At Nithalee’s word, a tremendous tide of mana erupted from the spell, a pulse of pure power that washed across the sky in a wave of purple light. It disrupted the thick, hanging clouds of infernal mana, clearing them like dust before a windstorm. Every demon within a hundred miles, from the weakest scion to the demon lord, flinched at the sheer power, their lustful gazes locking onto our mountain peak.

"Damn, where was this power in Sylvarus?" Korra muttered, shaking her head.

Nithalee’s eyes opened slowly, glowing with power. Her aura transcended any mortal being I’d witnessed, eclipsing Elaine and even overpowering Avant during the heights of his most powerful spell. If she wanted, she could crush mountains with her mere presence, erase half the infernal horde with a single spell, or pierce adaptive Resistance with barely a thought. I shivered as her eyes locked onto me. There was no malice in her aura, but still, my soul recognized the absurd power she wielded and feared it.

"This is why you must strike quickly," she said, her voice vibrating through the air and ground. "You cannot allow Lusha the time and space to cast a ninth-level spell, or your journey will meet a tragic, and very swift end."

"No pressure," Korra said, patting my shoulder.

I gave her a look, and she grinned, shrugging helplessly. "What?"

Nithalee waved her staff, and the power of her spell concentrated. I watched expectantly, waiting for a rift to form, but the mana began to churn, forming a static vortex before us, whipping up hurricane-force gales. Luke stepped in front of me, placing an arm around my shoulders and shielding me with an art. The other stood steadfast, unmoved in the slightest. Slowly, the vortex condensed, its long, spinning tail burrowing into fate, vanishing from my senses.

With a snap of Nithalee’s fingers, the center of the whirlpool slowed like the eye of the storm, opening like one of the gates I used to call Fable or Borealis. On the other side, the Wormhole seemed to have opened in the heart of a small city. The sky was blue, with faint wisps of clouds drifting across the distant horizon. Tall, gleaming towers pierced the sky, crowning ancient-looking keeps that seemed as plentiful as the markets. A wall of mountains loomed around the city, a natural wall higher and stronger than any man-made fortification.

"Go!" she cried.

Korra and Gayron led, unleashing their auras as they leaped through the gate. R’lissea followed, her staff gripped tightly in her hand. I took a step, but before my foot touched the ground, Luke blurred. His arm swept my legs out from under me, picking me up in one smooth motion. I let out a startled yelp, throwing my arms around his neck as he lunged through. I braced myself for the jerk of teleportation, but it was smooth, like going through a rift.

We emerged in a spacious cobblestone courtyard directly before the soaring spires of a cathedral. A shard of omniscience glittered through gaping holes where stained glass windows had once shone, shattered by the initial force of Korra’s aura. Soldiers, priests, adventurers, and even a few townsfolk had similarly been caught in the blast and lay strewn about the grounds, many motionless where they’d fallen.

The moment Luke passed through, a terrible pressure smashed down on us. The World Barrier.

I screamed, clinging to Luke, and the oppressive might broke against the shining ward of Infernal Cloak, parting around us like a river around a boulder. As I started to relax, the crackle of thunder crashed in my ears. I flinched, looking skyward to see purple lines streaking the sky, snaking out from the Wormhole. Even here, away from Nithalee herself, the spell’s pressure caused the ground to shake and the trees lining the courtyard to tremble.

"Guess they know where here," Korra said, raising her fists, looking around. "But where is everyone? You’d think after our antics at Vesna, they’d learn to guard their shards. There’s not a single guard over fourth level!"

"It’s not very dark, for a place called Darkreign," Luke remarked, gently setting me on my feet. "Are you sure this is the right place?"

"It has to be. Nithalee wouldn’t have sent us to the wrong place," I said, turning around.

But even as I spoke, the Wormhole snapped shut, vanishing in the blink of an eye. The sudden lapse of mana created a vacuum, reversing the flow of energy. The backlash hit us like a wave, and my knees buckled, almost sending me back to the ground. Only Luke’s hand saved me, gripping my upper arm as the torrent passed. My tail curled around Luke’s leg as the last wisps of mana vanished, my stomach churning anxiously. I felt for the Oracle of Eternity, but as its warmth began to fill me, it recoiled, cut off by an unseen wall.

"This is the right place," I said, my nerves calming if only just. "Fate’s blocked here."

"Thank the gods," R’lissea said, resting her hand on her chest in relief.

"Korra, let’s clear the courtyard and get a vantage," Gayron said.

"I’ll clear the cathedral!" she replied, turning and accelerating into a blur.

Gayron flew into the air, releasing a sixth-level art that had flaming meteors raining from the sky. Their explosions shook the courtyard, vaporizing any of the soldiers or priests who were starting to twitch again. The fires formed into more Gayrons, quickly moving to secure the gates and walls with swords drawn.

"What about us?" Luke asked.

"First, we need reinforcements," I said. "It won’t be long before they rally. I don’t believe they just have no defenses, despite what it looks like."

Summoning my staff, I opened a gate to Haven, making it as big as I could. The golden swirl expanded until it was the size of a small house, just over twenty feet across.

But as the gate stabilized, another peal of thunder shook the skies. But this time, instead of volatile mana, dark clouds rolled across the sky, coming from behind the cathedral. The clang of alarm bells followed, and panicked screams rose from the city beyond the courtyard walls.

"The Storm Hero." Luke’s eyes narrowed, drawing his sword.

"It’s fine, that’s Korra’s job," I said hurriedly.

"And what about those?" he asked, gesturing with the blade.

I turned, gasping as several skyships came over the horizon, dropping down from out of the mountains. They were enormous, far larger than anything the elves had crafted and outfitted with ground-facing cannons that looked big enough to sustain eighth-level attacks.

"That didn’t take long," R’lissea mumbled. "We’ve been here, what, twenty seconds?"

"If this is their rapid response force, they must have ten times this in reserves," Luke said. "We should hurry."

Finally, the first aura appeared in my gate, followed by Fable bursting out, Bethiv at his side.

"Move out!" he shouted, sword already drawn.

Behind him, soldiers poured out of the gate, led by the Star Guard. Kahlen was absent, as even the Infernal Cloak was useless on full-blooded demons. The others quickly joined us, while the others charged after Bethiv, moving in Gayron’s wake. They acted callous and efficient, silencing any of the soldiers he’d left behind. Gayron destroyed the gates with a magic art, letting them pour into the city. Shouts and the clash of steel rang out almost immediately as they engaged guards and soldiers flooding toward the disturbance caused by the Wormhole.

As the tide of soldiers ceased, almost a thousand strong, Jackal appeared with a small squad of sixth and seventh-level soldiers. They were all familiar to me, including Avrass the ranger and other mages and warriors who had fought beside me in the Ice Gate.

"Where are we needed?" Jackal asked, saluting.

"Just, er, follow Gayron," I said, waving toward them. "He’ll draw out the other ninth-level for you."

"On it. We’ll find and disable that fate ward as soon as possible," he said. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

They hurried away, using their mana to soar over the walls. I watched them go, anxiously gripping my staff.

"Gayron’s doing that alone?" Luke asked.

I nodded, then paused, my tail going rigid. "Fyren!"

"Fyren the demon, he groaned, rubbing his horn. "Don’t tell me you actually planned on him fighting?"

"H-He said he would. He’s in human form so much, I...I didn’t even think of the world barrier!"

"He’s a cunning bastard," Luke muttered. "How could he have overlooked this?"

A shockwave rocked the cathedral, knocking stones off the top of one of the walls. Chunks of masonry flew through the air, but Luke raised his hand, summoning a violet shield. The rocks struck it and lost their momentum, falling motionless to the ground.

"Damn it, that wasn’t from us," he said, tail lashing. "Seems like they ran into someone truly powerful."

"A ninth level?"

His expression was grim. "I’m sorry, Xiviyah, but it seems I won’t be accompanying you any longer. Gayron’s going to be slaughtered if I don’t do something."

"But even the two of you aren’t--"

His tail flicked mine, silencing me. It wasn’t hard, but it caused me to flinch. "We do what we must."

"That won’t be necessary, apostle."

I turned, tail bristling, at the sound of Fyren’s voice. A dark silhouette appeared in the gate, forming into the demon as he emerged in his demon form. Fires ignited across his scales, the jagged cracks in his scales glowing. But the color of his fire and hide wasn’t smoldering red and orange flames, but pure white, flecked with the black of midnight. His eyes were pitch black, a yawning chasm more empty and endless than the abyss I’d nearly thrown myself into beneath Heartland.

The white flames flared, bathing him in his unique flying art, but I felt nothing of their heat. The ground just...broke. The cobblestones crumbled into dust. The patches of weeds growing through the cracks withered, crackled, and disintegrated.

"That’s not possible," I whispered, staring at him. The World Barrier should be suppressing him. He shouldn’t be able to use an art!

"Go, Oracle," he growled, setting his gaze toward the source of the shockwave. "And you, apostle, protect her. The fate of this world depends on your victory."