The crystal slid perfectly into place with a sharp metallic click that echoed through the laboratory.
Then nothing, there was no surge of magic, no ancient mechanism coming back to life, there was just silence.
The portal frame remained dark.
Yarvik blinked.
"…That's it?"
Lune frowned immediately. "Maybe it's broken."
Faelorn folded his arms slowly, staring at the inactive structure with growing irritation. "Is… something supposed to happen?"
Sebastian kept his eyes on the crystal for another moment before answering.
"Yeah."
His tone remained calm.
"It needs power."
Lune looked between him and the portal. "What kind of power?"
Sebastian finally smiled faintly.
"The magical kind." and before anyone could ask further, he raised one hand toward the crystal.
And then suddenly, invisible pressure gathered violently around his hand as the medallion on his chest trembled once in response. Dust skittered across the floor beneath his boots.
Sebastian's eyes narrowed slightly.
"A little bit of Aard."
A burst of compressed force exploded from his hand and slammed directly into the crystal.
The reaction was immediate.
The entire portal frame ignited with light.
Runes carved along the ancient stone flared brilliant blue-white as power surged through the structure. The crystal pulsed violently, brighter and brighter, until the very air around it distorted.
Then the center of the portal tore open.
A swirling vortex of pale light spiraled into existence with a deep sound that rolled through the laboratory walls. Wind burst outward from the opening, whipping through cloaks and hair while loose papers scattered violently across the chamber.
Lune stepped back instinctively, shielding her eyes. "Gods…"
Yarvik let out a bark of startled laughter. "There it is!"
Faelorn stared at the portal in silence, the reflected light dancing across his scarred face.
The vortex continued swirling endlessly, its light unnatural and deep, as though another world breathed just beyond its surface.
Sebastian lowered his hand slowly.
The glow from the portal reflected in his golden eyes while his expression remained unreadable.
"Well," he said quietly, "that worked."
Yarvik gave him an incredulous look. "You say that like you weren't sure."
"I wasn't."
Seb smirked faintly at the dwarf's reaction before stepping closer toward the portal itself.
Faelorn finally spoke. "Can you tell where it leads?"
Sebastian studied the vortex carefully.
"No."
Lune looked uneasy now despite herself. "So we're about to walk blindly into some ancient mage's portal."
"Correct."
"And you sound entirely too calm about that."
Seb glanced sideways at her.
"I'm a witcher. Walking into terrible situations is basically tradition."
Yarvik snorted loudly. "Aye, fair enough."
Faelorn exhaled slowly before stepping beside Sebastian near the portal's edge. "If this kills us, I'm haunting you specifically Sebastian."
Sebastian smiled.
"If it kills us, I doubt either of us will have the energy to become wraiths."
Despite the joke, his hand rested lightly near the hilt of his silver sword now.
Ready. Because beneath the swirling light, beneath the humming magic, his instincts were on alert.
Sebastian looked back toward the others one last time.
"By all means," he said calmly, "I'll go first. Follow after me once you know I didn't immediately explode or anything."
Yarvik muttered under his breath, "Comforting bastard…"
Lune shook her head, though a nervous smile briefly touched her lips.
Faelorn simply nodded once.
"Very well, witcher."
Sebastian returned the nod.
Then without hesitation he stepped forward into the swirling vortex.
And vanished into the light.
****
A WEEK BEFORE - Tir ná Lia -
Tir ná Lia did not look like a dying world, this world was beyond beautiful and that was the first thing Cirilla of Cintra hated about it. The meadow stretched endlessly beneath a silver-blue sky untouched by storm or smoke, its grass swaying like waves beneath a soft otherworldly wind. Towering white trees stood in the distance with leaves that shimmered like crystal under the strange light of this realm, while rivers of pale water wound through the landscape.
It was beautiful, painfully beautiful.
And false.
Because no matter how breathtaking this world appeared, Ciri could not look at any of it without remembering Geralt collapsing beneath Avallac'h's spell.
Without remembering the feeling of helplessness as darkness swallowed her whole.
Without remembering being taken.
Kidnapped.
The silver blade in her hand trembled faintly with anger as she paced across the meadow while Avallac'h stood several steps away, calm as ever beneath the flowing robes of the Aen Elle sages.
Ciri stopped abruptly and turned toward him again, fury burning in her emerald eyes.
"You bloody kidnapped me!" she snapped. "Wounded Geralt, dragged me into another world against my will, and now you think I'm going to agree to become your fucking disciple?!"
Her sword rose instantly, pointing straight at his chest.
"In your dreams!"
The wind stirred around them.
Avallac'h did not move.
"I'll find my own way out of this place," Ciri continued harshly. "And when I do, I swear..."
"And that," Avallac'h interrupted calmly, "is precisely what I want you to do."
That caught her off guard for half a second.
Just enough for confusion to crack through the anger.
"What?"
The sage folded his hands behind his back slowly as he regarded her with those unnervingly calm eyes. "Can't you see it, Zireael?" he asked quietly. "Once you unlock the true extent of your power, space itself will cease to be an obstacle to you. You will walk between worlds freely."
Ciri's expression darkened immediately.
"Don't call me by my bloody sword's name!"
She stepped closer, blade still raised.
"And stop talking like you know me. You're a stranger."
Avallac'h finally moved then, though only enough to gently push the edge of her sword aside with one hand.
"You are safe here in Tir ná Lia."
"Safe?" Ciri almost laughed. "Among elves who apparently spy on people across worlds?"
"Our enemies are here as well," Avallac'h continued ignoring the remark. "But they search for you elsewhere. In the world of the Aen Seidhe. In the Northern Kingdoms. They would never imagine you hidden beneath their very noses."
Ciri stared at him suspiciously.
"You keep saying our enemies."
Her grip tightened on the sword.
"My enemies are back home. Nilfgaard. Emhyr. His hunters, the ones that are looking for me, have been looking for me for years... how do I know that you are not one of them.."
Avallac'h's expression shifted slightly then.
He felt disdain, more than amusement. "Your father is insignificant compared to what hunts you now."
That made her pause.
The sage's voice lowered.
"The Wild Hunt."
A cold gust rolled through the meadow.
"And their king."
Ciri frowned immediately. "Who?"
"I will explain everything."
"No, you'll explain right now!"
Avallac'h remained infuriatingly composed.
"You lack control over your powers," he said instead. "That lack of control is what allowed me to find you in the first place. Every uncontrolled outburst, every unstable jump through space and time, it shines like a beacon."
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"If I could find you… they could as well, especially one among them, who happens to be my old student."
Ciri's jaw clenched.
"They didn't act because you were still young. Untrained. Not yet useful."
"Useful for what?"
Her voice rose instantly.
"Why does every powerful bastard suddenly care about my blood? Why do elves from another world want me so badly?!"
For the first time, something weary crossed Avallac'h's face.
"Our world is dying, Cirilla."
The meadow wind fell strangely quiet around them.
"The White Frost approaches all realms eventually. Ours first." His gaze drifted briefly toward the distant silver horizon. "The new king believes your power may save the Aen Elle from extinction."
"And you don't?"
Avallac'h was silent for a moment too long.
"I do but that depends on the cost."
Ciri narrowed her eyes.
"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"
The sage looked at her carefully then.
"The king would seek to control you."
His voice remained calm, but there was bitterness beneath it now.
"If force failed… another proposal would follow."
Ciri already hated where this was going.
"What proposal?"
Avallac'h exhaled quietly.
"Marriage."
Ciri stared at him.
Then blinked once in disbelief.
"…What?"
"Your half elven child would be able to..."
"Out of the fucking question!"
Her shout echoed across the meadow.
The sword was at his throat again instantly.
This time harder and deadlier.
Avallac'h didn't flinch,"I expected that answer."
"You're all fucking insane!" Ciri's breathing had become uneven now, anger and disgust mixing together violently.
"You drag me into another world because some elven king wants to breed Elder Blood children?!"
"It is more complicated than that."
"No it isn't!"
Her voice cracked across the meadow.
"You're just better at dressing madness in pretty fancy words!"
For the first time, Avallac'h looked tired.
Truly tired.
"You think I do not understand your anger or confusion?"
"No," Ciri hissed, "I think you've been spying on me for years like some creepy fucking weirdo."
That earned the faintest reaction from him.
Because it was true.
"Do you wish to keep your loved ones safe? The people you care about in that witcher school?!" Avallac'h asked.
And Ciri froze.
Then slowly lowered the sword just enough to stare at him properly.
"You were in Kaer Morhen."
That was not a question.
Avallac'h said nothing.
And that silence answered everything.
Ciri's expression twisted immediately into fury.
"You were."
The blade pressed harder against his throat.
"You've been watching us?"
"I observed from afar," he admitted quietly. "To ensure your safety."
"You watched us."
"I waited for signs of the Hunt."
"You watched me."
Avallac'h met her glare steadily.
"Yes."
The honesty somehow made it worse.
Ciri's chest rose sharply with breathing that bordered on trembling now.
"And that witcher too," Avallac'h said carefully, "the one you hold so dearly is..."
"Don't you dare..." Ciri interrupted instantly, there was no hesitation in her words.
"And 'that Witcher' as you referred to him.. if he finds out about this," she continued coldly, "make sure your grave is already dug."
For a moment, he was silent. Then, surprisingly Avallac'h almost smiled.
"I suspect," he said softly, "he will be far more reasonable than you imagine."
Ciri stared at him like she wanted to drive the sword through his neck anyway.
/-\
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