The gate roared open, its voice echoing like grinding chains tearing through the void. A surge of crimson light spilled into the abyss of night, flooding the air with a pulse that felt almost alive. On the other side, the atmosphere was heavy and cold, carrying the scent of rain-soaked earth.
At a small house nearby, a young boy stirred awake, rubbing his sleepy eyes. A faint red glow leaked through his window, painting his room in eerie light. He blinked, shuffled to the window, and froze when he saw it—a gate of blood and bone standing in the distance, its light pulsing like a heartbeat.
Figures began to step out of it.
The boy's breath hitched as he ducked, peering from behind the curtain.
