Alex’s senses returned one by one—first the pressure in his ears, then the faint hum of something mechanical. He groaned and opened his eyes, only to find himself sprawled on what appeared to be a slick, black surface that shimmered faintly, reflecting the faint glow of distant stars.
“Am I dead?” he muttered, blinking up at the dark expanse above him. It wasn’t a sky—it was more like a vast, swirling void filled with streaks of blue and purple light, as if the fabric of space had been stretched too thin.
“Unfortunately, no,” Amira’s voice said from nearby.
Alex sat up to see her crouched a few feet away, inspecting her sidearm. Her dark hair was disheveled, and there was a smudge of dirt on her cheek, but she otherwise looked unharmed.
“What just happened?” he asked, looking around.
The three of them—Alex, Amira, and Aros—were standing in the middle of an enormous, featureless plain that seemed to stretch on forever. The ground was smooth and glassy, with strange, flickering patterns that danced just beneath the surface, like reflections on water.
“We were transported,” Aros said, his voice calm but tinged with unease. He was standing a short distance away, his staff glowing faintly as he studied their surroundings. “The stabilizer core activated the gateway, but it seems we’ve been taken somewhere… unexpected.”
“Unexpected?” Alex repeated, his voice rising. “You mean this isn’t where we were supposed to go?!”
Aros shook his head. “The Rift’s energies are unstable. They may have redirected the gateway to this… intermediary space.”
“Great,” Alex said, throwing up his hands. “We’re stuck in cosmic limbo. Just perfect.”
Amira ignored his outburst, her sharp eyes scanning the horizon. “There’s something out there,” she said, pointing toward a faint glow in the distance.
Aros followed her gaze and nodded. “It could be a structure. Perhaps a way to navigate this place.”
“Or it could be another death trap,” Alex muttered, but he reluctantly got to his feet and followed as Amira began walking toward the light.
As they approached, the glow grew brighter, revealing a towering structure that seemed to rise out of the glassy ground. It was angular and alien, its surface covered in intricate patterns that pulsed with a faint, blue light. The structure resembled a spire, but it twisted and warped in ways that defied logic, as though it were partially folded into another dimension.
“Okay, that’s… unsettling,” Alex said, eyeing the spire warily.
“It’s a nexus point,” Aros said, his voice filled with a mixture of awe and caution. “A place where the energies of the Rift converge. If we can access it, we may be able to find a way back to our own reality.”
Amira frowned. “And what’s the catch?”
Aros hesitated. “Nexus points are not unguarded.”
“Of course they aren’t,” Alex said with a groan. “Why would anything in this nightmare dimension be easy?”
The three of them approached the base of the spire, where a large, arched doorway loomed. The doorway was flanked by two statuesque figures that looked eerily lifelike, their forms humanoid but elongated and alien. Their eyes glowed faintly, and Alex had the unsettling feeling that they were watching him.
As they stepped closer, the air grew colder, and a low, resonant hum began to emanate from the spire.
“This feels like a bad idea,” Alex said, taking a step back.
“We don’t have a choice,” Amira said, her tone firm. She glanced at Aros. “Can you open it?”
Aros raised his staff and extended a hand toward the doorway. The glowing patterns on the spire shifted, rearranging themselves into a new configuration. The hum grew louder, and the doorway began to glow.
Suddenly, the statues moved.
Their heads turned toward the trio, and their glowing eyes flared brighter. With a sound like grinding metal, they stepped down from their pedestals, their movements unnervingly fluid.
“Yeah, I’m gonna go ahead and say this was definitely a bad idea,” Alex said, backing away.
The statues began to advance, their movements slow but deliberate.
“They’re protectors,” Aros said, his voice tense. “They will not allow us to pass without a challenge.”
“Challenge?” Alex repeated, his voice rising. “How about we challenge them to a game of hide-and-seek and then just leave?”
Amira ignored him, raising her weapon and taking aim at the nearest statue. “We’ll hold them off. Aros, get that door open.”
The first statue lunged, moving with shocking speed. Amira fired, her bullets striking its metallic surface but doing little more than slowing it down.
Alex grabbed a shard of glassy debris from the ground and hurled it at the second statue, which barely flinched. “This is ridiculous!” he shouted, dodging as the statue swung a massive, blade-like arm at him.
Aros focused on the doorway, his staff glowing brighter as he manipulated the patterns on the spire. “I need more time!” he called.
Amira gritted her teeth, dodging another attack and firing again. “You’d better work fast, because we’re running out of options!”
The second statue lunged at Alex, who yelped and threw himself to the ground. “I hate this place! I hate everything about it!”
The first statue raised its blade-like arm, its glowing eyes fixed on Amira. She tried to dodge, but the blade caught her side, sending her sprawling to the ground.
“Amira!” Alex shouted, scrambling to his feet and rushing toward her.
The statue loomed over her, its blade raised for a killing blow.
And then, the doorway exploded with light.
A wave of energy surged outward, knocking the statues back and sending Alex and Amira tumbling to the ground. The statues froze in place, their glowing eyes dimming as the energy enveloped them.
The doorway now stood open, revealing a swirling vortex of light and shadow.
Aros turned to the others, his expression urgent. “The gateway is open! We must go now!”
Amira winced as she got to her feet, clutching her injured side. “What about them?” she asked, nodding toward the statues, which were beginning to stir again.
“They will recover quickly,” Aros said. “We cannot delay.”
Alex helped Amira to her feet, his heart pounding. “Let’s get out of here before they decide to finish us off.”
The three of them rushed toward the doorway, the statues beginning to move again behind them.
As they stepped into the vortex, the statues let out a deafening, mechanical roar.
And then, they were gone.