Reinhardt's body plunged through the abyss, weightless yet gripped by unseen forces. The shattered void around him twisted, fragments of darkness and light colliding in violent bursts. He couldn't tell if he was falling or ascending—only that something was changing.
Selene's grip on his hand tightened. Her eyes, glowing with residual magic, met his for the briefest moment before—
Impact.
They crashed into solid ground. The force sent Reinhardt rolling, his sword clattering beside him. His lungs burned, his limbs ached, but he was alive.
Gasping, he pushed himself upright. The air was thick with an eerie silence. The void was gone—replaced by something entirely different.
They stood atop an ancient plateau, surrounded by towering monolithic stones. Strange symbols glowed faintly upon them, pulsing in rhythm with his own heartbeat. The sky above was neither day nor night, a swirling canvas of golden hues and deep violet shadows.
Selene groaned, rising to her feet beside him. "Where… are we?"
Reinhardt scanned the horizon. The land stretched endlessly, filled with ruins that hummed with forgotten power. "I don't know," he admitted, his voice hoarse. "But I don't think we're in our world anymore."
A chill ran down his spine. This place wasn't just unfamiliar—it felt wrong.
Selene exhaled, rubbing her temples. "That entity—it tried to trap us, but we broke free. The problem is…" She turned, eyes dark with realization. "We may have broken into something worse."
A sudden howl echoed across the plateau.
Reinhardt's hand shot to his sword. In the distance, figures began to emerge from the ruins. Their forms were humanoid but twisted, their limbs elongated, their faces shrouded in shifting mist.
Selene cursed. "That doesn't look welcoming."
Reinhardt took a steadying breath, raising his sword. "Then let's make sure we're not."
The creatures charged.
And the battle for survival in this unknown realm began.