The second rift was bigger than the first.
Not catastrophically bigger, but definitely bigger. Where the first tear had been maybe six feet tall, this one was easily ten, pulsing with that same sickly purple-black light that made my eyes hurt.
"This one's been active for three weeks," Mara said, checking her equipment. "It's destabilizing faster, we need it closed before it reaches critical mass."
We were in an abandoned warehouse district on the edge of the city, the kind of place where nobody asked questions and most people had the good sense to stay away.
Henrik was setting up monitoring gear while Mara established a perimeter ward. Azryth and I stood about twenty feet from the rift, studying it.
"It's angrier than the last one," I observed.
"Larger rifts have more volatile energy." Azryth wrapped his hand around mine. "The closure for this one will require more power and more precision. Are you ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
