Their steps were no longer steady.
Not because of tiredness.
But because of unseen pressure.
The corridor kept sloping downward.
The air grew colder.
Every breath felt heavier, as if their lungs were forced to work harder to draw in something that wasn't fully there.
The child stayed ahead.
But this time
their movements weren't just guided by the cables.
There was something else.
Instinct.
Or perhaps… memory.
Daniel watched from behind.
"Do you know where we're going?"
The child answered without turning around,
"I've been here before."
Leonard Graves raised an eyebrow.
"That's not reassuring news."
Richard Blackwood remained silent.
But his steps quickened slightly.
The corridor ahead began to widen.
The ceiling rose.
The walls changed.
No longer covered in pipes.
But smooth metal.
Neater.
More modern.
But also
more alien.
Daniel looked at his device.
The signal was stable again.
But the readings… were different.
"There's an energy core up ahead," he said.
Leonard sighed.
"Let's hope it's not another giant version."
The child stopped.
Everyone halted immediately.
They stared ahead.
The corridor opened into a large room.
But unlike before.
No core.
No massive machines.
Only
a circle.
A circular structure in the center of the room.
Made of interconnected metal panels.
In the middle
empty space.
But the space wasn't truly empty.
The air there… moved.
Like invisible water.
Daniel stepped forward slowly.
"What is this…"
Leonard narrowed his eyes.
"A portal?"
Richard didn't answer.
But his gaze was sharp.
Assessing every detail.
The child whispered,
"This is a gate."
Silence fell.
Heavier than before.
Daniel looked at them.
"A gate to where?"
The child shook their head slightly.
"Not a place…"
They paused.
As if searching for words.
"…to something."
Leonard let out a long breath.
"I like this less and less."
Richard stepped closer.
But kept a safe distance from the circle.
"What does it do?"
The child stared at the center.
Their eyes were empty.
But deep.
"Connects."
Daniel furrowed his brow.
"Connects what?"
The child replied softly,
"What is here… with what is there."
Silence again.
But this time
colder.
Because everyone felt the same thing.
This wasn't ordinary technology.
This was something not fully understood.
Leonard crossed his arms.
"So we found a door to something we don't know. Great."
Daniel looked at his device.
"The energy here isn't like Helios…"
He paused.
"It's more… pure."
Richard asked,
"Active?"
The child nodded slightly.
"Halfway."
Leonard raised an eyebrow.
"What happens when it's fully active?"
The child didn't answer right away.
But their face changed.
A little.
Enough to show.
it was not something they wanted to see.
"He's coming."
Two words.
But enough.
The silence shifted instantly.
Daniel swallowed.
"Him… the one from before?"
The child nodded.
"And more of them."
Leonard sighed.
"Of course."
Richard stared at the circle.
"Can it be shut down?"
The child was quiet.
For a few seconds.
Then.
"Yes."
Hope appeared.
But only for a moment.
"But…"
Daniel looked at them immediately.
"But what?"
The child stared into the center of the circle.
"From the inside."
Silence fell again.
Heavier than before.
Leonard let out a short laugh.
"Why are all solutions always like this?"
Richard didn't react.
His gaze remained focused.
"Risk."
The child replied softly,
"No return."
Daniel shook his head.
"No. We'll find another way."
The child looked at him.
"You don't have time."
The statement was simple.
But true.
Daniel looked at his device again.
The signal was rising.
Fast.
Too fast.
"They're getting closer…"
Leonard turned toward the back corridor.
"I can hold them off for a few minutes."
Richard didn't move.
He stared at the circle.
Thinking.
Calculating.
Weighing.
Ethan
inside the core
felt everything.
The gate.
The energy.
And the open connection.
It wasn't part of Helios.
But Helios… was linked to it.
As a bridge.
As a tool.
"Don't go in," he whispered.
But his voice didn't reach them.
In the room
the child stepped forward.
Slowly.
Toward the circle.
Daniel reacted immediately.
"Hey..!"
The child stopped.
But didn't step back.
Their gaze remained forward.
"I can do this."
Silence.
Leonard raised an eyebrow.
"Why you?"
The child answered,
"Because I'm already halfway there."
Daniel looked at them.
Disbelieving.
"What do you mean?"
The child didn't answer.
But the cables on their body moved.
Pointing toward the circle.
As if responding to the same call.
Richard stepped closer.
"What if you fail?"
The child looked at him.
their eyes looked like those of a small child.
"If I don't try… we all fail."
Silence fell.
No one could argue.
Daniel clenched his hands.
"We can't just let this…"
Leonard said softly,
"Sometimes it's not about letting."
He looked at the child.
"But about accepting who has to do it."
Richard stood still.
For a few seconds.
Then
nodded.
"Do it."
Daniel looked at him sharply.
But said nothing more.
Because deep inside
he knew.
There was no other choice.
The child took a deep breath.
Their steps moved forward.
One step.
Then another.
A faint light began to appear in the circle.
The air vibrated.
Pressure increased.
Leonard took position at the back.
"Hurry."
Richard stayed close.
Ready to pull them back if needed.
Daniel stood beside him.
His eyes never left the child.
The child reached the edge.
They paused for a moment.
Then
turned slightly.
"Keep him safe…"
Daniel furrowed his brow.
"Who?"
The child didn't answer.
But they all knew.
Ethan.
Then
they stepped inside.
Their body passed through the empty space.
And in an instant
light exploded.
The room shook.
The gate activated.
Fully.
Daniel closed his eyes.
Leonard held his ground.
Richard didn't move.
The light slowly stabilized.
But the child
was no longer visible.
Only empty space.
And a new pulse.
Stronger.
Deeper.
Ethan felt it.
The connection.
Clearer than before.
The child.
was not gone.
They had just… shifted.
And now.
they were in a place not even Ethan fully understood.
The gate pulsed.
And something.
beyond it
began to wake.