The portal screamed open—a writhing vortex of shadow-stuff and raw chaos that made reality hiccup around its edges. Purple energy sparked from her fingertips as she forced the unstable rift to hold, her face twisted in concentration and terror.
"Xavier!" Her voice cracked as the expanding zone of unreality devoured another cobblestone. "I can't hold it!"
Xavier scooped Ashley's convulsing form into his arms. The golden fractures across her skin burned against his coat, but he ignored the pain. Her eyes had rolled back completely now, showing only whites as her mouth moved in silent screams.
"You feel them dying," she whispered, her voice hollow and distant. "Over and over and over..."
"I've got you," Xavier said, though he wasn't sure she could hear him anymore. "Just hold on."
The portal flickered, its edges beginning to fray. Naomi's purple eyes met his across the chaos, and he saw the same desperate calculation he was making—they had seconds at most.
"Naomi, go!"
