The shriek of metal being crushed filled the air as it rolled off the road, crashing into the trees and disappearing into the small woods beside them. Then, as suddenly as they had appeared, the chains shattered—bursting into fragments of dark mist that vanished into thin air.
Adeline stared at the place where the car had been, eyes wide, lips parted in disbelief. "W-what the…?" she whispered, unable to finish the sentence.
Andrei's gaze drifted from the direction of the destroyed car to Enzo, and he said, "My liege, that looks like—"
"Argilia's chains," Enzo interjected, nodding once.
Adeline snapped her gaze toward him, stepping down from his arms to stand on her own. Her hand remained on his chest as she looked up at him. "Argilia? What's going on?"
Before Enzo could answer, the portal began to ripple more violently, as though something on the other side was pressing against it, preparing to emerge.
All three of them turned in unison, their eyes snapping to the distortion.
