Ding dong. The doorbell at Rayna's house rang, breaking the morning silence. Luna stood there, her eyes filled with tears, Jared by her side, looking just as defeated. Rayna opened the door, expecting an ordinary visit, but the scene before her caught her off guard.
"Luna... Jared... What's going on?" Rayna asked in a soft, yet concerned voice as she saw the state of the two young people. Luna took a deep breath before speaking, her voice trembling.
"Ryan... He went through a portal..." Luna's words cracked with pain. "I... I told him it was over. I broke up with him."
Rayna felt a wave of anger and pain rise within her, but she managed to control it. "No... he can't have done that." Her gaze hardened. "Which portal?"
Jared, avoiding Rayna's gaze, explained in a low voice. "An X2 portal... We didn't know he would go that far."
Rayna, already aware of the fragile situation, hurried to prepare. She quickly donned her protector uniform, a black armor with metal plates gleaming in the light. She grabbed her sword, a long saber forged from rare metal, her hand gripping the hilt tightly. "I'm going to find him."
Without another word, she rushed out of the house. Luna and Jared remained there, silent, their role in this tragedy unspoken but effective.
When she arrived at the alley, Rayna saw the commotion around the portal. The Protector Association was already on-site, several agents in uniform discussing with reporters scrambling to get a scoop. The X2 portal was there, a large glowing opening floating in the air, threatening and uncertain. Rayna pushed her way through the crowd, her gaze fixed on the portal's entrance.
She rushed towards it, but an agent from the Association suddenly blocked her. "Sorry, miss, you can't go in."
"My brother is inside!" Rayna shouted desperately. "Let me through!"
The agent, a man in his fifties with a hard face, stared at her for a moment before responding coldly. "This is an X2 portal. No one can enter until the situation inside is resolved. Until your brother finishes the portal or... is eliminated, no one can go in."
The agent's words felt like a dagger to Rayna. She felt her knees buckle, but she managed to stay on her feet. "No... he can't..." she whispered, her face crumbling with pain. "I can't leave him there... He's all I have."
She collapsed to her knees, helpless. The agent's gaze was now filled with pity, but there was nothing he could do. "I'm sorry, miss, but there's nothing we can do."
In the background, Luna and Jared stood hidden in the crowd, their expressions amused. They exchanged knowing glances, a devilish smile creeping onto their lips. Everything that was happening here, all the chaos, was their doing. And Rayna, lost in despair, had no idea.
Inside the portal.
Ryan stood behind a tree, breathless, his body covered in wounds. The pain was intense, but he didn't have time to focus on it. He had thought killing the monster he saw would be easy, but in reality, he wasn't alone. A hundred other creatures were staring at him with menacing eyes, preparing to pounce. Every move Ryan made was a desperate escape, like a rabbit being chased by a pack of hungry wolves.
He hadn't anticipated such a situation. The pressure was mounting. The sounds of the monsters grew louder, their growls and heavy footsteps drawing nearer. Gasping for air, he looked up, searching for an escape, but everything had become a trap.
Then, he heard it, the sound that would cost him several lives if he didn't react.
The sharp whistle of a spear flying straight at him. It was the moment he dreaded, a blade stolen from the future, ready to impale him. He turned his gaze towards the danger and felt terror consume his mind. He couldn't flee, not fast enough.
He had no choice but to do what he thought was the only viable option: throw himself into the void. With a twist of his body, he charged toward the cliff, arms stretched out in front to protect himself. The spear grazed his head, but he dove into the abyss, his heart pounding. The impact with the ground was brutal, and he rolled in the dust, struggling to get up. His left arm was broken, a scream of pain escaping him, but he didn't have the luxury of giving in.
At the top of the cliff, the monsters began to move, leaning over to look down. They seemed amused, as if the situation were some sort of game to them. Ryan remained in the shadows, the pain from his broken arm radiating. He bit his lip to avoid screaming.
But as he lay there, gasping, a red light suddenly tore through the sky. He turned his head and saw a flaming meteorite heading straight for him. The speed at which it was falling was astonishing. Ryan didn't even have time to react. He couldn't dodge it.
The meteorite struck his body full force, the explosion of energy flooding every fiber of his being. The pain was unimaginable. It felt as though his entire body was disintegrating. He screamed, but his voice was lost in the explosion. He collapsed to his knees, crushed under the impact, but to his surprise, he wasn't dead.
On the contrary, the energy from the meteorite poured into his body, merging with his soul, like a flame consuming everything in its path. He felt the red energy spread through his veins, saturating his body with raw power. But this power, as tempting as it was, came at a price. It was breaking him, transforming him.
The monsters, who had moved closer, watched the scene with cold, merciless eyes. Their laughter echoed, as if his suffering was entertainment for them. The smiles of these creatures mocked him, his pain, his apparent weakness.
He lifted his eyes to the monsters, challenging their gaze. The determination in his eyes was palpable, and despite his suffering, a flame burned inside him, a flame of unwavering will. He was no longer the weak young man he had been before. This world, this portal, these monsters... everything was about to change. Because he was ready to do anything for his sister.
As Ryan mentally prepared to face the horde of creatures surrounding him, he suddenly felt an odd heaviness invade his body. Every breath became more difficult, every movement more laborious. His head buzzed, as if an invisible weight was pressing down on him, crushing his thoughts. He wanted to move, to defend himself, but his body no longer responded as he wished.
Before he could understand what was happening, a glowing window appeared before his eyes, floating in the air, flashing with bright letters.
[Congratulations, due to the amount of mana absorbed, your power has been unlocked.]
The words floating before him felt like a strange dream. What did this mean? Mana? Unlocked power? Ryan didn't have time to think further, as another notification immediately followed.
[Warning! An unknown entity has been detected.]
Ryan squinted, his head becoming heavier with every passing second. His muscles seemed to relax under the pressure, and the sight of the monsters around him grew blurry. He tried to raise his arms, to prepare to defend himself, but his body was too weak to move. An intense dizziness made him stagger.
[You are about to lose control of your body due to extreme fatigue.]
"What!?" Ryan screamed in his mind, but no sound came from his mouth. He closed his eyes, desperately trying to regain control, but the weight on him was too much. His entire body seemed to be disintegrating, every fiber of his being folding under the pressure. He wanted to scream, to fight, but he no longer had the strength to do so.
His mind was overwhelmed by confusion and despair. His body, exhausted from the injuries and the meteorite energy absorbed, was now betraying him. The creatures drew closer, their growls echoing in his ears, but he could no longer move. His eyelids grew heavy, fatigue consuming the last remnants of his energy. Everything seemed to melt into a sea of darkness.
The world around him cracked open, and he closed his eyes, hoping he wouldn't have to witness his own end in this hostile place.
Outside the portal, the scene was chaotic. Protectors, journalists, and members of the association stood around the X2 portal, watching the area with tense vigilance, each waiting for any sign of what was happening inside. Suddenly, an immense pressure, an unknown power, surged from the portal, shaking the air and causing the knees of those present to buckle. The aura was so intense that even the highest-ranked Protectors, and especially the civilians and F-rank members, collapsed instantly, their bodies unable to withstand the energy emanating from inside the portal.
The earth trembled under the force, as if the world itself had shuddered in response. Journalists, stunned, found themselves on the ground, their cameras spinning aimlessly, capturing blurry and unstable images of the scene. Panic-stricken cries filled the air, but they were quickly drowned out by the overwhelming pressure. The crowd was completely paralyzed, and no one seemed able to move.
As palpable tension filled the atmosphere, the silhouette of a figure emerged from the portal, wavering under the colossal aura that accompanied it. It was Ryan. He fell harshly to the ground, the shock of his fall breaking the oppressive aura, which dissipated as suddenly as it had appeared.
A heavy silence fell over the scene as everyone stood frozen, watching the lifeless figure on the ground. A moment of confusion and worry settled in as the crowd, still under the effect of the aura, slowly began to regain consciousness.