The corridor of the base was silent.
Kael walked ahead, the witches following.
They all knew the moment had come.
— Before any jump, there's a necessary step, — he said, stopping before a pair of black iron doors.
Above them, an ancient inscription in League runes:
"Nothing crosses time without bearing the seal of origin."
They entered the base's infirmary.
Inside, on a reinforced glass table, rested nine syringes, perfectly aligned.
Helena was the first to notice.
— Is this…?
Kael nodded.
— Each one contains a genetic compound created by the League, built from my stem cells.
— It's what allows passage through the Portal of the Pedra — the portal of all portals.
The witches exchanged surprised glances.
— Only I can pass through it. It responds to my biological signature.
— But with this… you'll be able to follow.
Otrho watched in silence near the entrance.
One by one, the witches received the injection.
The needle was thin, almost painless — but the effect was immediate: their bodies warmed, pupils widened.
— You'll feel it for a while, — Kael warned. — But it's essential.
---
Minutes later, they stood in the Jump Core, before the Portal of the Pedra.
The structure hummed with static energy, surrounded by ancient pillars that seemed almost alive.
Here, time bent.
Kael activated the controls.
The core lit up.
— Ready?
They all nodded, though some were already sweating.
— Hold your breath for the first second. Don't fight it. Trust it.
The jump happened.
---
Year: 1921.
Location: Prague, Czechoslovakia.
The mission was simple: retrieve a League artifact accidentally left behind in an abandoned house during a previous operation.
The item — a small data sphere — had been detected by local collectors who had begun to study it.
They couldn't allow it to fall into the wrong hands.
The witches arrived disoriented, a few dropping to their knees.
— The dizziness is normal, — Kael said, already steady.
Elizabeth discreetly vomited.
Marie clung to a wall.
Nikita just breathed, calmly taking in the surroundings.
Kael led them through the old streets to the location.
The entrance was easy — Claudia picked the lock with a bent piece of wire.
Inside, the sphere was locked in a safe — still sealed.
Constança, trained over the last few weeks, opened the mechanism with care.
Kael retrieved the artifact, placed it inside a League capsule, and looked at them.
— Simple. But important.
Moments later, they were back.
---
Back at the base, the witches were exhausted — but smiling.
The first jump was complete.
Kael lit a cigarette, leaning against the wall in the return chamber.
— Now you know.
— Now, it's truly begun.