Lost and powerless, Gabriel, Ethan, Lydia, and Amarus fell into the night. Around them was an engulfing whirlwind of light and darkness. When at last they touched down on a hard, icy surface, the shock was not fatal.
Pushing himself up, Gabriel groaning, peered into the shadows. Are all of you okay?
Shaking to clear his brain, Ethan coughed. "I'm good now. Where are we?
Worry was in Lydia's voice. Nowhere we've been before feels like this. Like...another realm.
Still on the ground, Amarus cast a gloomy glance about him. "The crystal had to have carried us here. Its strength is unbridled here, at its actual center."
From the shadows stepped a figure, the crystal's unsettling gleam catching in her eyes. Ava faced them, resolution and grief carved onto her features.
Stepping forward, G
