ORIGIN

Sergei didn't often come this way. And when he did, he passed through quickly: he was not a fan of Mother's fungus.

The betrayal of the Hive still cut deep; the realization he'd been controlled... It didn't bear (heh) thinking about. He huffed, glancing warily around from beneath a heavy brow, determined to--oh?
The glowing portal not far off was... shaking? Sergei hesitated, looking around--half expecting a trick. But nothing else happened, at first. So he paced over, wary, and leaned in, peering at the magic door.

"...Hello?" he tried, after a moment, his thick accent echoing in the crystalline room.

"Oof," said the bear, flinching back and clapping one massive paw over his eye. When he uncovered it, squinting and blinking, it took him only a moment to find the object on the floor.

He stood there for awhile, turning it over in those great paw-hands, before eventually figuring out how it worked--at least, the ability to open and close it. When he lifted it to his eyes to study it further, he saw that the lens distorted what lay beyond--so he put it to his eye, and was stunned to see that it magnified things.

He played with it for a time: unfurling and closing it, peering through it, studying its golden filigree. He was pleased--overjoyed, even. This was a gift, though he had no idea how it'd come flying through the Rift. But... it was nice to have. He'd need to find a case for it--something to hold it, and keep it safe--but it was his, now.

Sergei peered at the Rift once more, but nothing else had come out--and he wanted to be gone from here.

He moved on, but clutching his new possession with excitement.