When John awoke, he was somewhere else. Somewhere… other. The breach was gone, and so was the figure. But as he struggled to his feet, trying to make sense of where he was, one thing became clear.
He wasn't on Earth anymore.
John's breath came in ragged gasps as he took in his surroundings. The landscape was alien — vast, jagged mountains stretched across the horizon, their peaks glowing faintly under a blood-red sky. Massive flows of light energy, like curtains, or veils, coursed through the sky overhead. The ground beneath his feet was a mix of cracked stone and pulsating, dark veins that twisted through the earth like tendrils. It was a place of contradictions, both alive and barren.
"Where... am I?" John muttered, his voice hoarse. He took a tentative step forward, his body aching from the battle and the immense strain of using the emergency override.
"You're in the Dimenova," EDS answered, its voice calm but laced with concern. "The breach pulled you into a higher-dimensional plane. I didn't think you'd survive the transfer, but here we are."
John swallowed hard, scanning the horizon. The air was heavy with a strange pressure, like a storm was always just on the edge of breaking. In the distance, he could see structures — towering spires of twisted metal and stone, flickering with strange energies. Something told him those spires weren't built by anything human.
He rubbed his temple. His head was still pounding, and the disorienting sensation of being pulled between dimensions lingered. "Can I get back?" he asked, half hoping EDS would have some easy solution.
"It's not that simple," EDS replied. "I never expected you'd be able to exert enough power to use Chrono Drift to that degree. We've left the confines of space and time. The rules here aren't the same as on Earth. Time is... flexible here, just like you. But that means the dangers are far beyond what you've faced before."
John closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He had no idea what the Dimenova was, but it didn't take a genius to figure out it wasn't a place meant for mortals. Whatever had brought him here had power that made his own look like a cheap parlor trick. The figure in the breach — its chilling voice echoed in his mind, that ominous proclamation: You are insignificant.
"I have to find a way out," John muttered, more to himself than EDS.
"Yes. But you'll need to be careful. The Dimenova isn't just a place — it's alive. It reacts to you, to your powers. I'm certain that this place has something to do with the breaches and chaos taking place all across existence right now. If you're not careful, you could get trapped here for time out of mind, or worse... lost."
John flexed his fingers, testing his strength. His powers still thrummed beneath the surface, but he could sense that they were being stretched thin here. The flow of time was erratic, like a river with shifting currents. He couldn't rely on his abilities the way he had back on Earth.
"Is there any way to stabilize my time control?" he asked.
"Not fully," EDS answered, "but I can guide you. The spires up ahead — they're generating energy signatures I recognize. If you can reach them, we might be able to use that energy to create a makeshift breach."
John nodded, squaring his shoulders. "Alright. Time to move."
As he started forward, the terrain shifted beneath him, the cracked ground buckling as though it were trying to resist his steps. The atmosphere was oppressive, thick with a tangible weight that pressed down on his chest with every breath. But John pushed through, his senses sharp despite the unfamiliarity of the place.
The spires loomed closer, but so did something else — a low, guttural growl that reverberated through the ground. John froze, narrowing his eyes as a shadow moved in the distance. Slowly, it grew, expanding into something massive. And then, from behind the craggy rocks, it emerged — a hulking creature, easily twice the size of anything he'd encountered in the breaches on Earth.
Its body was covered in jagged, obsidian-like armor, its eyes glowing a deep crimson. The air around it shimmered, warped, as though reality was bending to accommodate its presence. It let out another growl, baring razor-sharp fangs as it locked onto John.
"Great. Just what I needed," John muttered, pulling his knife and sidearm. But he could tell from one glance that this thing wasn't like the Rift creatures he had fought before. It moved with purpose, intelligence even.
"Careful, John," EDS warned. "That thing… it's not bound by normal time. It exists outside of the flow, just like you currently are."
Before John could fully process that information, the creature lunged at him with blinding speed, its claws slicing through the air. John barely had time to react, slowing the world around him just enough to dodge to the side. The creature's claws tore through the stone where he had been standing, shattering it with a deafening crash.
John skidded to a halt, his heart racing. Time manipulation wasn't going to give him the same advantage here as it did on Earth. This thing could move through slowed time just as easily as he could.
"I can't outrun it like this," John muttered, eyes darting around for some kind of advantage. "Any ideas, EDS?"
"You'll have to adapt," EDS said quickly. "Use time in a different way. Try speeding yourself up instead of slowing everything else."
John gritted his teeth. He'd never tried that before — it was risky, pushing his powers in an environment like this — but he didn't have much choice. The creature was circling now, its red eyes locked onto him, waiting for its next opportunity to strike.
"Alright," John whispered, "Let's see what you can do."
He focused inward, feeling the familiar hum of his powers. But instead of slowing the world around him, he pulled that energy inward, directing it into his own movements. Time around him stayed steady, but his perception shifted — the world seemed to blur as his speed ramped up, everything moving faster, more fluidly.
The creature lunged again, but this time, John was ready. He moved, faster than before, dodging the swipe with ease and closing the gap between them. With a swift motion, he drove his knife into the creature's side.
The blade bit deep, but the creature barely flinched. It snarled, twisting to throw him off, and John was forced to leap back as its claws came dangerously close to slashing him open.
"That… didn't work," John panted.
"Keep moving. You need to wear it down," EDS urged.
The creature roared, shaking the ground as it charged again. John was ready this time, darting in and out of its reach, his movements a blur as he struck at its weak points — joints, the gaps in its armor, its exposed underbelly.
But it was relentless. Every hit he landed barely slowed it down, and its attacks came faster, more aggressive. It was like fighting a force of nature, a living embodiment of the Dimenova's chaotic power.
Just as John felt his strength wavering, the spires ahead began to pulse with light. The energy EDS had mentioned — it was building.
"John, get to the spires!" EDS shouted. "Now!"
John didn't hesitate. He bolted toward the glowing towers, the creature hot on his heels. The ground trembled with each of its massive steps, but John didn't look back. His only chance was to reach the spires and tap into whatever power they held.
As he neared the base of the first spire, he could feel the energy surging around him — raw, untamed, but powerful.
"Now what?" John asked, breathless.
"Channel the energy," EDS said. "You need to use it to tear open a breach and get us out of here."
John's heart pounded in his chest. "How do I even do that?"
"Trust your instincts," EDS replied, its voice steady. "You have the power. Use it."
John reached out, his hand brushing the surface of the spire. The moment his fingers made contact, the energy surged through him like a lightning bolt. His vision exploded with light, and he felt time itself bend and twist around him.
The creature let out a deafening roar as it closed in, but John didn't falter. He focused everything he had on the energy coursing through the spire, willing it to tear open the fabric of reality.
The world around him shimmered, and for a brief second, John saw it — a breach, forming right in front of him. A way out.
But as he prepared to step through, the creature lunged, its claws slashing toward him in a final, desperate attack.
With a burst of speed, John threw himself through the breach just as the creature's claws grazed his back. The world dissolved into chaos, light and darkness swirling around him as he tumbled through space.
And then, just as suddenly as it had started, everything went still.
John hit the ground hard, gasping for air as the breach snapped shut behind him.
He was back. On Earth.
But as he lay there, staring up at the night sky, he knew one thing for certain.
Whatever that creature was, it wasn't done with him yet.
And neither was the Dimenova.