I’m too young to die. That was all Michael could think as he ran across the clearing. Had his friend Ardwyn died the same way, hunted by this creature? In a rational world, Michael would have been fine. In a rational world, gigantic creatures didn’t hunt people in the woods. His plan didn’t account for any strange happenings of this sort. What should have been a safe trip had turned into a total disaster.

All sorts of thoughts crossed his mind. What would his parents think? Would they find his dead body here in the woods, devoured by the creature? His imagination plunged into the depths of darkness as he panted, running out of breath. He didn’t know how much longer he could go on. His body had already given up, exhausted from the constant sprinting. But his mind kept urging him on.

He ran the last stretch with all the speed he could muster, until he reached the edge of the clearing where the open space merged with thick woods. Here, hidden from the creature’s sight, he could slow down and catch his breath.

Michael bent over, placed his hands on his knees, and gasped for air. He waited and listened. Had the creature caught his scent? If so, there was almost no hope. Michael could usually find a way out of challenging situations, staying positive even when everything seemed dire. But now, he struggled to see any escape. His only chance might be to shine the bright flashlight at the creature, hoping to scare it off.

Michael took off his backpack, and set it down on the forest floor. The weight was too heavy to carry any longer. He kept only the flashlight. After catching his breath, he forced himself to keep running, ready for whatever might come.

The next part of the forest was more difficult to navigate, as the undergrowth was thick, with the arms of branches reaching out, holding him back from easily moving forward.

He pushed on for what felt like another ten minutes. Time became difficult to measure. When he finally slowed down to pause and catch his breath, the beam of his flashlight fell on a series of large stones arranged in a circle. He recognized them as the same stones he had spotted earlier on the Lidar scanner. Up close, they seemed to have been set with some kind of purpose.

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There was a strange change in the air. The air heated up around the stones, giving off a shimmering effect. Michael felt the warmth on his fingers, a stark contrast to the cold night air. The air around the stones warped and distorted the view of the forest in the background.

Michael slowly reached out to touch the shimmering air, wondering where the heat was coming from. The air was indeed warm, but not very hot. He moved his hand closer to the stones, testing how near he could get. To his surprise, when his fingers touched the stone, it was cold.

Strange, he thought. Where is this energy coming from? He touched another stone to check if the it was cold as well. As his fingers touched the cold surface, the stone suddenly lit up in a blue light, outlining runes that he had not noticed before. Then, one stone sent off a triggering effect, and they all lit up one by one, until the circle of stones was complete, surrounding him in an aura of blue light.

It was then that the portal burst into existence at the circle’s center — a swirling pool of light formed in the shape of a door. Michael sat there hypnotized. A strange calm sensation came over him. All of his fear, his worries, they all melted away. There was nothing else. Just him and the portal of light. The rest of the world might have as well not existed in that moment.

He had a strong urge to reach out and touch the wall of light. Feel the energy. It was appealing for some reason. Slowly, he moved his hand across the portal. What happened next almost made him jump. His hand vanished as it passed through the light. It was as if he was reaching into another dimension — the hand still felt whole and real, yet it was only visible on one side of the portal.

Michael extended his hand, reaching further, and watching it vanish into the swirling light. He glanced around the back of the portal — there was nothing on the other side. What if he stuck his head inside? Or crossed over entirely? The risk seemed too great. He looked back at the woods, wondering if the portal might scare off the creature.

A loud sound came crashing in the forest behind him. Two massive trees toppled over as the creature tore through, charging straight at him. It was almost upon him, ready to eat him alive. Primal terror overwhelmed Michael’s hesitation. Without another consideration, he walked through the portal. His body dissolved into the light.

With a loud zap, the portal shut off and dimmed out. The runes on the stones faded to darkness. The forest became silent like nothing had ever happened.