Sarien stepped up to the opening torn in the middle of the air before him. The peaceful scene on the other side calmed him. A gentle breeze stirred the tall grass, and the sun shone brightly against a clear blue sky. At the edge of the tear, he saw groups of trees. Perhaps a forest? It was surprising that the monster came from such an idyllic location.

He breathed in deep and focused on the beat of his own heart and its resonation with the rip, or perhaps it was the other way around. He wondered if his heartbeat slowed to match the gate’s rhythmic pulses. In the end, it made no difference.

Sarien embraced the roaring bright power in him, stoking it so it flowed with a force that left him panting. Sweat beaded on his brow.

A scream sounded from behind, but it was of no consequence. All that mattered was the power surging within him. Sarien reached out with his hand, holding it up toward the tear.

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The force wanted to connect with the gate, and Sarien realized suddenly, to connect with all things everywhere. Sarien released it.

Light streamed from the tips of his fingers. A soft and gentle glow made its way to the edge of the gate and then around it. It glowed brightly.

Sarien knew then that he could close it, but that was not all. If he wanted, he could widen it, or even make it shift to somewhere else. He smiled as it took little effort at all to manipulate the rip in the air before him. He asked it to close, and it narrowed at his request.

Sarien watched as the opening began to shrink, little by little. In a moment, it would be gone forever.

“Look out!” someone yelled behind him. Sarien started to turn, his movements slow as if coming out of a dream, when something barreled into him. Pain bloomed in his back and neck, but it was eclipsed by the agony in his arm. The sound of ripping flesh reached his ears as he was tossed into the air and through the disappearing gate.

The trickster beast followed him, still gripping Sarien’s arm. The gate closed suddenly with the creature’s arm thrust halfway through the opening. It was cut clean off, and the severed limb flopped to the ground right next to Sarien. The rest of the beast was nowhere to be seen.