Like a page being turned—and we were no longer on the same side of the story.
Like space itself had been rearranged instead of destroyed.
Shapes slowly returned.
Then the world became visible again.
Aron was gripping my hand tightly.
When I turned, I saw Aron standing beside me with his eyes still closed. His fingers were locked around my wrist, as if letting go would make him disappear.
"You can let go of my hand now," I said.
He opened his eyes slowly and looked around.
Just seconds ago, this had been a normal city road, the buildings, the traffic lights—everything was gone.
Aron stepped closer, breath uneven, his fingers pulling at my sleeve without realizing it. Then his gaze shifted past me.
His expression suddenly changed.
"Mr. Zekai… something's wrong. Look around."
I turned—my foot scraping against broken stone as it shifted under me, forcing me to adjust my balance.
My eyes lifted automatically—
The sky was no longer blue.
My eyes narrowed automatically—like they were trying to reject what they were seeing.
It was dim, like permanent twilight. A faint red glow spread across the clouds like smoke from a distant fire.
I stepped forward carefully, my eyes moving across the ruins.
Ruined stone pillars stood scattered across the ground. The architecture looked ancient—far older than anything that should exist beneath a modern city.
"No… that's not possible."
My stomach tightened.
My steps slowed without me noticing.
Something about this place made my stomach twist.
Behind us—reality was gone.
Something had changed.
And whatever this world was—
it had already decided I was part of it.
At first, it felt like I was watching something distant. But now… something was watching back.
And for the first time, I wasn't allowed to stay a spectator.
Something had already chosen me.
And this time— I wasn't allowed to look away.
Even if I wanted to.
In front of us stood a massive stone gate.
It looked like the entrance to an ancient palace—
but whatever it once guarded had already fallen long ago.
Two enormous crown-shaped pillars stood on either side, cracked by age— their tips broken, as if something had smashed through them from above.
Broken iron gates lay buried under rubble, and faded royal engravings covered the stone.
Dark scorch marks stained the ground nearby.
The gate wasn't just broken.
It looked like it had been forced open… from the inside.
The wind passed through the broken structure and produced a low, eerie whistle.
Aron forced a laugh—but it broke halfway.
"Mr. Zekai… just looking at this gate gives me chills."
"This place…"
Aron swallowed.
"It doesn't feel right."
"…Why does it feel like something is watching us from inside that gate?"
He didn't step closer.
If anything, he leaned slightly back— like his body already knew it shouldn't go near it.
"Look behind us," I replied. "That's even worse."
We turned slowly.
Behind us stood the remains of a fallen civilization.
None of it belonged to our modern world, yet somehow it felt strangely familiar.
Stone buildings had collapsed into jagged debris. Towers lay broken across shattered streets. Statues—once standing tall—were now scattered like discarded corpses.
Dark scorch marks stretched across the land, as if something had burned through the entire city without leaving anything behind.
Aron opened his mouth—then stopped. His grip tightened instead.
It felt less like ruins—
and more like the graveyard of a lost world.
Whatever destroyed this place… might still be here.
"…Then why are we still standing here?"
Aron's voice dropped.
"Shouldn't we… leave? Find somewhere else?"
But even as he said it, his eyes kept moving— searching for an exit that didn't exist.
I could step closer to the gate.
Or stay where I was.
Neither felt safe.
That thought should have made me stop.
But it didn't.
Because if something was still here—
then standing still wouldn't save us either.
Aron stayed close behind me, his hand locked into the edge of my coat, pulling the fabric tight against my shoulder.
Aron's grip tightened— but he didn't run.
Even now, he stayed.
I pulled out my phone.
One missed call.
Marcus Grandpa.
The timestamp showed 8:43 AM.
Then the phone clock flickered.
8:43 AM.
Then—
9:30 PM.
My thumb paused mid-air.
The second count didn't scroll.
They jumped.
like time itself had stopped trying to stay consistent.
This wasn't a display error.
Why was the time changing like that?
The time jumped from morning to night.
Not a glitch. Something else.
My grip tightened slightly around the phone. Just for a second.
I exhaled slowly, forcing my grip on the phone to loosen.
Panicking wouldn't solve anything.
But for the first time, staying calm didn't feel as easy as it used to.
"Damn it."
"It keeps glitching."
I stared at the screen for another moment.
At that moment Aron stretched his hand toward me.
"You forgot this at the counter," he said, handing me the black-and-red box.
I took it and put it back in my coat pocket.
"Thanks."
He nodded.
What if time flowed differently in this place?
At first I thought the phone was broken.
The thought sounded ridiculous, but nothing about the situation made sense anymore.
"…Do you think this is still Earth?"
Aron asked it quietly.
Like he already knew the answer— and didn't want to hear it.
"Maybe. Or something pretending to be."
I didn't look at him when I said it.
Maybe this really was another dimension.
If that was true— then everything I knew about cause and effect no longer applied.
Which meant… we were completely unprepared.
Aron's fingers curled deeper into my sleeve, the fabric bunching under his hand.
"…Mr. Zekai."
I glanced at him.
"If something happens…"
He hesitated.
"…don't leave me behind."
For a moment—
I didn't answer.
Whatever had brought us here had done it for a reason.
And something terrible had already begun.
If this world had rules… I hadn't found them yet.
And that was the most dangerous part.
We weren't the only ones brought here.
And wherever the others were— it was already worse.
Because something in this world had already started hunting.
Chapter 2 — The Place Between Worlds