THE RACE AGAINST TIME

The portal trembled, flickering like a dying star, and the fabric of reality itself began to warp around it. The sky above Natuka cracked with fractures of energy, and on Earth, the unnatural tremors and shifting landscapes sent the world spiraling into chaos. Both realms were on the verge of collapse, tethered by an unstable force that threatened to pull them into oblivion.

Kieran, Elara, and Rebel stood before the portal, wind whipping at their bodies, the raw energy making their skin tingle with warning.

Elara's shape-shifting powers flickered involuntarily, her form momentarily distorting as her control wavered. "It's breaking apart! If we don't stabilize it now, both Natuka and Earth will—

"Disappear," Kieran finished grimly. His visions had shown him countless versions of this moment, and in too many of them, there was nothing left to save.

Rebel's hands clenched into fists, his once strong confidence shaken. "This wasn't supposed to happen." His voice was tight with frustration, regret laced between his words.

"It doesn't matter what was supposed to happen," Elara snapped, her golden eyes blazing. "What matters is what we do now."

They had come too far to let everything slip away now.

Kieran stepped forward, trying to analyze the portal's erratic energy with his fading future sight. The threads of fate were fraying, and for the first time, he couldn't see a clear path forward.

"We need to channel the energy back into balance," he said, voice urgent. "We have to stabilize the portal from both sides—Natuka and Earth."

Rebel's jaw tightened. "We don't have enough power to do that."

Elara's gaze darted between the collapsing sky and the portal, desperation creeping in. "Then we find another way."

And then—

A sudden gust of wind surged around them, but it wasn't from the portal. It was something else, something powerful.

A shadow streaked across the sky, descending toward them with an ethereal glow. Wings, vast and shimmering, cut through the storm like a beacon.

A figure landed before them.

Andrea.

Kieran's breath caught. "No way…"

Elara stumbled back, eyes wide with disbelief. "Andrea? But—you were—"

"Dead," Rebel finished, his voice low, guarded.

Andrea's piercing gaze swept over them, her presence commanding but unreadable. "I was gone," she admitted, her voice carrying an unearthly calm. "But not lost."

Kieran's mind reeled. Andrea had vanished long ago, presumed lost to Natuka's shifting chaos. Yet here she was, standing before them with an air of quiet power, her wings folding behind her like a warrior returning from the void.

"How?" Elara asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Andrea didn't answer immediately. Instead, she turned to the portal, analyzing the pulsing energy with knowing eyes. "We don't have time for explanations." She turned back to them, gaze sharp. "You need my help."

Rebel narrowed his eyes, tension crackling between them. "And why would you help us?"

Andrea met his gaze steadily. "Because if we fail here, there won't be anything left to fight for."

The portal convulsed violently, sending a shockwave through the ground. The final collapse had begun.

"Move!" Andrea ordered. "We have one chance to fix this!"

Kieran, Elara, and Rebel didn't hesitate. With Andrea's sudden return, they had hope—but whether that hope was enough to save both worlds remained to be seen.

The race against time had begun.