Kael awoke from a strange dream.
In it, he was crossing a portal — just like before.
But on the other side… there was no ancient era.
No civilization.
Only darkness.
And voices.
---
That morning, as he walked through the Comandos Base corridors, he found Mister waiting outside the Core Room.
"I need to speak with you," Mister said, with an unusual look. More human. More... tense.
Inside the room, the panels were off. The lighting was low.
The atmosphere felt... disconnected.
"What's happening?" Kael asked.
Mister took a deep breath.
"You were activated through the Portal of the Pedra.
But no one ever told you what lies behind the portals, did they?"
Kael frowned.
"I thought they were just gateways through time and space."
"They are.
But they are also living interfaces.
Not just paths. They are aware.
And each time an immortal passes through, they learn.
They adapt."
Kael stepped forward slowly.
"You're saying portals are... intelligent?"
"Intelligent enough.
They can close. They can deceive. They can choose who passes.
And more than that... they can create echoes of you."
Kael stared at him.
"Echoes?"
"Fragments of yourself in other eras.
Loose memories. Reflections that never fade.
Some immortals returned... with parts of themselves altered."
Mister lowered his voice.
"There are records of portals that never return anyone."
Silence.
Kael looked toward the core, where the dormant portal shimmered quietly... but alive.
"And the Portal of the Pedra?" he asked.
"It's the oldest. The most unstable.
The only one that cannot be shut down.
It always returns to its origin."
"To me."
Mister nodded.
Kael understood.
The portals weren't just tools.
They were mysteries.
And perhaps... threats.