The cavern trembled with a deafening rumble as the glowing portal flared brighter, casting long, dancing shadows along the icy walls. Jack could barely keep his balance as the ground beneath him quaked, sending cracks like spiderwebs through the frozen floor. A chorus of snarls echoed in the darkness as the Frost Stalkers hesitated at the growing rift, their predatory instincts warring with fear of the unknown power before them.
"Jack, we have to move!" Sigurd shouted over the rising winds, his voice barely cutting through the cacophony of collapsing ice and energy surges from the portal.
Jack gritted his teeth, feeling the pull of the vortex intensify. He clutched the artifact tighter, its surface vibrating with an eerie hum. "It's not stable! If I don't fix it, it might collapse!"
Before Sigurd could argue, the ice behind them shattered with an ear-piercing crack. From the depths of the glacier, the ancient beast clawed its way into the cavern, its frost-covered hide shimmering in the portal's light. Its eyes glowed with an unnatural blue, locking onto Jack and Sigurd with an intelligence beyond mere animalistic hunger.
"God's help us," Sigurd murmured, his grip on his spear tightening. "This is not just a beast. This is something ancient."
The creature let out a deafening roar, shaking loose chunks of ice from the cavern walls. It took a step forward, its massive claws gouging deep trenches into the frozen ground. Every instinct in Jack's body screamed to run, but he knew there was no escaping unless he controlled the portal.
"Keep it distracted!" Jack yelled, his mind racing. He turned back to the archway, pressing his hands against its surface. The artifact pulsed in response, and Jack felt an overwhelming surge of energy flood through him. He could see it now—lines of ancient power crisscrossing the structure, their patterns erratic and unstable. He had to stabilize it, or it would consume them all.
Sigurd didn't hesitate. With a battle cry, he lunged at the beast, driving his spear into its thick hide. The weapon barely penetrated, but it was enough to make the creature snarl and swipe at him. Sigurd dodged nimbly, rolling to the side as the beast's claws tore through the air where he had just stood.
Jack's breath came in ragged gasps as he focused on the artifact. The symbols on the archway pulsed in rapid succession, and he realized he needed to match their rhythm. With trembling hands, he twisted the artifact within its slot, feeling resistance as the power surged dangerously close to breaking point.
"Almost there," he muttered to himself, ignoring the chaos around him.
The beast let out another roar, this time directing its fury at Jack. It charged forward, shaking the ground beneath its massive bulk. Jack barely had time to react before a blur of motion intercepted the attack—Sigurd, using all his strength, tackled Jack aside just as the creature's claws struck where he had been standing.
The impact sent both men skidding across the ice. Jack's fingers slipped from the artifact, and for a moment, the portal flickered wildly, its form distorting as it teetered on the brink of collapse.
"No, no, no!" Jack scrambled forward, reaching desperately for the archway.
The beast lunged again, but this time, it aimed for the portal itself. Its massive form slammed into the archway, and an ear-splitting crack split the air as energy surged outward in violent waves. The vortex expanded suddenly, pulling everything around it into its gravitational force.
Jack grabbed onto a jagged piece of ice, barely holding on as the suction increased. Sigurd, too, clung to the ground, his fingers digging into the frozen earth. The beast howled as its massive bulk began to lift off the ground, its claws scrabbling for purchase.
Jack knew this was his only chance. Ignoring the burning pain in his arms, he lunged forward and seized the artifact once more. He twisted it with every ounce of strength he had left, aligning the symbols in one final, desperate attempt.
The portal pulsed one last time, then stabilized into a perfect, shimmering gateway.
The beast let out a final, anguished roar before the vortex consumed it entirely. Its form twisted and contorted then vanished into the depths of the rift. The pull of the portal ceased instantly, and with it, the cavern fell eerily silent.
Jack collapsed to his knees, chest heaving. His entire body ached from exertion, but the sight before him made it all worth it.
The portal stood steady, an open doorway to another time.
Sigurd staggered to his feet, staring at the glowing gateway. "Is it… stable?"
Jack nodded slowly. "I think so."
Sigurd clapped a hand on Jack's shoulder, a rare grin breaking through his usually stoic expression. "Then it's time. Let's go home."
With one last glance at the frozen world around them, Jack took a deep breath and stepped through the portal.
The light enveloped him.
And then—everything changed.