Kapitel 11: 7. Realm of Fire
The air was stifling the moment Caelus stepped into the new reality.
A wave of intense heat washed over him, pressing down like a thick, suffocating blanket. The sky above was a searing red, as if the sun itself had been pulled far too close to the planet, casting everything in a blood-tinged glow. Thick plumes of smoke rose from the horizon, twisting and coiling like serpents in the sky, and the scent of ash and sulfur filled the air, stinging Caelus's nostrils with every breath.
This world was a furnace—a living, breathing inferno.
Caelus squinted against the heat, his eyes scanning the landscape. The ground beneath his feet was blackened and cracked, the earth scorched by the unrelenting blaze that seemed to consume everything in its path. Rivers of molten lava snaked through the terrain, their bright, molten glow casting eerie shadows across the jagged landscape.
It was a world ravaged by fire, and Caelus could feel the raw power of the element all around him, pulsing in the very air he breathed.
For a moment, he stood still, allowing himself to take in the scene. This world felt… different. More hostile than the others he had encountered. The very land itself seemed alive, and it wasn't welcoming him. It was warning him.
The oppressive heat, the choking smoke, the relentless flames—they were all a manifestation of the power that ruled here. And Caelus knew what that meant. Somewhere in this world, another version of himself was waiting. One who had mastered the fire. One who had bent this realm to his will.
And from the look of things, he hadn't done so gently.
Caelus took a step forward, the ground beneath him cracking under the weight of his boot, a thin wisp of smoke rising from the fracture. He could feel the fire all around him, the heat licking at his skin like a living thing. It was an oppressive presence, one that made his every movement feel heavy, as if the very air was fighting against him.
He had been in dangerous places before—the chaotic realm had tested his ability to adapt, the earth-wielding realm had pushed him to connect with the land—but this… this was something different. This world didn't just test him. It wanted to consume him.
This is his domain, Caelus thought grimly. The realm of fire. And I'm walking right into it.
The landscape stretched out before him, a sea of scorched earth and molten rivers. In the distance, Caelus could see a towering structure—a fortress of blackened stone, perched atop a hill of jagged rock. It stood like a monument to power, its walls glowing faintly with the heat that pulsed from within.
That's where he would find the fire-wielder. The tyrant.
Caelus began to move toward the fortress, each step careful, deliberate. His senses were on high alert, the oppressive heat making it hard to focus. The air shimmered with the intensity of the fire, distorting his vision, but he pressed on, determined to face whatever version of himself awaited him within those walls.
What kind of man rules a world like this? Caelus wondered as he approached the fortress. What kind of version of me would let everything burn just to gain power?
The thought unsettled him. Each version of himself he had faced so far had been a reflection of something buried deep within him—some fear, some desire, some part of his soul that he hadn't fully understood. But this… this was different. This was fire. Destruction. Domination.
As he neared the fortress, the heat intensified, the very air vibrating with power. Caelus could feel it—deep within his bones, a pulsing energy that called to him, beckoning him forward. It was the power of fire, the raw, untamed force that burned through this world, shaping it, controlling it.
He stopped at the base of the fortress, looking up at the towering walls of black stone. The heat radiating from the structure was almost unbearable, waves of blistering air rolling off the stone in waves. Caelus could feel the fire-wielder's presence inside, a dark and oppressive force that seemed to smother everything around it.
For a moment, doubt crept into his mind. This version of himself—this tyrant—was different from the others. He could feel it. The chaotic Caelus had been wild and unpredictable, but this one… this one was deliberate. Calculated. The fire-wielder hadn't just gained power. He had used it to rule, to dominate.
How do I fight that? Caelus wondered, his throat tightening. How do I fight someone who's willing to burn everything to the ground just to maintain control?
But he had no choice. The Tesseract demanded that he face each version of himself, no matter how dangerous. And if he was going to continue his journey, he would have to confront this tyrant head-on.
With a deep breath, Caelus stepped forward and pushed open the heavy stone doors of the fortress.
The heat inside was overwhelming.
Caelus's skin prickled as the air hit him, the temperature rising exponentially as he entered the fortress. Flames danced along the walls, casting flickering shadows across the black stone. The ground beneath his feet was hot, almost too hot to bear, but Caelus pressed on, his steps echoing in the vast, empty halls.
At the end of the corridor, a figure stood waiting.
Caelus's breath caught in his throat as he saw himself—another version of himself—standing tall and imposing, his form wreathed in flames. The tyrant Caelus's eyes glowed with the intensity of the fire that surrounded him, his expression cold and unyielding. He wore a cloak of dark red, the fabric flickering like embers in the wind, and in his hand, he held a staff of blackened metal, the tip of which was crowned with a burning flame.
"You've come at last," the tyrant Caelus said, his voice low and commanding. It was the same voice Caelus had heard in his own head countless times, but there was an edge to it now—an arrogance, a cruelty that hadn't been there before. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't make it."
Caelus swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his chest. The sheer presence of this version of himself was suffocating, the heat of the flames radiating off him in waves that made it hard to breathe.
"I had to come," Caelus said, his voice steady despite the tension in his body. "This is part of the journey. I have to face you."
The tyrant Caelus chuckled, a sound that was more like the crackling of flames than laughter. "Face me? You don't understand, do you? You're not here to face me. You're here to join me."
Caelus blinked, caught off guard by the words. "Join you?"
The tyrant Caelus stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous intensity. "You've felt it, haven't you? The power of fire. The power to destroy, to reshape the world as you see fit. It's intoxicating, isn't it? The strength to bend reality to your will. To rule without question."
Caelus's heart raced, his mind reeling as the words sunk in. He had felt the fire—the oppressive, overwhelming heat that filled this world. And there was a part of him, buried deep, that understood the temptation. The power to control, to dominate, to burn away everything that stood in his way. It was a dangerous allure.
But he couldn't let himself be drawn in.
"I'm not like you," Caelus said, his voice firm. "I don't want to rule. I'm here to survive, to continue the journey."
The tyrant Caelus's eyes narrowed, the flames around him flaring with anger. "Survive? That's a weak man's goal. Power is the only thing that matters here. And I have more power than you could ever imagine. Join me, and I'll show you what it means to truly wield fire."
Caelus took a step back, his hands clenching into fists. He could feel the pull of the fire, the temptation to give in to the power that radiated from the tyrant. But he couldn't. He wouldn't.
"I won't let myself become you," Caelus said, his voice steady. "I'll fight you, just like I fought the others."
The tyrant Caelus's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Then you will burn."
Without another word, the tyrant raised his hand, and the flames erupted around him, filling the room with a scorching inferno. The heat was unbearable, the air so thick with fire that it felt like it would suffocate him.
But Caelus stood his ground, his heart pounding as the flames closed in.
This was the fire-wielder's domain. But Caelus wasn't powerless.
He could feel the earth beneath his feet, the solid, unyielding strength that he had gained in his previous battles. And now, he would have to combine that power with the chaos that still simmered inside him. Only then could he face the flames and come out victorious.
The battle had begun.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein