The world beyond the portal was both familiar and alien. Acnologia Gaunt stepped through the shattered veil between realities, the dark energy of the Upside Down clinging to his form like an extension of himself. The air was different—cleaner, warmer, saturated with the vitality of life rather than the oppressive silence of the world he had left behind.
He stood at the edge of a dense forest, moonlight filtering through the canopy above. The trees swayed gently in the night breeze, whispering secrets he had not heard in years. He took a slow breath, his senses sharp and hyperaware, his heart steady with anticipation rather than fear. The Mind Flayer had vanished, its vast presence dissipating as soon as they crossed over. Acnologia knew it was still there, lingering in the shadows, waiting.
The first thing he noticed was the change within himself. The magic he had wielded in the Upside Down had altered, shifting and adapting to the natural energies of this world. His father's sorcery was stronger here, no longer muted by the void. His mother's gifts—his Biokinesis, telekinesis, and phantasmagoria—hummed beneath his skin, a symphony of power waiting to be unleashed.
A rustling in the underbrush snapped him from his thoughts. He turned sharply, his eyes narrowing as he extended his senses. Something—or someone—was near. He crouched low, blending into the darkness, his form vanishing as his invisibility took hold.
The figures that emerged were unlike the mindless creatures of the Upside Down. They were human. Soldiers. Their uniforms bore no insignia, but their weapons were advanced—too advanced for any ordinary military. Acnologia recognized them for what they were: hunters. Those who sought the unnatural.
One of them raised a device that emitted a faint pulse of energy. A detection spell of sorts. Acnologia smirked. They knew something had crossed over, but they did not know what.
He moved swiftly, stepping behind one of the soldiers before they could react. With a flick of his fingers, his telekinesis took hold, lifting the man into the air before slamming him against a tree with bone-shattering force. The others spun around, their weapons raised, but Acnologia was already gone, shifting through the darkness like a phantom.
Illusions sprang forth—copies of himself emerging from the trees, their eyes glowing with otherworldly power. The soldiers panicked, opening fire, their bullets tearing through empty air. One by one, he dismantled them, binding their limbs with unseen force, silencing their screams with whispers of fear woven into their minds.
As one soldier broke free and aimed his weapon, Acnologia turned to face him fully. With a casual flick of his wrist, he whispered, "Avada Kedavra."
A burst of sickly green light erupted from his hand, striking the man square in the chest. He collapsed instantly, lifeless before he even hit the ground. The remaining soldiers trembled, their courage shattered. Another raised his weapon, only for Acnologia to bind him midair, crushing his breath from his lungs with invisible force.
By the time the last soldier fell unconscious, Acnologia stood amidst the wreckage, untouched.
He knelt beside one of the fallen men, pressing a hand to his forehead. With a pulse of biokinesis, he reached into the man's mind, extracting flashes of memory. They were part of an organization—one that had been monitoring disturbances like this for years. They had been waiting for something to emerge from the portal.
Waiting for him.
Acnologia exhaled slowly, standing. He had been gone from this world for so long, but it had not forgotten him. Forces were already in motion, and he had barely set foot in this reality.
He turned toward the distant lights of civilization on the horizon, a smirk curling his lips.
"Let them come."
With a flick of his cloak, he vanished into the night, his mind already weaving the next steps of his ascension.