The portal rippled.
And then someone stepped out.
At first, my brain refused to assemble the image properly. Like it was afraid that if it did, the moment would break.
She emerged slowly, one foot crossing the threshold, then the other, the black portal sealing itself behind her without ceremony. The wind caught immediately, tugging at the black coat draped over her shoulders, the fabric snapping softly like a restrained banner.
Long midnight-black hair spilled down her back, darker than shadow, darker than the portal she had come from. Her eyes were hidden behind a familiar black blindfold, smooth and unadorned, resting against pale skin that looked exactly as I remembered.
She wore a black military uniform, tailored and severe, trimmed with gold along the seams and cuffs. The metal of her boots glinted faintly as she shifted her weight, the grass bending beneath her step.
She stood there, perfectly still, like the world had arranged itself around her.
