Dark.
Still.
Quiet.
Kael didn't move.
He lay against the cold stone wall of the cave, breathing steady but shallow, his body still recovering from the backlash. Faint traces of lightning flickered across his skin every now and then—residual energy from the last attack that refused to fully settle.
Around him—
His squad kept watch.
Weapons ready.
No one relaxed.
Not here.
Not on the fourth layer.
"…He's stable," Lira said quietly, her hand hovering just above his chest, sensing the flow of energy rather than touching.
Cyrus leaned against the cave wall, arms crossed, eyes half-closed but alert.
"…He better wake up soon. I'm not dragging him through another wave."
Dain gave a short snort.
"You'd drop him halfway."
"Yeah," Cyrus shrugged. "After I complain about it first."
A faint chuckle passed through the group.
Tension relief.
Brief.
Because outside—
The creatures hadn't stopped.
Not really.
They were just… quieter.
Waiting.
Then—
Something changed.
Not outside.
Inside.
The air shifted.
Subtle—
But wrong.
Lira's head snapped up first.
"…Did you feel that?"
No answer.
Because they all did.
A low hum filled the cave.
Space itself started to bend slightly near the entrance.
Kael's body flickered once—
Lightning reacting instinctively.
Cyrus straightened.
"…That's not one of them."
The distortion grew.
Faster.
Then—
A gate formed.
Right there.
Inside the cave.
Auralis would've laughed.
These guys didn't.
They stared at it.
Weapons raised.
"…Portal?" Dain muttered.
"…From where?" Mira asked.
No one answered.
Because no one knew.
Cyrus looked at Kael.
Then back at the gate.
"…We don't have options."
That was the truth.
Stay—
And they'd eventually get overrun.
Go—
And risk something unknown.
A short pause.
Then he exhaled.
"…We move."
Lira nodded immediately.
Dain adjusted his grip on his weapon.
Mira didn't hesitate.
Together—
They lifted Kael.
And stepped through.
—
Light.
Blinding for a second—
Then—
Ground.
Solid.
Real.
Noise.
A lot of noise.
Kael's squad stumbled slightly as they came out—
Then froze.
"…What the hell…"
People.
Everywhere.
Not dozens.
Not hundreds.
Thousands.
No—
More.
Way more.
The entire camp—
Flooded.
Voices overlapping.
Confusion.
Shock.
Some people still holding weapons, others just looking around like they got dropped into a different world.
"…Where did they all come from?!" Mira said, eyes wide.
Cyrus scanned the area, jaw tightening.
"…This isn't normal."
Behind them—
More gates flickered.
More people appearing.
Different gear.
Different levels.
Different groups.
All from different layers.
All ending up—
Here.
—
Not far from them—
Zael stood still.
Actually still.
For once.
His eyes moved across the camp slowly.
Taking it in.
Processing.
Auralis whistled low.
"…Yo… this is a bit much, don't you think?"
Zane didn't speak.
But his gaze shifted slightly—
Toward Zael.
Aurelia already knew.
She didn't say anything at first.
Just looked at him.
"…You felt it too."
Zael exhaled.
"…Yeah."
Auralis looked between them.
"…Felt what?"
Zael scratched the back of his head lightly.
"…So… small problem."
That tone alone made Auralis grin.
"…Oh this is gonna be good."
He glanced at the crowd again.
Then back at them.
"…I think when I overrode the altar…"
A pause.
"…I didn't just override ours."
Silence.
Zane's eyes sharpened slightly.
Aurelia nodded once.
"…All layers."
Zael nodded.
"…Yeah."
Auralis blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
She burst out laughing.
"…No way."
Zael shrugged.
"…Way."
She pointed around at the absolute chaos happening in the camp.
"…So you're telling me—"
"…you accidentally kidnapped everyone off Blood Peak?"
Zael frowned slightly.
"…That sounds worse when you say it like that."
Auralis laughed harder.
Zane looked away slightly, but there was the faintest shift in his expression.
Aurelia just shook her head.
"…That explains it."
People were still appearing.
Still shouting.
Still trying to figure out what just happened.
Meanwhile—
Zael just sighed.
"…Yeah… let's not tell anyone."
Auralis wiped a tear from her eye.
"…Oh definitely not."
Zane nodded once.
"…Unnecessary complications."
Aurelia agreed.
"…For now."
Zael looked at the chaos one last time.
Then turned.
"…Let's go."
No hero moment.
No announcement.
Just leaving.
The four of them walked off quietly—
While behind them—
The entire camp struggled to understand what just happened.
And at the center of it all—
The one responsible—
Was already gone.
Heading back.
Like nothing happened.
To be continued…