Andre turned to face the crowd, gave a nod, took a deep breath, and placed his hands upon the iron gate.
He closed his eyes, and a faint, holy light emanated from his palms, imprinting itself onto the metal. The light flowed slowly along the gate's intricate patterns, gradually outlining the statues on either side.
The statue of the girl holding a sword swung it down. The old woman carrying a lantern raised it slightly, the lantern shimmering with a faint, golden light. Under the flowing radiance, the two statues shifted almost imperceptibly.
Andre opened his eyes, braced himself, and pushed. With a heavy groan, a crack appeared in the center of the tightly sealed gate, which then slowly swung open to either side.
A vast expanse of darkness was revealed, and a cold wind carrying a musty smell drifted out.
"Wait. This wind…"
Ed felt a familiar chill the moment the air touched him and turned to look at Gami and Jason behind him. Both gave an involuntary nod.
