The silence returns, just as suddenly as it had vanished, but now it is laden with an unbearable tension. The creatures halt, as if held back by an invisible force, their vacant eyes still fixed on the legends. In the air, a new presence is felt, more oppressive, more terrifying than anything they have encountered thus far.
Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet trembles once more. A fissure slowly opens before them, tearing through the blackened earth to reveal an emerald glow, a strange contrast amid this hellish, fiery landscape. A voice echoes, deep and commanding, as if it emanates from the very depths of the chasm. It speaks in an ancient, forgotten tongue, but the legends understand it nonetheless.
"You who have dared to awaken that which should never have been disturbed, you are condemned to wander eternally in the limbo of pain. But there is one chance, and one alone. Traverse the seven circles, face the trials of the damned, and perhaps you will find the exit from this realm of oblivion."
The legends exchange glances filled with a mixture of determination and fear. They know they have no other choice. The fissure before them widens, revealing a stone staircase descending ever deeper. The path to the first circle of hell lies before them.
Without a word, they begin to move, each battling the fear that threatens to paralyze them. Behind them, the creatures remain still, merely observing. Once the last legend steps into the fissure, the opening closes with a resounding rumble, sealing them completely in this new nightmare.
The staircase seems to descend endlessly, each step plunging them further into darkness. The whispers of the beyond echo in their minds, disembodied voices that murmur warnings and forbidden secrets. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, they reach a landing.
Before them, a vast plain stretches out, bathed in a pale glow. Here, the ground is littered with bones, and the air is thick with the stench of burnt flesh. Ghostly figures, barely visible, wander the plain, their vacant eyes repeating the same actions over and over, prisoners of cycles of suffering.
This is the first circle, a place where souls are condemned to eternally relive the worst moments of their existence. The legends realize that to continue, they must confront their own fears and regrets, reincarnated here as deadly trials.
The first of them steps forward, her heart pounding in her chest. Before her, a familiar figure emerges from the mists. It is a loved one, lost long ago, but their face is twisted by pain and madness. The trial begins.
But in this realm of desolation, where each circle is worse than the last, one question remains: will they all survive this descent, or will some be lost forever in the darkness?
The next chapter of their journey will be revealed soon. Next, they must traverse the circle of lust.
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