A few feet down the right, I spot something out of place.A body is lying on its back, and my pulse picks up.With a quick scan, I sense the scant trace of dark magic, and my breath catches.When I get to the body, I grimace?blood and cuts are all over this bloke’s body.Blood pools around his purple cloak.There’s no need to check his pulse; he’s obviously another cultist tossed by the wayside, a sacrifice to the warlocks.
Noticeably, however, his wrist is clean and untouched.
I pop in my earpiece and say, “Cleo.”
“Taz.What’s up?”
“While the others are wrestling demons, I think I found the source.”
“The source?”
“It appears to be another dead cultist.Cuts all over him.I suspect he used his piece of the gauntlet to get a monster here somehow.”
“Damn, another one?”
“Yeah.Once they’re done, send clean-up, because?”
My words are cut off by the sight before me.It’s a rift to the Other Side, a small break in reality, six-feet wide and floating in the air.
And it’s within arm’s reach.That dastardly dimension is visible; boulders and mountains preternaturally float in the orange void.
No one is around.I could easily step in.
Girish saw my future; my brother has to be there.All the other rifts are locked up by the Union, and I’m the only person here.
I reach my hand forward, heart pounding in anticipation.The dark cult has given me a gift, and it could go away at any time.Vikrum, are you there?
A part of me knows I should stop, but I’m compelled to explore what I’ve needed for so long.Slowly, I bring my hand closer and closer.Dark energy thrums into my palm.Almost…
“Taz!”
The voice jolts me back to reality.Luther runs up to me with a horrified look on his face.“What are you doing?!”
“I’m…I…” I turn back to the rift, then to Luther.The fear and disappointment in his eyes is almost too much to bear.When I turn back around, the small rift slowly sutures up.
Luther takes me by the shoulder, but I don’t even blink.The dark dimension slowly fades away as Luther pulls me back.In moments, the Other Side is gone.
A million thoughts swirl in my head.I’m not even lucid until Luther shakes my shoulders.“Taz…Taz, listen to me!Taz, come back!”
My eyes sting, but I nod.My boyfriend’s face comes into focus, and he wipes my cheek.I didn’t even realize I was crying.“Taz, what happened?”
“I…I…”
No other words can form, and Taz squeezes me tighter.The urge to bury myself in his arms is almost overwhelming.Before I can break down, Necia and Max arrive.
“What’s going on, guys?”Necia asks, gripping a binder’s jar.I guess the mission was a success.
“What happened?woah!”Max hops around, nearly stepping on the dead body.“Another cultist.”
“I…found him lying here,” I say with a raspy tone.
“Oh, Taz, I’m so sorry.”Necia touches my shoulder.“It’s never easy seeing a newly murdered body.Let’s get back to HQ to get rid of the monster we captured, okay?”
“Okay.”With a nod, I snap my fingers, and the foggy wall dissipates.The four of us walk away, but I don’t dare gaze into Luther’s eyes.
Hours later, Luther pulls up to my apartment.A single streetlamp illuminates us when he puts the car in park.The air is heavy between us, and I don’t reach for the passenger door immediately.Usually, we’d have dinner and sleep together, but tonight, I’m not feeling very boyfriendly.Judging by the concerned look on his face, Luther is on the same page.
“What happened today during the mission?”he asks, quietly.
