A New World

Blasted Lands

The quill in Nathanos's hand suddenly broke, its tip tracing a black line across the clearly written parchment. This felt ominous; his tent entrance faced the Dark Portal, visible with a mere glance. The Dark Portal, shrouded in dark clouds, appeared even more sinister, enough to deter anyone who looked upon it. Yet Nathanos felt tense, as if he had a premonition of what was to come, though he didn't know what it was. The battle reports from Draenor had become increasingly scarce, but the good news was that the Alliance Expedition had established a foothold.

Even so, he still felt somewhat agitated. Stepping out of the tent, he found Alleria in the distance berating the newly arrived supply convoy. They were two whole days late; even if they had taken a detour, they wouldn't have been this late.

For some reason, he felt uneasy. Every time he saw the Dark Portal, Nathanos frowned. Why had he tried to stop the explosion? If he hadn't intervened, the Dark Portal would have been destroyed again, and the war might have been over. So many people wouldn't have risked their lives crossing Dark Portal. Even now, Nathanos couldn't understand why Turalyon had chosen to launch the expedition to Draenor, claiming he was going to save other worlds. He had doubted Turalyon's decision more than once; the Paladin had overestimated his abilities.

"Hmm?" Nathanos took a step forward, noticing an anomaly in the very center of the Dark Portal. A swirling cloud of mist, like a black hole, appeared within the portal, which was shimmering with a few green dots. Undoubtedly, this was a phenomenon caused by something passing through the Dark Portal. However, the shadow appearing within the portal was far larger than anyone could have imagined. More and more guards noticed the anomaly. And most of them clearly felt the surrounding air suddenly and slowly become hotter.

"What's wrong?" Alleria asked as she walked over.

"Shh!" Nathanos gestured for her to be quiet.

The two held their breath, quietly awaiting the "guests" who were about to descend upon Azeroth. Suddenly, thunder roared from the dark clouds in the sky, and what burst forth from the Dark Portal was not a creature, but a massive lava ball, which rolled into the Alliance camp, causing chaos.

"Get out of the way!" Alleria screamed shrilly, before she could even find a place to hide. Suddenly, the human beside her reached out and pressed hard on her right shoulder, yelling, "Get down!"

Alleria lay prostrate on the ground with Nathanos, trying to figure out what had caused Nathanos panic. A gust of wind blew, almost blinding the Female Elf billowed wildly, threatening to tear it apart. Besides this, she heard the neighing of horses and the shouts of her soldiers. A heavy object flew towards them; Alleria felt the impact, but felt no pain, as if it had struck Nathanos. The sounds of crates shattering, tents and wagons being torn apart and falling back down were deafening—it was a complete disaster.

After a long while, the noise gradually subsided. The two stood up, and the surroundings were not the chaotic mess they had imagined, as if the place had been ransacked. Wooden stakes and canvas were everywhere, many people were injured, and some had lost their lives. Alleria, filled with horror, couldn't help but ask, "What happened?"

"There!" Nathanos answered her, pointing in a direction. The Female Elf looked in that direction and saw a very small figure flapping its wings, far away.

"What is that?" she asked knowingly. It was a dragon, but what Alleria wanted to know was how a dragon could have caused such a mess in an instant.

Nathanos tried to calm himself, and replied with heavy breathing, "I can't imagine how big that dragon was, and how fast it was."

"He came out of the Dark Portal! What happened over there?"

Upon hearing Alleria's words, Nathanos turned his head and re-examined the Dark Portal. He couldn't answer the question. "I don't know, but I don't know how to describe all of this. I hope Turalyon and the others are safe and sound."

Alleria looked at Nathanos with a complicated expression. He was right; there were many things here that couldn't be explained, but her first priority was to send people to clean up the mess the dragons had left behind.

Draenor

"Look at the sky!"

Turalyon was startled and looked up. A figure emerged from the clouds, swooping down towards them, streaking across the dark sky. Turalyon prepared to order his soldiers to take defensive stance; had it not been for that shout, the Alliance soldiers would likely have already launched their attack. Turalyon stopped, placing his hands at his sides, a smile on his face as he waited. Skare spread its wings, swooped down, and landed steadily.

Kurdran dismounted from his mount and walked straight toward Turalyon and the others. Turalyon had been delighted to see the Dwarf, but his disappointment grew when he noticed Dwarf stiff, slow gait.

"Ah, it's so good to see you all here!" Kurdran said, exchanging high-fives with Turalyon and Khadgar, but the Dwarf noticed that the two humans' clothes bore some burn marks. "What have you been through?"

Turalyon frowned, looking at his short friend. "It's a long story."

"Kurdran waved his hand. "Let's leave that aside for now. Let's get down to business. We've killed many Orcs, but thankfully, Ner'zhul escaped. He and some Death Knight went to a place called the Shadowmoon Temple. We were ambushed on the way, so we couldn't catch him."

Turalyon sighed and placed a hand on Kurdran's shoulder. "Don't worry, Kurdran. I know you and Danas have done everything you could. Your safe return is the most important thing." He ran a hand through his hair, deep in thought. "The Shadowmoon Temple... that doesn't sound ominous. We don't even know what kind of place it is yet."

"I know," Kurdran smiled and said, "I've already found out. I'm here to guide you."

A few days later, they were walking between two lower mountain ranges, with a vast valley stretching out before them. The Alliance Expedition traveled south, then east, rounding a stretch of sea. The Shadowmoon Temple stood on the edge of the other side of the continent. Danas and the rest of the Alliance army awaited them.

"It's so good to see you're alright!" Turalyon and Danas hugged each other.

"We haven't been idle," Danas said, leading Turalyon to see the buildings ahead. A crude but functional camp stood in the southwest corner of the valley, surrounded by an unfinished thick wooden wall.

"We need a base to monitor the entire valley before we attack," Danas explained. "This place is advantageous to us in both terrain and location." Turalyon nodded. As Danas said, from here, they could see all the way to the edge of the continent, the giant volcano rising from the center of the valley, and the lava and ash constantly spewing outwards.

"Look," Kurdran added, pointing ahead. "That lava is green; nobody wants to step on it."

Khadgar nodded, his expression one of utter disgust. "I don't know, and I don't want to know, what magic Gul'dan used to cause this. It's a desecration of nature; no wonder the world is on the verge of collapse."

"I have scouted the entire valley." Kurdran took out a parchment and showed everyone a rough map of the valley he had drawn. "This is the Shadowmoon Temple, at the far east." He said, pointing to a dark building clearly visible in the distance. "Apart from this valley, there are no easy paths to take."

"Any news of Ner'zhul?" Turalyon asked.

"He's right here," Kurdran replied. "And the Death Knight, and some Orcs, though not many." He chuckled. "We've got them trapped here; they have nowhere to hide."

Turalyon turned to look at Danas, who nodded. "We'd better start besieging them now," he explained. "Ner'zhul is very likely already preparing to move."

"Alright." Turalyon turned to face the others. "We need to get there. Khadgar, we need you to deal with Ner'zhul and stop his spells. Kurdran, you and your Gryphon Rider protect Khadgar from the enemy. I will work with Danas to break down their defenses, retrieve the artifacts, and then get out of this hellhole. Understand?"

"Understood!" Khadgar said, and the others nodded in agreement.

"Very good." Turalyon sighed softly and began to pray rapidly, summoning the Holy Light to protect them all. He immediately felt the warm and calming power of the Holy Light enveloping the soldiers, and he silently expressed his gratitude.

"Set off."

They marched through the valley, with the remaining Alliance troops close behind, and only a small number of soldiers left to guard the new camp. After the main force rounded the volcano, Turalyon finally saw the entire Shadowmoon Temple for the first time.

It was a colossal presence. Even the volcano rising abruptly from the valley floor seemed small in comparison. The temple was constructed of massive stones, seemingly composed of ash or other filthy matter, appearing as a tangible shadow, ugly and dangerous, inspiring fear in those who dared approach. The stone surfaces were covered with various carvings. The central protrusion of the temple resembled a giant hand reaching towards the sky.

As Turalyon remained observing, his warhorse became restless. The ground began to tremble, and he nearly fell from its back. Purple lightning flashed across the sky, tearing through the darkness. His horse neighed and involuntarily backed away. Turalyon was also quite frightened, but he still did his best to calm his mount.

"What's going on?" Turalyon shouted to Khadgar amidst the lightning and thunder.

"Where!" Khadgar answered loudly, pointing to the highest point of the Shadowmoon Temple —the "hand" reaching towards the sky.

Turalyon suddenly raised his head.

It's glowing there!

"Ner'zhul has begun casting the spell."

"Can we still stop him?"

"I can make it!" Khadgar replied seriously. "As long as I can get there in time."

"You've arrived!" Turalyon half-jokingly, raising his warhammer high above his head, focusing his conviction and channeling it into his weapon. The surface of the warhammer began to glow, and as the light grew larger, it spread outwards. The soldiers cheered, and Turalyon rode his warhorse past them, using his warhammer to clear a path for them to the temple.

Until a figure appeared and blocked his way.

"You should take a rest, Paladin!" Talon Blood Maw shouted.

Turalyon's gaze pierced through the dark red hood, making out the horrific, decaying face and the burning red eyes. The young Paladin recognized the leader of the Death Knight at a glance.

"You cannot stop the Holy Light, monster!" Turalyon pointed his warhammer at the Blood Maw and charged forward on his mount. His weapon struck the Blood Maw squarely in the chest. Turalyon was surprised; he neither dodged nor parried. The Death Knight staggered backward, but did not fall.

"You can't beat me," the Blood Maw roared through gritted teeth. "I'm already dead, what can you do to me?" He thrust his scepter forward, striking Turalyon in the stomach, causing Turalyon to double over in pain. But the Paladin was not incapacitated; he swung his warhammer once more, this time with all his might.

A sound of bones cracking rang out, and the Blood Maw staggered back a step, one arm hanging limply. Before the Death Knight could regain his balance, Turalyon charged forward, warhammer raised high. He once again summoned his conviction. Light emanated from his weapon, so bright it was blinding. The Death Knight cried out in agony, raising his hand to shield his eyes, but the light had already set his body ablaze.

"In the name of the Holy Light!" Turalyon cried, his words encompassing both praise and prayer for the Holy Light. He brought his warhammer down, and the Holy Light formed an arc, shattering the body.

A bloodcurdling scream pierced Turalyon's ears, and he staggered back. A twisted, shrieking soul rose from the corpse on the ground— the Blood Maw! The Paladin raised his gleaming warhammer once more and swung it again. But he was only a second too late; the soul, screaming in agony and defeat, had already escaped into the sky.

Above the Shadowmoon Temple.

Ner'zhul stood in the center of a runic circle. Above him, dark clouds hung low, and purple lightning flashed intermittently. All the remaining energy of Draenor had gathered beneath his feet. The old Shaman felt the entire world was under his control.

That's why he came here. From here, he can draw energy from the entire planet for his own use, ensuring his success.

Beside him stood several Death Knights and a few Shadowmoon Orcs, who stood with their weapons raised, facing outwards, protecting Ner'zhul.

The ritual was nearing completion. But the Alliance had already stormed the Shadowmoon Temple, and they could arrive at any moment. However, Ner'zhul knew that humanity was too late. He held the Sargeras's Staff in his right hand and the Eye of Dalaran in his left. These two artifacts, imbued with the energy of the earth, were channeled into Ner'zhul's body.

"The time has come!" he cried, the tip of his scepter touching the center of the Eye of Dalaran. The remaining energy contained within the two relics flowed through his arms into his body. His eyes shone, and he could still see magic flowing around him. The veil separating Draenor from the other worlds was about to be lifted!

The earth trembled, and a deafening shriek echoed from the clouds. The continent of Draenor howled in agony, resisting.

The Black Temple began to tremble. Ner'zhul staggered to his feet, and he could feel magic flowing through the space, forming a passage connecting to another world!

A radiant vortex appeared above them—a spatial rift. Ner'zhul recognized it; it was just like this when Gul'dan opened the Dark Portal! A connection between worlds. Ner'zhul laughed heartily, savoring the taste of victory. He had done it! He had opened a spatial rift!

And it wasn't just one. Other rifts were constantly appearing across Draenor, covering the entire planet. Ner'zhul paid no heed to this; he simply looked up at the spatial rift closest to him, and it felt like a rebirth!

In that fleeting moment of distraction, the Eye of Dalaran slipped from his hand, flew through the air, and landed in the hand of a tall, broad-shouldered man with white hair and a long purple robe. The light emanating from his staff symbolized that he was a powerful mage.

Behind the mage was a human, well-armored, wielding a two-handed warhammer that gleamed with a dazzling white light, and carrying a short sword on his back.

Ner'zhul didn't recognize them, but they interrupted his moment of glory!

"Looks like I'll have to settle things with you before I leave!" he shouted, raising his hands. The ground beneath his feet split open on either side. Stones rose up and crashed down on Turalyon and Khadgar.

The human mage then realized that this guy wasn't Warlock, but a Shaman!

Ner'zhul turned and roared at the crowd, "Through that rift! Now! Glory and a new world await us!"

A Shadowmoon Clan Orc Warlock stared in disbelief at Ner'zhul. "Are we all leaving alone? What about the rest of the Horde? Kargath and his Shattered Hand Clan are still fighting, and on Nagrand are Grandmother Geya'an's Mag'har, Grom and Warsong Clan —they're still in Azeroth. Women and children are everywhere. Are we just going to abandon them like this? There's no honor in doing so!"

Ner'zhul's eyes widened; upon hearing those words, his conviction vanished. He realized that it was this very burden of caring for his people that had been weighing him down. He realized just how heavy that burden was. The words the Skull of Gul'dan had spoken to him echoed in his ears, and a voice told him:

He is free.

Ner'zhul did not refute the Warlock. The old Shaman stretched out his hand, lightning gathered in his palm, and a ray of death struck the Warlock squarely in the chest, knocking him backward. The Warlock crashed into the wall and slid down, never to rise again.

Ner'zhul turned to the other Orcs who stared directly at him. Most of their faces wore expressions of terror. "There's no need to wait for anyone else. They've fulfilled their duty. From this moment on, everything we have will belong to us alone. I am the Horde, and I will live. Choose me, or stay here and die!"

Ner'zhul threatened, but no one moved. He was furious. Why should he care about their lives anymore? He used his immense power to enslave the Air Elemental, floated into the air, maintained the rift, and finally flew inside.

Then, the crack disappeared.

"We're too late, he's already gone." Khadgar had barely managed to break free from the elementals' restraints, but when he looked up, Ner'zhul had already stepped into the rift. "He must have closed that rift!"

"But you've already got the Eye of Dalaran," Turalyon pointed out. "It's very important, isn't it?"

Khadgar nodded. "But he took the Scepter of Sargeras."

"Do you have any way to track him down?" Turalyon asked.

Khadgar shook his head, admitting, "I don't know what magic Ner'zhul used, nor do I know which world he went to. So, even if I could open a new rift here, I can't guarantee it would take us to the same world." Then, his attention gradually shifted to something else. Khadgar frowned and walked forward, facing the runes on the ground where Ner'zhul had just stood.

"What's this?"

Khadgar asked in bewilderment, then stepped into the center of the rune. Suddenly, his head jolted back, his mouth gaped open, and he let out a silent gasp. Such immense energy! It engulfed him like a spreading fire, burning his veins, almost unbearable for his senses. At the same time, he understood everything—why Ner'zhul had left Hellfire Citadel to cast spells here. Because he couldn't do it there; there wasn't enough energy for him. Ner'zhul was a Shaman, not a mage. He wielded the power of the world itself. And this was the convergence point of that world's energy.

Khadgar hardened his Will, slowly relaxing his senses to allow the new energy to gradually settle until it became almost imperceptible. Then, he opened his eyes and took a deep breath.

"What's wrong?" Turalyon asked.

"It's terrifying!" Khadgar gasped, struggling to find the words to describe what he was seeing. "Ner'zhul opened more than one portal. There are many more... so many, scattered throughout the world. They're releasing chaos, to this extent...! Draenor simply cannot withstand it. These rifts... they will destroy the entire world."

Turalyon and he stared at each other.

The Paladin, his face pale, asked, "What should we do now? How much longer?"

Just as Khadgar was about to answer, the Shadowmoon Temple and the surrounding earth suddenly began to tremble. The volcano in front of the temple also began to surge, spewing more contaminated lava. Then, they heard a deafening cracking sound coming from behind them.

They looked in that direction together and saw a mountain range that had sunk directly into the ground.

Draenor, just as Khadgar predicted, is on the verge of collapse!

But the Archmage feared something else entirely, and he cried out, "Azeroth is in danger! Our worlds are interconnected. The damage inflicted here could seep into our world through the Dark Portal, affecting Azeroth as well!"

"Can you close the Dark Portal?"

"I have the Skull of Gul'dan. The Medivh's Book is here too," he said.

Turalyon nodded. "Let's gather the soldiers first."

But Khadgar shook his head. "There's not enough time!" He grabbed the other's shoulder, insisting. "Don't you understand? Turalyon, I'm sorry..." He choked up, taking a deep breath, "But... if the Dark Portal isn't closed immediately, when Draenor collapses, Azeroth will be finished!"

At that moment, he saw a mixture of understanding and resentment in Turalyon's eyes. But the Paladin simply nodded. "We'll ride Gryphon; that's the fastest way," Turalyon said, straightening his shoulders. "Before we leave, I'll explain to the soldiers. Though it's brief, they must understand."

Khadgar nodded and watched him leave.

At the same time, he suddenly saw something moving in the far distance of his vision. He went closer and saw it was the Orcs Ner'zhul had attacked before crossing the portal. The orc was groaning, clearly in great pain, but still managed to weakly raise his head to look at Khadgar.

Khadgar hesitated. He considered ending the Orcs's life, but he didn't, because he felt the Orcs didn't have long to live.

Orunok Heartbreaker coughed violently twice, watching Khadgar leave. He even saw a flicker of pity in the human's eyes!...

Khadgar opened the book and flipped through a few pages. As he expected, it contained extensive details about how Medivh and Gul'dan had collaborated to create the portal. With these details, and the power still residing within Skull of Gul'dan, Khadgar believed he could now close the Dark Portal. But he had to act quickly!

He heard the sound of wings flapping and looked up. Several Gryphon circled overhead, wings spread, ready to land at any moment. Khadgar saw Kurdran, nodded, put the Medivh's Book into his pocket, then grabbed the Dwarf's outstretched hand and leaped forward onto the Gryphon.

"Come on up!" Khadgar shouted to Kurdran.

"We can't waste time! To the Dark Portal!"

The Dwarf pulled on the reins, and his Gryphon cried out, rising into the air. Khadgar gazed down at the Shadowmoon Temple. With the Gryphon's help, they could reach the Dark Portal in minutes, instead of wasting hours or even days.

"Look down!" Kurdran shouted. Khadgar glanced around and saw scattered Orcs rushing toward the Dark Portal. Ner'zhul's betrayal had left the Orcs clans of Draenor bewildered, and they all realized one thing— the Dark Portal was the only stable portal of all, capable of taking them to a world where they could survive.

"Damn it! We must guard the Dark Portal!"

Kurdran immediately whistled, and the Gryphon Rider following behind him launched their attack. The Turalyon army was simply unable to arrive in time. Khadgar ordered Kurdran to send one Gryphon Rider ahead back to Tower of Observation, while the remaining troops immediately deployed around the Dark Portal.

"Just do what you're supposed to do!" Kurdran led him to his destination, and with just one sentence, Khadgar felt trusted.

The Archmage nodded, raised his hands, and closed his eyes naturally. Holding his staff in one hand and the Skull of Gul'dan in the other, he began to chant a spell...

The battle wasn't just taking place on Draenor. On the other side of the Dark Portal, the horns of war had already sounded. This time, Grom Grommash sought to wrest control of the Dark Portal from the Alliance and return to Draenor, completely unaware of what had transpired in his homeland.

Alleria leaped forward, easily dodging the Orcs's thrust. She brandished her short sword, the blade piercing the green-skinned creature's throat and emerging from the back of its head.

Meanwhile, Nathanos stood on the high platform of the Dark Portal, aiming at any Orcs that might threaten the lives of his soldiers. His quiver was running low, but the Orcs' attacks showed no signs of abating.

Another arrow, Nathanos aimed at an Orc Warlock and fired with pinpoint accuracy, striking the man squarely in the chest. He was beyond saving, and the humans turned their attention to others in need.

The Warlock staggered, one hand pressed tightly to his blood-soaked chest, his skin turning pale and sweat beading on his forehead. He knew he needed help. In his panic, he looked towards a distinctive voice in the crowd and shouted, "You! Come here! You're not a real Orcs!"

Rexxar's ears twitched, and he turned his head to see the heavily wounded Warlock. Clearly, this guy was not suited for combat.

"You!" the Warlock roared. "Bastard! Come here!"

The Warlock insulted him, but Rexxar chose to ignore it. Just as he turned around, he suddenly found himself unable to move! But the Warlock was getting closer.

Rexxar saw the green light surrounding the other's fingers. He quickly gasped, a fear rarely felt to him. This Warlock wanted Rexxar dead; he could heal himself by absorbing the life energy of others. This process was extremely costly, and usually, the price of severe injury was a death sentence.

Rexxar roared, raising his two axes, determined to kill the Warlock rather than sacrifice himself in vain. But the Orc Warlock made a gesture, and Rexxar suddenly knelt down, an indescribable pain coursing through his body.

"Still trying to resist?" the Warlock sneered softly. He slowly approached. Rexxar writhed in agony, the excruciating pain leaving him with no strength left to struggle or resist.

A furious roar erupted as a massive black shadow slammed into the Orcs.

"Hals! No!" In the instant the Warlock's attention was diverted, his spell lost its effect, freeing Rexxar. But it was too late. His best friend had already shoved the Orc Warlock aside, but in the process, the Orcs's hand touched the thick fur of the Great Wolf Hals. Rexxar watched helplessly as his friend trembled. In an instant, the Great Wolf began to shrink and then collapsed to the ground.

"Ah, I feel much better now," said the Orc Warlock. He stood up and dusted off his robes. Bloodstains still clung to him, but his movements showed no sign of injury. "Your pet just saved your life," he said with a smug grin to Rexxar.

"Yes," Rexxar replied softly, twirling his two hand axes. "But who will come to your rescue?"

With a twist of his wrist, he brought down two hand axes, striking the Orcs on either side of his shoulder. The blow was almost entirely at full strength, and the Orc Warlock screamed and knelt. But Rexxar gave him no chance to react; with a final swing of the axes, the Warlock's head fell to the ground.

Rexxar stared at the corpse on the ground, took a breath, and then looked at the dead Hals, his anger still surging.

"I have avenged you, old friend," he said softly. "But how I wish you could still stay by my side."

Nathanos was unaware of what was happening there. Instead, with his back to the Dark Portal, something flickered at the edge of his vision, emanating from within the Dark Portal. He turned his head, and in that brief moment, he saw lightning, rolling dust, surging waves, and the ever-changing earth.

"What now?" Nathanos stared warily, not wanting any more dragons or anything like that to emerge from behind him. Just as he was wondering what was happening, a Gryphon Rider burst forth from the Dark Portal. He flew very low, barely touching the sky, only about three meters above the ground. The Gryphon seemed injured and very unsteady, finally crashing down in front of Nathanos. The human quickly helped the Dwarf on the Gryphon to his feet. Before he could even ask a question, the Dwarf shouted at the top of his lungs, "Run! Run!"

"What's wrong?" Nathanos asked anxiously, while keeping a watchful eye on any enemies that might appear from the Dark Portal.

The Dwarf took a deep breath but didn't speak further. Instead, he stuffed the three cloth bags into Nathanos's arms. The moment they touched, Nathanos felt an unprecedented magical energy. Although he didn't know magic, he could concoct various magical potions and was very familiar with this feeling.

Nathanos raised his head once more. The Dark Portal in his eyes had been a scene of madness just a moment ago, but the next second it transformed into a swirling Maelstrom, and then into complete darkness.

It's gone!

In an instant, the stone framework supporting the Dark Portal began to creak. The sound grew louder and louder, and then cracks of varying sizes appeared. The pillars began to collapse inwards with a deafening roar and a cloud of dust. Nathanos quickly ducked, covering his mouth with the brim of his hood. Orcs and humans scattered, trying to escape the chaos and the rising debris.

"No!" Alleria cried out, rushing towards the scene. Other shouts and groans rose from all around.

Especially for Grom and Rexxar, the disappearance of the Dark Portal meant they would never be able to go home again!

"Nathanos, are you alright?" Alleria reached out and pushed away a stone slab that had hit Nathanos. The human felt the pressure lessen and coughed up blood, but he forced himself to remain calm and replied, "I'm fine, but he needs treatment." Nathanos helped the unconscious Dwarf to his feet. A glowing sphere rolled out of the bag. The bright white light made Alleria instinctively cover her mouth.

"The Eye of Dalaran!"

Nathanos paused, looking at the things on the ground, then at Alleria, who was also looking at him in surprise. Finally, the two of them focused their gazes on the Dark Portal.

"Them...?"

"Remember... they."