The moment the heavy containment doors hissed open, the group was greeted not by the blinding glare of high noon, but by a cold, starless night.
The sudden darkness was a jarring shock. During every previous regional transit, the process had taken only minutes, the sun barely moving an inch in the sky.
Time had never been something Isiah needed to question. But this prolonged level-up had been vastly different, swallowing hours in the void without their knowledge.
As Isiah stepped out of the primary chamber, his boots clicked onto sleek, rain-slicked metal floorboards.
Clack! Clack! Clack!
In an instant, dozens of heavy mechanical safety catches clicked off simultaneously in the dark.
