"Leon, where are you going!?"
Rose's voice rang out, laced with urgency and fear. Before I could take another step, her fingers latched onto my arm, gripping it with desperate strength.
I could feel the slight tremble in her hands. She was trying to stop , trying to keep from walking further into the unknown.
"I'm going deeper," I said, my voice steady, unwavering.
"Why? Didn't you see how dangerous this thing is!?"
I turned my gaze to her, eting her worried expression with firm resolve.
"That's exactly why," I replied. "I want to see what lies ahead… what she was trying to protect."
The automata had spoken of guarding a portal.
If my assumption was correct—if this really was a gateway to another world—then turning back wasn't an option. There was no telling if it would remain here, if it would still exist by the ti I returned. I had to confirm it with my own eyes, no matter the risk.
Rose's lips parted slightly as if she wanted to argue, but the look in my eyes must have told her there was no changing my mind. I felt her grip falter, her fingers loosening ever so slightly.
Without hesitation, I pulled my arm free.
"Huh?"
She let out a small, startled noise, but I didn't stop. Without looking back, I pressed forward, my steps echoing through the dim cavern.
But I should've known Rose wouldn't give up that easily.
"Leon, wait!" she called, her voice firm despite the hint of panic. I heard her hurried footsteps behind . "I'm coming with you! I can't just let you march into sothing like this alone!"
Her breath hitched, but she kept going.
"If you're going to be reckless, then at least let be reckless with you!"
So, instead of stopping , she had chosen to follow—to keep within reach, to make sure I wouldn't face this unknown danger alone.
I sighed. Well, that was better than having her hold back.
The deeper we ventured, the heavier the air beca.
The mana that filled the dungeon was thick, oppressive—pressing down on us like an invisible weight, making it harder to move and harder to breathe. It felt as though sothing vast and unknowable was watching us, its presence coiling around us like unseen tendrils.
The further we went, the worse it got.
Rose staggered beside , her breaths turning shallow. Her movents grew sluggish, as if the very air around us was draining the strength from her body.
"I... I can't... breathe..." she gasped, clutching at her chest. Her face was pale, her legs trembling beneath her.
She wouldn't last much longer.
"You should turn back, Rose," I told her, stopping in my tracks. "I'll be fine on my own."
She gritted her teeth, shaking her head stubbornly. "I... I don't want to lose you..."
"You won't lose ," I assured her.
But before she could say another word, her knees buckled.
Her body lurched forward, collapsing like a marionette with its strings cut.
I caught her before she hit the ground, pulling her into my arms. Her breathing was faint, her body dangerously light in my grasp. She had pushed herself too hard.
There was no helping it.
I hoisted her up, cradling her against , and made my way back to the inn. There was no way I could take her further. She would only end up suffocating.
Once I ensured she was safe, I turned back—alone.
And finally… I found it
At the very depths of the dungeon, hidden within the last stratum, there it was—
The portal.
My breath hitched.
A massive vortex of swirling energy lay before , a churning mass of deep blue and violet hues. Its surface rippled like liquid, yet there was an undeniable force pulling toward it, as though it were a living thing—hungry, waiting.
I scanned the cavern. The walls were lined with glowing gemstones, their eerie light casting long shadows across the ground. But unlike the red and purple gems I had seen throughout the dungeon, the ones nearest the portal had turned black.
A black gemstone.
Corrupted.
I had never seen one before. It was clear—the closer they were to the portal, the more they darkened, as if being consud by the very energy that radiated from the vortex.
I clenched my fists.
For nineteen years, I had lived in this world. Never had I imagined I would stand before sothing like this. I had thought it would take decades, maybe even centuries, to find proof that such a thing existed.
But now, I was here.
And I was one step closer to my goal.
The goal that had burned within since my past life.
For the ones who had wronged my sister.
For the ones who had taken everything from .
And now… now, it was only a matter of ti.
There was no telling where this portal would lead.
No certainty that it would take to another world.
No assurance that it would bring back to Earth.
No way of knowing if I would even remain on the sa plane of existence—nor if I would ever find my way back.
A dark abyss swirled before , its surface rippling like liquid midnight, pulsing as if it were alive. The air around it felt heavier, charged with an energy that made my skin tingle. My heartbeat drumd against my ribs, a steady reminder that I was standing at the edge of the unknown.
Yet, despite the uncertainty, there was no other choice.
I had to step inside.
Gritting my teeth, I moved forward, allowing the void to consu .
The sensation of crossing the threshold was unlike anything I had ever experienced.
For a brief mont, it felt as if I were weightless—adrift in nothingness, my body suspended in an endless void. My vision blurred, colors twisting into unnatural shapes, my senses distorting as if I were being unraveled at the seams. Then, in an instant, it was over.
I stumbled forward, my feet eting solid ground once more.
Blinking rapidly, I struggled to adjust to my new surroundings. The air was thick with dust, the scent of damp earth filling my lungs. The space around was dimly lit, the walls jagged and uneven. It resembled the dungeon I had been in earlier—except for one crucial difference.
The glowing gems that had once lined the cavern walls were gone.
"Where… am I?" I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.
I turned to look behind .
The portal was still there.
That ant I might still have a way back.
Still, the uncertainty gnawed at . There was no way to be sure if stepping through it again would take to where I wanted to go. For now, I needed to focus on my imdiate surroundings.
"I guess the first step is finding a way out," I muttered, my voice steadying.
I pressed forward, my footsteps echoing softly against the rocky ground. Shadows stretched across the cavern walls, shifting eerily with every step I took. A strange sensation prickled at the back of my mind—an awareness that sothing about this place was different.
After what felt like an eternity, I finally saw an opening.
Stepping outside, I found myself on the peak of a towering mountain. The wind howled around , biting against my skin as I gazed down at the landscape below.
A sprawling city stretched out before .
At first glance, it looked like any other tropolis—towering buildings, lights illuminating the streets below. But sothing about it was off. It wasn't a city from the world where I had been reborn.
And it certainly wasn't Earth.
This was sowhere entirely different.
I exhaled slowly, a mix of disappointnt and intrigue settling in my chest. The possibility of returning to Earth had felt closer than ever, but now… it seed just as distant as before.
Still, this world was unlike any I had seen.
Descending the mountain, I took in the details of my surroundings. The level of technology here far surpassed both Earth and the world where I had been reborn.
Vehicles hovered above the ground, sleek and efficient. Towering skyscrapers reached into the sky, their surfaces shimring with advanced materials that seed far beyond Earth's capabilities. People moved with purpose, seamlessly interacting with technology that felt almost otherworldly.
And then, there were the automata.
chanical beings, their bodies crafted with precision, moved alongside humans. They weren't re machines—they were aware, responding to their environnt with an uncanny fluidity.
"So… this is the world that automaton ca from," I murmured, watching them carefully.
But before I could gather my thoughts—
A sharp, gut-wrenching sense of danger crashed over .
A split second was all I had.
Instinct took over. My hands moved on their own, summoning Guardian.
But—
The attack tore through it effortlessly.
My eyes widened.
For the first ti, Guardian—the ability that had shielded from countless threats—had failed.
I barely had ti to react before a voice rang out, authoritative and unyielding.
"Otherworlder."
I looked up.
A figure lood above , their presence heavy with power.
"Surrender now," the voice commanded. "Or face imdiate execution."
Otherworlder, huh?
I slowly raised my hands, keeping my posture relaxed. "I co in peace," I said, my voice steady.
The figure didn't falter.
"People from your world seek anything but peace," they countered coldly. "We have been watching your world closely, preparing for the inevitable invasion. Countless realms have already fallen to your people's conquest. We will not be next."
It was clear—they saw as a threat.
"I'm not here to invade," I stated firmly. "If you guarantee my safety, I'll go with you willingly. And if I can prove that I an no harm, will you let go?"
A mont of silence.
Then, the voice responded.
"That depends on how you intend to prove your innocence."
I had no intention of leaving just yet.
There was sothing here—sothing I needed to uncover. If this world possessed the technology to create portals, then perhaps I could learn how to open my own. If I could do that… I wouldn't have to rely on chance anymore.
For now, I had to play along.
"I surrender."
The mont the words left my lips, the world around shifted.
The figures moved in, securing with precision. Cold, tallic restraints locked around my wrists. The air thrumd with an energy I couldn't quite place, and for the first ti in a long while—
I felt truly trapped.
User Comments
0 comments from readers