The group gathered in a tense circle while staring at the massive black formation with its pulsing purple veins.
The steady rhythm of the glow made it feel like they were standing in front of some colossal heart.
"What is this thing?" Kade muttered the same question that Ethan had, gripping his knife tighter.
His voice wavered, as if afraid the rock would answer him back.
"Is it alive?" Nadine asked, taking half a step closer before stopping, torn between curiosity and her survival instinct.
Victor shook his head sharply. "It can't be alive. It's a rock… right?"
"But look at it." Ethan's voice cracked as he pointed. "It's breathing. Don't you see how the light is pulsing like lungs?"
"Heart," Victor corrected.
"R-right. Heart." Ethan looked a little bit embarrassed.
The survivors whispered nervously among themselves, their eyes darting between the strange object and one another.
Some of them swore they heard faint noises coming from within like low groans, like something trapped inside.
The others thought the purple light was drawing them in, tugging at their minds like a hypnotic rhythm. Myles belonged to this group.
"Could this be where those monsters came from?" Clara asked.
"Or maybe it's a sleeping monster. Or an egg," Sam, the youngest girl among them suggested.
"It could be that actually. Looking at this size this is really a monster egg, this will give birth to something enormous," Ryan said, looking at the rock the size of a two story building filling a whole street in front of them.
Still, no one could have guessed what was this thing that felt unnatural.
"Let's get away from it for now," Myles said.
Nobody complained about the idea, so they immediately pulled back from the pulsing rock.
Their earlier plan of heading to another district was abandoned on the spot. No one wanted to risk crossing that massive thing.
The thought of it that could be sensing their approach then awakening or snatching them in suddenly was enough to silence any protest.
Because they now have their Perception stats, it screamed danger to them. None of them had to say it aloud because the pressure that pushing down on their instincts was enough to keep them away.
"Right now, we only have one choice," Myles said firmly.
They all agreed. No one argued, because deep down, they felt the same answer.
The vortex. It wasn't a safer path by any means but compared to the colossal heart-rock, the faint energy from the swirling anomaly seemed less lethal for their instinct. If they have to choose, they would be choosing the vortex.
The group returned to the half-collapsed subway entrance where the distorted space shimmered faintly in the darkness.
Myles led from the front, his short black sword firm in his grip.
"Those with lower levels, move to the rear. Understand?" His gaze swept over them.
They all nodded. He saw determination and fear in their faces.
At last, Myles stood before the vortex once more.
The swirling black and green distortion rippled like liquid glass, its surface bending light in unnatural waves. A strange hum resonated in the air, vibrating in his chest and pressing against his ears.
He swallowed a mouthful of saliva that somehow felt hard, then reached out with a steady hand.
The moment his fingers brushed the surface, translucent text flickered before his eyes.
[You have discovered a F-Ranked Ether Rift.]
Myles blinked at the glowing text, the strange notification lingering in his vision longer than he expected.
His chest tightened as thoughts raced through his mind. "So this is… maybe like a dungeon? Or something different entirely?"
"What is it, Myles?" Nadine asked, her voice worried. She felt uneasy at how long he had gone silent while his eyes locked on the shifting distortion.
He finally turned toward them, his expression grim.
"This subway is not a normal subway anymore. The system calls it an Ether Rift. This subway had merged with materials from another realm. That's all it says."
The group went quiet, absorbing the weight of his words.
Ethan finally broke the silence. "Wait. So… is this like a Dungeon that just materialized in our world?"
His voice carried a strange mix of fear and excitement. He had seen enough games and shows to recognize the idea.
Myles gave a small nod. "Could be. But I'm not sure yet."
Ethan's eyes lit up despite the danger. "If it is a dungeon, then there could be rewards inside like gear, skills, maybe even ways to get stronger!"
Victor grimaced. "Or we'll just meet monsters far beyond what we can handle."
Ethan swallowed, his earlier excitement faltering. "Y-you're right. But…" he clenched his fists, trying to sound braver than he felt.
Myles stepped closer to the vortex, his expression firm.
"We don't really have a choice. That thing outside—" he jerked his head toward where the colossal heart-rock loomed—"isn't something we can challenge right now and I'm pretty sure that thing will wake up if we get close.. If we want a chance at getting stronger for now we can only enter this Rift."
The air grew heavier. Each of them looked at the shimmering vortex, their fear battling against the instinct to follow Myles.
Nadine's hand gripped her weapon tighter. "Then… let's go."
The others steadied themselves, preparing their hearts for what awaited.
Without another word, Myles nodded and took the lead.
He stepped into the vortex first. The liquid-like surface rippled around his body before swallowing him whole.
One by one, the others followed until the half-collapsed subway platform was left silent again except for the low hum of the Ether Rift.
The group stumbled through the vortex and landed inside the subway they knew, yet everything felt warped.
The familiar rails and benches remained, but they were fused with unnatural growths.
Segments of the wall bulged with fleshy material that twitched slowly as though breathing.
Jagged rocks jutted from the floor and they were glowing faintly with purple veins, casting eerie light across the tunnels.
The air carried a metallic taste mixed with something rotten pressing against their lungs.
Foreign energy drifted like mist that shimmered in green and violet color, making the space feel alive.
—