Kael descended to the forgotten subway vault beneath the city. Dust covered the stone floor, and cobwebs draped the archways. The vault had been sealed for decades—until the key pulsed violently in his hand.
The lock accepted the key. Light exploded in the room, revealing a doorway suspended between worlds. Kael stepped closer, feeling the gravity of countless realms pressing against him. Every instinct screamed to retreat—but curiosity, the same drive that had guided him all his life, pulled him forward.
This is real, he thought, fingers brushing the light. Everything I've seen… it's real.