Andrus stood before me, his presence heavy with tension. I could still feel the shock of being pulled through the portal, my mind racing with a hundred questions. But the one that screamed the loudest, the one that made my chest tighten with dread, was about Celeste.
“Andrus... Answer me! Where is Celeste?” My voice trembled as I spoke, barely able to contain the rising panic in my chest.
His face darkened, regret flickering in his eyes. “She... pushed me through the portal at the last minute,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “Right when Nicolai was launching his attack.”
I felt my stomach drop. “What? No... we have to go back! Andrus, we can’t leave her there! We have to get her!”
I could feel my panic rising, my breath coming in shallow gasps as I thought of Celeste still trap
