The portal opened in a forest far from Sparda, in a region where demonic energy was lower, scattered among tall trees, dark moss, and narrow streams that cut through the earth like lines of silver. The place did not seem abandoned, but it did not seem completely inhabited either. There were signs of recent presence in small details: cut branches, stones marked with discreet runes, flowers planted in specific circles, and an almost invisible trail leading to an isolated house in the middle of the woods.
Vergil crossed the portal first.
