The eerie red glow of the portal bathed them all in crimson light as Minxes led Wolfe, Raven, and the ragtag band of Flowers Guild explorers through its chaotic energies. She still questioned the wisdom of this corporate expedition, but orders were orders.
"Keep sharp, people," Minxes barked, eying their surroundings warily. The last "safe" portal had nearly collapsed and trapped them on the other side.
Raven's hand rested on the hilt of her sword, ready to draw on her Aura powers at the first sign of threat. Beside her, Wolfe scanned ahead, a crease of concentration forming between his eyes as he used his Odds abilities to analyze future obstacles.
The Flowers Guild operatives seemed oblivious to the dangers. "Are we rich yet?" chuckled Landers, the gruff head of security. His men laughed stupidly along with him.
One explorer, Sofia, hung back from the others. She was the sister-in-law of John Masters himself, CEO of the Flowers Guild's parent company, GateCruisers Unlimited. Privately, Minxes wondered if Sofia's novice presence here had more to do with nepotism than any actual merit.
A shimmer in the air caught Minxes' eye - the portal boundary ahead fluctuated wildly, opening into a cavernous void. "Halt!" she shouted. Too late. The ground dropped away abruptly, sending them all tumbling into darkness.
Minxes activated the glowing rune on her belt, slowing her fall. Nearby, she glimpsed Sofia's eyes widen as she thrust out her hands and emitted a blast of golden light, further braking her descent.
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They collided roughly with an obsidian stone surface. Across this sinister hall, Wolfe helped pull Raven to her feet. The mercs lay strewn about, cursing and groaning.
"On me!" Minxes commanded, regrouping the team. She frowned at Sofia, who stared down at her own hands in awe. Another awakened power user, like the teens from Ares.
Troubling, but potentially useful. Right now, Minxes just needed them all to survive this latest setback. Together, she was determined to guide their fractured band back through the portal in one piece.
Wolfe kept his pistols aimed steadily forward as the group moved through the shadowy underground cavern. His augmented vision pierce the dark, on high alert for any threats.
Beside him, Raven held her ara-charged sword aloft. Its red glow was the only light source down in this abyss. Wolfe risked a glance back at the ragtag team they were guiding. The arrogant mercenaries looked decidedly less cocksure now, huddled together as red eyes glinted from the darkness around them.
Sofia seemed in a daze, staring down at her glowing hands as if they held the secrets of the universe. Her awakened powers changed the calculus here - Wolfe wasn't sure yet if she was a help or a liability.
Minxes took point, her etched rune illuminating their path forward. Wolfe respected her level head in crisis; it reminded him of his former CO, killed in the last portal incursion. He shoved the dark memories down. Couldn't afford distractions here.
A raspy cackle echoed from the void. Wolfe and Raven spun, weapons raised. A pale, skeletal figure crept from the shadows, chained to the cavern wall.
"You shouldn't have come," it hissed. "He will claim your souls!"
"Who?" Minxes demanded, unfazed. "The one who controls this place?"
The creature grinned, displaying jagged teeth. "My master's power is beyond your comprehension. He knows you are here. You will all feed his glory!"
It cackled again maniacally. Around them, slithering shadows drew closer. Raven slashed out with her sword, bisecting one that ventured too near.
"We need to keep moving," Wolfe said. Their only hope was finding the portal again before this master found them.
Minxes nodded grimly. They pressed deeper into the writhing darkness, weapons ready. Strange whispers and skittering footsteps trailed them.
Wolfe felt the odds shifting against them, but he would get these civilians home or die trying. Failure was not an option when so much hung in the balance. Together they would make it, somehow.