Intro. The forest was alive with the sound of boots pounding the dirt.
“Stop her! Don’t let her escape!”
Zillah’s lungs burned. Her legs trembled, but she ran anyway, clutching the small pouch of stolen gold against her chest. She hadn’t meant to take it but desperation made rules meaningless.
Branches scratched at her arms, roots tripped her. Still, she didn’t dare look back. If they caught her… she’d lose her head.
Her foot caught on a gnarled root. She stumbled.
“No-”
She fell forward.
But she didn’t hit dirt.
A cold stone pressed against her palms. Symbols carved into it glowed faintly, pulsing like a heartbeat.Before she could process it, the forest went silent.
A swirling portal, black as liquid shadow, ripped open before her. She didn’t have time to scream. She fell through.Heat wrapped around her as she landed hard. Sand and sunlight blinded her eyes.
She opened them. The world had changed.
Golden sunlight gleamed over black-and-white marble buildings. Pillars towered like giants.