nia flew toward the first bar and placed her left foot on it.

  Her boot produced a dull thud against the metal.

  "Seems stable," Karteira concluded, watching her balance.

  Without hesitation, she sprinted forward and leapt from the platform.

  Her right hand caught the first bar as Nia moved to the next.

  Using the momentum, she swung and released, following her friend.

  As Karteira lunged for the next bar, both felt a sudden chill run down their spines.

  Something... Something's happening!

  A powerful shockwave rippled from the top of the structure to its base.

  Balancing on the fourth bar, Nia braced herself. Karteira caught the second just in time.

  A low-pitched echo swept past them, slamming into their bodies with crushing force.

  Karteira managed to hold on.

  Nia did not.

  "W-Woah!" Losing her footing, she slipped from the bar.

  At first, neither grasped the severity of it. They assumed she could recover midair.

  But when she tried to fly, panic flooded her face.

  "M-My wings!" As she fell backward, she reached desperately for Karteira.

  "—!" Without hesitation, Karteira released her grip and lunged toward the next bar.

  That single movement told her everything. Nia was in a dire predicament.

  For what felt like an eternity compressed into seconds, their eyes locked.

  Another shockwave was already building, its echo cascading down the hollow trunk before the previous one had even reached the base.

  Time was not on Karteira's side.

  With a decisive burst of strength, she launched herself toward the fourth lateral bar, the incoming shockwave ready to hurl Nia toward the bottom.

  "Nia!" She swung forward, shouting her name.

  Just as the shockwave roared past them, Karteira hooked her scorpion tail around the bar.

  Her body jolted violently, every plate rattling from the impact.

  But she caught Nia.

  Holding the trembling fairy against her chest, she exhaled shakily.

  "That was close," she whispered.

  Suspended in midair, she gently swayed back and forth, rubbing Nia's back in steady strokes.

  "I... I'm fine. Thanks." Nia lifted her face, eyes damp, forcing a small smile.

  "Don't worry about it." Karteira tightened her hold as another shockwave battered past them.

  After a few seconds, Nia spoke again.

  "That was terrifying. My wings won't move." She twisted slightly, trying to force them to respond.

  Karteira glanced upward.

  "There's a high chance the first shockwave disrupted your ability to fly." The conclusion came quickly.

  "Hm." Nia inclined her head faintly, having reached the same thought.

  Silence fell between them.

  Karteira studied the remaining bars, mapping a path in her mind.

  "Hold on tight."

  Nia moved slightly in her arms, turning around to adjust her weight.

  Karteira secured Nia under her right arm while light magic gathered around her left.

  She began to swing, slowly at first, then faster, matching the rhythm of the shockwaves.

  One ripple passed.

  Then another.

  Not yet. I need to focus.

  She listened carefully, tuning herself to the subtle build-up in the air.

  Then she moved.

  Her body arced forward with explosive precision.

  Nia flinched at the sudden acceleration but stayed locked in place.

  The next shockwave surged toward them—

  Karteira seized the bar a split second before impact.

  The force rattled through her arms, but she held firm.

  Without pausing, she kicked off again.

  This time, the shockwave lagged slightly, giving her a narrow window.

  She advanced—one bar, two, three, four—

  Then—

  "—!"

  Both of them realized it too late.

  The next bar…

  Was gone.

  Mid-leap, options evaporated.

  The next shockwave thundered toward them.

  No fifth bar.

  No stable landing.

  Only emptiness waiting below.

  And a long, merciless fall.