A Good Start

As they stepped through the shimmering portal, the world around them shifted dramatically. The alleyway of Bren disappeared, replaced by an alien landscape that stretched out before them. The air felt thick and heavy, carrying an acrid scent that burned their nostrils. 

The ground beneath their feet was spongy and uneven, covered in a mosaic of muted greens and browns. Twisted, gnarled trees dotted the landscape, their branches reaching toward a sky that seemed to pulse with an eerie, otherworldly light.

But there was no time to take in their surroundings. As soon as their feet hit the ground, Andrew shouted, "Run!" and took off at a sprint. Ethan followed close behind, his heart pounding in his chest.

They zigzagged across the marshy terrain, their feet sinking slightly with each step. Ethan could hear something behind them - a slash sound, something cutting through the air that seemed to come from everywhere at once. He didn't dare look back, focusing instead on following Andrew's erratic path.

Suddenly, a tendril of what looked like black smoke shot past Ethan's head, missing him by inches. Ethan instinctively ducked, his breath catching in his throat. More tendrils of smoke whipped through the air around them, their movements eerily purposeful. Andrew veered sharply to the right, and Ethan followed, narrowly avoiding a patch of ground that bubbled ominously.

More tendrils of black smoke shot past them, some so close that Ethan could feel them grazing his skin. He fought the urge to look back, focusing instead on Andrew's back as they continued their frantic dash across the alien landscape.

Suddenly, Andrew skidded to a halt, throwing out an arm to stop Ethan. They stood at the edge of what looked like a vast, shimmering pool. The surface rippled with an oily sheen, reflecting the pulsing sky above.

"We have to dive in," Andrew panted, scanning the liquid with an anticipating gaze. 

Ethan's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? But you said to avoid water!"

"This isn't water," Andrew replied grimly. "We have to do this. Trust me."

As if on cue, another tendril of smoke lashed out, this time grazing Ethan's shoulder. He hissed in pain, feeling a searing burn even through his clothing.

All his protests were forgotten as Andrew grabbed his arm and plunged them both into the shimmering pool. 

The liquid was thick and viscous, clinging to their skin as they sank deeper. Ethan's instincts screamed at him to swim up, to break the surface and gasp for air, but Andrew's grip on his arm was iron-tight, pulling him further down.

Just as Ethan's lungs began to burn, the viscous liquid around them started to thin. Suddenly, they burst through another surface, gasping and sputtering. Ethan blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision. 

They were in a dimly lit cavern, the walls glistening with an otherworldly phosphorescence. The air was cool and damp, a stark contrast to the acrid atmosphere they had just left behind.

Andrew hauled himself out of the pool, then turned to help Ethan. As they stood dripping on the cavern floor, Ethan noticed that the viscous liquid seemed to be evaporating off their skin and clothes at an unnaturally rapid rate.

"What... what was that?" Ethan gasped, still trying to catch his breath. 

"What attacked us was the guardian creature of this realm. Down here we are safe, it can not follow us."

"How—" Ethan began, but cut himself off. "Never mind." Once again, the question of how Andrew knew all this was on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it back. That wasn't what mattered right now. "What now?"

Andrew stepped towards the back of the cavern. Ethan noticed that the walls' luminescence dimmed in this area, yet the overall light remained constant. He watched as his friend crouched down and retrieved something partially buried in the dirt. It was a glowing orb, its bluish light seeping through Andrew's fingers.

Ethan stared at it, perplexed, as Andrew extended his hands. "Take it," Andrew said.

"What is that?" Ethan swallowed.

"It's a crystal core. When you assimilate it into your soul you will get an ability. Just like Luke."

Ethan couldn't take his eyes from it, but didn't move. "Why me? You found it."

"Because it belongs to you," Andrew answered, his voice determined. 

Ethan hesitated for a moment longer, his gaze flickering between the glowing orb and Andrew's face. Then, with a deep breath, he reached out and took the crystal core. As soon as his fingers touched its smooth surface, he felt a strange tingling sensation spreading through his body. The orb began to dissolve, its ethereal light seeping into his skin and coursing through his veins.

Ethan gasped as a surge of energy coursed through him, his mind reeling from the sudden influx of power. As the last traces of the orb disappeared, he felt a newfound strength settling into his bones, a sensation both exhilarating and terrifying. He looked at Andrew, his eyes wide with a mixture of awe and uncertainty, silently questioning what this newfound ability might entail.

Andrew observed Ethan as he absorbed the new power, his face reflecting a mixture of relief and anticipation. He understood that this was merely the beginning of their journey, with numerous perilous situations lying ahead. Nevertheless, he felt reassured—they had, at least, gotten off to a promising start. 

"Try it."