Rift

A Rift is a tear in space and time leading from one universe to another.

Characteristics
When a rift is open, it has the appearance of a jagged tear in the air. The tear is usually relatively thin, but in one case, the rift that opened was wider due to the beings coming through it. As the rift begins to close, it grows thinner before finally folding in on itself and disappearing completely. Anything inside when the rift closes will be pulled back to the universe their trip started from.

A rift between universes is a two-way door. As long as the rift is open, beings from both realities can cross back and forth at will. To do so, they must simply touch the rift and they will be transported through it. Anyone or anything touching the person will get sucked through as well.

While most rifts drop the users right next to where it opens, in one case, presumably due to the chaotic circumstances surrounding the opening of the rift, the users were transported some distance away. In that particular case, when the rift opened, it appeared to automatically suck in everyone nearby with the circumstances of the rift opening scattering everyone across three different realities, one of which was the universe the rift was opened from. However, while the rift opening transported people to two other realities, the rift itself only acted as a door between the universe it was opened in and one of the realities it transported people to. It did not connect to the second reality at all nor did a separate rift open to that world.

How long a rift remains open appears to rely on the circumstances surrounding its opening and intervention of outside forces. A rift opened by two individuals combining their powers together remained open for a few days before closing on its own. A rift opened by one ritual only allowed one person through before closing. Its opening also created a shockwave that affected all nearby beings. Another ritual could open a rift for twenty-four hours unless a reversal spell was used to close it. In another case, a rift opened by the birth of a Nephilim was closed using a ritual. It is unknown how long it would have remained open on its own otherwise or if it would've needed someone to close it.

Opening a rift is usually done through a ritual or, if the being in question is powerful enough, using innate power. Both the Demon Tablet of the Main Universe and the Angel Tablet of an alternate reality are known to contain rituals to open rifts from one universe to another, but require intricate ingredients.

Appearances

 * Season 12
 * All Along the Watchtower
 * Season 13
 * War of the Worlds
 * The Bad Place
 * Wayward Sisters
 * The Thing