Three years ago, the world changed. The appearance of portals caught everyone by surprise. They emerged all over the globe without warning or explanation. The greatest scientific minds across the planet tried to unravel the nature of these phenomena, but they didn't have time — those who first ventured through the portals returned with unbelievable stories. And with these tales came a truth so shocking that the world could never be the same again.

It turned out that the portals led to an entirely different world. A world where the familiar laws of physics no longer applied, where strange creatures lived, where magic existed, and where a powerful energy could be harvested, granting those who wielded it incredible strength. Monsters, artifacts, other races — it all seemed like something out of books and games, but now it had become reality.

Over time, Earth's governments realized the potential of this new world. The global economy began adapting to the new resources being extracted from beyond the portals. But these resources required manpower, and no single country could manage the exploration of the new world solely with volunteers. Thus, the "Aurora" lottery was born — a mandatory system that randomly selected individuals to be sent through the portals. Participation was required of everyone — regardless of social status, age, or position. Refusal was not an option.

The notification arrived at the Harrison household one morning, as if nothing unusual was happening. Like many others, their lives could be turned upside down by a single message.

Melissa, Jack's younger sister, had been selected to participate in "Aurora." She had just turned eighteen, still young, naive, and full of dreams about her future. But instead of college life or her first steps into a career, the unknown awaited her in a new world filled with dangers.

Jack knew he couldn't let her go. As her older brother, protecting Melissa had always been his responsibility. He couldn't just sit idly by and watch as she was sent to that perilous world, where people vanished without a trace or returned broken and scarred. Without hesitation, he volunteered to take her place, declaring that he would go instead.

At first, the family resisted. His parents were staunchly against his decision, but Jack stood firm. He felt guilty for having been absent from his sister's life for so long. Now, he had a chance to protect her, despite his fears. The government agreed, and his substitution was approved.

Family dinners had become tense. Instead of joyful conversations and laughter, the air was thick with anxiety and fear. His mother tried to maintain her composure, but her eyes welled with tears every time she looked at Jack. His father avoided eye contact with his son, knowing that his eldest had made a decision, and nothing could change it now.

During dinner one evening, Melissa broke the heavy silence.

"Why are you doing this?" Her voice was weak, but there was desperation and helplessness in it. "It was my lottery, not yours. I should've been the one to go."

Jack looked up, meeting her tear-filled eyes. He tried to keep calm, but inside, he was boiling.

"I'm the older brother," he said, his voice trembling slightly. "It's my job to protect you. I can't let you go there alone."

Melissa clenched her fists, her lips quivering. She hadn't slept properly in days, tortured by the thought that Jack had made this decision because of her.

"But you could die too, Jack!" she cried, her voice breaking. "I don't want you to die for me!"

He sighed, placing his fork down on the table.

"I won't die," he said, trying to sound confident, though he didn't believe it himself. "I'll come back. I promise."

Melissa abruptly stood up from the table and ran out of the room, her sobs echoing even outside. Jack closed his eyes, feeling the weight of guilt pressing down on him. He wanted to say something comforting, but he was full of fear himself.

His mother, sitting across from him, broke the silence.

"She's right, Jack," she said softly, though her voice shook with tension. "You didn't have to do this."

"Yes, I did," he replied. "If I don't protect her, who will?"

His father finally spoke, his voice deep and raspy, as if he was struggling to hold back his emotions.

"You made your choice, Jack, and now you'll have to live with it."

"I know, Dad. But I have to do this," Jack said firmly, trying to make his voice sound more confident than he felt.

Since then, conversations at dinner had become brief and strained. Everyone tried to spend as much time as possible with Jack, but they all avoided talking about the future. His father spent more time with him in the workshop, discussing household matters as if nothing had changed. Yet every time silence fell, the tension grew.

One night, Melissa came to his room. Her eyes were red from crying, and for a long time, she couldn't bring herself to speak.

"It's my fault," she said, lowering her head. "If I hadn't been chosen…"

"It's not your fault," Jack approached her and gently hugged her. "The lottery picks random people. We can't control that. But I can protect you."

"But who will protect you?" she asked, her voice full of bitterness.

Jack looked into her eyes, trying to smile, though he felt fear gnawing at him from the inside.

"I'll manage," he said. "I just need to be careful."

They sat in silence for a long time, and Jack could feel the oppressive quiet weighing on him. Anxiety churned inside him, but he tried to maintain his composure for her sake.

The last few days before his departure were the hardest. Jack felt the growing tension in everything around him. Even the small household chores he did with his father or the conversations with his mother felt more like farewell rituals than normal life. The time they spent together seemed more like goodbyes than anything else.

Every evening, he hugged Melissa, trying to convince her that everything would be okay. But every night, he woke up in a cold sweat, tormented by nightmares of what awaited him on the other side of the portal.

The worry inside him grew, but he kept holding on.

The week passed in a fog. Time stretched out, as if someone was deliberately slowing it down, making every moment before his departure weigh heavier on Jack. He felt fear building inside him more and more with each passing day, like a fog clouding his thoughts and mind.

Three days after Jack had volunteered to take his sister's place, he received an email from the government. It outlined everything that awaited him in the coming days. First, he was ordered to attend a mandatory briefing, which was held for all "newbies" preparing to go to the new world.

With reluctance, Jack opened the attached file with the instructions, feeling his heart start to race. There was a list of basic equipment he was allowed to bring: regular clothes, a knife that would be issued to him on the day of departure, a water flask, a first aid kit, and a flashlight. Everything else he would have to find on-site. He was also advised to undergo a medical examination a few days before departure to ensure he was physically fit to survive in extreme conditions.

"Extreme conditions." These words felt distant to Jack, almost unreal. He knew that this new world was deadly, but reading the cold lines of the instructions made it seem abstract, like it was happening to someone else, not him. Yet the closer the day of departure came, the more real the fear became.

On the day of the briefing, Jack arrived at the government center, where interviews and preparation were being conducted. The building was sterile and cold, more like a hospital than a place where people were sent to another world. Several people were already standing in the long hall. Some were fidgeting nervously, while others tried to joke to calm themselves and those around them.

Jack took a number and sat in the waiting area, feeling his palms sweat. His heart pounded so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest. He saw the same fear in the eyes of those around him that he felt inside. The young man sitting next to him kept fidgeting with his backpack, desperately avoiding looking at the doors where the briefings were taking place.

When his turn came, Jack stood up, trying to keep his head high. He knew he had to show confidence, even though everything inside him was trembling with fear. The instructor met him with a cold gaze and began dryly explaining what awaited him.

"You must remember one thing: the new world does not forgive mistakes," he said, pointing to a screen that displayed brief videos of the fantasy-like world. Giant monsters, magical fields, and anomalous zones where the laws of physics clearly didn't apply. "Everything there depends on your resourcefulness and ability to adapt."

Jack tried to absorb the information, but his thoughts raced. He realized that in this world, there would be no way to return home until he fulfilled all the requirements.

"You will have basic equipment," the instructor continued, "but from then on, you'll have to rely solely on yourself. The first goal is survival. Find a safe place, establish a stronghold, and then gradually begin searching for resources to develop yourself."

The talk of "development" sounded like something from a game, but this was nothing of the sort. This was reality — harsh and unforgiving.

When the briefing ended, Jack returned home in an even deeper fog. Everything he had learned felt meaningless. None of it prepared him for what awaited on the other side of the portal. He tried to focus on the instructor's advice, but only one thought echoed in his mind: I'm not ready.

In the days that followed, Jack was consumed by anxiety. He tried to go about his normal routine, helping his father with household tasks, talking to his mother, but everything felt pointless. His family did their best to support him, yet he could sense they were already saying their goodbyes, as if he were already gone.

In the final hours before his departure, Jack felt his insides tighten. He was surrounded by family and friends, but there seemed to be an invisible barrier between him and everyone else. He was half in this world, and half already beyond the portal. His thoughts raced as he tried to memorize every face, every moment.

His mother, father, and Melissa spoke words of encouragement, but their voices were laced with fear. They spent the last night together in the living room, talking about the past and future, but no one mentioned what would happen the next day.

The day of his departure finally arrived. An oppressive silence hung in the air. Jack stood before the mirror, staring at his reflection. His face looked foreign to him—tired, tense, full of doubt. He knew this was his last day in the familiar world, and that after today, he would never be the same.

His heart pounded in his chest like a bell before battle. Time moved too quickly. Jack couldn't wrap his head around the fact that his life was about to change forever. No matter how much he had prepared, this was the moment he feared most.

Around noon, Jack and his family arrived at the government center. Dozens of people had already gathered near the entrance—some saying their goodbyes, others standing alone. The tension in the air was palpable, and Jack felt it washing over everyone present. It seemed to him that all these people understood, just like he did, that these might be their last moments in this world.

When the time came, Jack approached his family one last time. Melissa could barely hold back her tears, her hands trembling as she hugged him tightly. She squeezed him so hard, as if refusing to let him go.

"Please, come back," she whispered, unable to lift her head.

"I'll come back," Jack replied, though he wasn't sure he believed it himself. He hugged her even tighter, hoping that he could truly keep his promise.

His mother wept, and his father remained silent, though his eyes were filled with both pain and pride. Jack knew there was nothing more to say. Everything that needed to be said had already been spoken. All that remained was to step into the unknown.

When it was time to enter, Jack walked into the building, each second dragging on like an eternity. The people around him moved as if on autopilot, their faces tense, their eyes filled with both fear and hope.

Inside, everything felt sterile and cold. The massive portal gates rotated slowly, shimmering with strange lights, and Jack realized that from now on, everything would be different. The sense of reality seemed to slip from his grasp. Everything familiar was left behind.

His turn came when he heard the dry voice overhead.

"Step forward."

Each movement felt like a struggle, as if his body resisted. Jack felt the cold metal beneath his feet as he took his steps toward the portal.

He stopped in front of it. A second passed, then another. Everything around him vanished. In his mind, there was only one thing—fear. The fear of the unknown, filling him completely. And then—there was a bright flash of light, and everything around him plunged into darkness.

The world disappeared, leaving Jack utterly alone, hurtling toward the unknown.