The portal snapped shut abruptly, leaving only echoes of their desperate cries lingering in the air.
Meanwhile, Orion's consciousness spiraled violently through the turbulent, unstable spatial currents. Pain wracked every fiber of his being, his mind on the verge of shattering from the strain. The world blurred around him, images and sensations chaotic and indistinct.
Then, with one final, violent burst of spatial energy, Orion was hurled brutally onto the dark ground. He rolled several times across a rough, barren landscape, pain jolting sharply through his body with each impact, before coming to an abrupt, merciful halt.
He groaned painfully, every nerve in his battered body screaming in agony as he attempted to sit up.
His vision swam violently, the world around him an indistinct blur of shadows and distorted colors.
The taste of copper filled his mouth as he spat out a mouthful of blood onto the cracked, barren ground beneath him.
