Jack awoke on cold ground. A weight pressed on his entire body, as if he'd just passed through something meant for no human. His head throbbed, and his breathing was labored, as though the air around him was thicker and heavier. He didn't immediately realize where he was. Everything blurred before his eyes, and his ears felt blocked, like after a long fall.
Sitting up slowly, Jack clasped his head in his hands. His eyes gradually began to focus as he looked around. Everything felt strange and hostile. Unusual trees loomed around him, their trunks twisted, covered in gray-green mold. An eerie silence reigned, broken only by distant rustling and sounds he had never heard before.
"This isn't Earth," the thought struck his mind. It was obvious. Everything was different here, from the ground beneath him to the sky tinted a disturbing gray with dimly glowing clouds. The air was dense, thick, heavy, and every breath left a metallic taste on his tongue.
"Where am I?" Jack whispered to himself, feeling his voice dissolve in the silence of this strange forest.
Remembering what had happened, Jack rose to his feet. He recalled the portal, the bright flash, and how the ground had disappeared from under him. But now he was here, in this new world. "Now, everything is different."
He moved forward slowly, barely able to lift his feet. His body ached, his muscles trembled. Each step was an effort, as if he were moving through water. Nothing around him was familiar—just odd shapes, sounds, and rustlings. It felt as if this world breathed with its own alien energy.
After several steps, Jack heard a strange sound, like a low growl mixed with hissing. He stopped. The sound was distant but seemed to grow closer with every second.
His heart pounded harder. At first, he thought it was just the wind or an echo, but then the growl came again, closer and louder. Something was near, and whatever it was, it was clearly not friendly.
Jack pressed himself against the nearest tree, his fingers curling into fists. He slowly looked around, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. The leaves on the strange trees shifted, but there was no wind. An air of tension surrounded him, as if nature itself was warning him of an approaching threat.
And then he saw it.
From behind thick vegetation, a shadow slipped forward. The creature moved smoothly, like a snake, yet its movements were sharp and unnerving. For a moment, Jack thought it was just an ordinary beast, but when it came into the light, he realized he was wrong.
The creature was the size of a large dog, but its body was misshapen. It had six limbs, resembling spider legs, each ending in claws glinting in the dim light. Its torso was covered in tough, black scales that looked like they could withstand a knife strike. Its eyes—six small, bottomless black eyes—stared intently at Jack, glimmering in the darkness.
The creature hissed, revealing a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. Its long, forked tongue flicked out, tasting the air, as if it sensed the smell of fear.
The creature was a nightmare made flesh.
Jack froze. He didn't know what to do. His heart hammered in his chest, his hands shook. The creature looked aggressive and was undoubtedly a predator.
"Run," the thought flickered, but his legs wouldn't obey. He tried to take a step back, but didn't make it in time. The creature lunged forward, its hiss turning into a deep growl.
The creature darted at Jack with unexpected speed. He barely managed to pull out the knife he'd been given before the journey, but his hands shook so much he almost dropped it. Instinct for survival forced him to push fear aside. It was either kill or be killed.
The creature leapt at him, and Jack instinctively leaned back, feeling his breath catch in fear. He fell to the ground, but the knife was still in his hand. The creature lunged at him again, and at that moment, Jack realized this wasn't a game. This was real. Brutally, coldly real.
The creature's sharp claws whistled above his head, and Jack felt something hot slash across his cheek. It was faster than he'd expected. There was no time for thought. Jack rolled to the side, springing up quickly.
He saw the creature preparing for another leap. Its six eyes gleamed in the darkness, and it lunged forward again, baring its knife-like teeth. Jack, trembling, raised the knife, trying to keep it between himself and the monster.
When the creature was just a step away, he lunged forward with all his might. The knife blade cut into the creature's dark scales, but the blow wasn't strong enough to pierce them fully. The creature roared, twisting and trying to grab him with its claws.
Jack fell, but quickly managed to get up, realizing that the only way to win was to strike a vulnerable spot. His mind raced. The scales were too tough, but maybe if he could hit under the jaw or around the neck, where the protection was thinner...
The creature charged at him again, and Jack, mustering his last reserves of strength, drove his knife into the soft flesh beneath its jaw. The knife went deeper than before, and the creature let out a piercing roar, retreating.
Jack panted. His hands trembled, his heart pounded, and he was on the edge of exhaustion. But he couldn't give up. The creature lunged at him again, but now its movements were less precise. Jack dodged at the last moment and delivered a final blow straight to its neck.
The creature shuddered and collapsed, writhing in agony. Finally, it lay still.
Jack stood there, unable to believe what had just happened. His breathing was ragged, his hands shook, but he had survived. He had killed this creature. He had won.
Something inside him had changed. It was not just fear, not just pain. He felt something else, warm and strange, begin to spread through his body, as if the creature's energy was flowing into him.
Jack stood, breathing heavily, over the creature's sprawled body. His hands shook with fatigue and adrenaline, but something else lingered within. It was strange, warm, as if something alive pulsed inside him. He glanced down at his hand, which moments ago had been clenched around the knife and now trembled, as though absorbing something invisible.
What was this feeling?
He looked at the defeated creature, its body lying motionless, but it seemed to emit a faint glow. Jack couldn't pinpoint the source of the light, but it was real, like a subtle energy rising slowly from the lifeless body and flowing toward him.
At first, he tried to step back, fearing it might be dangerous, but then he stopped. He didn't know what this was, yet he felt a pull to understand it. The sensation was frightening yet mesmerizing at the same time. This energy wasn't merely drifting toward him—it seemed to seek him out, drawn to his body like a magnet.
Then, in a single instant, the energy touched him.
The world froze for a moment. Jack felt a wave of warmth fill his body, and then his mind. For a second, he lost all sense of direction, but then a strange clarity washed over him. His body no longer felt weak and shaky; instead, he felt a surge of strength, as if something deep within him had awakened.
"Is this...the creature's energy?" Jack thought. He couldn't explain how it worked, but he sensed that the creature he had just killed had passed part of its strength onto him.
He sat down on the ground, supporting himself with his hands, trying to catch his breath. The weight and fear still lingered in the air, but now something had shifted. Now he sensed his body was different. It was no longer as weak and frail as it had felt when he first entered this world.
So, this is the "strength" they'd talked about. Jack recalled the instructor's words: "Everything depends on your ability to adapt." Now he began to understand that in this world, survival meant not just fighting, but growing stronger with each victory. He wasn't sure yet how it worked, but instinctively he understood—each defeated creature in this world could grant him a part of its power.
He couldn't fully believe it, but now it seemed this world operated by different laws, where the energy of living beings was the key to survival and growth.
Jack got to his feet, feeling the rush of new strength. He didn't yet know exactly how this worked or how long it would take to master this system, but one thing was clear: he couldn't stop.
He took a deep breath and moved deeper into the forest, doing his best to remain unseen. With each step, Jack felt his body filling with new energy, but he couldn't let himself relax. This world was full of dangers.
A little later, after walking further into the forest, he found a small cave. The cave was dark but looked spacious enough to serve as a temporary shelter where he could catch his breath. Jack stepped inside, checking carefully to make sure there was nothing dangerous within. Satisfied that the cave was empty, he sank onto the stone floor, feeling his muscles finally relax.
"I'm alive," he whispered, feeling a slight tremor run through his body.
The silence of the cave enveloped him, and for the first time that day, he allowed himself to close his eyes for a few minutes. But his peace was short-lived.
Less than an hour had passed when he heard footsteps outside. At first, it was a soft rustle, then approaching voices. Jack tensed, trying not to make a sound. He drew his knife and cautiously peeked out from his hiding spot.
Three people—two men and one woman—were moving through the forest, talking among themselves. They looked just as disoriented as Jack. Their clothes were smeared with dirt, their expressions weary, but they stuck together.
Jack pressed his back against the wall of the cave, unsure if he should reveal himself to them. He listened to their conversation.
"We need shelter," said one of the men, short and stocky. "We won't last long if we keep wandering aimlessly."
"But we don't know who else might be out here," the woman replied, her voice trembling. "This world... we don't know who could be our enemy."
Jack tensed up. They were right—no one in this world could trust each other, at least not until they learned more.
But he had a choice before him: either keep hiding alone or try to join them and survive together.
Summoning all his resolve, Jack slowly stepped out of the shadow of the cave, holding his knife in front of him. The group immediately grew alert, turning to face him as they heard his footsteps.
"Don't be afraid," Jack said, trying to keep his voice calm but steady. "I'm like you."
They were silent, assessing him. Their faces were tense, their eyes wary.
"How long have you been here?" asked the second man, tall and thin, holding a makeshift weapon resembling a sharp stone lashed to a stick.
"I just arrived," Jack replied. "Did you come through the portal too?"
"Yes," the woman nodded. "We got here only a few hours ago. We need shelter. Are you alone?"
Jack nodded, keeping his knife raised. He understood it would take some time for them to get used to each other, but he had no other choice. He couldn't survive alone, especially if this world was filled with monsters like the one he'd just fought.
"We can wait here for now," Jack suggested, nodding toward the cave. "It's safe... at least for the moment."
The group exchanged glances, then slowly entered the cave. They all remained silent, tense and exhausted. None of them knew what awaited them next.
Jack sat at the cave's entrance, listening to the occasional sounds drifting from the forest. Night in this world was cold and strange. The darkness here was dense, almost tangible, as if it pressed down on anyone caught under its shroud. Despite his exhaustion, Jack couldn't sleep. His mind was flooded with thoughts, anxiety, and memories of the creature he'd had to fight.
While the others tried to rest, Jack realized this was the right time to learn more about those with whom he was now forced to survive. Group survival in this world was likely their only chance for success. He turned to them as the tension eased slightly.
"What are your names?" he asked, breaking the silence.
The three new companions sat on the cold stone floor of the cave. They, too, looked worn out, but like him, they knew they needed to learn more about each other.
The first to speak was the short, stocky man with a close-cropped haircut and a serious expression.
"My name is Kyle. I'm a mechanic; worked at an auto shop in south Chicago. Got picked in the lottery three months ago, but my send-off day got postponed because of…" He trailed off, recalling some unpleasant detail. "Well, it doesn't matter. I always knew I'd have to come here. So here I am."
Jack looked at Kyle. The man seemed solid and resilient, but there was pain in his eyes. Perhaps his past hadn't been easy, but now, like all of them, he had no choice.
The woman sitting next to Kyle looked at Jack, her eyes full of distrust but revealing something more—a trace of fear. She was slender, with short dark hair and a guarded gaze.
"My name's Lina. I… was an elementary school teacher in Denver. My family…" Her voice broke, and she paused before continuing. "I have a little daughter. She's with my parents. When I was chosen, I didn't know what to do. How could you…" She trailed off, lowering her eyes.
Jack felt her pain. She wasn't the only one who had left loved ones behind. In a world filled with threats, where survival meant growing stronger, many had to sacrifice for those they loved.
The last of the three was a tall, thin man in his thirties, with sharp features and a piercing gaze. He had stayed silent the longest, but now it was his turn to speak.
"My name's Brian," he said evenly, giving Jack no chance to read his emotions. "I was a programmer for a big corporation. The lottery took me at the worst time, just when my career was taking off. But I guess it doesn't matter now. We're all here," he shrugged, plainly displaying his indifference to the situation.
Brian was different. His coldness and apathy seemed odd, but Jack sensed there might be more behind it. Perhaps this man simply hadn't yet grasped the reality of the new world, or perhaps he was painfully aware of it.
After each had shared their story, an uneasy silence fell. Jack realized that each of them had a reason to be here, even if they'd been dragged in against their will. Each of them had lost something. And now, in this new world, they had to survive. Together or alone.
"So we're all in the same boat," Jack said, trying to break the tense silence. "None of us wanted to be here, but that doesn't change the fact that we are."
Lina nodded, her gaze fixed on the ground as if searching for answers in the stones of the cave.
"But what are we going to do now?" she asked, her voice soft but with a hint of hidden resolve.
"Survive," Kyle replied, clenching his fists. "There's no second chance here. We have to get stronger. I've seen a few people who returned home. They all said the same thing: adapt, or you die."
"Easier said than done," Brian said coldly. "I've already seen one monster, and it was strong enough to kill us all if not for our lucky shelter. Not to mention that none of us even knows how to handle this…" He paused, searching for the right words, "…this feeling of power that comes after killing."
Jack looked at Brian and felt that strange connection again. He, too, had recently felt a surge of energy after killing the creature, but he still didn't understand how it worked. It was something new and unfamiliar, yet clearly essential for their survival.
"We need to find a safe place," Jack continued. "Here, we could be attacked at any moment. We still don't know how dangerous this world is, but the first thing we need is shelter. Then we'll figure out how to get stronger."
"But what about going back?" Lina asked suddenly. "We're all here, but we were promised we could return. I don't want to stay in this world. I want to go home to my daughter."
Jack fell silent. He knew it was possible to return, but he also understood it wouldn't be easy. The portals they'd come through were protected. Even if they found a way back, survival would be impossible without strength.
"We have to become stronger before we can think about going back," he said firmly. "If we're not ready, we'll die, and there won't be any way back."
His words hung in the air, and everyone fell silent. Each of them understood the gravity of this decision. They were in a new, unknown world, where survival meant becoming stronger.
"Alright," Kyle finally said. "I agree. We'll start small, but if we work together, we've got a chance. Better to be strong and alive than dead with no chance of returning."
Lina sighed but nodded in agreement. Brian, still indifferent, just shrugged.
Jack looked at them. They had a choice: survive or die. And he made his decision—he would do whatever it took to survive. He couldn't let himself die here. He had promised to return. For Melissa, for his family.
Final thoughts filled his mind, and he felt his resolve solidify within him.
"Tomorrow we begin," he said, looking at his companions. "We'll find a way to get stronger."