I stood in the middle of my living room.
Mera dropped her bag by the couch.
Looked at me with those yellow eyes that saw through every excuse I had.
"Alright. Open one."
I took a breath.
Focused on the space in front of me.
Tried to remember what it felt like last night when the knowledge downloaded straight into my brain.
The pressure points in reality.
Where space folded back on itself.
How to reach between the gaps and tear them wider.
I pushed.
Something flickered.
A ring of amber light stuttered into existence about three feet away.
The interior was dark.
Empty.
Wrong.
It wavered like heat shimmer on asphalt.
My head immediately started pounding.
The drain on my body felt like someone stuck a vacuum hose into my skull and turned it on full blast.
Two seconds.
Maybe three.
The gate collapsed.
Snapped shut with a sound like breaking glass.
I stumbled.
Caught myself on the back of the couch.
"Fuck."
Mera walked over.
Touched my shoulder.
"You okay?"
