Laurel was content with her life.

It was peaceful and filled with moments of joy that she cherished. Laurel found solace in the simple pleasures of everyday living, grateful for the tranquility that surrounded her.

Other than the constant stress she felt in school, Laurel's days were full of serenity and happiness.

She even got herself a boyfriend, which was on her bucket list before graduating from high school.

It was a reckless decision of hers to agree to have this relationship in order to check out that box, but she was willing to take the risk for the experience.

The relationship she agreed to without a deep thought through a boy's confession became the source of her happiness.

Laurel found joy in the little moments she shared with her boyfriend, making her realize that sometimes taking risks can lead to unexpected happiness.

Despite the initial doubts, she was grateful for the new perspective and excitement he brought into her life.

However, a day before their graduation, the world started to change.

Swirling vortex started appearing at random places around the world.

The people started feeling anxious about the mysterious vortex that appeared out of nowhere. However, some find it alluring and intriguing and are thirsty to know more about it.

The swirling vortex was off limits for quite some time by the government in order to prevent any potential dangers.

Despite the warnings, some individuals couldn't resist the temptation to explore and uncover the secrets behind the mysterious phenomenon.

They went inside the swirling vortex and never returned.

This fact stirred the growing fear brewing inside each person. The fear of the unknown is behind those vortexes.

Laurel is one of those people.

She was anxious about the drastic change in the world she had been living in for all of her life.

She can't even sleep just thinking about the swirling vortexes that are floating around the city where she was living.

The only thing that made her anxiety lessen for a bit was the presence of his boyfriend, Luka.

He was there, constantly gripping her hand as she took her much needed sleep, lessening her anxiety.

It was not an exaggeration to say that he became her lifeline for this changing world. After all, without him, she can't sleep.

They were inseparable, and she found solace in his calming presence.

Luka's unwavering support helped her navigate the uncertainty of the swirling vortexes, making her feel safe and grounded in their shared bond.

One day, when Laurel and Luka were sitting on the sofa of her home, watching a drama on television, the drama was interrupted as the scene on TV changed to that of towering buildings smoking and people running in panic.

Laurel's heart raced as she realized it was breaking news of a devastating event unfolding in the neighboring city. Luka held her hand tightly, his presence providing a sense of security in the face of the unexpected chaos.

She watched in horror as she saw the sky view of the whole city.

She can see a trail of smoke in every direction of the city, and even one of the tall buildings collapsed to the ground.

Shivers ran down her spine at the thought of the people being crash-landed by the building. The blood that may have been splattered in that scene made her heart ache with empathy for the victims and their families.

She was in deep thought when her thought was interrupted as loud noises started coming outside her home.

As the noise outside grew louder, Laurel's anxiety spiked, her heart pounding in her chest. She exchanged a worried glance with Luka, their shared apprehension palpable in the air. With trembling hands, she reached for the remote, turning up the volume to hear what was happening outside.

The reporter's frantic voice filled the room, detailing the chaos spreading through the streets. Laurel's stomach churned as she listened to reports of more vortexes appearing, wreaking havoc in their wake. Panic coursed through her veins, mingling with the fear that had already taken root in her mind.

And what her eyes caught next made her world crash down around her—a massive vortex forming just outside their window, swirling with an ominous energy that seemed to be drawing everything towards it.

Laurel's breath caught in her throat as she realized they were not safe inside their own home. With a sinking feeling, she knew they had to find a way to escape before it was too late.

Before Laurel could even process what was happening, a figure came out of the vortex.

It looks hideous.

It didn't look human at all.

One thing that comes to mind once she saw that.

Monster

Laurel's mind was in a fog at how fast the events were happening.

First, she saw monsters come out of the vortex and wreak havoc in their place. They tried to hide, but the monsters' senses didn't take long for them to find them.

They were slammed to the ground. Bone crashed, and blood splattered everywhere.

The last thing that Laurel saw before her eyelids fell was a faint shadow of a person standing in front of her through her blurring sight.

She saw how this figure was hovered over by much bigger figures, and out of nowhere, a scarlet flame burst out as her consciousness faded away.

The last sound she heard was the crackling of fire and the distant screams of terror.

When she wakes up, many strings are attached to her body, supporting her life. She realized she was in a hospital, and technology supported her body as she slowly regained her senses.

The beeping of machines and the hushed voices of medical staff filled the room, making Laurel realize the severity of her situation.

Instead of feeling worried about her current situation, one particular person came to mind. She roamed her eyes around the room, and when he was nowhere to be found, fear began to creep in.

Driven by the anxiety of losing him, she began to panic, making some of the strings on her body detached from the machines.

The medical staff rushed to her side, calming her down and reassuring her that everything would be okay.

The reassurance didn't calm her one bit, and it only made her panic so much that the medical staff injected her with a sedative to help her relax.

When her body started to relax and her eyelids grew heavy, she heard noises around her, and before she knew it, a woman's face came into view.

There was concern in her eyes as she looked at Laurel's current state.

"Honey, everything will be alright. Mommy's here," the woman in front of her said, tears starting to stream down her cheeks as she gently caressed Laurel's battered face.

"M-mommy...Luka...where...he?" she mustered up to talk through her labored breath.

A flash of concern made into her mother's eyes: "He's fine, honey. He's fine. Now, now, you should get some sleep."

When Laurel woke up again, she was still in the same room, with strings connected to the machines attached to her body.

Her whole body is aching, and even the subtlest move made her scream in pain.

Her vitals became unstable, and she was forced to go to sleep once again.

When she woke up again, she was in a new room with fewer strings attached to her body. She can now move a little without feeling so much pain.

When the medical staff saw her wake up, they were delighted, as well as her family, but the one person she was waiting to come to her didn't appear.

The nurses who took care of her told her that she was in a coma for three months.

And in those three months, the world changed to the point that Laurel even thought that she was now in a different world.

The things that she discovered on TV about the outside world were baffling. She thought she was still in coma, dreaming about some kind of fantasy world.

The swirling vortex that appeared around the world was given a name: gates.

These gates are theoretically connected to places that are called dungeons, where different kinds of monsters are living.

And through the observation of researchers, they found out that newly formed gates can stay quite for some time before they start vomiting monsters into their world.

This fact made the people anxious about the well-being of the world.

However, the appearance of selected people who manifested power was grouped by the government, which made them enter one of the gates.

And after a few days, they come out injured, and some didn't even make it out, but once they walk out of the gate, it disappears, which gives hope to the people that the threat of monsters may eventually be eliminated.

The discovery that eliminating the boss monster inside the dungeon could get rid of the gate was like a beacon of hope for humanity.

Because of this, the government devised a strategy to nurture those people who manifested powers and make them contribute to getting rid of those gates and monsters.