The world reformed in fragments.
First came sensation—solid ground beneath his feet instead of Rusty's gelatinous back.
Then sound—Helena's ragged breathing, Elara's whimpering, the echo of their presence in a vast emptiness.
Finally, sight.
Viktor blinked.
They stood in the center of a massive circular chamber. The floor was smooth obsidian, polished to a mirror shine that reflected the purple-pink glow emanating from... nowhere and everywhere simultaneously. The walls curved upward into a dome so high the ceiling disappeared into shadow.
Empty.
Completely, utterly empty.
The space stretched at least a mile in radius—a hollow shell waiting to be filled.
"What... what just happened?" Elara's voice trembled. She was on her hands and knees, amber eyes wide, still clutching Rusty—who had reverted to his melon-sized form and was bouncing happily. "We hit the wall—we were going to die—!"
"Kyuu~!" Rusty bounced over to Viktor.
