The world tumbled violently around them, colors and shapes blurring into one another until suddenly everything stilled. Leo, Arachne, Adam, Lily, Luna, and Aria hit the ground with a jolt, dust and debris scattering beneath their feet. The portal of purplish-black light that had swallowed them moments before collapsed silently behind them, leaving only the lingering shimmer in the air.
Before them, a vast table stretched across the chamber, impossibly long and carved from black, glassy stone that reflected their distorted forms. Sitting atop it was a figure cloaked in an all-black dress, wings of pitch-black feathers arching wide behind her. Her eyes were covered by a black blindfold, and she tilted her head ever so slightly, a mischievous curve to her lips. Beams of radiant purple light extended from her fingers, each one connecting to the floating forms of Leo's friends. They hovered in midair, perfectly still, eyes closed, appearing as if in peaceful slumber.
