The air shifted, the portal beginning to hum to life, and a shimmer of dark energy rippled across its surface. Lillian’s power was formidable, and she channeled it effortlessly, pulling open a gateway into the depths of Hell. Shadows spilled from the portal, curling and swirling in dark tendrils that seemed almost alive, beckoning us forward.
I could feel the pull, the magnetic draw of the very land that had raised me—a land I was ready to fight for, even if it meant facing my own blood.
The silence around us grew heavy as the portal stabilized, its entrance widening. I cast one last glance around at those who stood with me, each of them ready to step into the unknown.
"Are you ready?" I asked, my voice low yet resonant.
A unanimous roar answered me, a sound filled with conviction and
