The group didn’t really do much during the next hour.

There was simply nothing to do.

The house Mary had brought them into was quiet, almost unnaturally so. Outside, life in the hidden settlement continued peacefully, but inside the room everyone seemed occupied by their own thoughts. After all, they were preparing to step through a portal that would send them beyond Earth itself. Even someone as fearless as Irina occasionally found herself staring at nothing in particular, her brows furrowed as she considered the risks ahead.

Liam looked considerably less troubled.

He was lounging comfortably in his chair with his hands folded behind his head, looking like a man waiting for a delayed train rather than someone preparing to leave his world behind.

Leonid sat quietly nearby. Every now and then he would glance toward the window, his enhanced senses picking up sounds from far outside the house.

Tatiana, meanwhile, sat with her bag resting on her lap.

For a while she remained silent.

Then eventually curiosity got the better of her.

"When we get there..." she began slowly, looking around at the others. "Do we actually know what our objective is?"

The question immediately drew everyone’s attention.

It was a good question.

In fact, it was probably the most important question they should have asked.

Unfortunately, nobody seemed to have an answer.

Irina crossed her arms and leaned back slightly before shaking her head.

"No."

Tatiana blinked.

"No?"

Irina shrugged.

"I’m as clueless as everybody else here."

Her eyes shifted toward Liam.

Liam immediately pointed at himself.

"Why are you looking at me? I don’t know anything either."

Tatiana sighed.

"So we’re travelling to another world without even knowing what we’re supposed to do when we get there?"

"Apparently."

"That sounds incredibly irresponsible."

"It does."

"Yet we’re still doing it."

Liam grinned.

"Exactly."

Tatiana stared at him for several seconds before slowly looking away.

Sometimes she genuinely wondered if fear existed somewhere inside his body.

An hour eventually passed.

Then the curtain covering the doorway shifted aside.

Mary entered.

The moment she stepped into the room, everybody immediately stood up.

The witch looked at each of them before giving a single nod.

"It is time."

The atmosphere instantly changed.

Even Liam straightened slightly.

This was it.

The journey they had spent an entire month preparing for was finally beginning.

Mary turned around.

Then suddenly paused.

"Oh."

Everyone looked at her.

She pointed toward their belongings.

"Drop your bags."

The room went silent.

Tatiana blinked.

"Excuse me?"

Mary pointed again.

"The wise thing to do would be limiting the amount of things we’re taking with us."

Tatiana immediately looked down at the large bag beside her.

"But what if something happens to the only clothes I’m wearing?"

Mary seemed completely unconcerned.

"I’m sure we’ll find local clothing there."

Tatiana opened her mouth.

Then closed it.

Then opened it again.

Then sighed.

Mary continued speaking calmly.

"Take only essentials."

Tatiana reluctantly accepted defeat.

She crouched beside her bag and opened it.

Inside were neatly folded clothes, supplies, personal items and various things she had spent days preparing.

She stared at everything for several moments before finally reaching inside and pulling something out.

A carefully packaged container.

Liam immediately recognized it.

His eyebrows rose.

Tatiana hugged it protectively against her chest.

Liam pointed.

"She said essentials."

Tatiana looked at him.

"Yeah."

"And that’s what you picked?"

"Yeah."

Liam stared at the package.

Then at her.

Then back at the package.

A smile slowly appeared on his face.

"You’re unbelievable."

Tatiana simply smiled sweetly.

Inside the package were the cookies she had personally baked.

Out of everything she could have chosen to carry into another world, somehow those had won.

Apparently they ranked above spare clothes.

Liam eventually shook his head in surrender.

There was no arguing with her.

Nearby, Irina had already dropped her own bag.

"I don’t need any of this."

Leonid nodded.

"Same."

Liam shrugged.

"I wasn’t carrying anything important anyway."

Mary seemed satisfied.

"Good."

Then she turned toward the door.

"Let’s go."

The group immediately followed.

As they stepped outside, Liam quickly noticed something strange.

The settlement was practically empty.

Earlier there had been children running around, people working, conversations drifting through the air.

Now there was almost nobody.

The pathways between homes stood deserted.

Doors were closed.

The entire village felt as though it had gathered somewhere else.

Leonid noticed it too.

His ears twitched slightly.

Then his eyes narrowed.

He could hear something.

A distant sound.

Voices.

Lots of them.

Chanting.

The vampire turned his head toward a hill overlooking the settlement.

"There."

Everyone followed his gaze.

From this distance they could see figures moving.

Hundreds of them.

Young witches.

Old witches.

Men.

Women.

Children old enough to participate.

All gathered around the top of the hill.

They moved slowly in large circles while their voices merged together into a powerful rhythmic chant that drifted across the settlement like rolling thunder.

Tatiana felt goosebumps rise along her arms.

The sound was unlike anything she had ever heard before.

As they continued walking closer, Liam finally asked the question that had been sitting in his mind.

"What are they doing?"

Mary slowed slightly.

Then began explaining.

"They are channeling their energy."

Liam listened attentively.

"The portal we’re opening is unlike anything we normally create. To sustain it, every witch in the coven must contribute."

She gestured toward the gathering ahead.

"Their energy will keep the pathway open long enough for us to cross."

Liam nodded slowly.

That made sense.

Mary continued.

"My role is different. I will guide the portal."

Tatiana frowned slightly.

"Guide it?"

Mary nodded.

"Without direction, the portal could open anywhere."

That sounded horrifying.

Mary glanced at Liam.

"And your role is perhaps the most important."

Liam raised an eyebrow.

"Mine?"

"Yes."

The witch’s expression became serious.

"All that energy being gathered creates tremendous instability. Your energy will act as an anchor."

Liam finally understood.

The pieces clicked together instantly.

The witches would provide power.

Mary would provide direction.

And he would provide stability.

Without him, the portal might collapse.

Without the witches, there would not be enough energy.

Without Mary, they would have no destination.

For the first time since arriving, he fully understood why everyone had been brought together.

"Now I get it," Liam said.

Mary nodded.

"Good."

By now they had reached the base of the hill.

The chanting above seemed louder than ever.

Power hummed through the air.

The ground itself almost felt alive beneath their feet.

Liam lifted his eyes toward the summit and saw hundreds of witches moving in synchronized circles around a single glowing point at the center.

The light pulsed with every chant.

Brighter.

Brighter.

Brighter.

Even from this distance he could feel the enormous amount of energy gathering there.

A slow grin spread across his face.

Whatever happened next...

It was finally beginning.