But… are you sure?

The atmosphere in the meeting room was tense, heavy with silence and unspoken secrets. Protector Kael stood before the agent of the Protector's association, his unreadable gaze fixed on the horizon as though he wanted to ignore the scene unfolding before him. Ryan was now lost in the portal, an accident that, according to Kael, had no chance of ending any way other than tragically.

"He's dead in the portal," Kael said in a calm, almost detached voice. "A failure, a misjudgment. There's nothing that can be done."

The agent stared at him for a moment, his eyes filled with doubt. He had seen this kind of behavior from Protectors before, but he wasn't sure what to believe this time.

"But… are you sure?" the agent asked, puzzled. "It doesn't seem… logical. We have reports on how he entered the portal. There's no trace of his death."

"He's dead. End of story," Kael repeated, his eyes cold and closed to any rebuttal. "There's nothing more to say. Please, take the necessary steps to close this mission."

But before the agent could respond, a voice rose in the room.

"No."

All eyes turned toward Daniel. He stood in the shadows, his figure marked by an unusual intensity.

"Daniel, what do you mean?" the agent asked, surprised by the interruption.

"I can't accept this version," Daniel retorted, his fists clenched. "Ryan is still alive. He can't be dead. I know he's in the portal, and I refuse to lie."

The atmosphere grew more tense. Kael cast a cold look at Daniel, his authority evident. "Do you know what you're doing, Daniel? By going against what I say, you risk your position. And you're risking far more than that."

But Daniel didn't hesitate. "I won't lie. He's not dead. He's still out there, and we have to do everything we can to extract him."

The silence that followed was heavy. Everyone in the room knew Daniel had just crossed a dangerous line. But he couldn't bring himself to betray Ryan, not after everything they had been through together. He knew that the truth was the only thing that mattered now.

Inside the portal, Ryan was exhausted. Every movement of his body felt like a colossal effort. He had fought, survived the portal, but now he found himself here, barely able to stay on his feet. The strength he had used to survive had left him drained, like a shell of a man who no longer had the energy to hold himself up. He gasped for breath, his eyes half-closed, vision blurry. His heart was racing, but deep down, he knew he wouldn't last much longer.

The sounds of the monsters were growing nearer, their presence heavy in the air. He could hear them, the ground vibrating beneath their steps. He could do nothing. Not in this state. His legs trembled under his weight, and his whole body seemed on the verge of collapse. He felt like every second he managed to stay standing was a miracle.

The creatures, large, imposing, with glowing eyes and sharp claws, gathered around the cliff. One by one, they descended, heading straight for Ryan, their piercing gaze fixed on him. Their rumbling voices echoed through the air, a sinister sound. Ryan knew they were here to destroy him. That was their purpose. He was prey, and they were predators, merciless.

A cold shiver ran down his spine as he looked up. His body screamed at him to run, to flee, but his legs wouldn't obey. He stood there, like an animal caught in a trap, awaiting the end. His arms were numb, his breath shallow. He braced himself for the inevitable pain, for the end.

The monsters were now so close he could almost feel the heat of their bodies. A roar escaped from one of them, followed by the growls of the others. They were closing in fast. An attack seemed imminent.

And yet, Ryan didn't move. In that moment, he felt so small, so insignificant, in the face of the horror surrounding him.

But it wasn't the end… Not yet.

As the monsters were mere steps away from him, Ryan closed his eyes, as if hoping the darkness would swallow him before the impact. The sound of their heavy steps echoed in his ears, a growl that shook the air, and the acrid smell of their presence filled the atmosphere. The ground seemed to tremble under their weight, and Ryan felt his legs give way even further. He knew it was the end. His body was drained of all strength, and his mind was starting to fade, lost in a haze of fatigue and pain.

But just as one of the monsters raised its massive claw, ready to strike, something strange happened. All the monsters, without exception, stopped abruptly. Their red, malevolent eyes locked onto him, and an overwhelming terror filled the air. Ryan didn't understand. Why were they stopping? Why this sudden fear? He slowly turned his head, searching for the source of this sudden panic.

That's when he saw it.

Behind him, a red energy, intense and vibrating, began to materialize. It was like a vortex, a mass of pure energy floating in the air, roaring in a deafening crash. The monsters, who had been poised to attack, now recoiled. They seemed terrified, as if this invisible force was pushing them back. Their eyes were filled with panic.

Ryan felt his body freeze, total confusion taking over him. But before he could even react, the energy surged toward him, enveloping him in a wave of incandescent red power. He didn't even have time to scream. The heat of the energy burned his skin, but he didn't feel any pain, as though the energy had become a part of him. He closed his eyes, lost in the overwhelming sensation.

The world around him dissolved into a swirling light. His body was filled with this energy, imbuing him with a newfound power, but also with a strange sense of losing control. As he collapsed, on the brink of falling into darkness, a system window appeared before him, floating in the air.

[Congratulations, you have awakened the system.]

[An unknown entity is taking control…]

The last phrase faded before he could read it fully. Before he could understand anything, Ryan passed out, the world slipping into darkness around him.

On the other side of the portal, silence reigned. A group of Protectors, all ranked D and C, waited patiently for Ryan to succumb to his fate. Each of them watched the portal with heightened attention, their faces marked by an expression of tense anticipation. For them, the situation was clear: as long as Ryan was not dead or had not completed his passage through the portal, no one could enter. This particular portal was a Y-type, an unstable portal whose rules were unpredictable. They had been informed of his arrival in this dimension, and all they could do now was wait for him to perish.

The D and C-ranked Protectors exchanged furtive glances, some with an impatient air, others more resigned. They all knew that this kind of mission was risky, but it was also a matter of protocol. If Ryan survived, he would become an anomaly that needed to be handled, but as long as he stayed within the portal, his survival was just a matter of chance.

A few journalists were present, standing at a respectful distance while observing the scene. They had been invited to cover this mysterious incident, and their cameras were ready to capture every moment that would follow Ryan's eventual demise. The tension was palpable, as if everyone knew a major turning point was about to unfold.

As time passed, the atmosphere grew heavier. The journalists exchanged hushed whispers, wondering if Ryan would really die or if there was still hope. The Protectors, on the other hand, showed nothing but their professional devotion, though their eyes occasionally betrayed a hidden nervousness.

And then, without warning, something completely unexpected happened.

The atmosphere around the portal was dense, and the weight of anticipation pressed heavily on the Protectors' shoulders. Those ranked C and D spoke in low voices, evaluating the situation and the risks. The journalists, impatient and curious, observed everything with frantic attention. Suddenly, an invisible pressure made itself felt.

A heavy breath passed through the air. The C and D-ranked Protectors, though trained to withstand extreme situations, were suddenly slammed to the ground by an unseen force. One by one, they fell, their bodies unable to resist the crushing pressure. The lower-ranked Protectors, even weaker, found themselves on the ground as well, and the civilians, witnesses to the scene, collapsed from the oppressive aura emanating from the portal.

Only Daniel remained standing, struggling against the invisible force. He felt something he could never have anticipated—something greater than anything he had known before. He had seen the fear in the Protectors' eyes, but he knew that what was happening was not normal. He watched in astonishment, certain that Ryan was somehow connected to this suddenly unleashed power.

Then, in a blinding flash, Ryan emerged from the portal. His body staggered, barely able to stand, but the aura he exuded was enough to eclipse everyone present. His eyes were closed, his face pale, and before he could collapse to his knees, he fainted, crashing to the ground with an inhuman weight.

Daniel, still standing, quickly approached, but he knew it was too late to save him now. The scene was etched into his memory: the portal, the aura, and especially the figure of the young man who had crossed the boundary of this world and who, now, would forever change the course of events.

The journalists, stunned, rushed to film the last moments of Ryan's appearance, aware that they had just witnessed something much greater than they had ever imagined. But in this chaos, everything seemed suspended, as if the entire world was waiting for a new revelation.