Eren reached the point where the portal's magnetic pull peaked.
He was being dragged in.
Eren snapped back to reality, realizing the dire situation he was in.
Eren : I was frozen because of that bloody thing coming out of the portal!
Now I got into this problem!?
Jack Vetragoad : GRAB ON!
A hand reached for Eren as the portal dragged him in.
A young man, eerily similar to him, stepped forward, arm outstretched, offering a chance to escape.
Eren : ALRIGHT!
As Jack pulled Eren free, the portal's force surged.
In an instant, Jack too was being dragged in along with him.
The portal swallowed them whole.
The moment they vanished, blue sparkles flickered around it.
Its magnetic pull faded instantly, yet its size remained unchanged.
=============
"Where am I?"
Jack regained consciousness in a dark cavern, the walls lined with glowing crystals.
Beside him lay the young man from before.
Jack : Come to think of it...
I was trying to save this guy, and now we're both in this place.
What a pain...
Eren, still unconscious, slowly opened his eyes.
He found himself in a dimly lit cave, its walls glowing faintly with crystal light.
Eren : Where am I?
Jack : Hey. What do you think you were doing near the portal?
Eren : I have no clue...
Jack : You know it's dangerous to go inside knowing their might be danger inside the portal.
Eren : Well, I was keep getting pushed away from the crowd and ended up getting near the portal.
Jack : Now listen up, it's not good to explore this thing.
Eren : The portal gate is just right in front of us so why not we escape?
Jack : Alright then,.. let's go.
Jack approached the portal gate, but the moment he touched it, a powerful force blasted him back, slamming him into the cave wall.
-"AAACCCKKKK"
Eren : What the heck?
Eren watched in shock.
He reached out to touch the portal gate—only to be jolted by a surge of electricity.
-"AAAAHHHHH"
Eren : What the fuck?
He seemed to be confused.
Like the portal gate is not allowing them to escape.
Jack : What the hell is with this thing?
Eren : I don't know...
Jack : Hey, I want to ask you something.
You were standing still at that time. What was going on during that time?
Eren's mind flashed back to what had emerged from the portal.
A severed head had been flung out, its lifeless eyes frozen in horror. The brutal sight left him shaken, terror gripping his chest.
Eren : Ughhh...
Jack grabbed Eren by the collar, his voice erupting in a furious shout.
Jack : LISTEN UP DUDE!
YOU WERE THE REASON I ALSO GOT INTO THIS SITUATION.
Eren : Look man, I'm sorry if I got you into this but...
Jack : BUT WHAT!?
Eren : Let's try to escape if we want to remain alive...
He let go of Eren's collar, his glare still intense.
Jack : You know what... I can't do anything just by shouting at you. Let's work together to escape from this portal.
Eren : Alright then...
Their eyes locked onto a ladder—one that descended into the depths, leading to a dark tunnel below.
They approached it.
Jack : Since you were the reason I got into this portal. You'll be going down first.
Eren swallowed dryly.
He knew something lurked below—perhaps the very thing that had slaughtered the investigation team.
Eren : Guess I can't do anything other than to become the next pray...
Eren gripped the ladder and descended cautiously into the depths.
Jack followed, his hands steady as he climbed down after him.
==============
Meanwhile, outside in the world…
In the same city where the black portal had emerged, but in a quieter, less crowded area, a beautiful young woman with long red hair—around 17 or 18—walked through the empty street.
Cynthia Haidwin : Why does he gives me soo much homework....
She walked with a sigh, frustration evident on her face.
Her class teacher always burdened her with extra homework—punishment for being too intelligent.
Cynthia : Such a pain...
As she crossed the road on her way home, a small portal suddenly materialized.
She stumbled—before she could react, she fell straight into it.
The portal remained open, but it was weaker than the one that had swallowed Eren and Jack.
It lacked the same pull, barely affecting the world around it.
=============
Deep in the forest, a young man on an expedition trekked through the dense terrain.
As he moved, a weak portal suddenly emerged over a nearby lake.
Steve Tharnold : What's that?
Drawn by curiosity, he approached the portal.
Without hesitation, he stepped inside.
=============
Jack : So we're here... a tunnel that is dark...
Eren : This place is creepy.
Jack : You're going forward right?
Eren : Why me?
Jack : Just because you got me inside this portal and now we're going to explore this tunnel now...
Eren : I guess that's true...
Very well then. Shall we go?
Jack : Sure.
Both ventured deeper, their footsteps echoing through the tunnel as they searched for answers.
After some time…
A faint glow emerged ahead, pulsing softly in the darkness.
Jack : Hey look over there.
They approached the glowing light and discovered something intriguing.
There, scattered in the dim glow, were bags filled with equipment—pickaxes, shovels, and other tools commonly used for investigations and expeditions.
Jack : What are these things doing here?
Among the bags, some were stained with blood—dark, dried splatters marking a grim fate.
Jack : What the fuck is this?
Hey,... Eren, what are these...
Eren's breath caught as he stared at the bloodstained bags.
A chilling realization sank in—someone had slaughtered the investigation team.
Eren : What the heck...
That means, they got ki-killed?
Hey dude, we need to get out of here right now!
Eren grabbed Jack's hand, his pulse racing.
As he turned back, his eyes widened—a glowing light was now emanating from the direction of the ladder.
Jack : Hey, something is glowing their...
A sudden bark echoed through the tunnel, sharp and menacing.
Before they could react, a severed arm—once belonging to an investigation team member—was hurled out of the darkness, landing right before their eyes.
Jack : What the—
A chorus of growls filled the tunnel, deep and menacing—like a pack of wolves closing in.
Then, without warning, a blood-soaked skull dropped from the ceiling, crashing onto the ground with a sickening thud.
—AAAHHHHHH
Jack screamed with terror.
A wolf-like creature lunged from the shadows, its metallic jaws snapping, claws gleaming like sharpened steel. Its eyes—one red, one blue—glowed with an eerie intensity.
Before they could react, more of these beasts emerged from the darkness, each with distinct, unnatural features, surrounding them in an instant.
Eren's eyes widened, terror gripping his chest.
He and Jack stood frozen as the metallic beasts closed in, their glowing eyes piercing through the darkness.