I remember stepping through the portal, the blue mist surrounded me, weightless yet, so heavy it prevented my movement. A second could have been a day, in real life, or even a hundred years. For all I knew, I could have stepped into the end of time, or the beginning.

I had left my friends at the gates, they begged me not to go, but I did. They stood there, in there black robes, silver embroidered hoods drawn up. Three were holding plain wooden staffs. One of them held my stole, a serpentine dragon symbolizing power and leadership. I am there leader, or at least I was.
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Now, I stand to take my leave of this place, to step back into existence. Clenching my fists, I step through into reality.
The rush of it is overwhelming, reality crushing my very existence, I scream. So much pain and suffering. I don't know how long it's been.
It stops abruptly, crouching on hands and knees, I gasp for air, and my breath finally comes, to my great relief. Sweet, sweet air. I inhale; thankful I wasn't crushed under the weight of a different reality.
Standing up, I gather my belongings that were thrown out of my pack when I hit solid ground.
A few scraps of dried food, a journal to log my findings, a couple of strange rocks I consider lucky, and a wavy bladed dagger, its serrated blade sheathed in thick black leather.
Picking up my stuff off the stone floor, I place them back in my pack, except my dagger, I hook it to my black cloth belt. The smooth texture of the floor catches my attention. It is finer than that of any king's stone.
Light reflects off the floor, showing pale blue and white tiles, with a thin layer of dust dulling the shine a bit. I follow the rays of light with my eyes. At first, it seems to be a window, but as my eyes adjust to the pale yellow-orange light, I see it is a gaping hole. As if the building, had been struck by a giant fist, jagged rock jutting out in every direction.

Beyond, I see buildings so massive you could fit a palace inside, and still have room to move. Most are broken, clawed fingers trying to catch the sky in a deadly grasp. I walk forward into rubble filled streets.
Other than rubble and strange architecture, there are a few corpses and strange metal vehicles. With no harnesses for horses or oxen, drivers appear to sit inside. Strange lines mark out broken windows. Each wheel encased in some black substance, cracked and weathered, though a few appear to have been melted, where the black runs down into puddles on the ground.
One vehicle, in particular, has no wheels that touch the ground. Instead metal plates jointed like chains wrap around multiple metal wheels. On this steel behemoth is a large round top, with a big hollow cylinder, bent and dented in a few places, rust crusting the open end. Only the gods know what it does, or did.
It appears I have stepped into the wrong time, a time after the apocalypse. I turn to head back and study closer to the portal, but something blocks my way.
Grey skin covers taut muscle that could rip a man apart, two legs, with three toes on each foot, huge arms, and wings. It stands a head taller than me, but'
It has two faces. One face is that of a man, white eyes and all grey skin. It's other, a gaping maw with sharp fangs and a long forked tongue and beady red eyes, consume the other side of its head.
In its right hand is a heart, its own heart, ripped from a hole in its chest, crusted blood cakes the edges of the wound. The heart is still beating, but no blood runs from it.
As I turn to escape its deadly stare, it lets out a deafening screech! It is almost enough to stop the blood in my veins.
I look back once, it just stands there. I run through and alley to my left, and turn towards whence I came. I hear the crunch of rubble behind me.
A hand grabs my throat and nearly crushes it, a grey hand. Screaming, I pull my wicked dagger out and swing wildly behind me.
Thick blood runs along the blade, down the hilt, and into my hand.
Another deafening screech pierces my eardrums. I run more, towards where I left the portal.
Entering the building I glance around, small spheres of light surround me. They are eyes, I am sure of it, more creatures like the first, each beady red ball of light staring at me, concentrating, on my every movement.
I run to the portal, looking back, I see the creature standing there, one of the human's side eyes bleeding profusely.
I turn to step through.
Sprawling, the wind knocked out of me, I travel through time yet again.
The familiar blue mist surrounds me, as well as grey arms. I struggle to free myself as the creature's fangs puncture my left side, barely missing my vital organs.
I slice at it, cutting its arm, it lets go. I swing again, lunging; my blade catches its stomach, spilling its cold viscera into the mist.
I have lost too much blood from my wound, I am weakening greatly. I know I will die soon.
I know what must be done. I see where I left my friends, they stand motionless. I step into the world one last time.
Again searing pain, I hear a voice asking if I am ok, saying I had been gone only moments before.
Gripping my bloodstained robes, I yell, telling them to destroy the portal 'NOW!'. There is no hesitation, I am engulfed in flames.
The creature had followed me out, and it is burned as well. But it WON'T DIE!
It screams in pain as the others bind it in conjured chains, stronger than steel, blacker than night itself.
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It has been many months, since I was recovered from the burned remains of the portal. My recovery was long and eventful.
I had to fight off infection twice and almost died with fever. I prevailed though, in my room in the white tower.
In the distance, through my window, I watched as a stone tower was constructed.
Atop this tower is a throne of skulls and the bodies of men killed during the binding of the creature.
Round iron designs, with spears sticking out like spokes, chains hanging from the spears in loops.
And on this throne, wings spiked together, and body chained, sits the creature, now known as devastation itself. Its heart impaled on a spear, this abomination trapped for all eternity, to show that MAN, is the ULTIMATE CREATION!