Chapter IV: Unfamiliar Worlds

Kei stumbled forward, clutching his chest as the blinding light from the rift finally dimmed. The ground beneath his feet felt uneven, soft, and cold—nothing like the concrete street he had just been standing on. His breathing came in sharp gasps as he blinked, trying to adjust to the strange light surrounding him.

The sky above was a swirl of unnatural colors—violet streaks blending into a deep crimson, with faint cracks of light zigzagging across the horizon. It looked as though the heavens themselves had shattered and were struggling to piece themselves back together. Kei's stomach churned at the sight.

"What... What is this place?" he whispered, his voice trembling.

The world around him was silent, eerily so, except for the faint hum that seemed to come from the air itself. He turned to look behind him, but the rift was gone. It had closed as abruptly as it had appeared, leaving him stranded.

Panic started to set in. He called out, "Hello? Is anyone here?" His voice echoed unnaturally, distorted and warped as if the sound itself couldn't travel properly in this strange environment.

He began to walk, each step hesitant. The ground beneath him shifted unpredictably. One moment, it felt like stepping on sand; the next, it was firm and unyielding, like stone. Strange shapes jutted out of the ground—structures that looked like remnants of buildings fused with trees, their surfaces pulsating faintly with a dim, otherworldly glow.

Kei's pulse quickened. This can't be real. I have to wake up. This is just a nightmare… right?

As he moved deeper into this warped landscape, he began to notice small details that sent shivers down his spine. The air wasn't just silent; it felt heavy, pressing down on him as if the atmosphere itself was alive. Shadows shifted in the corners of his vision, but when he turned to look, there was nothing there.

Suddenly, a low growl broke the silence. Kei froze. His heart pounded as the sound grew louder, closer. From behind a jagged structure, something emerged.

It was a creature unlike anything Kei had ever seen. Its body was a grotesque mix of different animals, as if it had been ripped apart and stitched together. It moved on four legs, but its joints bent in unnatural directions. Its face was twisted, with glowing eyes that seemed to pierce through Kei.

Kei took a step back, his breath hitching. "No… no, this can't be real."

The creature snarled, its movements jerky and unnatural, as though it was struggling to control its own body. Without warning, it lunged at Kei.

Instinct took over. Kei turned and ran, his legs moving as fast as they could over the uneven terrain. He didn't know where he was going—there was no clear path, no sign of safety. The creature's heavy footsteps pounded behind him, growing louder with each second.

He stumbled, nearly falling as the ground shifted beneath him. His mind raced. Think, Kei! You have to do something!

But what could he do? He was just an ordinary teenager. He had no weapons, no way to fight back. Desperation clawed at him as the growls grew closer.

In a split-second decision, Kei veered to the side, ducking behind one of the pulsating structures. The creature skidded to a halt, confused for a moment, before sniffing the air and resuming its pursuit. Kei pressed his back against the structure, trying to calm his breathing.

Suddenly, the structure began to vibrate. Kei's eyes widened as he realized the pulsating glow was growing brighter. Before he could move, a surge of energy shot out from the structure, striking the creature directly. It let out a distorted, guttural scream as its body convulsed and began to dissolve into ash.

Kei stared in shock. "What… just happened?"

The structure dimmed, its glow fading until it was dark and lifeless. The heavy silence returned, but Kei couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.

He looked around, his senses on high alert. This world wasn't just strange—it was alive. The air, the ground, the very fabric of reality seemed to be aware of his presence.

A voice echoed in his mind, faint and distant. "You do not belong here…"

Kei whipped around, searching for the source of the voice, but there was no one there. His breathing quickened as the weight of his situation hit him. He was alone, trapped in a world that defied all logic, with no way to return home.

For the first time in his life, Kei felt truly powerless.