After a twenty-minute drive, the familiar buildings of her hometown came into view, a bittersweet reminder of her past. She hadn't seen this view for more than seven years. Seven years in which she had suffered and struggled, only to die anyways.
The town and its people were still unaware of what drastic changes the coming weeks would bring. As she drove down the Main Street, Rose could see them going about their life, blissfully ignorant of the impending doom. There was and old man sweeping the sidewalk in front of his hardware store, just as he always had. A group of teenagers lounged on the steps of the library, their laughter echoing across the square. Everything seemed so normal, so peaceful.
It wouldn't stay that way much longer.
But Rose had no intention to warn anyone or for that matter save anyone - she wasn't that delusional. This world would become a place where the strong would survive and the weak ones either groveled in front of them or died. Even with her knowledge it would be challenging enough to keep herself and her loved ones safe and sound. Where would she find the leisure to worry about strangers?
Pulling into the driveway of her small, rented house, the other people were out of sight and with that also consequently out of mind.
Home, for now at least.
Stumbling into her house, Rose headed straight for the bathroom. She peeled off her soaked clothes, wincing as the fabric clung to her wounds. Gritting her teeth, she tore them off anyway, causing fresh blood to seep out. The worst injury was the long scratch on her back, stretching from between her shoulder blades to just above her tailbone.
Rose twisted awkwardly, trying to see the wound in the mirror. The scratch was deep, its edges jagged and angry. If it had been any deeper it would have been life threatening. She knew it would scar. A constant reminder that not everything would always go as planned.
Rose bit her lip as she turned on the shower, the hot water stinging her raw skin. A mixture of pain and relief washed over her as the warmth slowly seeped into her frozen limbs. She closed her eyes, letting the water cascade over her. Once sufficiently clean and warmed, she stepped out and wrapped herself in a towel, unconcerned about the blood staining it.
Turning to grab the first aid kit from the cabinet, she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. The face staring back was barely recognizable—pale, battered, with haunted eyes. This was the toll of visiting a realm, if one was lucky enough to survive at all.
Taking a painkiller, she proceeded to cleaning and bandaging her injuries to the best of her ability. Afterwards Rose slipped into comfortable sportswear and made her way to the kitchen.
She prepared herself a steaming cup of hot chocolate, then collapsed onto a nearby chair. Her view was directed outside the window, but she didn't really register what she was seeing.
The rain, still not showing any signs of letting up, mirrored the storm of thoughts in her mind.
She had been so certain of her path, so confident in her ability to reshape events this time around. Now, she felt adrift, her meticulously crafted plans unraveling before her eyes.
No. She shook her head firmly.
She couldn't let this minor setback derail her. After all, she had achieved some success—surviving and gaining an ability, even if it wasn't the one she'd hoped for. Most importantly, she still possessed the invaluable advantage of knowing what was to come.
As portals appeared more and more worldwide, governments found themselves woefully unprepared and understaffed. Many people died in the other realms, while others acquired supernatural abilities.
When upstanding citizens gained powers, it wasn't cause for alarm. However, the real trouble began when unscrupulous individuals obtained these abilities. Disregarding law and order, they sowed chaos wherever they went. Initially, authorities attempted to combat this new threat, but their efforts proved futile. How could law enforcement hope to subdue a pyrokinetic hurling fireballs? What chance did they have against someone with superhuman strength? Lacking any means to effectively restrain these powered individuals, governments eventually conceded defeat.
A new hierarchy emerged, where the powerful ruled over the weak. Those without abilities faced two choices: submit and serve, or risk their lives by entering a realm in hopes of gaining powers. Few dared to attempt the latter.
For a while, the situation seemed to stabilize. With the weak not daring to enter, and the strong seeing no need to, many portals appeared and vanished, the treasures they contained forever lost.
Then, by chance, an ability wielder entered another realm. Upon emerging, he discovered he'd not only gained a second ability but also enhanced his first! The new power naturally came from a crystal core he'd absorbed, while the upgrade stemmed from "spirit liquid"—a substance unique to the realms that could improve one's abilities.
This revelation sparked a frenzy. People fought to access portals, despite new, harsher rules. Now, entering a realm required staying for at least an hour; there was no immediate escape. The portal just wouldn't let one pass before the time was up. Faced with unknown dangers, many still pursued power.
During this time, Rose kept her distance, traumatized by her first realm experience. She used her ability to survive, existing in a gray area—neither among the truly powerful nor the utterly powerless.
This time would be different. Instead of merely surviving, she would boldly enter realms and become one of the powerful. Only then could she truly protect those she cared for.
She'd use the period of widespread fear and confusion to her advantage, amassing abilities, spirit liquid, and other realm treasures. Had the beast not pursued her, she would have thoroughly explored her first realm, searching for hidden riches. But there was no use crying over spilled milk. She would have to seize the next chance she got.
Her first target was a portal set to appear in her neighborhood. As luck would have it, one would materialize right around the corner tomorrow at noon. At that time, the neighbors, terrified, had hurriedly evacuated the area. Rose, afraid, had followed them along.
Now, hoping her body would recover by then, she planned to enter the portal.