Victor opened the door, already dressed. He didn't even look at Devotion, silently sprinting towards the courtyard. Devotion could sense the stronger aura coming from Victor. He had advanced ranks.
All at once, Devotion felt inferior, and angry, that he had seemingly failed to reach the Second Rank in time. The Interplanar Secret Realm was such an incredible opportunity, and Devotion was unwilling to just throw that chance away. He sprinted after Victor, planning his next move.
He was going to see how entering the Secret Realm worked, then tag along with Victor and pray no one noticed that he was still the First Rank. Of course, we the readers know that this was futile, for Devotion had reached the Second Rank overnight, but he was not privy to that information. If he just slowed down and took a second to examine his cultivation base, he would figure it out almost instantaneously. Too bad he was too stubborn.
Following Victor, Devotion found himself in the courtyard, surrounded by thousands of disciples.
"Congratulations on the advancement." Devotion said to Victor, before everything started.
"You too." Victor replied.
"Real funny." Devotion sarcastically said. Victor just looked at him, confused, then decided to drop it.
In the center of the courtyard, that platform returned, and Horatio and the two High Elders stood on it. Behind them, a few other Elders were setting up what appeared to be a large gate, covered in runes. Horatio began to speak.
"In just a few moments, the Interplanar Secret Realm will be opened. The portal will allow anyone to enter, but be wary, as the Secret Realm has special rules. If someone not at the Second Rank enters, they will most likely be completely destroyed by the laws of that realm. It is near inevitable. You are welcome to try your luck, but just know that most likely, only death will await you on the other side of that portal." Horatio explained.
"The portal will be open for the rest of the day, and will be closed at sunset today. Once the portal is closed, it will not be reopened for one month's time to preserve resources. That means nobody will be able to enter, or return from, the Interplanar Secret Realm for that month. Furthermore, the Summoner's Guild is not the only Sect opening this Secret Realm to their disciples. You may run into other sect's disciples, and fights may break out. We cannot protect you within that Realm, so be extremely careful. Trust nobody, unless you're standing next to them right now. Do you have anything to add, High Elders?" Horatio asked, turning towards the figures standing on either side of him.
The High Elder on the left shook his head no, but the one on the right had something to say.
"Be wary. Tensions are very high, and even we cannot tell what lies within this Secret Realm. It has a rich history, and countless opportunities lie within it for you. However, greed is the most brutal of all human emotions, and drives our most desperate acts. Others will want those opportunities, and you must be firm to keep them. I do not expect every person that enters to return alive. As for the history of the Secret Realm, that is something that we cannot tell you. You must find it for yourself." The High Elder spoke, his voice mysterious and powerful. Just as the elder finished, the gate behind them began to glow, the runes igniting.
Those Elders setting up the gate stepped back as it activated, being careful not to be pulled into it. That would be catastrophic for them. All at once, the gate lit up as a neon blue portal opened up within it. It was glowing and constantly swirling, almost mesmerizing with its patterns.
Devotion's throat went dry, hearing that cultivators not at the Second Rank would be most likely destroyed. Still, he had to take that risk. He could not afford to waste the opportunities within the Interplanar Secret Realm. Something in his core felt like he needed to be in this Realm, no matter the cost.
"Why do you look so nervous?" Victor asked Devotion. "You just have to walk through the portal."
"Easy for you to say." Devotion replied. It was strange that Victor wasn't telling him not to enter, and even encouraging what was most likely a suicide mission.
"There's Alex. We should go in with her. It's probably a good idea to stick together." Victor said, pointing out Alex in the crowd. The two of them shoved their way through, reaching Alex after some time.
"I assume you are both ready to enter this Realm?" Alex asked. The two of them nodded. "Good. Let's enter as early as we can. Don't want the other opportunities to be taken before we even enter."
The three of them watched as the first few disciples entered. It was strange. They would walk through that immense gate, the runes would flash, and they would just be gone. Devotion had never seen travel like this before. It was incredible.
After seeing a few groups go in, Alex started to pull on them. "Come on. Let's go in. I don't want to waste any more time." She said, strutting towards the portal. As more disciples entered, more people made their way over, and it was taking much longer for disciples to go through.
Finally, it was their turn. The three of them stepped forward into the portal, linking arms. That way, they wouldn't be separated when travelling through.
Devotion shut his eyes as he stepped through, prepared to have his body instantly ripped in half. As they stepped through, they felt a powerful suction force, pulling their bodies in. It felt like they were being compressed and ripped apart, all at the same time. They flew through primal, chaos space until they reached the Secret Realm.
However, what Devotion didn't know, was that this feeling of being ripped apart was very normal. This happened every time someone used interplanar travel. Devotion was panicking, however. He thought he was being ripped apart by the laws of the land, and realized that he was still holding onto Victor.
"I can't implicate him. I'll let go, so only I get ripped apart. Be safe, Victor. I'm counting on you to avenge me." Devotion said to himself. He let go of Victor, and was violently tossed to another place in the Secret Realm.
He was completely separated from his companions.