"So Austin and the others and I were thrown through the portal to die without knowing why?" Will found it hard to accept. Then he gave a self-mocking laugh. "I thought we were pioneers exploring the universe for humanity. Turns out we were just someone else's meal."
"At least you managed to struggle for over a decade without being eaten, which is already quite impressive.
"Of course, maybe it just wanted a change of taste. Perhaps it'll remember you're on its menu in a few decades, once you've turned into aged cured meat."
Will's expression froze at once. The resentment filling his chest was like a stone lodged there, unable to rise or fall.
"I'll take that as comfort."
"You're welcome."
"How far are we from where the portal will open?" Coulson asked.
"About five hundred meters." Aaron looked toward a massive boulder in the mass graveyard. "The portal will open behind that rock.
"As long as we seize the timing, everything will be under our control."
The moment he finished speaking, a fierce wind suddenly rose, and an endless sea of sand surged toward them from afar.
"Careful." Will immediately picked up his gun and watched the approaching sandstorm vigilantly. "It's here. It follows the sandstorm every time it hunts—or maybe the sandstorm follows it."
"There." Simmons suddenly pointed in one direction with trembling fingers. The others immediately followed her gesture.
A black figure suddenly appeared within the sandstorm. He seemed completely unaffected by it, moving steadily and swiftly toward them.
The instant they saw the figure with their own eyes, Coulson, Simmons, and Aaron finally understood how Will felt—and why he feared it so much.
It—or rather, he—wore a tattered black robe. His face could not be seen, and he held a long, rust-stained blade that seemed worn