WebNovels

Chapter 9 - CH 8: A Door to Nowhere

The warehouse was silent except for the sound of their ragged breathing. The rush of their escape still buzzed in Kyle's veins, but the exhaustion was catching up fast. He leaned against a rusted crate, fingers trembling from both pain and adrenaline.

Gia sat beside him, her arms wrapped around her knees. She was watching him carefully, concern darkening her expression.

"We can't stay here," she said after a long pause.

Kyle let out a sharp breath. "Yeah? No shit."

Gia gave him a deadpan look, but he could see the exhaustion weighing on her too. They were both wrecked. Beaten. Scarred. Running on nothing but sheer will.

But she was right. The Order would already be searching for them. Drones, trackers, hell, maybe even more experiments like him.

He wiped a hand down his face, smearing the dried blood across his cheek. "We need somewhere safe. Somewhere off the grid."

Gia hesitated.

Kyle caught it. "What?"

She bit her lip. "I… might have a way."

Kyle narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean, 'might'?"

Gia shifted uncomfortably, glancing away. It was the first time she looked nervous.

Kyle straightened. "Gia. Talk to me."

She sighed heavily, then looked him dead in the eyes.

"I can open a portal."

Silence.

Kyle blinked. Once. Twice. His brain flatlined.

"…What?"

Gia exhaled, rubbing her temples. "I have portal manipulation. I've had it for a while… I just—never told you."

Kyle stared. His already-fried brain struggled to keep up. "You're telling me… this whole time… you could've just opened a door and walked us the hell out of that torture chamber?"

Gia winced. "It's… complicated."

Kyle groaned, tilting his head back against the crate. "Of course it is."

Answers and Lies

Kyle inhaled, forcing himself to think through the exhaustion.

"Explain."

Gia hesitated, then pulled up her sleeve.

A long, jagged scar ran from her wrist to her elbow, faintly glowing with violet energy.

Kyle frowned. "What the hell is that?"

Gia's expression darkened. "A mark. The Order put it on me. It locks my power. I can only use my portals if I break through it—and every time I do, it hurts like hell."

Kyle clenched his fists. Those bastards…

He looked back at her. "So… you can do it now?"

Gia took a shaky breath. "Yeah. But it'll cost me."

Kyle frowned. "Then maybe we don't—"

She cut him off. "Kyle. They will find us."

A beat of silence.

Then, Kyle sighed, dragging a hand through his messy black hair.

"Fine," he muttered. "But after this? You and I are gonna have a long talk about all the other crazy shit you've been keeping from me."

Gia gave a small smirk. "Deal."

Breaking Reality

She took a deep breath, then stretched out her hands.

The air around her shimmered.

Kyle felt a shift—a strange pressure, like space itself was bending.

Then—a crack.

A thin, glowing rift split open in front of them, violet energy sparking at the edges. The air hummed, vibrating with unnatural energy.

Kyle's breath hitched. "Holy shit…"

The portal was swirling, deep, endless—like a door to nowhere.

Gia gritted her teeth, sweat dripping down her temple. The mark on her arm burned, pulsing as if resisting the power.

Kyle saw the pain in her face. "Gia—"

"I'm fine," she snapped. "Go. Now."

Kyle didn't argue. He grabbed her wrist and yanked them both through.

Beyond the Rift

The sensation was instant.

The world twisted, gravity flipped, colors bled together—

Then—

They landed hard on solid ground.

Kyle stumbled, cursing. "Shit—"

The air was different. Cool. Crisp. The scent of damp stone and old books surrounded them.

They weren't in the warehouse anymore.

Kyle looked around.

A massive, abandoned cathedral. Stained-glass windows cracked with age. Overgrown vines creeping up stone pillars. The ceiling stretched into darkness, the echoes of their breathing bouncing back at them.

Kyle let out a slow breath. "Okay. That was… insane."

Gia swayed slightly. Kyle caught her before she collapsed.

Her breathing was unsteady, her skin pale.

Kyle's grip tightened. "Hey. Talk to me, Gia."

She managed a weak smirk. "Told you… it costs me."

Kyle's jaw clenched.

Then, before he could say anything else—

A new voice echoed from the shadows.

"Well, well. Looks like you kids had a rough night."

Kyle whipped around.

A figure stepped from the darkness—tall, wrapped in a long trench coat, silver rings glinting on his fingers. His golden eyes glowed eerily in the dim light.

Kyle immediately stepped in front of Gia, blood pooling at his fingertips, ready to strike.

The man simply smirked.

"Relax, kid. You're safe here. For now."

Kyle narrowed his eyes. "And who the hell are you?"

The man chuckled, adjusting his gloves.

"Call me Felix. And if you want to survive? You might want to hear what I have to say."

________

More Chapters