[The Hell Gate, Master]
For a long moment, Taufik remained still.
He stood alone above the shade of the Great tree, the winds of mana swirling around him like whispers from a forgotten world. The sky above twisted with unnatural hues, subtle streaks of crimson bleeding into violet, the telltale sign of a rupture not born from this reality.
A ripple in the fabric of existence.
Not from within the Earth… but from outside it.
He felt it.
That dreadful signal.
They were about to enter Earth.
Taufik didn't speak. He simply stared toward the horizon, where the atmosphere began to fracture like glass under pressure. It wasn't fear that stilled him. It was hesitation.
Not for himself, he feared nothing.
But for Earth. For humanity.
He wasn't sure they were ready.
The Hell Gate was about to open.
Then, without sound or forewarning, someone appeared beside him. A flicker of voidlight, and she stood there, tall, quiet, and powerful.
"...My lord." Erelythe.
