The Black Portal

It was an ordinary day. Aarav had just finished his coaching classes and was humming a tune as he walked home. His mind was lost in equations and theories—the same thoughts that kept him occupied all day. The sky above him was clear—but suddenly, it wasn't.

A chill surrounded him, and the wind picked up, bringing with it an eerie unease. Aarav looked up, furrowing his brows. "I didn't think the weather would turn this bad today."

As if mocking his mundane thoughts, the air around him changed. It felt as though the entire world had held its breath. And then—it appeared.

A black portal, swirling with dark energy, materialized before his eyes.

Aarav froze. His heart pounded wildly. Was this some kind of joke? A nightmare? But no—it was real. The air around him grew dense and suffocating, as if the entire universe was collapsing in on itself.

Before he could step back, the portal pulled him in. Its force was relentless.

"No! What is this?!" Aarav tried to scream, but his voice was lost in the roaring wind.

He desperately reached for a nearby streetlight, but his fingers slipped. As the portal's pull intensified, his knees buckled, and before he could react—everything turned to darkness.

His senses flared. His mind drowned in a haze. And when his eyes finally opened, he had no idea where he was.

An endless, vast white expanse stretched in every direction—no walls, no ground beneath him, no sky above. It felt as if he was floating in pure emptiness.

Then, out of the void, a figure emerged.

Aarav's breath caught in his throat. The being was cloaked in black robes, its presence overwhelming and terrifying. Its face was obscured, but its eyes—deep, crimson, burning with ancient malice—pierced through him like arrows.

His heart pounded as he tried to step back. His legs trembled uncontrollably. "A demon! A demon! Someone—!"

The figure raised a hand. A simple gesture, yet powerful enough to silence Aarav instantly. The air around him compressed against his chest, as if the entire universe was commanding him to surrender.

His thoughts raced, panic gripped his mind, but his body was frozen.

The demon—or whatever this being was—spoke, its voice deep and resonant, like an echo rising from the depths of the earth:

"Be silent."

Aarav's mouth snapped shut, though his mind screamed within.

Without warning, a door began to form in the void. It was tall, silver, glowing with a soft light. Aarav's instincts screamed at him to run, to do anything but obey—but he remained rooted to the spot.

The cloaked figure's gaze hardened. "Open it."

Aarav hesitated. Was this some twisted game? But he had no time to resist, as the entity's presence forcibly pushed him toward the door.

With trembling hands, Aarav grasped the handle and turned it. As soon as the door opened, a rush of fresh air enveloped him.

And what lay beyond... was breathtaking.