Ren stopped just a few steps from the Gate. The world beyond shimmered, distorted like a reflection on the surface of water. He could see silhouettes—soldiers stationed at the exit, likely watching them now, ready for anything.

  "Just a few more meters," Kazik panted, helping Ren support Dominik.

  Karolina was the first to cross. The shimmering surface swallowed her and vanished. Ren watched as her form emerged on the other side, greeted by the soldiers. They shouted something and immediately surrounded her.

  "Alright, our turn," muttered Ren.

  But before he could move, the air around them vibrated. The Gate flickered unnaturally.

  "What the hell...?" Kazik squinted.

  The glow of the passage dimmed momentarily, as if reality twisted at its seams. Ren felt the hairs on his neck stand on end. No. Not now!

  "Go!" he yelled, lunging forward.

  He drew in a deep breath and stepped toward the Gate, dragging the unconscious Dominik. Kazik followed close behind.

  A blinding fsh and a sharp crack. Ren hit something invisible—hard. He bounced back violently and stumbled, Dominik slipping from his shoulders to the ground.

  "No!" Ren reached for the passage.

  The Gate shuddered, its edges glowing one st time—and then it vanished. Dissolved like a dream, scattered into nothing.

  Only the bck trunks and the misty gloom of the forest remained. The way home was gone.

  "No..." Ren gasped, panic surging in his chest. "No!"

  Kazik stood beside him, pale as a ghost, clutching the rifle with white knuckles, eyes fixed on the space where the portal had been.

  "It closed..." he croaked. "God... it closed..."

  Ren felt the ground fall away beneath him. He colpsed beside Dominik, hands pressing into the damp moss. His breath came ragged and quick. This couldn’t be real. They were supposed to return. At least with him.

  Karolina’s face fshed in his mind—she had made it. She was on the other side. Just one person. The rest...

  "We’re trapped here," he whispered, the words like a sentence.

  Kazik swore and hurled his rifle to the ground. The metal cttered against the roots with a dull thud.

  "Goddamn it!" he screamed, clutching his head in despair. "Is this a joke?! We were supposed to get out!"

  Ren had no strength to respond. Panic churned in his chest. He looked at Dominik—still unconscious, unaware of this new horror. Then at Kazik, pacing like a caged animal, tugging at his hair.

  "We have to... do something..." Ren croaked.

  "What?!" Kazik whirled on him, gesturing wildly. "There’s no way out, Ren! None!"

  Ren pushed himself up on shaky legs. Fear and fury coiled inside him. He stared into the forest, toward the dark path they had come from. Somewhere ahead y the heart of the Gate.

  For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Finally, Ren rasped:

  "We don’t have a choice anymore."

  Kazik let out a bitter ugh. "No, now we really don’t."

  Ren picked up the rifle Kazik had thrown. He brushed off the dirt and shoved it back into his friend’s hands. "Take it. We’ll need it."

  Kazik looked like he might protest, but just lowered his gaze and nodded.

  Ren returned to Dominik, knelt beside him, and checked his pulse—still there, barely. The boy looked worse than ever. Blood soaked through the bandages. Ren touched his forehead—ice cold.

  "We need shelter," he said. "Somewhere safe to treat him and rest."

  "Then what?" Kazik asked, voice hollow.

  Ren stared into the trees. Darkness loomed, thick and silent. He clenched his jaw.

  "Then we move forward," he said softly, but with resolve. "To the source. To the heart of the Gate."

  Kazik flinched. He hesitated, then nodded. His eyes still shimmered with fear, but he drew a deep breath and steadied himself.

  "You’re right," he admitted grimly. "There’s no other path now."

  Ren lifted Dominik back onto his shoulders. His muscles screamed, but he ignored the pain. They couldn’t stay here. The blood and noise of battle might draw more beasts.

  "Let me help," Kazik offered, stepping up and taking part of the weight.

  Together, they moved on, away from the massacre. On the way, Ren retrieved his crowbar—bent and soaked in dark blood, but still better than nothing. Kazik had his rifle, though ammo was running low. Still, it was their ace in the hole.

  They disappeared into the trees, leaving behind the battlefield. The dead monsters and Stanis?aw—left to rot. Ren swallowed hard, suppressing guilt. There was no time for burial. No time for goodbyes. The living needed them.

  They advanced carefully through the forest, trying to stay silent. Their pace was slow—partly due to Dominik, partly out of caution. The darkness deepened. In this realm, there was no real day or night—just endless twilight. But now, it felt even darker. Fog? Or maybe exhaustion pying tricks on their eyes.

  After what felt like an eternity, they reached a denser section of woods. The trees grew close together, their tangled branches forming a sort of ceiling. Suddenly, Kazik halted and pointed ahead.

  "There... see that?" he whispered.

  Ren squinted. Between two massive trunks, a shape emerged—a dark mass jutting up into the sky. He stepped forward, dragging Dominik with him, until the form came into focus. Not a hill, but a massive colpsed tree formation—twisted roots and fallen trunks piled together.

  "We can hide there," Kazik suggested.

  Nature had formed something like a dense den, a byrinth of roots and branches. Within the massive logs, gaps gaped wide enough for a person to crawl inside. It looked safer than open ground—at least from one direction, they’d have cover.

  They didn’t hesitate. Carefully, they slid into the structure, ying Dominik on the soft, rotted bed of leaves. Inside, darkness reigned, but they felt less exposed.

  "Let’s rest here a bit," Ren whispered.

  Kazik nodded. Both of them colpsed beside the injured boy, too exhausted to stand.

  For several minutes, they simply breathed, ears straining. In the distance, deep within the woods, a low rumble echoed—thunder, or the roar of some massive beast. Hard to tell. But nearby, all was quiet.

  "Do you think Karolina..." Kazik began softly, but trailed off.

  Ren knew what Kazik wanted to ask. Did Karolina make it out safely? Did the soldiers rescue her? Had the closing of the Gate severed her from them forever? There were no answers.

  "I hope so," Ren said quietly.

  Silence settled between them. In the dimness, Ren could barely see his friend’s face, but he could hear his ragged breathing. Finally, Kazik spoke, his voice trembling:

  "I lost everyone too, just like you. But I can't bear losing you."

  Ren felt a stab in his chest. The grim journey and battles had almost made him forget—Kazik had been with him in the orphanage, among the ruins after the Catastrophe. He had lost his mother, father, younger brother... His pain was just as deep. They were bound by shared suffering—and a friendship that, over the past year, had become a brotherhood.

  "You won’t lose me," Ren replied softly but firmly. "We’ll survive, Kazik. Both of us. Even that kid—" he gnced at Dominik’s still form. "We’ll get him through this."

  He hesitated, then added, "I’m only doing this because I know what happens if I don’t. The pain of loss... I don’t want anyone else to feel that, not if I can help it."

  Kazik said nothing, taking in his words. Above them, a few bck-winged silhouettes flew from the branches—like birds, but eerily silent.

  "You’re a better man than me, Ren," Kazik said bitterly.

  "Stop it," Ren snapped. "This isn’t a competition. We do what we can. You too."

  Kazik just sighed. After a pause, he changed the subject:

  "That Igor the governor mentioned..."

  Ren raised an eyebrow. Igor? Governor? What was he talking about?

  Kazik rubbed his temples. "When I was in the guard... a few weeks back... I heard rumors. That the Council had people for special missions. Survivors of the Gates. Strong ones. They called them Awakened."

  Ren frowned, trying to recall if he’d ever heard that term. He vaguely remembered whispers, uncertain tales.

  "They said those people had powers," Kazik continued in a whisper. "That they could fight the beasts as equals. But the Council kept them leashed. Only used them when it suited them."

  "I’ve never seen one," Ren said. "You think it’s true?"

  "After what we’ve seen, I’m willing to believe anything," Kazik muttered. "Maybe someone like that could shut this Gate solo... But they sent a squad of old men and kids instead." He clenched his fists in fury.

  Frustration surged in Ren’s chest. "So we’re just pawns to them..."

  "Or sacrifices," Kazik said grimly.

  Silence again. They both knew it was true. To those in power, their lives and deaths were just numbers in a pn.

  Ren wiped a hand across his face, shaking off the dark thoughts.

  "Either way, we can’t let that happen," he said, more to himself.

  "Let what happen?" Kazik asked.

  "Becoming just victims." Ren stared into the forest, toward the unknown center of the Gate. "If we can’t escape... let’s at least try to finish what we were sent to do."

  "So others don’t have to..." Kazik guessed.

  "So others don’t die in our pce," Ren confirmed. "If we can close this Gate from inside... maybe no one else has to be sacrificed."

  Kazik nodded slowly, without conviction. "If we survive it."

  "I know." Ren forced himself to sound brave. "But you know what? We’ve got nothing left to lose."

  At that moment, Dominik groaned and stirred. Ren and Kazik leaned over him. The boy’s eyelids fluttered—his eyes were still clouded, unfocused. He moved his lips, mumbling softly:

  "Mo... ma..."

  "Dominik?" Ren id a hand on his shoulder. "Can you hear us?"

  The boy twitched, looking around in a daze. His breathing was shallow and uneven. His gaze was hazy—he probably didn’t understand what was happening.

  "Easy..." Ren tried to speak soothingly, though he knew it was a lie. "You’re hurt, but we treated you. You’ll be alright."

  "Wet... cold..." Dominik whispered.

  Only then did Ren feel how chilled he was. The air in the Gate was damp and bone-deep cold, and their sweat- and blood-soaked clothes only made it worse.

  "He’s right," Kazik said. "We’ll freeze if we don’t do something."

  He reached down, feeling around the shelter for dry leaves or sticks. Everything was damp and rotted.

  Ren took off his own jacket—thin and torn, but still something—and draped it over Dominik like a bnket. The boy still trembled, but less. Ren shivered violently as the cold bit through his soaked shirt.

  "Here," Kazik suddenly offered another jacket—his own.

  "What about you?" Ren asked, frowning.

  "I’ve got a thicker hoodie underneath. You’ve got nothing," Kazik replied firmly.

  Ren accepted the jacket, feeling a warm surge of gratitude. This kind of friendship was rare—a bond willing to give its st yer.

  Dominik coughed weakly, pulling them out of their thoughts. He was pale as a corpse and clearly dazed, but his gaze had a flicker of crity.

  "Where..." he began, but Ren raised a hand.

  "Shh. We’re inside the Gate." He considered how much to tell him without terrifying him. "That woman, Karolina, made it out. We stayed to look after you."

  Dominik’s eyes widened. "Stanis?aw?" he asked weakly, struggling to form words with his torn throat.

  Ren and Kazik exchanged looks. Kazik finally shook his head.

  Dominik shut his eyes. Two tears slid down his cheeks.

  "No..." he rasped. "Why me..."

  "You were lucky," Ren said gently. "We managed to save you."

  "Lucky..." The boy choked on the word, turning it into a painful cough. "Doesn’t... feel like it."

  Ren said nothing. He didn’t know if surviving a shredded throat counted as luck—or if staying alive in this pce was a curse.

  "I want to go home..." the younger boy wept softly.

  Ren felt a tight knot of sorrow clutch his heart. He leaned down and csped Dominik's hand. "You will go back. I promise. We'll find a way."

  Dominik didn’t answer. His eyelids dropped shut again—either from exhaustion or blood loss.

  "What now?" Kazik whispered, as if afraid to wake the boy.

  Ren took a deep breath. "We move on. We have to find the 'source.'"

  "Just the two of us still able to fight," Kazik said grimly.

  "That’s enough," Ren replied with feigned certainty. "We don’t have a choice."

  They crawled cautiously out of the shelter, leaving Dominik under the cover of the toppled trees. The boy was too weak to carry with them now—better that he rest here.

  "Will he be safe?" Kazik asked, worried.

  Ren hesitated. "I hope so." He looked down at the sleeping boy. "Remember: there's a weapon." He pointed to the pistol they'd left by Dominik's hand, alongside a knife taken from the gear of fallen soldiers. They didn’t know if the boy could use them, but they refused to leave him completely defenseless.

  Ren and Kazik exchanged a final gnce before setting off. Determination mingled with fear in both their eyes. Without a word, they raised their weapons—Ren tightening his grip on the crowbar, Kazik checking the magazine of his rifle.

  "Ready?" Ren asked in a low voice.

  Kazik nodded. "Let’s end this nightmare."

  A silent agreement passed between them. Side by side, they left the makeshift shelter and plunged deeper into the forest.

  The further they walked, the stranger the ndscape became. The trees looked increasingly twisted and sickly—their trunks pulsing with a faint internal glow, overgrown in pces with sticky, luminescent growths that resembled either fungi or raw meat. The ground beneath their feet turned soggy, coated in bck sludge. The air was thick with the stench of sulfur and rot.

  Ren fought the nausea rising in his throat and pushed forward. Adrenaline was returning to his system—a clear sign they were getting close to something important. Suddenly, from within the trees, came sharp shrieks and deep-throated growls.

  "Something’s happening," Kazik whispered, raising his rifle.

  They crept toward the sound. Ren peeked out from behind a trunk and froze at the sight before him.

  On a small clearing, two monsters were locked in savage combat. One resembled the creatures that had attacked them earlier—a bck, wolf-like beast with glistening, chitinous skin. The other was massive and pale-gray, shaped like an oversized insect on six limbs, with a maw full of serrated fangs—a cross between a mantis and a shark. They tore into each other, spraying blood and ripping chunks of flesh.

  Ren held his breath. Kazik stood beside him, equally stunned.

  "They're fighting... each other?" Ren whispered.

  "Animals," Kazik nodded. "Probably have their own hierarchy, their own territory..."

  The wolf-like beast gave a final whimper as the gray insectoid pinned it down, driving its mandibles into the base of its skull. A sickening crunch followed. The bck beast colpsed, lifeless. The victor let out a triumphant roar, raising its grotesque head.

  Ren felt the blood drain from his face. If something like that lurked in this Gate... how were they supposed to survive?

  The gray creature began to feast, ripping into the corpse with eager bites.

  "This is our chance," Kazik muttered, nudging Ren.

  "Chance?" Ren echoed faintly.

  "It’s distracted. We go around."

  Ren gnced one more time at the gruesome scene and nodded. Carefully, they began to skirt the clearing in a wide arc, keeping to the shadows of the trees. Ren’s heart pounded like a war drum with each step—a single snapped twig could mean their doom.

  Thankfully, the boggy forest floor muffled their movements. The monster continued gorging itself, oblivious to their presence. They slipped past the edge of the clearing and vanished once more into the undergrowth.

  "We made it..." Kazik breathed.

  But Ren felt no relief. With every step, the tension in his chest grew tighter, like a storm waiting to break. They were getting farther from safety—and closer to the heart of darkness.