The thought wouldn't leave me.
If creatures could come through portals… why couldn't we?
As we moved through the mountain path, that question kept circling my mind, growing louder with every step. Finally, I asked Monisha what the portal world was like.
She was quiet for a moment.
"It's like Earth," she said slowly. "But warmer. Greener. The air feels… alive." She swallowed. "I was pushed into one once while being summoned by a smith. I could breathe there. Easier than here."
That idea hit me hard.
If a place like that existed—safe, hidden, untouched by academies—then maybe it wasn't just an escape.
Maybe it was the future.
I shared the thought with the others. A place beyond the hunt. Beyond contracts and trackers. Somewhere we could hide—and maybe bring others someday.
Everyone agreed.
But not without hesitation.
We chose an evergreen jungle clinging to the side of a mountain. Thick cover. Minimal visibility. Monisha opened the portal carefully, her hands shaking as the air folded inward.
We stepped through.
Sunlight.
Real sunlight.
Warm, gentle, alive.
The ground was soft beneath our feet, plants taller and richer than anything I'd seen before. For a brief moment, everything felt… right.
Then the ground shook.
A deep, grinding sound rolled through the forest.
Stone scraped against stone.
Something massive stepped out from between the trees.
It was shaped like a troll—thick limbs, hunched back—but its body was stone, layered and cracked. At the center of its chest pulsed a glowing crystal, bright and rhythmic, like a heart.
Monica said"Wardrock".
It roared.
I moved first.
The black-coated chain and axe swung toward its leg, aiming to cripple its movement. The blade cut deep—but sparks flew. The stone didn't give easily. Wardrock slammed its arm down, forcing me to roll away as the ground shattered where I'd been standing.
Ren reacted instantly.
Vines burst from the soil, wrapping around Wardrock's legs. The creature staggered, roaring again, and tore through the vines with brute force—but it slowed.
Aira flanked it, fire flashing in short bursts—not to burn, but to blind. Heat cracked the stone surface, creating weak points.
Wardrock charged.
Too fast.
I barely blocked as its fist slammed into my weapon, the impact sending shockwaves through my arms. I skidded backward, breath knocked from my lungs.
"Chest!" Kazim shouted. "The crystal!"
Monisha stepped forward, fear written all over her face—but she didn't stop.
The air twisted.
A portal opened partially around Wardrock's arm, warping its movement. The creature roared in confusion as its balance broke. Ren seized the moment, vines snapping back into place, anchoring it.
I felt it then.
Not rage.
Focus.
The black energy flowed cleanly this time, sharpening the chain and axe further. I ran straight at Wardrock, ignoring the fear screaming in my head.
It swung.
I slid beneath the attack, leapt, and brought the axe down directly onto the glowing crystal.
The impact was deafening.
Cracks spread instantly across its chest. The crystal flared bright blue—then Wardrock froze.
Its roar cut off mid-sound.
The stone body collapsed inward, crumbling into lifeless rubble.
Silence.
All that remained was the crystal—dull now, resting in the dirt.
We didn't stay long.
Monisha was shaking.
Back through the portal, she collapsed to her knees, memories flooding back. The summoning. The academy. The cages.
She cried.
Aira held her. Ren stood guard. Kazim said nothing.
I stared at the crystal in my hands.
That world was beautiful—but it wasn't safe.
Not yet.
And now I know what we need to do.
Escaping the hunt wouldn't be easy or settling in that world.