Realm Run Three

As they entered the town of Bren, it was clear something unusual was happening. The typically tranquil town bustled with activity, its residents all streaming in one direction.

"Damn it," Rose cursed, her hands tightening around the stirring wheel.

"What do you think is going on?" Luke asked, wondering why all these people were on the streets.

"They must have heard of the portal," Rose answered, her eyes already scanning the surroundings for a parking lot. She checked with the portal app, it shouldn't be far. With traffic congested as it was, they would go the rest of the way by foot. 

"Huh? Shouldn't they then run away from it? How come they are all going towards it? Are they crazy?"

Rose only harrumphed in reply. Humans were crazy creatures by nature, especially when it came to their curiosity.

Pulling to the side and stopping her car she explained: "It is the first time for a portal to appear out here. They have only heard about it from the media, not taking it seriously at all. You have seen aunt Betty's reaction. They believe it to be a hoax by the media or the government. Now that supposedly one has opened right at their doorstep, of course they will have to check it out."

Luke shook his head as he exited the car. Rose found it oddly amusing that a teenage boy seemed so world-wise, looking down on the adults' behavior. She followed, her face turning grim at the sight of the masses. "We'll have to find a way through this crowd if we want to reach Ethan and Andrew in time."

As they moved towards the portal, Rose's breathing became erratic with anxiety. She was desperate to reach her brother and Andrew, but now she had to contend with this herd of curious onlookers. How could she possibly enter the portal undetected?

It wasn't the first time Rose had longed for her invisibility ability. With it, she could easily bypass everyone and enter. At a high enough skill level, she could even make Luke invisible and bring him along. But now?

Even if she ran at her top speed, people would still see her enter. And once they returned, they'd be swarmed—or worse, taken into custody by local authorities. Was there truly no way to disperse these people?

The closer they got to the portal the more crowded it became. Rose felt her anxiety rising as she struggled to push through the throng of humans. Suddenly, an idea struck her. She turned to Luke, her eyes gleaming with determination. "I have a plan," she whispered urgently.

Luke leaned in closer, his curiosity piqued. Rose's voice dropped to a whisper as she explained, "We need to create a diversion. Something that will scatter this crowd and give us a clear path to the portal." Her eyes darted around, assessing their surroundings. "I think I know just how to do it."

She pulled him along to the side, where they found a more deserted side-street, lined with parking cars at each side. Then she made sure that no one was nearby, as she outlined her plan. "We're going to create a ruckus," she explained, a dangerous glint in her eye. "Something that will make everyone scatter in panic, giving us the opening we need."

Luke's eyes widened as he listened intently to Rose's plan, a mixture of excitement and nervousness evident on his face. "Okay, I'm in. What do you need me to do?" he whispered back, ready to do his part.

"I need you to explode one of these parking cars," she said, looking around to ensure no one was listening. "Can you do that?"

"But isn't that dangerous? What if someone gets hurt?"

"We'll be careful," Rose assured him. "We're not aiming to harm anyone, just create enough chaos to clear our path. Besides, with your ability, you can control the fire and make sure it doesn't spread."

Rose pointed to an old car, that looked as if it wouldn't do it much longer anyways. 

Luke hesitated for a moment, his eyes jumping between Rose and the old car. Finally, he nodded, his jaw set with determination. "Alright, I'll do it. But we need to be absolutely sure no one's nearby when I start."

Rose agreed. "Okay, on my signal. Remember, we're not trying to hurt anyone, just create a distraction. Once it starts, we run for the portal. Ready?"

Luke nodded, his face set with determination.

Rose took a deep breath, checking for anyone nearby. When she was sure the coast was clear, she gave Luke a quick nod. "Now," she urged.

Luke closed his eyes, concentrating intensely. Suddenly, a small flame appeared on the hood of the old car. Within seconds, it grew larger, engulfing the entire vehicle. The sound of the explosion echoed through the streets, followed by screams and panicked shouts from the crowd.

As the flames engulfed the old car, chaos erupted. People scattered in all directions, their curiosity about the portal replaced by primal fear. 

Rose activated her speed ability, grabbed Luke's arm and pulled him through the panicked crowd, using the confusion to their advantage. They pushed and weaved through the throng of terrified onlookers, their eyes fixed on their goal.

"Luke, keep the fire contained!" Rose yelled, glancing back at the burning car. Luke nodded, his face contorted with concentration as he used his ability to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby vehicles or buildings. Though it differed greatly from his usual training and use of his ability, Luke somehow managed. The flames shrank and didn't spread to nearby objects. This should suffice until firefighters arrived to fully control the situation.

As they neared the portal, Rose's heart raced. The chaos they had created was working – people were running away, leaving a clear path. With a final burst of speed, they reached their destination. Rose took a deep breath, grabbed Luke's hand tightly, and without hesitation, they plunged into the swirling vortex of the portal.