Just as the deadly rain of steel bars was about to turn the police car into a pincushion, a sudden change occurred—
Sizzle… sizzle…
A golden portal, three meters in diameter, unfurled without warning in front of the vehicle, its edges pulsing with energy ripples as bright as sparks.
The steel bars, hurtling forward at astonishing speed, were drawn by an invisible force—vanishing one after another into the luminous veil of the portal like pebbles dropped into a bottomless pool, leaving not even a ripple behind.
Carter Horton had already given up hope. He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for death. But when he trembled them open again, he saw something beyond comprehension.
Staggering, he shoved the car door open—his legs buckled, and he collapsed to his knees on the asphalt.
"God… it must be God watching over me! Hahahaha—"
He muttered to himself, fingers trembling as they brushed the pavement—where steel bars should have impaled the road, there was only emptiness.
Overwhelmed by the ecstasy of survival, Carter laughed aloud, tears mingling with the blood streaking his face.
Not far away, a handful of stunned onlookers filmed the scene on their phones, gasping at the impossible sight. Even a food delivery rider stood frozen, forgetting his overdue order.
But Death's cruel joke had only just begun.
Hiss… hiss… hiss…
The wrecked truck nearby now emitted an ominous, gurgling sound.
Gasoline—amber as blood—gushed from its ruptured tank, pooling across the road into a treacherous slick. At the front, exposed wires crackled, spitting blue sparks into the wind.
"Get out of there—now!"
A passing truck driver leaned from his cab, shouting:
"Danger—!"
But his warning came too late.
Boom—
A cluster of sparks landed squarely on the gasoline. Instantly, the entire slick erupted in flame.
The fire surged forward with terrifying speed, racing along the oil toward the truck—until it reached the fuel tank.
BOOM!!
A deafening explosion shattered the afternoon calm, hurling wreckage in every direction.
Burning metal shards shot into the sky like shrapnel, then rained down in smoldering arcs.
"Ahhhh—!"
Inside the police car, Terri Chaney screamed, curling into a ball beneath the seat.
The shockwave threw Carter backward. He scrambled to his feet, instinctively lunging for the car—
—but as he turned, a roiling cloud of ignited gasoline erupted from behind him.
The fireball spun through the air and struck him square in the back, engulfing his jacket in an instant.
"Ughh—!"
Carter's scream tore through the air as his body became a living torch.
He thrashed on the ground, rolling desperately—but the motion only fed the flames, spreading fire across his skin.
"Help! Somebody—help me—!"
His cries grew shrill, raw. The stench of burning flesh choked the air.
Inside the cruiser, the officers finally snapped into action. One yanked a fire extinguisher from the trunk.
"Hold on!"
He aimed the nozzle and unleashed a cloud of white powder—but the inferno barely flinched.
Bystanders hesitated, but a group of burly construction workers charged forward, armed with extinguishers from a nearby site. Moments later, the food delivery riders and other onlookers joined the effort.
Puff! Puff! Puff!
Dry chemical snow blanketed Carter's writhing form, a ghastly contrast against the thick black smoke.
After three agonizing minutes, the flames finally died.
Silence fell.
Carter Horton lay motionless on the road, his body charred beyond recognition—curled in a final, agonized spasm, thin tendrils of smoke curling from his blackened skin. His eyes, once wide with terror, were now hollow, empty sockets.
The officer dropped the extinguisher, hand shaking as he pressed two fingers to Carter's neck. He exhaled heavily and shook his head.
"Ugh… ugh…"
Muffled sobs rippled through the crowd. Someone turned away and vomited.
---
Meanwhile, atop a nearby office building, Mordo gazed down at the devastation below, his expression grim.
He raised his hands, fingers weaving through complex sigils. A ball of golden energy swirled around his fingertips, alive and humming.
"In the name of Hoggus' ancient body," he intoned.
Then, thrusting his palms forward, he commanded:
"Disperse!"
Boom—
A radiant golden halo erupted from his form, sweeping outward like ripples across the entire block.
Splash… splash… splash…
On the highway, the remaining flames sputtered and vanished—as though snuffed by an unseen hand. The smoke dissolved. The heavy, oppressive air lifted, as if the city itself exhaled.
Behind him, shimmering halos bloomed in the air. Three mages in traditional Kamar-Taj robes stepped through.
The lead figure—a middle-aged monk—advanced and bowed respectfully, fists clasped.
"Master," he said, voice steady. "The seventeen surrounding dimensional barrier nodes have been reinforced."
Mordo nodded. "And the anomaly?"
"Node 118—in the mirror space above the former Brothers Island, north Hudson River—suffered severe damage. Gaps opened in the dimensional barrier."
Mordo's brow furrowed. "Node 118? Describe the damage."
"The core structure cracked. Most of the rune array was obliterated."
"...And the cause?"
The monk hesitated. "Not natural decay. This was deliberate—external force."
Mordo's eyes narrowed. "Who did it?"
"We prepared to investigate further, but His Holiness sent word… He already knows. He ordered us to cease inquiry."
Mordo fell silent. Below, rescue workers covered Carter's body. Police lights—red and blue—strobe-pulsed against the twilight.
"I understand," he said at last. "The mission is complete. Return to Kamar-Taj."
With a sweep of his hand, he traced a sparking circle in the air. Beyond it, the ancient spires of the Sanctum Sanctorum flickered into view.
One by one, the monks stepped through.
Mordo lingered a moment longer, eyes sweeping over the scarred New York street—his expression unreadable, layered with something betwee
n sorrow and resolve.
Then the portal collapsed behind him.
On the rooftop, only the evening wind remained—as if nothing had ever happened.
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