The next morning, Theon sat beside his mother. Her thin body looked weak and delicate, clearly showing she was very frail. He hated lying to her.

  "Got a job, Mom," he said, trying to sound upbeat. "Decent pay. They even gave me an early bonus."

  "Job?" she asked, voice weak but doubtful.

  He couldn't tell her about the fighting arena or Felix's expedition. She'd refuse the hospital if she knew he was risking his life to pay for it.

  "Remember that storage boy who showed up at the hospital?" Theon chose his words carefully. "Felix. Turns out he was connected to the Sori family. He got me a gig beyond the Hyper Gate. Nothing dangerous - just basic support work for their team."

  His mother's face brightened. "Really? That sounds good. If you get in with Sori, we'd be set. They pay well."

  Guilt twisted in his stomach. "I'm not officially with them yet, but maybe someday." What mattered now was getting her the treatment she needed.

  With his prize money from the fight, Theon took his mother that afternoon to District 7's best hospital - all gss and steel. The receptionist's professional demeanor slipped when Theon mentioned they had no insurance.

  "Without insurance, we need 7,000 Terra Coins upfront," she expined. "With people venturing into the Beast Realms, we have to secure payment. Half the folks who cross never come back."

  Theon hadn't expected such a high fee. The registration fee alone was 1,000 coins, plus 7,000 more before treatment. He authorized the payment through his NIP, watching the numbers vanish from his account.

  Hours ter, after countless tests and anxious waiting, the doctor found Theon in the waiting area. "Your mother's condition is rare but curable," he said, checking his tablet. "She'll need to stay at least two weeks for monitoring. Pn accordingly."

  Theon's heart sank. Two weeks here would cost well over 10,000 coins. The arena money wouldn't cover it. There was only one option left.

  That evening, back in his empty apartment, he sent Felix a message agreeing to join the expedition. His Neural Interface pinged almost immediately with a reply: "Great! See you Saturday at the Gate. This means a lot."

  Koda had already said yes the night before. After dinner with Theon and Felix, their conversation lingering in her mind, she made her decision when she returned to her apartment from the Gate complex. Despite her doubts, the chance to explore the Beast Realms was too tempting to pass up.

  In the days that followed, Theon focused on improving himself. He dedicated hours to training, especially meditation. He needed to fix the small anomaly in his energy flow. The bend was now slightly noticeable, but achieving perfect control required a precision he hadn't yet mastered. Though improved, the imperfection remained.

  Before leaving for the hunting expedition, he took his sisters to see their mother. Her condition looked slightly better, bringing him some relief. That evening, as the sun dipped below the city's jagged skyline, he headed across town to District 6 to leave his sisters with his mother's cousin, Aunty Mia.

  Theon walked through the dusky streets carrying Nora in one arm, while Luna held his other hand. The streetlights buzzed faintly overhead, casting long shadows over cracked sidewalks.

  Something felt off. The air was too still. Footsteps echoed—ones that didn't belong to them.

  He gnced over his shoulder. Nothing. But the feeling of being watched pressed on him like a weight.

  "Shortcut," he said, guiding the girls into a side street lined with old trees and rusting fences.

  Then it came. Tap-tap-tap—sudden running.

  In an instance he ducked down with Nora still in his arm, grabbed Luna with his free hand, and performed a spinning move.

  He jumped a few meters away, then ran to a nearby tree.

  He gently set both sisters down behind the thick trunk.

  "Stay here," he said quietly but firmly. "Don't move until I come back."

  Nora clung to his sleeve. Luna nodded, her lip trembling.

  They looked like gang members—strong, rough-built, with thick arms and sharp eyes. Tattoos curled along their faces and necks, some fresh, others faded. Their clothes were stained.

  "Just a boy, you said?" one of them muttered.

  "He's fast," said another, eyes narrowing.

  The one at the back shouted, "He's running! Follow him!"

  When the first man reached the tree, Theon dashed toward him. He caught the man's sword arm mid-swing, ducked under it, and twisted. The man gasped as Theon spun his body low and smmed him into the ground.

  CRACK.

  He twisted the man's arm until it snapped. With a controlled movement, Theon kicked the man's jaw.

  THUD. Lights out.

  Rage burned through him, transforming defense into vengeance. His sisters' frightened faces fshed in his mind, turning each strike into punishment rather than mere survival.

  The other three froze, eyes wide.

  "Is this the right one" one whispered.

  "Too te now!" shouted another, and they all charged, bdes fshing.

  Theon dashed into the space between them, bending back at an impossible angle to avoid the strikes. He dropped low. His fists shot out.

  WHUMP—WHUMP!

  Both attackers' knees buckled as his punches shattered bone. They crumpled, faces smming into the ground.

  But the st man's sword caught Theon's back.

  Shk—! Blood spttered.

  The pain seared through him like fire, but he barely registered it. His focus narrowed to a single point as he spun to face his attacker. The man sshed again. Theon raised his arm to block, and the bde bit deep into his forearm, slicing through skin and muscle.

  With a snarl, he drove his fist into the attacker's stomach.

  THUMP!

  The man flew backward, hit the ground, and tried to rise—

  BAM!

  Theon's kick ended that attempt.

  Two attackers were groaning, crawling away with ruined legs. The others y unconscious.

  Theon stood still for a moment, His shirt clung to the blood on his back.

  Then—he noticed. The ssh on his arm was closing. Fast.

  What is happening to me?

  He touched his back. That wound too—it was already healing.

  From behind the tree, two little faces peeked out, eyes wide. They quickly looked away as if they'd seen nothing.

  Theon smiled faintly. "Let's go."

  They walked in silence to Aunty Mia's house on the edge of District 6. When she opened the door, Mia blinked, startled by the te visit.

  "I need to go away for a few days," Theon expined, keeping his voice steady. "Can you watch the girls?"

  "Why? What happened?" Mia asked, her eyes narrowing as she studied his face.

  "Got a job. Need to start right away."

  Mia seemed skeptical until Theon mentioned it was connected to the Sori Corporation. Her expression changed immediately, everyone knew what that name meant. Power. Security. Opportunity.

  "Only three days," she finally said with a sigh. "No more than that."

  Theon nodded and knelt to hug his sisters goodbye, brushing dust from his sleeve, careful not to let anyone see any trace of blood.

  On his way back looking at his now-healed wounds, Theon had more questions than answers. Were those men targeting him specifically, or was it just a random attack? Kidnappings for organ harvesting had been on the rise tely—he'd seen the warnings on his NIP feed. That expnation made enough sense to settle his immediate concerns.

  But the healing... that was something else entirely. The wounds had closed before his eyes, leaving not even a scar. That wasn't normal. It wasn't something he could expin away so easily.

  The next morning, Theon arrived at the Hyper Gate entrance area. The massive hall hummed with machinery, creating a constant background noise that seemed to vibrate through the floor.

  Felix was already there waiting, leaning against a pilr with his travel pack at his feet and another smaller suitcase by his side. His eyes darted around, scanning the entrance area.

  Koda stood beside him, her face expressionless as always. She also had big luggage beside her, it was a bit rger.

  Theon adjusted his backpack, feeling a bit underprepared with just some clothes inside. He had nothing else to bring.

  "Ready?" Felix asked as Theon approached. His voice betrayed a mix of excitement and nervousness.

  "Take this, this is for you," Felix said, handing the box to Theon.

  From inside the room that contained the Hyper Gate, a man in a suit emerged with two bodyguards behind him. His sharp eyes scanned them quickly, assessing the group.

  "These two are the ones you wanted to bring in your team?" the man asked Felix, his tone crisp and professional.

  "Yes," Felix replied, straightening his posture slightly. "This is my father," he introduced to Theon and Koda.

  They both bowed their heads in greeting, feeling the weight of the man's authority.

  After the introduction, Felix's father signaled an officer inside the gate room. The security personnel stepped aside, letting the three of them pass without checking their license.

  At the end of that rge room stood the Hyper Gate. It was a massive circur structure about 10 feet in height, pulsing with blue energy that swirled like liquid light within its frame. Countless cables extended from its base into the walls, powering the portal that connected worlds.

  "Let's go to the other side and get ready. Others will be joining us from there," Felix said while walking toward the gate, his steps quickening with each moment.

  The energy within the gate seemed to respond to their approach, swirling faster as they got closer. Theon felt his skin tingle with static electricity—or maybe it was just fear of the unknown.

  One by one, they stepped through.

  The transition was instant—a moment of weightlessness, then solid ground beneath their feet again. They found themselves in another room, simir in size but vastly different in feel.

  "So no one knows who built this," Koda said while looking at the gate.

  The gate on this side was nothing like the one they'd left behind. Instead of cold technology, this portal was framed with intricate patterns that spiraled around its edge. Beautiful symbols flowed together in what appeared to be an unknown nguage.

  "Scientists have been studying these markings for years," Felix expined, running his fingers over the symbols. "They say it predates any human civilization."

  Theon stepped closer to the gate, mesmerized by the soft glow emanating from the materials. "It looks more like art than a machine."

  "That's the strange part," Felix nodded. "Our gate took a team of engineers twenty years to build. This one? Found exactly as you see it."

  The facility surrounding them was built like a fortress. Thick walls rose up around them, imposing and unyielding.

  Theon stared at the reinforced walls, feeling a mix of awe and unease. "These walls... they're built to keep something out, aren't they?"

  Koda's expression darkened. "You'll understand when you see what's out there. This world doesn't welcome visitors."

  "The creatures here make Earth's most dangerous predators look like pets," Felix added. "That's why we have this."

  He guided them to a private area for hunters. The facility had four floors of accommodations, and Felix led them toward the elevator.

  "I reserved a suite for us," he said. "We'll need to get ready before others arrive."

  Their suite was surprisingly comfortable—rooms, bathrooms, and a main hall that would serve as their briefing area.

  Theon lifted the lid to find a sleek, tactical ensemble nestled inside. The shirt and trousers were crafted from a material he'd never seen before—midnight bck fabric that seemed to shimmer slightly under the light.

  "Standard hunter gear," Koda expined, tapping the material with his knuckle. "Skin-tight but completely flexible. The fabric hardens on impact. Those beast cws won't catch on it easily—it'll stop most cuts."

  Theon ran his fingers over the material, surprised by its supple texture despite its obvious durability. "This must have cost a fortune."

  Felix shrugged. "Consider it an investment in keeping you alive."

  "Thank you," Theon said, his eyes still fixed on the suit.

  Koda grabbed her luggage and headed to one of the side rooms to change privately.

  Theon adjusted the final piece of his gear and gnced in the mirror.

  His fingers traced his forearm where the wound had completely healed hours ago.

  What's happening to me? he thought, remembering how his skin had healed itself.

  "Ready to go?" Felix asked.

  Theon nodded. "Yes." The healing mystery would have to wait. His mother needed this treatment money.

  Theon pushed his fears aside. Whatever waited beyond the walls, he would face it.