At this moment, without warning, the map stopped its erratic motion. Its constellation spun into perfect alignment, and a new symbol formed in its center: a blazing seal resembling a flaming eye encircled by thirteen stars.
The moment the seal appeared, it rotated counterclockwise, and the lava sea shuddered.
Jacob halted. A deep, resonating hum echoed through the air, as though the very world had taken a breath.
FWWWWOOOOOOOOSH!
The Lava Sea split.
With a roar like a mountain cracking open, molten waves parted to both sides, revealing a spiraling chasm beneath—wide enough to swallow cities. Pillars of fire retreated like curtains, and what lay beneath was not magma or rock, but a smooth, obsidian pathway descending deep underground.
Jacob was astounded as he deeply looked at the chasm and mused, 'This isn't natural. It's like a gate, sealed and hidden beneath layers of lava for countless years. If I don't have the map, no one could find it. The map is the key…'
