the first floor (4)

The group stepped out of the cave and into the open air, only to be greeted by an eerie silence. The sun was obscured by thick clouds, casting the landscape in a dull gray. Dakota wiped the sweat off his brow and took in a deep breath of the fresh air.

Dakota: "Finally. Thought we'd never get out of there."

The relief was short-lived. The ground trembled beneath their feet, a low rumbling that grew louder with every passing second. Ava looked to the horizon, her sharp eyes catching movement in the distance.

Ava: "We've got company."

From the haze of the barren terrain, a massive horde of monsters emerged. Their roars and screeches filled the air, a discordant chorus of primal rage. There were hundreds of them—beasts of various shapes and sizes, their grotesque forms charging toward the group.

Duke: "No rest for the wicked. Everyone, you know the drill."

The group spread out, their magic flaring to life as they prepared for battle.

Dakota's hands ignited, brilliant orange flames licking at his skin. With a sharp motion, he thrust his hands forward, unleashing a roaring inferno that swept through the oncoming wave of monsters. The fire consumed everything in its path, turning the first wave into ash.

A large creature lunged at him from the side, but Dakota dodged effortlessly, spinning on his heel and countering with a concentrated burst of fire that pierced straight through its torso.

Dakota: "There's plenty more where that came from!"

Henry and Ava stood shoulder to shoulder, their fire magic blending seamlessly.

Henry conjured a massive swirling tornado of flames, which he launched into the center of the horde. The tornado expanded as it spun, drawing in countless monsters and incinerating them in seconds.

Henry: "Ava, follow up!"

Ava nodded, her flames taking the form of razor-sharp whips that she wielded with deadly precision. With a flick of her wrist, the fiery whips slashed through several beasts, leaving only smoldering remains.

Ava: "Keep up, Henry. Don't fall behind."

Lucas summoned a freezing mist that clashed dramatically with the heat of the battlefield. The mist crystallized into shards of ice that rained down on the monsters, piercing through their tough hides.

A particularly large beast charged at him, its claws raised to strike. Lucas sidestepped smoothly and slammed his palm to the ground, creating a spike of ice that shot upward and impaled the creature.

Lucas: "Stay frosty."

Liam and Jack moved like lightning—literally. Their bolts of electricity danced across the battlefield, crackling with lethal energy. Liam targeted groups of monsters with wide-area lightning strikes, each bolt leaping from one beast to the next.

Liam: "Jack, cover the left flank!"

Jack responded with a grin, conjuring a massive lightning spear and hurling it into the densest part of the horde. The resulting explosion sent monsters flying in all directions, their charred remains scattering across the ground.

Jack: "Too easy."

Amelia's light magic glowed brilliantly, a stark contrast to the chaos around her. She launched concentrated beams of light at the monsters, each strike precise and devastating.

When a group of smaller, faster creatures attempted to flank the team, she formed a protective barrier of light that stopped them in their tracks before obliterating them with a radiant burst.

Amelia: "You're not getting past me."

Mia and Luna's water magic worked in perfect harmony. Mia conjured powerful jets of water that blasted monsters off their feet, while Luna shaped the water into sharp blades that struck with deadly accuracy.

A particularly persistent creature managed to break through their barrage, but Mia and Luna combined their powers to trap it in a sphere of water before freezing it solid and shattering it.

Mia: "Keep it up, Luna!"

Luna: "We've got this!"

Duke and Franklin were an unstoppable force. Duke's flaming sword cut through monsters with ease, each swing leaving a trail of fire in its wake.

Franklin, on the other hand, relied on raw power. He unleashed massive firestorms that reduced entire swaths of the horde to ash in seconds.

Franklin: "This is almost too easy."

Duke: "Focus. There's something bigger coming."

The group fought valiantly, their magic weaving together in a deadly symphony of fire, ice, lightning, light, and water. The battlefield was littered with the charred and frozen remains of their enemies, but the group didn't let their guard down.

As the last of the monsters fell, a sudden, oppressive heat filled the air. The group turned to see twenty figures materialize from the shimmering waves of heat.

They were Djinns—high-ranked fire-wielding beings. Their bodies flickered like flames, and their eyes burned with a fierce orange glow. Each Djinn carried a unique weapon, their presence exuding an overwhelming sense of power.

The leader of the Djinns stepped forward, his voice deep and commanding.

Djinn Leader: "You've proven yourselves strong. But your journey ends here."

The Djinns' fire magic flared to life, the orange flames roaring around them as they prepared to attack. The group instinctively formed a defensive line, their magic at the ready.

Duke: "so there is only 20 of you? Against us? Are you stupid, me and Franklin are enough for all of you, but the kids need to get involved too. Since we need to finish this fast, we want to rest."

Franklin's flames surged brighter as he stepped forward, a confident grin on his face.

Franklin: "yes we need to rest, but I still have plenty of energy to spare, this puny Djinns aren't enough to wast even half of my power on, can't we face on of the 10 mythical djinns."

The battlefield grew tense as the Djinns closed in, their fiery auras illuminating the desolate landscape. Dakota tightened his grip, flames crackling around him as he met the leader's gaze.

Dakota: "are you crazy Franklin? One of the 10 mythical djinns? That's way too early... Maybe we'll fight it in the future, but now we got some other Djinns to kill."

The Djinns launched their first attack, and the battle began anew.