Chapter 6: The Hidden Portal
932 Words
The silence lasted only a few seconds after Lyra disappeared.
Yet those few seconds felt strangely significant.
As though something important had just happened.
Something that would change the course of Grayson's future.
"Who was that?"
Kai finally broke the silence.
Nobody answered.
Because nobody knew.
Marcus frowned.
"I didn't sense her approach."
"Neither did I," Mira admitted.
Victor's expression darkened.
"Which means she's dangerous."
Grayson remained silent.
His eyes lingered on the rooftop where Lyra had stood moments earlier.
The strange feeling in his chest had returned.
Not fear.
Not attraction.
Not exactly.
It felt more like recognition.
As if a part of him instinctively understood there was something special about her.
Something important.
The System suddenly appeared.
NOTICE
Fate Thread Activated
Lyra Nightshade
Status:
Unknown
Future Compatibility:
Hidden
Danger Rating:
Extreme
Grayson blinked.
Future Compatibility?
"Excuse me?"
The System remained silent.
"You're not going to explain that?"
Nothing.
"Of course not."
The System had developed a habit of being extremely unhelpful.
Their mission continued.
The first dimensional anchor had been destroyed.
Three remained.
Unfortunately, things were about to get much worse.
The closer Team Seven moved toward the city center, the stranger the environment became.
Buildings warped unnaturally.
Roads twisted.
Gravity occasionally fluctuated.
Several times they encountered impossible structures.
One building appeared upside down.
Another seemed to exist halfway inside another dimension.
Kai stared.
"I officially hate portals."
Marcus nodded.
"Same."
A sudden explosion echoed nearby.
The ground shook violently.
Everyone immediately prepared for combat.
But the attack never came.
Instead...
They heard screaming.
Human screaming.
"Civilians."
Mira's expression changed immediately.
Without hesitation, the team rushed toward the sound.
Several blocks later, they found the source.
A group of survivors had become trapped inside a collapsed shopping center.
Nearly twenty people.
Families.
Children.
Elderly civilians.
And surrounding them...
Monsters.
Lots of monsters.
At least fifty.
"That's not good."
Kai sighed.
Victor immediately summoned glowing blades of energy.
Marcus cracked his knuckles.
Grayson smiled.
The monsters charged.
The battle erupted instantly.
Grayson launched chunks of concrete through the air.
Several creatures exploded on impact.
Marcus bulldozed through entire groups.
Kai became a blur of lightning.
Victor sliced through enemies with surprising precision.
For nearly ten minutes the battle continued.
Eventually the last monster fell.
The civilians were safe.
A little girl ran toward Grayson.
"Thank you!"
Before he could react, she hugged him.
Grayson froze.
The little girl's mother quickly apologized.
"I'm so sorry�"
"It's fine."
The woman blinked.
Apparently she hadn't expected the intimidating-looking young man to answer so gently.
The little girl smiled.
"You're a superhero."
Grayson laughed.
"Not even close."
Yet the words stayed with him.
For the first time, he truly understood why he was fighting.
Not for power.
Not for levels.
Not for rewards.
For people.
The System reacted.
HIDDEN ACHIEVEMENT DISCOVERED
Protector's Heart
Reward:
Willpower +10
Charisma +5
Grayson smiled.
Maybe the System wasn't completely heartless.
Several hours later, Team Seven finally reached the location of the second anchor.
Except...
There wasn't an anchor.
Instead, they found a portal.
A completely different portal.
Unlike the black dimensional breaches they had encountered before, this one glowed silver and blue.
Ancient runes floated around its edges.
The air around it shimmered.
Everyone stopped.
"What is that?"
Kai asked.
Even Victor looked confused.
Before anyone could answer, Grayson's System suddenly activated.
SPECIAL QUEST DETECTED
The Hidden Portal
Difficulty:
Unknown
Reward:
Rare Ability
Failure:
Unknown
Grayson frowned.
Unknown difficulty.
Unknown failure.
Neither sounded encouraging.
At that exact moment, a voice echoed behind them.
"Don't enter it."
Everyone spun around.
Standing atop a nearby building was Lyra Nightshade.
Again.
This time she didn't disappear.
Moonlight illuminated her silver hair.
Her crimson eyes glowed faintly.
And somehow she looked even more beautiful than before.
Victor immediately summoned weapons.
"Identify yourself."
Lyra ignored him completely.
Instead, she looked directly at Grayson.
"That portal isn't meant for humans."
Grayson crossed his arms.
"And how would you know?"
A faint smile touched her lips.
"Because I've been there."
Silence.
Kai looked between them.
"Do you two know each other?"
"No."
"Not really."
Both answered simultaneously.
Kai frowned.
"That's somehow more suspicious."
Lyra stepped closer.
For the first time, Grayson noticed something unusual.
Her scent.
Not human.
Not monster.
Something else entirely.
The System suddenly reacted violently.
WARNING
Bloodline Detected
Vampire Lineage
Werewolf Lineage
Arcane Lineage
Grayson's eyes widened.
Three bloodlines?
Impossible.
Lyra noticed his reaction immediately.
Their eyes met.
For a brief moment, neither spoke.
Then Lyra smiled knowingly.
"You can see it, can't you?"
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
Marcus stepped forward.
"What exactly are you?"
For the first time, Lyra's smile disappeared.
The wind grew colder.
Shadows stretched unnaturally around her feet.
Moonlight seemed to gather around her body.
When she finally spoke, her voice carried a strange power.
"My name is Lyra Nightshade."
Crimson light flashed inside her eyes.
"And if you're smart..."
A distant roar interrupted her.
Everyone turned toward the silver portal.
Something was emerging.
Something enormous.
A giant claw appeared from within the gateway.
Followed by another.
Then a monstrous head.
The creature looked like a dragon.
But wrong.
Corrupted.
Twisted.
Ancient.
The pressure alone nearly forced several Awakened to their knees.
Even Grayson felt danger screaming through every instinct.
The System erupted with notifications.
EMERGENCY QUEST
Survive
Threat Level:
A-Rank
Recommended Action:
RUN IMMEDIATELY
For the first time since receiving the Ascension System...
Grayson saw genuine panic in the System's warnings.
Which meant one thing.
They were in far more trouble than anyone realized.
And the true dangers hiding beyond Earth were finally beginning to reveal themselves.
- Writer
