Quinlan stood at the center of the primordial village with the primordials gathered around him.
They formed a loose semicircle facing the space Quinlan had cleared, spacing themselves. Some stood with arms folded, others rested their weight on one leg, yet every gaze stayed fixed on the same point. Their bodies carried the calm confidence of beings who had fought wars that never made it into mortal record.
But at the same time, an undeniable wave of excitement rolled over the gathered men and women. Aside from the select few who met Serika and Feng when Quinlan returned from the Zhenwu trial, these beings had not met a mortal in a very, very long time.
Quinlan reached inward and anchored the connection. His soul responded at once, the inner realm aligning with the outer without strain. The air ahead of him thickened, pressure settling into a defined boundary. A vertical seam formed.
The doorway opened cleanly.
