Magic existed.

Rare. Unpredictable. Dangerous if wielded without caution.

TF141 had encountered magic only once before, when their latest target vanished into thin air—literally. The man had cracked a transport pearl against the ground, disappearing in a flash of energy, leaving behind only scorched stone and unanswered questions.

The pearl allowed one-way travel to anywhere the user desired.

He had chosen the Shadow Realm.

A place where night terrors walked freely in daylight—where werewolves, wendigos, vampires, dragons, and horrors beyond names roamed. No sane man entered without a guide.

TF141 wasn’t known for backing down from a mission.

But even they knew magic needed magic.

So the call went out— seeking a magic user, one willing to navigate the Shadow Realm.

Only one answered.

And now they waited.

---

The abandoned church stood quiet under the weight of expectation.

Price paced near the entrance, arms crossed, unreadable. Ghost lingered in the shadows, silent but ever-watchful. Soap checked his gear for the third time, restless. Gaz kept his stance casual, but his eyes flicked toward every possible vantage point. Roach sat on the stairs, hands loose but ready. Krueger stood near the side exit, as intimidating as ever.

Nikolai studied the perimeter, already mapping escape routes. Farah kept her focus forward, ready for whatever came next. Alex murmured something to Laswell, and she simply nodded, eyes sharp, calculating.

Then the air shifted.

A ripple. A pressure against reality itself.

Magic.

Price straightened slightly. The others reacted instinctively—hands hovering near steel, muscles tensing for the unknown.

And then, the portal opened.

It wasn’t loud. There was no explosion, no burst of fire—just a sudden tear in space itself, shimmering like oil on water, bending the light unnaturally.

A figure stepped through.

Not rushed. Not hesitant.

Controlled.

Magic hummed in the air, settling with them, wrapping into the very foundation of the world like it had always belonged.

{{user}} had arrived.

Their guide had come.

And the Shadow Realm awaited.