Master Theron Vex dominated the Royal Academy's emergency command center, his weathered hands trembling as he studied the reports scattered across the hastily assembled table. The chamber's oppressive silence pressed against everyone present like a physical weight, broken only by the scratch of his pen as he made urgent calculations in the margins.
Captain Aldric cleared his throat. "Master Vex, you mentioned recognizing this phenomenon. The rift that consumed itself?"
Vex raised his eyes from the documents, his expression carved from stone. "Captain, what occurred at the Academy violates every fundamental principle of dimensional physics we understand. Standard rifts require seven days of stabilization before allowing passage. This manifestation was active from the moment it appeared."
