Michael tried again.
The same result.
"No," he muttered.
His heart rate climbed despite himself. He was no longer drifting randomly. The instability of the void was funneling him, guiding him whether he wanted it or not.
The mirrored gate expanded until it filled his vision.
For a brief moment, Michael saw everything reflected within it.
Then the void folded.
Michael felt himself pass through the surface of the mirror without resistance, as if slipping through water.
The pressure spiked sharply, the energy roaring as it tried to tear him apart all at once.
The strain peaked.
And then—
The darkness shattered.
Michael fell into a new world, swallowed whole by one of Hell's many floors.
Michael hit the ground without impact.
One moment there was pressure and tearing force, the next he could feel his weight again.
Michael's body sank a few inches before stopping, boots half submerged in soft, yielding terrain that squelched faintly beneath him.
He straightened slowly.
