Darcel
The first realm hit like a punch to the chest.
The moment we stepped through the portal, the air turned thick and oppressive, like trying to breathe underwater.
Frankie looked in my direction, and I knew from the look on her face that she realized the dimensions she had healed were once again in ruin.
The sky above was a roiling mass of storm clouds. The horizon fractured into jagged, glowing cracks that pulsed with an unnatural light. The ground beneath our feet shifted and trembled as if the realm itself was alive—and angry.
Frankie stepped forward, her black flames flickering in defiance of the chaos around us. She moved purposefully, her otherworldly presence a beacon of calm amidst the turmoil. Clyde and I flanked her, our eyes scanning for threats.
"She passed through he
