Gates felt the warning hum of his instincts kick in. There was no way these two had slipped past the city guards without notice. Even stranger, how could they have entered the rip at all? Only those with certain powers could cross into these realms—and that realization struck him hard.
System Notification
"Two unidentified Players detected in proximity. Threat level: Moderate to High."
His eyes narrowed. So, they were Players.
He began calculating his odds, watching them in silence, when the boy abruptly raised a hand. Flames coalesced in his palm, twisting into a blazing lance that hovered there, burning with unnatural intensity. Gates' instincts roared, and he immediately sidestepped as the boy launched the lance, barely dodging its fiery path as it crashed into the ground behind him, sending up a spray of heated earth.
