"Changed the game? You've merely ensured that millions die chaotically instead of transitioning peacefully," Mercer snarled, his form rippling between states as void energy continued to leak from the destabilized portal.
The chamber trembled violently, concrete dust raining from the ceiling. Above them, Times Square continued to fill with revelers, blissfully unaware of the cosmic battle raging beneath their feet.
Atlas maintained his grip on Sarah's hand, their combined energy forming a golden barrier that pushed against the void's darkness. "We're not letting anyone die today."
"You can't close it," Mercer warned, void tendrils lashing out in desperate arcs. "Once a threshold begins to open, it must be completed or collapse catastrophically."
Marius stepped forward, golden energy sur
