Kael woke up to the sound of someone screaming outside his window.
He didn't jump. He didn't even flinch. He just sighed, rolled off the couch, and peeked through the crooked blinds.
Yep. Another one.
A dungeon gate had opened right in the middle of the street.
It looked like someone had carved a glowing purple wound into the air—jagged, pulsating, humming low like it hated existing. It hung three feet off the ground, and trash was already starting to swirl into it, sucked in like gravity was being rewritten.
Dren was already outside, strapping on a cheap chestplate and muttering curses under his breath. A few others from the building joined him—low-rank players with more bravery than brains.
Kael didn't move. Not right away.
The screen was still there when he blinked—his own personal error message hovering faintly in the corner of his vision. He'd learned to mostly ignore it by now. Except it wasn't just floating anymore. It was pulsing.
> [UNSTABLE RIFT DETECTED NEAR VORTEXBORN]
[System Reactivity: 3%]
[Proximity Effect: INTERFERENCE TRIGGERED.]
"That's new," he muttered.
Down below, Dren called up to him. "Yo! You coming?"
Kael leaned out the window. "To what? Get eaten?"
"It's only Class E. In and out. Fast cash, maybe a drop."
Kael considered it. "You'll owe me dinner."
Dren smirked. "If I die, you can have my last energy bar."
"Fair trade."
Ten minutes later, Kael stood in front of the gate, heart hammering against his ribs like it wanted out.
He wasn't a fighter. Not really. He'd watched dungeon runs on stolen livestreams, read the forums, heard the horror stories. Most of the world treated gates like glorified treasure chests, but the smart ones—the survivors—knew they were unpredictable. Alive, even.
This one felt different. Like it knew him.
"Alright," Dren said, checking his party's gear. "Basic layout. Four floors, probably forest or ruins. If it splits, stick with your partner. Don't try to be a hero."
Kael looked at the party. Six people. Mostly familiar faces—neighbors from their complex, a guy who worked at the corner mart, one edgy girl with knives strapped to her legs.
None of them were strong.
The gate shimmered. A low tone rang in Kael's skull.
> [INTERFERENCE STABILIZING…]
[WARNING: This dungeon is watching you.]
"I'm going in," Dren said.
Kael blinked.
"Wait—what?"
But Dren had already stepped through.
Then the others followed. One by one, until only Kael was left standing there like an idiot.
The rift pulsed. Hungry.
Kael turned to leave.
That's when the ground shook.
The gate flared like a dying star, and a sound like tearing metal screamed through the street. People on the sidewalk dropped to their knees, covering their ears.
Kael spun around just in time to see the dungeon spike. Spires of corrupted crystal burst through the sidewalk around it, and the gate—the gate started collapsing.
> [DUNGEON STABILITY: 14%]
[CLOSING SOON. ANY INSIDE WILL BE LOST.]
Kael's blood ran cold.
"They're still inside."
No time. No help. No backup.
He didn't even think. He sprinted straight into the gate.
The world twisted sideways.
For a second, Kael felt like he was falling backward and forward at the same time. His stomach lurched. Then the light vanished, and he landed hard on wet moss.
He coughed, pushing himself up—and froze.
The sky above was cracked. Not cloudy—cracked, like shattered glass holding back the void.
The air was thick with static. Trees burned in the distance. He could hear screaming.
> [You have entered: UNSTABLE ZONE - (GLITCHED FOREST)]
[You are not supposed to be here.]
Kael drew in a sharp breath.
"Yeah. Story of my life."