The silence that had settled around the small stream was abruptly broken, not by a natural sound from the forest, but by a distortion in space itself, as if reality had been forced open, tearing itself apart for an instant.
The air vibrated.
A heavy pressure fell upon the surroundings, dense enough to compress the leaves against the ground, while the temperature rose suddenly, carrying a smell of sulfur and burnt iron that did not belong to that world.
Strax did not move immediately.
But his eyes changed.
Albedo reacted first, his body tensing the instant his demonic perception triggered like an internal alarm, recognizing something that was not only demonic, but profoundly wrong, ancient, and laden with authority.
Shura stepped forward, positioning herself slightly between the creature and the source of that distortion, her muscles contracting as if ready to tear apart anything that dared to advance.
Then space gave way. It wasn't a clean or elegant opening.
