The sun was dipping low on the horizon by the time Cerys's ancient Volkswagen Beetle sputtered to a stop in front of what could generously be called a house. I use the term "ancient" loosely here – the car was probably built sometime in the '70s, but knowing Cerys, it could very well have seen the fall of Rome.

"Tell me again why we couldn't take my car?" I grumbled, extracting myself from the passenger seat with all the grace of a folding lawn chair.

Cerys emerged from the driver's side, looking annoyingly unruffled. "Because, darling, your car has the unfortunate habit of dying every time you get excited. And given our mission, I'd rather not be stranded in the middle of nowhere when things inevitably go sideways."

I couldn't argue with that logic, but I wasn't about to admit it. Instead, I turned my attention to the structure before us. Calling it dilapidated would be an insult to dilapidated buildings everywhere. The wooden siding was weathered to a uniform gray, with patches missing here and there like a mangy dog's coat. The porch sagged in the middle, as if it had given up on life long ago. Windows stared blankly, most of their panes either cracked or missing entirely.

"Are you sure this is the place?" I asked, my hand instinctively moving to where I kept my gun – loaded with special rounds, of course. Silver's not just for werewolves, contrary to popular belief.

Cerys nodded, her eyes scanning the property. "According to my sources, this is where Dr. Vance has been conducting her... independent research."

I frowned. Something felt off, and it wasn't just the general air of abandonment. There was a tension in the air, a static charge that had nothing to do with my own electrical nature. "Cerys," I said slowly, "are you picking up on anything?"

Her expression turned serious, all traces of her usual mischief gone. "Yes. There's magic here, Dex. Old magic. And something else... something not quite right."

I nodded, extending my senses. As an electromancer, I could feel the currents of energy flowing around us. And right now, those currents were decidedly choppy. "Let's take a look around before we go barging in. Something tells me Dr. Vance isn't going to answer if we knock."

We approached the house cautiously. Up close, I could see subtle signs that belied the building's abandoned appearance. Fresh scratches on the porch steps. A faint smell of ozone – not unlike the scent that clung to me after using my powers. And there, almost hidden in the tangles of overgrown weeds, a glint of something metallic.

I crouched down, pushing aside the vegetation. "Well, well. What do we have here?"

Cerys peered over my shoulder. "Is that...?"

"A sensor array," I confirmed, examining the sophisticated-looking device nestled in the dirt. "Definitely not standard home security. This thing's putting out electromagnetic pulses. Probably designed to detect magical energy."

Cerys whistled low. "Our Dr. Vance has been busy. Any idea what triggered it?"

I shook my head. "Could have been us, could have been something else. No way to tell without a closer look, and I'm not about to start poking at unknown tech."

We continued our circuit of the house, finding more signs of recent activity hidden beneath the veneer of decay. A state-of-the-art lock poorly disguised as rusted hardware. Windows that were far thicker than they appeared at first glance. And everywhere, that persistent hum of energy, like the world's largest tuning fork had been struck.

"I don't like this, Cerys," I muttered as we completed our lap. "It's too quiet. If Vance was here, conducting the kind of research we think she was, there should be... I don't know, something. Activity. Equipment. Hell, even garbage."

Cerys nodded, her brow furrowed in concentration. "You're right. It's as if someone went to a great deal of trouble to make this place look abandoned, while simultaneously fortifying it against... what? Intruders? Magical detection?"

"Or both," I added grimly. "Question is, are we dealing with a paranoid researcher, or did someone else get to Vance before we did?"

As if in answer to my question, a sudden gust of wind kicked up, carrying with it a flurry of papers from a broken upstairs window. Cerys, with reflexes that put Olympic athletes to shame, snatched one out of the air before I could even blink.

Her eyes widened as she scanned the page. "Dex... you need to see this."

I moved closer, reading over her shoulder. The page was covered in dense equations and diagrams, most of which might as well have been hieroglyphics to me. But there, in the margins, scrawled in hasty handwriting:

"The Conduit is real. God help us all."

And below that, a series of numbers and letters that looked suspiciously like coordinates.

"Well," I said after a moment of stunned silence, "I guess that answers the question of whether Vance knew anything about the Conduit."

Cerys nodded, her expression a mix of excitement and apprehension. "Indeed. But it raises so many more. Where is she now? Who else knows about this? And most importantly..." she tapped the ominous note, "what exactly did she find that spooked her so badly?"

I was about to respond when a low, rhythmic hum began to emanate from the house. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and not just from the static electricity suddenly filling the air.

"Cerys," I said, my voice tense, "I think we should—"

I never got to finish that sentence. With a sound like reality itself tearing at the seams, the air in front of the house... split. There's no other way to describe it. One moment, we were staring at a decrepit porch. The next, a shimmering vertical line had appeared, widening rapidly into a portal of swirling energy.

"Oh, hell," I muttered, grabbing Cerys's arm and pulling her back. "I think we just triggered something a lot bigger than a sensor array."

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Cerys, to her credit, didn't resist my retreat. Her eyes were fixed on the portal, which was now easily large enough to drive a truck through. "Dex," she breathed, "do you realize what this is? A stable interdimensional gateway. The implications..."

"Can wait," I cut her off, continuing to back us towards the car. "Right now, I'm more concerned with what might be coming through that thing."

As if on cue, a figure emerged from the swirling vortex. Tall, humanoid, but definitely not human. Its skin shimmered with an iridescent sheen, and its eyes... well, let's just say I've seen less unsettling things in my nightmares.

The being fixed its gaze on us, its mouth opening to reveal far too many teeth. And then it spoke, its voice a discordant symphony that made my teeth ache:

"The Conduit awakens. The barriers fall. Who dares interfere?"

I glanced at Cerys, saw the same mix of fascination and terror I felt mirrored in her eyes. "Any chance," I asked, my voice surprisingly steady, "that this is one of your Fae relatives dropping in for a surprise visit?"

Cerys shook her head slowly. "I'm afraid not, darling. This... this is something else entirely."

As the creature took a step towards us, the air crackling with otherworldly energy, I couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, I should have stayed in bed this morning.

But then again, when did I ever make the smart choice?

As the creature took another step forward, its form seeming to ripple and shift in the fading daylight, I felt the familiar tingle of electricity building beneath my skin. Beside me, Cerys had gone utterly still, her eyes narrowed in concentration. I knew that look – she was preparing to draw on her Fae powers.

"So," I said, my voice dripping with false cheer, "I don't suppose you'd be interested in a nice chat over coffee? I know a great little interdimensional café just down the road."

The creature tilted its head, those unsettling eyes fixed on me. "Your attempts at humor are... misplaced," it said, its voice still sending shivers down my spine. "The Conduit calls. It must be answered."

"Yeah, well, I left my cosmic answering machine at home, so you'll have to leave a message," I quipped, channeling electricity into my hands. Blue-white arcs danced between my fingers. "Cerys, you want to take left while I go right?"

But Cerys was already moving, her form blurring as she called on her Fae speed. She darted towards the creature's left flank, her hands weaving intricate patterns in the air. The overgrown grass at the being's feet suddenly sprang to life, tendrils wrapping around its legs.

I took that as my cue and launched a bolt of lightning straight at the creature's chest. To my shock (pun absolutely intended), the electricity seemed to pass right through it, leaving only a slight shimmer in the air.

"Uh, Cerys?" I called out, dodging to the side as the being effortlessly tore free from the grasping vegetation. "I don't suppose your Fae guidebook mentioned anything about electricity-proof interdimensional invaders?"

Cerys's laugh was tight with tension. "Funnily enough, that chapter seems to be missing from my copy. Try something else!"

The creature, apparently tired of our banter, suddenly moved with blinding speed. One moment it was several yards away, the next it was right in front of me, those too-many teeth bared in what might have been a grin. I reacted on instinct, throwing up an electromagnetic shield just as it swung at me with a limb that had elongated into something like a blade.

The impact sent me staggering back, my shield flickering. "Okay, new plan," I gasped. "Cerys, remember that thing we did in Prague?"

Cerys, who had been pelting the creature with what looked like glowing acorns (don't ask, Fae magic is weird), shot me a look of disbelief. "Are you insane? We nearly collapsed a cathedral last time!"

"Yeah, well, better a collapsed building than a collapsed reality, don't you think?" I retorted, ducking another swipe from the creature.

She sighed dramatically, but I could see the glimmer of excitement in her eyes. "Fine, but if we end up in another dimension, you're buying the first round."

I grinned despite the dire situation. "Deal. On three?"

Cerys nodded, already beginning to glow with an otherworldly light. I focused, drawing as much electrical energy as I could from the air around us. The creature, sensing something was about to happen, let out a bone-chilling howl and lunged towards Cerys.

"Three!" I shouted, unleashing a massive surge of electricity just as Cerys released a blast of pure Fae energy.

The two forces collided midair, right where the creature was. For a moment, everything seemed to freeze. Then, with a sound like a thousand thunderclaps, the energies exploded outward. The shockwave sent me flying back, slamming into Cerys's Beetle hard enough to dent the door. (Somewhere in the back of my mind, I made a note to pay for the repairs, lest I face Fae retribution.)

As the dust settled and my ears stopped ringing, I struggled to my feet, scanning the area for any sign of the creature. The spot where it had been standing was now a small crater, wisps of otherworldly energy still curling from its edges.

"Cerys?" I called out, my voice hoarse. "You still with me?"

A groan from nearby answered me. I turned to see Cerys pulling herself up using a half-destroyed shrub for support. Her hair was a wild tangle, leaves and twigs sticking out at odd angles, but her eyes were alert.

"Well," she said, brushing dirt from her clothes, "that was certainly... invigorating. Do you think we got it?"

Before I could answer, a low chuckle echoed around us. The air in front of the portal shimmered, and the creature reappeared, looking no worse for wear.

"Impressive," it said, those alien eyes now fixed on me with an intensity that made my skin crawl. "Such power... unexpected. You are more than you appear, Declan Graves."

I blinked in surprise. I was pretty sure I hadn't introduced myself. "Thanks, I think. I work out. Now, how about you crawl back through your little doorway there and we call it a day?"

The being tilted its head, reminding me uncomfortably of a bird of prey eyeing its next meal. "The Conduit stirs. It calls to its own. We will meet again, Declan Graves. When the barriers between worlds are thinner... when the truth of your nature reveals itself."

With that cryptic pronouncement, the creature stepped backward into the portal. The swirling vortex collapsed in on itself with a sound like a giant vacuum cleaner, leaving behind nothing but the dilapidated house and the faint smell of ozone.

For a long moment, Cerys and I just stood there, staring at the spot where the portal had been. Finally, I broke the silence.

"So," I said, aiming for casual and probably missing by a mile, "that went well. Nothing like a near-death experience and cryptic warnings from an interdimensional being to really spice up one's evening."

Cerys shot me a look that was equal parts exasperation and fondness. "Only you, Dex, could find humor in a situation like this." Her expression turned serious. "But what did it mean? About the Conduit stirring, and... and you being 'more than you appear'?"

I shrugged, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling settling in my gut. "Who knows? Could be standard interdimensional invader talk. You know, 'tremble before me, puny mortals,' that sort of thing."

But even as I said it, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it. The way that creature had looked at me, like it saw something I couldn't... it was unsettling, to say the least.

Cerys, clearly not buying my nonchalant act, stepped closer. "Dex," she said softly, placing a hand on my arm. "Whatever's going on, whatever this Conduit business is about... you know I've got your back, right?"

I managed a small smile. "Yeah, I know. Just like I've got yours. Even if your driving nearly kills me before any interdimensional monsters get the chance."

She laughed, swatting my arm playfully. "Oh, hush. Now, what do you say we take a look inside the good doctor's house of horrors? After all this excitement, I'd hate to leave empty-handed."

I nodded, casting one last glance at where the portal had been. "Yeah, let's do that. But Cerys?"

"Hmm?"

"Next time I suggest we check out a lead from a disgraced scientist dabbling in things beyond human comprehension... maybe just hit me with one of your magic acorns instead?"

Cerys's laughter, bright and genuine, helped ease some of the tension coiled in my chest. As we made our way towards the house, I tried to focus on the task at hand – finding out what happened to Dr. Vance and what she knew about the Conduit.

But in the back of my mind, the creature's words echoed: "The Conduit stirs. It calls to its own."