The day started with a sense of excitement. The mountain air was fresh and pure, filled with the earthy scent of pine and wet stones. Makoto and his friends, Riku, Daichi, Tenma, and Ichiro, were finally away from the daily grind of their lives, the pressure, the constant swirl of bad luck that followed Makoto, and the weight of responsibilities. They had decided that this trip was their chance to take a breath, escape the noise of the world, and just enjoy each other's company.
The hike was long, and the deeper they ventured into the wilderness, the more the scenery became like something out of a dream. Towering trees stood like silent guardians, and soft streams bubbled in the distance. As they moved away from the well-trodden paths, Riku led them down an unmarked trail he had come across in an old hiking guidebook.
"Trust me, guys. This trail is different. We'll find something amazing," Riku said with a grin.
Makoto, though always somewhat apprehensive, smiled at his friend's enthusiasm. He had learned to trust Riku's instincts, even if they sometimes led to unexpected situations.
The forest grew denser, and the sunlight became dappled, filtered through the thick canopy above. Birds chirped somewhere high above, but the air seemed still, as if holding its breath. Every step felt more like a venture into the unknown, the kind of place where adventures were born, and where anything might happen. Yet, despite the charm of the place, there was a growing unease that lingered in the pit of Makoto's stomach.
"Something feels off," Tenma muttered as he glanced around, his voice just above a whisper.
"Yeah, I get that too," Daichi added. "It's like the forest is watching us."
The unsettling feeling was hard to shake, but they pressed on, determined to enjoy their trip. The sounds of the forest grew quieter as they moved deeper into the wild. After what felt like hours, the trail opened up into a small, circular clearing.
In the center, they found something that shouldn't have been there: a glowing, translucent portal, hovering in the air like a shimmering curtain of light. The edges of the portal wavered like the surface of water disturbed by a gentle breeze. It was mesmerizing, captivating, but unnatural.
"What the hell is that?" Ichiro asked, his voice tense with confusion.
Makoto, too, felt his heart race as his eyes locked on the portal. It seemed to pulse, almost alive, a strange energy emanating from it. His usual instinct to avoid trouble fought with the odd compulsion to step closer.
Before anyone could react, the voice came—a low, disembodied sound that filled the clearing, echoing off the trees, as though the very air was speaking.
"This is the Portal of Sacrifices," the voice declared, deep and resonant, its tone both eerie and authoritative. "A sacrifice must be made—a person, a bond, or something of great importance. Only then will the portal accept you."
The air around them felt charged, as if the very atmosphere was thick with an unspoken promise, a demand.
"What do you mean, a sacrifice?" Riku asked, taking a step forward, his voice laced with disbelief. "We didn't come here for this. We're just hiking, not... whatever this is."
The voice did not respond, but the portal's glow flickered more brightly, sending strange, rippling waves across the surface of the clearing. Makoto could feel a strange pressure in the air, a heavy weight that made his chest tighten. His instincts screamed at him to turn around and leave, but something about the voice—the presence—compelled him to stay.
"Maybe we should leave," Daichi suggested, his voice strained as he looked around nervously. "This doesn't feel right."
But as they turned to leave, the voice boomed again, cutting through the air with a sudden force.
"To leave is impossible. A sacrifice must be made to proceed. There is no escape until the balance is restored."
Silence fell over the group as they processed what the voice had said. The word "sacrifice" echoed in their minds, heavy with dread.
"What are you talking about?" Tenma snapped, his voice filled with a mix of frustration and fear. "What does it want? We're just regular people. We don't have anything to offer."
The portal flickered, almost as if it were listening, and then the voice responded, more ominous than before.
"Not just anything. A sacrifice of something important to you, something you hold dear. Or perhaps... someone."
A shiver ran down Makoto's spine. He glanced at his friends, each of them looking equally confused and anxious. The realization dawned on them all at the same time—the portal was demanding something more than just a token or an object. It was asking for something deeply personal, something irreplaceable. It was asking for a life.
Makoto's heart raced, and his thoughts swirled in panic. Could it be asking for one of them to be sacrificed? But who would it be? And why? What did this strange, malevolent force want with them?
"We don't have to give in to this," Ichiro said, his usual calm voice now tinged with fear. "There must be a way to stop it. Maybe it's a trick."
Riku clenched his fists, his face pale. "Maybe... but what if it's not? What if we don't give it what it wants, and it takes something from us anyway?"
Makoto's eyes darted to the portal again, the shimmering light more intense now, as though it were reacting to their fear. He felt a pull, an undeniable force urging him toward it, but he resisted, his feet rooted to the ground.
"We need to think this through," Daichi said, his voice shaking. "We can't just rush into this without knowing what will happen."
But it was too late.
Makoto's heart pounded in his chest as his gaze settled on his friends. He knew they couldn't bear the weight of losing someone. They couldn't sacrifice each other—not Riku, not Daichi, not Tenma, and certainly not Ichiro. They were all too important to each other.
But Makoto... He had always been the one who caused trouble, the one whose luck was always bad. The one who had nothing but his friends. And as much as it hurt to think of, the truth was clear to him: if anyone was expendable, it was him.
Without a second thought, Makoto took a deep breath, his mind made up. He stepped forward, determined, as the others tried to protest.
"Makoto! No!" Riku shouted, his voice breaking.
But it was too late. Makoto had already crossed the threshold, stepping into the portal. A flash of light enveloped him, and in an instant, the clearing fell into complete silence once more, the shimmering portal now dark and still.
His friends could only stand frozen, watching in horror as the light vanished, taking Makoto with it. The wind picked up around them, whispering through the trees, but nothing was left of the strange portal. It had disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, leaving only the heavy weight of the sacrifice hanging in the air.