Perfidia - Portal

"Now what you see me do may challenge your notions of what's possible in this world—"

"Do it," said Shannon.

Perfidia shrugged, shoved the key into the hole, and turned. "Voila!"

The space under the arch bubbled a translucent shimmer. Not opaque enough to block the industrial parking lot wall behind it with its pipes and brutalist lettering, but it was hard to write off as merely a trick of the light. Hard, but not impossible.

***

Shannon glared. Like her hypothetical fist, the glare bounced off him; he glowed exultant. Quickly, before he could do something even stupider, she went to the arch, turned the key to deactivate the portal, and put the key into her pocket. Although Perfidia kept a close eye on where she put the key, Shannon didn't worry about her. Dalt's expression ballooned her annoyance—until she realized he wasn't proud about him being correct and her being incorrect, but something else entirely.

"You understand what this means, Shannon? I mean, this isn't just anything we've got here. This is a real, bona fide portal to another world. Another freaking world, yo."

***

[10] And Then! Upotte!