The lab was in chaos.
Dr. Evelyn Carter furiously typed on her console, trying to recover any signal from the vanished test subject. The military personnel exchanged tense glances, while Direk De Guzman stood motionless, staring at the empty test platform where Max had once stood.
Sedric, still hidden in the vents, could barely breathe. Where did the dog go?
"We need to send another test immediately," Dr. Marcus Reed insisted. "But this time, we attach a camera."
"That's too risky," Carter argued. "We don't even know if—"
"We're past that point," Direk cut in. His voice was steady, but Sedric could hear the weight behind his words. "Prepare the second test."
A second test subject—a dog named Bolt—was brought in. Unlike Max, Bolt had a small, high-tech camera harnessed to his body. The live feed was displayed on a massive monitor.
Direk hesitated for a moment before giving the order. "Activate the gate."
The machine roared to life again. Blue-white electricity danced along its circular frame. The air crackled with static, raising the hair on Sedric's arms.
Lightning arced toward Bolt. In a flash, the dog vanished.
The room went silent. Then—
A signal appeared on the screen.
The camera feed was working.
Static filled the monitor for a second before clearing up. At first, there was only darkness. Faint noises crackled through the speakers—wind? Movement? The scientists leaned in closer.
Then, a chilling sight appeared on the screen.
The dog stood in a vast, open space. The ground beneath him was ashen and cracked, resembling volcanic rock. The air seemed thick, almost shimmering with heat. Strange, twisted ruins loomed in the distance.
And then—movement.
Shadows flickered. Something was there.
The camera auto-adjusted, revealing small humanoid figures with jagged weapons, their skin a sickly green, their eyes glowing in the dark.
Goblins.
The creatures crept closer, eyes locked onto Bolt.
Then—a scream.
Not from the dog. From the creatures.
The camera shook violently. The goblins scattered in fear. The ground trembled. Something enormous cast a shadow over the feed.
Then—blackness.
The signal was lost.
Dr. Carter clutched the desk. "What the hell was that?"
Direk didn't answer. No one did.
Sedric, still hiding, felt his heartbeat pounding in his ears.
They had just discovered something impossible.
They had found The Dungeons.