Where are we: The Deadliest Spiders

When the six of them stepped to the other side of the portal, they all looked around in surprise.

"I don't know where we are," Nishan said. "But this is not Earth."

"I have eyes," Daphne said, her heart not really in the comeback. "The only question is, if this is not Earth, then where are we?"

The portal behind the six of them closed, leaving them on a hill that no one recognized.

"Look down there!" Terrence pointed down the hill. There were houses and markets and people walking around.

"So," Saltavore said. "New plan, get down to civilization."

After about two hours, they managed to get down the hill, and for the first time in what was days for them, got to walk among people again.

"Wow," Seraphine marveled at the sight of people, actual people, walking on the streets so normally. "Where are we?"

""Look," Saltavore gestured at a newspaper stand. "Let's check it out. Maybe it'll tell us the name of the world that we're in."

They walked over and looked at one of the newspapers on display. The headlines read, 'The Monsters Outside Aranea: Why We Should Not Venture From Our Perfect City'.

"Aranea?" Terrence repeated as they walked away. "Anyone knows where that is?"

"Yes," Loki answered, looking slightly scared. "It's a city in the world Arachne."

"Arachne?" Daphne furrowed her eyebrows. "Isn't that the name of the 'beautifully monstrous' world?"

"Mm. It's known of that because if you're lucky, you'll manage to get into one of its cities, and settle there happily. The cities are extremely well protected and comfortable, not to mention wealthy. The problem is, each city only allows a certain amount of people to live there, so if someone new comes along, they have 'unknown methods' on how they decide who gets to stay."

"What happens to the one who gets kicked out?" Seraphine asked.

"Just that. They get kicked out of the city. They're given a day to sell everything they have and buy whatever they need from the city. Exactly 24 hours later, you will be taken out of the city, whether you go willingly or not. Once you're out of the city's walls and protection, you're a prey for anything out there."

"What could be so bad?" Nishan wondered. "Some monsters, sure, but can't they just take them one at a time?"

Loki shook his head. "There are hundreds, sometimes thousands of beasts out there. Most are killed by those monsters, but some survive, and they become what are known as an 'Exsilium', which means an exile. They become monsters as well, killing people who are banished, robbing them, enslaving them. That's why Arachne is known as a beautifully monstrous world, because it's cities and everything in it is beautiful, while everything not part of it is monstrous and terrifying."

"Wait," Daphne started slowly. "If every city only has a certain amount of people, then how are we supposed to blend in here?"

Loki opened his mouth to answer, but just then, faint yells were heard and guards rushed into the clearing, surrounding them.

"Halt!" One of them yelled. "You have the right to remain still as we take you into custody. You will state your purpose there. Come with us."

"Wait," Nishan held up his hands. "This is all just a misunderstanding-"

Some of the guards came in closer, injecting them with a serum.

"I," Terrence stumbled to the ground. "I feel really heavy."

All of them slowly fell to the ground, the serum that must have been sedative kicking in.

As Loki's eyes started to shut, despite how hard he struggled to keep them open, the last thing he saw was the guards standing around them. Then, his world turned black.