"Stay close," Damon ordered as he started moving forward. His voice was calm but carried an edge that brooked no argument. "The outer region is still accessible. The pull isn't strong enough there to drag you in… yet. But if you wander too far, you'll be swallowed whole before you can scream."
The vortex loomed ever larger as they approached, and it was no longer something they could take lightly. Even from the outskirts, they could feel the oppressive weight of the Gate pressing down on their souls. The ground trembled beneath every step, as though the world itself feared what was clawing its way out of that tear in the sky.
The first test was the shadow tendrils.
Long, writhing appendages of darkness slithered across the broken earth, moving with a predator's intent. The tendrils probed the ground, curling around rubble and shattered weapons, almost sniffing for prey before darting forward with terrifying speed.
