He turned and walked deeper into the vault, past the materials storage, descending stairs that led to the fifth level.
Kaedor followed with considerably less enthusiasm than he'd shown earlier, and Loryn trailed behind them both with that same silent observation.
The fifth level was different from the others. Smaller, more focused, designed to hold items that were too unique or too dangerous for the standard storage above.
Individual alcoves lined the walls, each separated and contained, as if keeping the items apart were as important as keeping them secure.
But Jack didn't stop to examine the remaining artifacts. Instead, he moved directly to the chamber's far wall, where something shimmered with unstable energy.
A portal.
It hung in the air like a tear in reality, its edges crackling with purple lightning that matched the veins in the massive tree that would be visible on the other side. The portal's interior showed glimpses of a different environment.
