The Astral Gate
异界之门
Doorways between worlds that devour flesh
Astral Gates are passages to other realms, scattered across the world. They open onto another plane of existence, yet they are no doorway an ordinary person can pass through: a body of flesh and blood that steps into one is often not left even its bare shape.
The best-known victim is Professor Dynamo. His body was obliterated in an Astral Gate, leaving only his spirit, housed in a shell of steel. He speaks of it lightly, as though it were some old piece of news that had nothing to do with him.
“Oh, I wasn't made - my body just was obliterated by an astral gate.”
“哦，我不是被创造出来的——我的身体只是被异界之门摧毁了”
With others, too, he will say no more of the same ordeal than a few words.
“Obliterated in an astral gate.”
“在异界之门中被彻底摧毁。”
After that ordeal he decided to stay clear of Astral Gates altogether, though he hears that South Ixia is beautiful.
“I won't lie - after what happened to my body I decided to stay clear of Astral Gates, but I hear that South Ixia is beautiful.”
“我不会撒谎——在我身体发生那件事之后，我决定远离异界之门，但我听说南伊克斯亚很美。”
His research, however, did not vanish along with his body. Seven calls himself a fan of the professor’s work, and told him to his face how his own learning descends from it:
“Your research into the Astral Gates paved the way for my own. In my rare moments of doubt, sometimes I even wonder if I would have became the man I am were it not for you.”
“你对异界之门的研究为我铺平了道路。在我极少数的怀疑时刻，我甚至会想，如果没有你，我是否还能成为今天的我”
Dynamo was at first flattered and horrified in equal measure; once he had heard this, he was just horrified.
The Bermuda Triangle, deep beneath the Atlantic, is said to be just such a shadowline nexus, and the things that escaped through its gate were mostly benign, like Nessie.
At least seven Astral Gates are known so far. According to The New York Oracle, the seventh has been found in Europe and for now lies dormant. Yet the experts are uneasy, wondering whether the coming celestial event could cause it to open.
“In world news, a 7th Astral gate has been found in Europe. While dormant, experts wonder if the celestial event could cause it to open. For this story and more, pick up your copy of The New York Oracle today”
“世界新闻方面，欧洲发现了第七道星界之门。虽然它目前处于休眠状态，但专家们猜测，即将到来的天文事件可能会使其开启。欲了解更多详情，请购买今日出版的《纽约神谕报》”
The New York Oracle also once ran an exclusive interview with Dynamo, asking him about Astral Gates and what life without a body is like.
