The lab was dead silent.
The screen that once showed the terrifying glimpse into The Dungeons was now dark. The research team stood frozen, the air thick with unease.
Sedric, still hidden in the vents, swallowed hard. He had just witnessed something that shouldn't exist. Goblins? Ruins? And what was that massive thing at the end?
Dr. Carter broke the silence. "We lost the signal."
Direk's jaw tightened. "Run diagnostics. Find out why."
Marcus Reed shook his head. "The camera was built to withstand extreme conditions. Something on the other side cut the connection."
A tense pause. The implications were clear: something had interfered.
Captain Adrian Wolfe, the military representative, stepped forward. "Dr. De Guzman, it's time to send a human through."
Dr. Carter's eyes widened. "That's insane! We don't even know if they can come back!"
"We have no choice," Direk muttered. "If there's intelligent life, we need to understand it. And if Bolt's camera failed, we need human eyes on the ground."
Sedric's breath caught in his throat. They were about to send someone into that place.
The First Expedition
Minutes later, two elite soldiers stood ready on the test platform, wearing reinforced suits and carrying advanced weaponry. Unlike the dogs, they would be equipped with emergency recall devices—a failsafe that would pull them back after 15 seconds.
"Remember," Captain Wolfe instructed, "you're going in for recon only. No engagement. Once the timer hits 15, you'll be pulled back automatically."
The soldiers gave a sharp nod. The tension was suffocating.
Direk took a deep breath. "Activate the gate."
The machine hummed to life. Sparks crackled. The room filled with a blinding light as the soldiers vanished.
The countdown began.
15 seconds…
The screen flickered. The live feed activated.
The soldiers stood in a completely different environment from the last transmission. No dark ruins. No goblins. Instead, they were in an open field, a vast plain stretching endlessly under a crimson sky. The air seemed… fresh.
Then—a shadow passed overhead.
Something enormous soared above them, wings spread wide.
"A wyvern," one of the soldiers whispered.
10 seconds…
The creature let out a deafening screech, its reptilian form cutting through the sky like a nightmare from legend. The soldiers gripped their weapons, but before they could react—
The screen went black.
"Lost signal!" a scientist shouted.
Direk clenched his fists. "Initiate recall—now!"
Return
In a flash of energy, the two soldiers reappeared on the test platform. The room was deathly quiet.
One of them, his face pale, removed his helmet. His voice was barely a whisper.
"That place… it's not just one world."
The room erupted into questions, but before anyone could respond, alarms blared.
Security breach detected.
Sedric froze.
A guard had spotted him.
A heavy hand grabbed his arm, yanking him from the vent. "Who the hell is this?!"
Direk turned. The moment he saw his son, his face drained of color.
"Sedric…?"
The room went silent.
Sedric had just stumbled into the biggest secret in the world.
And there was no turning back.