A Crater

A fiery crater stretches before you, loose earth blasted aside all the way down to bedrock. The earth is still settling. Whatever hit the ground must have been huge! Or moving super fast you suppose. The crater is maybe a hundred feet across, a few dozen feet deep, and emitting an unbearable heat. Or it would be unbearable if it wasn't healing you. Holy crap, I'm not even in the fire and I'm already back up to full health! You pat yourself down in amazement. The heroines halted as soon as the crater came into view, shielding their eyes from the heat and much to your relief they appear to have forgotten about you. Now, if I just slip away...

But the universe has other ideas as the rumbling returned, this time you could feel the vibrations traveling up your legs. Maybe I should step ba-BOOM. A second shockwave strikes you, hard enough to hurl you back into the heroines, and the noise echoes painfully. Unlike the first time the sound continues, even seeming to get louder and deeper, like a titanic beast roaring at the sky. The crater has gotten slightly larger and a blinding light emanates from its deepest point, illuminating the hellish landscape. Red lightning arced across the opening as dirt and rocks fell in, lighting evil looking fires where they struck. The rock itself looked burnt. Not scorched or even melted but actually burnt, like blackened wood.

This isn't an impact, you realize in alarm, it's an eruption! The light widens, forming a circle seeming to be made of the sun itself, revealing a dark opening. Deep within you can see movement: many, many things crawling, flying, writhing...

"Sweet mother of Helia..." Just this once you completely agreed with the priestess: you were looking into a goddamn gateway to Hell.