" Wow, look at this cave!" Emma exclaimed as she extended her arms to touch the rocky interior.

" Ouch!" She yelled, quickly pulling her hand back. " It's hot!"

She glanced at Mia, who was leaning on the wall as she gasped in awe at all that was around her. " Mia, how are you not burning when you touch the rocky interior?!"

Mia looked at her. " Because I have a brother named Kai who lives to destroy stuff."

Annie rolled her eyes as she checked the map. " It says there's supposed to be land here....."

But then she looked off the edge on the rocks. " But there's something red here."

" Eh. Kai musta come.here."

" No, Mia, look!"

Mia turned. " What?"

" IT'S BUBBLING!"

" WHAT?!" Mia pushed off the wall and ran to Annie.

The red thing was bubbling.

It was liquid.

" Looks like magma."

Emma peered over Mia's shoulder. " But this doesn't look like the magma....."

She trailed off, and widened her eyes as the other two also realized what happened.

"WE'RE IN A VOLCANO!" they yelled in unison, their voices echoing off the rocky walls.

Mia's heart pounded in her chest as she backed away from the bubbling magma. "How did we not notice this sooner?!"

Annie frantically waved the map. "According to this, there’s supposed to be land—solid, safe land! Not a volcano!"

Emma, still shaking her hand from the hot wall, said, “We have to get out of here! Before it erupts!"

Mia’s mind raced. "Alright, don’t panic. Kai’s always telling me about this kind of stuff. We need to find higher ground and fast!"

Annie scanned the area. "Higher ground? We’re literally inside a volcano, Mia. The only 'higher ground' is outside of this thing!"

"Exactly!" Mia shot back. "We have to find a way up. There’s always a way out."

Emma jumped up. "I see a ledge!" She pointed to a narrow path, a jagged slope leading up the side of the cavernous wall.

"That’s our shot," Mia said, already moving toward it. "Come on!"

The three girls scrambled up the slope, the heat intensifying with every step. The ground beneath them rumbled ominously, and the magma bubbled louder, as if the volcano was warning them to leave.

Annie slipped on the uneven ground but caught herself. "We don’t have much time!"

Mia reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back onto her feet. "We’re almost there, just keep moving!"

As they reached the ledge, Mia glanced down at the molten sea below them. The bubbling had grown fiercer, glowing brighter, the air thick with heat and the scent of sulfur.

"We’re gonna make it," Mia muttered, more to herself than the others. But her confidence was fading fast.

They reached a small outcrop, a narrow ridge above the magma. Emma squinted toward the top of the volcano. "I think I see daylight up there!"

Mia glanced up, her heart lifting. "Okay, new plan. We climb straight up. No more wandering."

Annie hesitated, looking back at the roiling lava below. "Climb? How?"

Mia smirked. "You two are lucky I hang out with a ninja who loves rock climbing. Follow me."

Without another word, Mia started climbing up the rock face, finding footholds and handholds like she’d been doing it all her life. Emma and Annie followed closely behind, their breaths coming in short, panicked bursts.

The ground trembled beneath them as the volcano rumbled again, but Mia didn’t stop. She kept climbing, her hands sweaty and the heat almost unbearable.

After what felt like hours, they reached the top.

Bursting out of the volcano, they collapsed onto solid, cool ground, gasping for air.

"That," Emma wheezed, "was terrifying."

Mia rolled onto her back, looking up at the sky. "No kidding. Next time, we’re picking the forest adventure."

Annie lay beside them, staring up at the clouds. "Agreed."

They stood up, brushed one another, and were ready to go home.

Suddenly, threw birds swooped down, pecking them and pushing them.

" What are they doing??" Emma gasped as the bird came swooping again.

" Pushing us o- AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Annie yelled as they went plummeting down again.

" MIA USE YOUR WIND!" Emma yelled.

" I CAN TRY!" Mia focused on her elemental powers, but nothing happened.

" WE'RE GONNA DIE!" Emma yelled.

" NOT HELPFUL!" Annie yelled as she tried to make out their surroundings, but it was nearly impossible given how fast they were going.

" AIEEEEEE!" Mia screamed as she flailed her arms.

The wind rushed past them as they plummeted, the force of the fall making it hard to think, let alone use any powers.

"MIA, COME ON!" Emma shouted again, her voice barely audible over the howling wind.

"I'M TRYING!" Mia yelled back, panic rising in her chest. Her powers had always been there when she needed them—why weren’t they working now?

Annie flailed as she tried to think. "THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING WE CAN DO!"

They were spinning too fast, the ground rapidly approaching. Mia squeezed her eyes shut, desperately reaching for any connection to the wind element she controlled. But nothing was happening.

"Come on, come on!" Mia muttered under her breath.

Just when it seemed like all hope was lost, the air suddenly shifted around them, as if responding to Mia’s frantic calls. The wind beneath them slowed, not enough to stop the fall completely, but enough to keep them from smashing into the ground at full speed.

They hit the earth with a jarring thud, tumbling into a heap on the soft grass. Groaning, they slowly untangled themselves.

"Is everyone alive?" Mia gasped, rubbing her sore arms.

"Somehow, yes," Annie groaned, sitting up. "Barely."

Emma winced as she stood, brushing dirt off her clothes. "That was way too close."

Mia lay on her back, breathing heavily. "I don’t know why my powers didn’t work sooner. They just... cut out."

Annie looked up at the sky where the birds had disappeared. "Maybe something in that volcano messed with them."

"Maybe," Mia muttered, still staring at the sky, a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes.

Emma’s eyes widened as the realization hit her. “Wait! The interior is made of venge stone!”

Mia, still catching her breath, blinked and looked around. “Of course. That’s why my powers weren’t working.”

Annie pulled out her phone and tapped it, only to see the dreaded “No Service” message. “Great. No Internet.”

Emma threw her hands up in frustration. “Why does this always happen to us?!”

“Seriously,” Mia said, her voice tinged with exasperation. “Every time we get into something, there’s always some new problem.”

“Alright,” Annie said, trying to sound more composed. “We need to figure out how to get out of here and fix the situation.”

Mia looked around at their surroundings, trying to come up with a plan. “Let’s check our supplies and see if we have anything that can help. Maybe we can find a way out or at least figure out how to get my powers working again.”

Emma nodded, starting to dig through their bags. “Okay, let’s do that. And maybe if we’re lucky, we’ll find a way to communicate with someone who can help us.”

Thirty minutes later, Mia was busy with the map when Emma exclaimed, " Wow, Mia, you really scared us."
Mia looked at her friend. " What?"

" Yeah, Mia! Pretending you couldn't use your powers." Annie agreed.

Mia blinked. " But ..... I'm not doing anything."

The two girls stared at her.

" Well if it's not you, then...." Emma peered down and let out a blood curling scream.

" What?!" Annie scrambled to her side and gasped. " Uh, Mia? You're gonna wanna see this "

Mia cautiously walked to the edge and gasped.

The LAVA WAS PUSHING THEM UP.

" We're gonna blow!" Annie yelled as she clung onto the rock.

Mia's heart raced as she peered over the edge. The lava was indeed pushing them up, creating a rising surge beneath them. The heat intensified, and the air grew thick and oppressive.

“Hold on!” Mia shouted over the roar of the magma, her voice barely audible.

Annie clung tightly to the rock, her knuckles white. “We need to figure out how to stop this! We’re going to get blasted out of here!”

Emma, surprisingly, seemed unfazed. She was practically giggling as she watched the bubbling lava rise beneath them. “Hey, this is kinda fun! It’s like a roller coaster!”

“Emma, this is not a game!” Mia yelled. “We’re in serious danger here!”

Emma looked over, her expression finally shifting to concern as she saw the panic in Mia’s eyes and Annie’s frantic clinging. “Oh... right. I guess it’s not that fun if we’re about to explode.”

Mia tried to think quickly. “Okay, we need to stabilize ourselves and figure out a way to either get out of this volcano or stop the lava from pushing us up.”

“Do you have any ideas?” Annie asked, her voice strained.

Mia shook her head. “Not yet. But if we can find a way to cool down the lava or create a diversion, it might buy us some time.”

Emma’s excitement was fading as she realized the gravity of the situation. “Well, we can’t stay here forever. Let’s think of something fast!”

They began to look around desperately. Mia spotted a few large boulders nearby. “If we can use those boulders to create a barrier or redirect the flow of lava, we might be able to slow it down.”

“Good idea!” Annie said, trying to catch her breath. “Let’s move!”

They worked together to position the boulders, trying to redirect the flow of lava. It was a dangerous task, but they managed to create a makeshift barrier that diverted some of the magma away from them.

As they worked, Emma’s mood shifted from amusement to determination. She helped move the rocks and clear debris, understanding now just how dire their situation was.

After what felt like an eternity, the lava flow began to stabilize, and the immediate threat of being blasted out of the volcano eased. The girls collapsed onto the rocky floor, exhausted but relieved.

“Never a dull moment,” Emma panted.

“Seriously,” Mia agreed, wiping sweat from her brow. “Let’s hope our next adventure is a bit less explosive.”

Annie nodded in agreement. “Agreed. Let’s get out of here before things heat up again.”

Five minutes later, the ground beneath them suddenly gave way, and they were thrust directly into the flow of lava. Emma's scream pierced the air.

"I'm on fire!" she yelled, trying to pat down her clothes as the intense heat scorched her.

“Hold on!” Mia shouted, her voice barely cutting through the roar of the lava. “We’re coming to the surface!”

The lava surged violently, pushing them upward with explosive force. The heat was unbearable, and the girls had to shield their faces and bodies from the scalding spray.

Suddenly, with a violent burst, they were hurled out of the volcano. They crashed through the treetops, branches whipping past them as they tumbled through the air.

Emma landed awkwardly among the trees, her clothes singed but her body miraculously intact. “That was hot!” she muttered, trying to calm her rapid breathing. “And not just temperature-wise.”

Mia and Annie landed nearby, equally shaken but relieved to be out of the direct lava flow. They looked at each other, their faces showing a mixture of disbelief and relief.

“Is everyone okay?” Mia asked, surveying the group. Her clothes were also scorched, but she seemed otherwise fine.

“I think so,” Annie replied, brushing dirt and leaves off herself. “But I’m definitely ready for a break from all this excitement.”

Emma, still looking a bit frazzled, nodded in agreement. “Yeah, let’s never do that again.”

Mia glared at her. " You think?"