Rocks cascaded down the mountainsides, and birds and beasts fled in blind panic. Near Hogsmeade, outside Hogwarts, most buildings had collapsed, and cries of terror and despair echoed through the air. Ordinary people, powerless before such devastation, believed the end of the world had arrived.
Fortunately, the Ministry of Magic and the assembled wizards were present. As long as the injured were not killed outright, they were swiftly rescued and treated with magic and potions, preventing an even greater catastrophe.
Meanwhile, at the battlefield where Sylas and the others confronted Sauron, the land resembled the impact site of a fallen star.
The earth had shattered, splitting into countless fissures that radiated outward like a vast, jagged web. At the very center, within the area enclosed by the Golden Light Barrier, a colossal, bottomless crater had formed. Sauron stood within it, raising his hammer once more. Gathering all his remaining strength, he smashed it violently into the ground again.
The world shook.
Another crack tore open beneath his feet, plunging into unfathomable depths. Sauron struck again and again, each blow sending tremors through the land. The earth was battered into chaos, riddled with craters and fractures.
With Sauron's final strike, a massive fissure split the eastern plains of Weathertop, stretching from north to south. Dozens of meters wide and spanning tens of kilometers, it looked from above like a mortal wound carved into the land itself, splitting earth in two. Even the main road leading toward the valley was severed; only the construction of a great bridge could ever restore passage.
The chasm appeared bottomless, as though it reached the very roots of the world.
Before Gandalf and the others could fully react, Sauron began chanting an ancient incantation. The earth trembled faintly at first, then a deep rumbling echoed from the depths of the fissure.
Flames erupted.
"Not good!" Gandalf cried, his expression changing instantly.
A wave of scorching heat surged upward, accompanied by a choking stench of sulfur. The temperature around them rose sharply, as if they were standing at the mouth of a volcano. Moments later, torrents of molten lava burst forth, erupting with the violence of a volcanic outpouring and crashing back toward the land below.
Sauron was clearly attempting to harness the earth's molten core itself, using the eruption to overwhelm Sylas's Defense.
This was raw natural destruction. Though it fell short of the cataclysmic eruption of the Apocalyptic Volcano, it was still far beyond anything Sylas could easily suppress, especially with Sauron actively manipulating the lava.
If the molten tide reached the surface unchecked, the entire region surrounding Hogwarts would be transformed into a burning wasteland. At that point, trapping Sauron would be meaningless; even containing the eruption itself would become nearly impossible.
Sauron's intent was unmistakably cruel.
Elrond attempted to counter the disaster by wielding the Air Ring, drawing water from the Black Lake and forcing it into the fissure to cool the lava and slow its ascent. But a single lake, however vast, could not contend with molten rock that had accumulated beneath the earth for tens of thousands of years.
The water evaporated almost instantly.
The lava surged higher, forming a towering fountain of fire and molten stone, radiating unbearable heat and destructive force as it blasted skyward, threatening to consume the land.
The Golden Light Shield expanded rapidly, sealing over the fissure and enclosing the erupting lava beneath it. Yet the molten mass below seemed endless, battering the barrier relentlessly and forcing it to stretch under immense pressure.
It was like endlessly inflating an indestructible balloon, no matter how strong it was, there would eventually come a breaking point.
Sylas used the earth ring to bind Sauron, drawing upon the stability and weight of the land itself. Sauron, in turn, sought to destroy that bond by turning the planet's molten depths against him.
Gandalf activated Narya, attempting to calm and control the raging fire within the lava. Galadriel followed, unleashing the power of Nenya, suppressing the flames with torrents of elemental water.
Forced into action, Sylas halted his ongoing transformation and fully unleashed the power of the Earth Ring, reinforcing the Golden Shield with everything he had. At the same time, he tried to force the fissure closed, attempting to seal off the molten flow at its source.
But the lava surged like a breached dam.
Streams of earth and stone rose at Sylas's command, twisting into massive earth-dragons that plunged into the fissure in an effort to block it. One after another, they were overwhelmed by the inferno, partially melting and collapsing into the molten flood.
Sauron's influence made the lava unnaturally violent, resisting all attempts at suppression.
Sylas felt his magic being drained at an alarming rate. Gritting his teeth, he endured, silently praying that Frodo and his companions would reach their destination in time.
Meanwhile…
Deep within the heart of Mordor, Frodo and his companions, disguised as half-orcs by Polyjuice Potion, successfully passed through multiple checkpoints. At last, they arrived at the foot of the Volcano.
Here, smoke and ash filled the sky year-round. The land was barren and lifeless, choked by heat and fumes.
Their caution intensified.
After realizing Sylas's true plan, Sauron had already issued commands through his dominion, ordering all remaining dark forces in Mordor to converge upon the volcano, sealing it off completely.
At the same time, the Eye, perched atop the Dark Tower, fixed its gaze upon the volcano.
The volcano was under constant surveillance.
Day and night, without pause, the Eye watched it, so vigilant that even a fly entering the volcano's territory would be detected immediately.
In the skies above, spirits riding fallen beasts patrolled ceaselessly, accompanied by vampires, giant bats, and foul ravens circling in dense formations. On the ground, beyond the outer perimeter guarded by Orcs, powerful Uruk-beasts, and Trolls, there roamed giant wolves, dark sorcerers, evil spirits, and a variety of corrupted monsters born of shadow and decay.
In short, the Volcano of Doom had become an impregnable fortress, layer upon layer of blockade sealing it completely. Any attempt at infiltration was, on the surface, nothing short of suicidal.
Therefore, when the group finally reached the foot of the volcano, they were forced to halt.
Although they were disguised as Orcs, even Orcs were subjected to strict inspections and were forbidden from entering the volcano freely. And even if they somehow slipped past the initial checks, the mountain itself was crawling with patrols, demon wolves, evil spirits, and massive beasts appearing every few steps. Above them, spirits, vampires, giant bats, and ravens scanned relentlessly from the air, leaving no blind spots.
And towering over everything was the Eye upon the Dark Tower, sweeping the volcano like a colossal searchlight, missing nothing.
Under such circumstances, the team found it difficult to advance even a single step.
Aragorn's expression grew grave. Lowering his voice, he said,"Given the current situation, it's almost certain that Sauron has already sensed our intentions. That's why he's concentrated so much of his power around the Volcano of Doom."
He paused briefly, then continued, his tone heavy.
"We don't know how long Lord Sylas and the others can hold Sauron back… but we must act before he returns."
His gaze swept over the group.
"We must succeed in destroying the Ring before he comes back. If we fail, and Sauron returns, then we will have absolutely no chance."
A heavy silence fell over the group.
"But we can't even enter the Volcano of Doom right now," Legolas said, frowning deeply. "How are we supposed to get inside?"
He glanced toward the slopes crawling with patrols.
"And even if we move, we could be discovered at any moment. How can we possibly reach the Rift of Misfortune safely?"
The Rift of Misfortune was a vast volcanic fissure deep within the volcano, filled with roaring flames and molten lava drawn directly from the core. It was there that Sauron had once used the primal fire of Arda to pour the greater part of his soul into the Ring, completing the forging of the One Ring.
And it was the only place in the world where that Ring could be destroyed.
...
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