It was like a chaotic space, confined within the frame of a small building.
The rift glowed bright green, pulsing with energy from deep within.
Unlike the gate Thalrien had ushered in with a brief warning and deliberate opening, this one had appeared elsewhere in the vicinity without any introduction or preparation.
Many hours had passed, and it was now night.
Most people watched from a distance in uneasy awe, unsettled by the eerie glow radiating from the gate.
Meanwhile, the incarnations who had long expected this gate gathered slowly before it.
Maxwell stood some distance away from the rift, surrounded by officials and guards, far enough that the pressure of the gate did not weigh on them directly.
From where he stood, he could still see the green glow flickering through the broken silhouettes of ruined buildings in that part of the city.
Even though he had anticipated it, the timing still felt abrupt.
