Chapter 9 — The Man Behind the Gate
The Gate opened.
There was no explosion.
No flash.
No sound.
For one terrible second, nothing happened at all.
The black surface simply disappeared.
And the forest beyond it became visible.
Victor stared.
There was no forest on the other side.
There was a road.
A ruined road stretching beneath a dark crimson sky.
Broken buildings stood on either side.
Some were nothing more than skeletons of concrete and steel.
Others looked almost untouched.
A street sign hung crookedly above the road.
Victor couldn't read the language.
But somehow—
he understood the meaning.
DISTRICT 7
His stomach tightened.
This wasn't another dimension filled with random monsters.
It looked like a city.
A dead one.
Ward raised his weapon.
"Nobody moves."
The soldiers obeyed.
Victor barely heard him.
He was staring at the figure standing in the middle of the road.
The man had Victor's face.
Same black hair.
Same eyes.
Same jawline.
Even the same small scar beneath his left eyebrow.
Victor instinctively touched his own face.
The figure smiled.
Not broadly.
Just enough to confirm what Victor already knew.
It was him.
Or something that looked exactly like him.
Lyra whispered:
"What the hell..."
Ward raised his hand.
"Hold fire."
Victor looked at him.
"You see it."
Ward didn't answer.
His eyes remained fixed on the figure.
Victor's heart pounded.
So much for the System being the only strange thing happening to him.
The figure lifted one hand.
His fingers rested against his chest.
Then he pointed directly at Victor.
The System appeared.
[IDENTITY MATCH: 100%]
Victor's blood ran cold.
A second message appeared.
[ENTITY STATUS: UNKNOWN]
Then—
[WARNING: DO NOT ENGAGE.]
Victor swallowed.
"That's helpful."
Lyra glanced at him.
"What?"
Victor shook his head.
"Nothing."
The figure across the Gate smiled again.
Then it spoke.
"You're not supposed to be here."
Victor froze.
The voice was his.
Not similar.
Not close.
His own voice.
Ward heard it too.
Everyone did.
One soldier whispered:
"That's him."
Another answered:
"Impossible."
Ward shouted:
"Nobody fires unless I give the order."
The figure tilted its head.
"You brought them with you."
Victor stepped forward.
Ward immediately grabbed his arm.
"Don't."
Victor didn't take his eyes off the figure.
"Who are you?"
The figure smiled.
"You really don't remember."
Victor's chest tightened.
"Remember what?"
The figure looked almost disappointed.
"Everything."
Victor felt the System flicker.
[MEMORY RESONANCE: 99.9%]
His vision blurred.
For a moment, he saw blood.
A woman screaming.
A hand reaching toward him.
A massive circular door.
Then darkness.
Victor staggered.
Lyra caught his shoulder.
"Victor."
He pushed himself upright.
"I'm fine."
The figure laughed quietly.
"Still saying that."
Victor stared at it.
"How do you know me?"
The figure's expression changed.
The smile disappeared.
"I know everything you forgot."
Ward raised his weapon.
"Identify yourself."
The figure looked toward him.
For the first time, its attention shifted away from Victor.
"You."
Its expression became cold.
"You were there."
Ward froze.
Victor looked at him.
"You know him?"
Ward didn't answer.
The figure smiled.
"Of course he won't tell you."
Victor's eyes narrowed.
"What happened?"
Ward finally spoke.
"Victor, step back."
"Answer me."
"Now."
Victor turned toward Ward.
"You know something."
Ward's jaw tightened.
"Step back."
The figure laughed.
"Nine years..."
Its eyes returned to Victor.
"And they still haven't told you."
Victor felt anger rise inside him.
"What happened nine years ago?"
The figure's smile returned.
"You opened the door."
Victor froze.
The System appeared.
[CRITICAL MEMORY FRAGMENT DETECTED]
[RECOVERY ATTEMPT: 0.05%]
Victor's vision fractured.
A memory slammed into him.
He was standing in a laboratory.
Elena was beside him.
She was crying.
A group of armed men stood behind them.
A circular Gate towered ahead.
Victor was holding something.
A black object.
A key.
Elena grabbed his wrist.
"Don't do this."
Victor heard his own voice.
"I have to."
"Victor, if you open it, you won't come back."
He looked at her.
"I will."
The memory shattered.
Victor gasped.
The world returned.
His knees nearly buckled.
Lyra caught him.
"Victor!"
Victor breathed heavily.
The figure watched him.
"You remember a little."
Victor looked up.
"What did I open?"
The figure's expression became almost sympathetic.
"Me."
Silence.
Victor stared.
Then the figure stepped backward.
Ward raised his weapon.
"Stop!"
The figure ignored him.
It turned toward the ruined city.
"Not yet."
Victor frowned.
"What does that mean?"
The figure looked over its shoulder.
"When the time comes..."
Its eyes met Victor's.
"...you'll remember why you did it."
Then something moved behind it.
Victor's eyes widened.
At first, he thought it was another person.
Then it stepped into the red light.
A creature.
Tall.
Thin.
Its limbs were unnaturally long.
Its skin was pale enough to appear almost translucent.
Two enormous horns curved backward from its skull.
Its eyes glowed faintly red.
The soldiers raised their weapons.
Ward shouted:
"CONTACT!"
Gunfire erupted.
The creature moved.
Too fast.
It disappeared from where it stood.
A soldier screamed.
The creature appeared beside him.
One clawed hand tore through his armor.
Blood sprayed across the road.
The remaining soldiers opened fire.
The creature vanished again.
Another soldier was thrown into the trees.
Lyra fired three controlled bursts.
None hit.
Ward shouted:
"Spread out!"
The formation broke.
Victor stood frozen.
The System appeared.
[ENTITY IDENTIFIED.]
Victor's eyes widened.
[SPECIES: UNKNOWN]
[THREAT LEVEL: CATASTROPHIC]
[RECOMMENDATION: FLEE.]
Victor stared.
"Catastrophic?"
The creature turned.
Its red eyes found him.
The System flashed.
[TARGET LOCKED.]
Victor's blood went cold.
The creature lunged.
Victor barely moved.
Something slammed into him.
He hit the ground hard.
Lyra had tackled him.
The creature's claws tore through the air where his head had been.
"Move!"
Victor rolled away.
The creature landed several meters away.
Lyra raised her weapon.
Victor noticed blood running down her arm.
"You're hurt."
"Later."
She fired again.
The creature dodged.
Ward shouted:
"Fall back to the Gate!"
The soldiers began retreating.
Victor scrambled to his feet.
The creature suddenly disappeared.
Victor looked around.
Nothing.
Then—
a shadow passed over him.
He looked up.
The creature was above him.
Victor froze.
It dropped.
He raised his arms instinctively.
The impact sent him crashing into the ground.
Pain exploded through his body.
The creature pinned him.
Its claws pressed against his chest.
Victor struggled.
It was impossibly strong.
He couldn't move.
The creature opened its mouth.
Rows of sharp teeth emerged.
Victor stared into its eyes.
Then something strange happened.
The creature stopped.
Its expression changed.
Confusion.
Recognition.
Its nose twitched.
It leaned closer.
Victor heard it inhale.
Then it whispered:
"Blood..."
Victor's heart stopped.
The creature suddenly recoiled.
Not from Victor.
From something inside him.
The System appeared.
[UNKNOWN BLOODLINE RESPONSE DETECTED.]
Victor stared.
[WARNING: LOCKED.]
The creature backed away.
Its posture had changed completely.
It looked afraid.
Victor pushed himself up.
"What are you?"
The creature stared at him.
Then whispered:
"You're still alive."
Victor's blood ran cold.
The creature turned.
It fled toward the ruined city.
Ward fired after it.
"Don't let it escape!"
The soldiers pursued.
Victor remained on the ground.
His breathing was ragged.
Lyra approached.
"Can you stand?"
Victor nodded.
She offered her hand.
He took it.
As she pulled him upright, Victor looked toward the Gate.
The man with his face was gone.
Only the ruined city remained.
The System appeared one final time.
[MEMORY RECOVERY: 0.05%]
Then:
[BLOODLINE: LOCKED]
Victor stared.
He looked at the blood on his hands.
His own blood.
Then toward the darkness beyond the Gate.
For the first time, Victor understood something terrifying.
The monsters weren't simply recognizing him.
They were afraid of him.
And Victor had absolutely no idea why.