"The worst part about portals isn't the transit. It's knowing what's waiting on the other side."
***
"Team Two!"
Vance's group swaggered forward. Still laughing among themselves. Their formation was sloppy. More concerned with looking confident than actually being prepared.
Vance blew a mocking kiss toward our cluster before disappearing into the tear. His teammates followed. Still snickering at some joke I couldn't hear and didn't want to understand.
I let myself flinch at the gesture.
Keep thinking you're the big threat, Vance. Keep wasting energy on intimidation.
One by one, the teams vanished. Each passage sent ripples through the magical construct. I watched the containment field grow more unstable with every transit.
The fractures in the magical framework spread like cracks in thin ice. Grew longer and deeper with each team that passed through. By the time Team Seven approached, the portal's edges were fraying visibly. Spit sparks that left afterimages on my retinas.
