The simple, grey portal stood open before them, a quiet doorway leading from the silent, perfect peace of their newly created home dimension back out into the infinite, chaotic cosmos. Rhys stood before it, his family gathered closely around him.
Sera, back in her child form, held his hand tightly, her now-brown eyes wide, reflecting the swirling nebulae visible through the portal. She was excited but also a little sad to leave their beautiful new garden so soon.
Emma stood on his other side, her face still hidden behind the simple green veil she had adopted. Her posture was calm, poised, her green eyes filled with a quiet, scholarly curiosity as she gazed into the unknown universe. The heavy, star-flecked book containing her mother's research was held securely in her hands. She was ready to learn, to understand the vast new reality laid bare before them.
