The heat was absolute. An incandescent ocean that would instantly turn any living being to ash, but for Katharina, it was like a warm caress. The sea of lava stretched in all directions, a hellish lake whose surface bubbled in columns of red and orange, spewing sparks from the very heart of the world. Yet she dove in serenely. Her naked, immaculate body glided through the flaming waves as if in the crystal-clear waters of a sacred spring.
Her half-closed eyes reflected the glow of the lava, and the slight smile on her lips revealed an almost blasphemous satisfaction. For days, she had been searching for the limit of her endurance, testing how much of the raw essence of fire she could absorb. Now, the answer seemed clear: there was no limit. The heat not only did not destroy her—it accepted her, it fused with her.
