Darkness thickened with every step, wrapping the tangled forest like a suffocating shroud. Ren and Kazik moved forward cautiously, almost blindly—the gnarled silhouettes of twisted trees barely guiding them toward the heart of the Gate. The environment pulsed with ominous murmurs: distant roars echoed in the distance, mingled with the sound of snapping branches. Cold pierced them to the bone, but adrenaline kept their blood hot—they had to be ready for anything.

  Ren clenched the metal crowbar so tightly his knuckles turned white. He could still feel the crusted monster blood on his palms—a sticky reminder of the st battle. Minutes ago, he and Kazik had managed to sneak past a monstrous insectoid creature that tore apart a wolf-like beast right before their eyes. They’d taken advantage of the predator’s feeding frenzy to slip past unnoticed. But now every rustle seemed louder, every breath too sharp. Ren’s stomach coiled with tension. They were intruders in a kingdom of monsters, reliant only on each other—two exhausted humans against an unknown horde.

  Kazik walked beside him, rifle at the ready. His hand trembled slightly—fear, fatigue—but his eyes stayed alert, sweeping the gloom. A smear of dried blood streaked across his temple, from a cut likely sustained during their earlier flight.

  The branches above intertwined, forming a canopy of shadow. An unnatural silence filled the air—not even insects chirped, not a single rustle of leaves. It was as if the whole world was holding its breath. Ren halted and raised a hand. Kazik stopped immediately, straining to listen.

  "What is it?" Kazik whispered so softly Ren barely caught the words.

  Ren scanned their surroundings, his heart pounding. He couldn’t say what had alerted him—instinct, maybe—but every hair on his body stood on end. Suddenly, something brushed past his cheek—an icy shift of air. A silent shape darted just above them.

  "Did you see that?" Ren hissed, lifting his weapon.

  Kazik nodded, crouching and aiming his rifle. Still, nothing moved. But both of them felt it—eyes watching them from above.

  Ren slowly tilted his head upward. The branches above wove into a bck ceiling. Between leaves and dangling moss, several indistinct shapes seemed to shift. Bck silhouettes that could’ve been limbs… but limbs didn’t have wings.

  "There—" he began, but before he could warn Kazik, one of the shadows detached and dropped silently.

  "Look out!" Kazik shouted, too te.

  Ren was struck hard. Something smmed into his back, knocking him to the ground. He fell to his knees in the moss. His coat tore, and fire bloomed in his shoulder—a burning ssh across his scapu. Gritting his teeth, he swung the crowbar backward. It struck something solid—armor.

  A piercing shriek sounded near his ear—the first noise they’d heard from these creatures—and the weight lifted. Ren seized the moment, scrambled upright, and shook leaves from his face. In the dim light, he saw the creature: a massive bat-like thing with a wingspan as wide as a man. Its snout was narrow and lined with needle-sharp teeth. It twisted mid-air for another attack.

  "Shooting!" Kazik barked.

  Three muzzle fshes lit the dark. Tat-tat-tat! Gunfire echoed through the trees. One bullet struck true—the creature faltered and crashed to the ground, twitching violently. The others scattered into the canopy, retreating from the noise and light.

  Ren reached the thrashing monster just before it took off again. He raised the crowbar and roared, driving it into the creature’s back. A wet crack sounded as chitin gave way. The beast spasmed, wings filing so wildly it nearly struck him in the face. Ren stepped back, yanked the embedded weapon free, and struck again—this time caving in the creature’s thin, leathery skull. It stiffened and died, bck eyes gzed over.

  "Another!" Kazik shouted.

  A second beast dove silently toward Kazik, cws sshing. It nded on him, knocking the rifle aside with a crash. The two grappled—Kazik using raw strength to hold the jaws away from his throat, even as talons raked across his chest.

  Ren lunged. A kick gnced off the creature’s wing, barely fazing it. With a growl, Ren raised the crowbar like a club and brought it down hard on the creature’s back. It sagged, pinning Kazik beneath it. The creature howled—a shrill, chilling cry. Ren struck again, harder, spttering ichor. The wings colpsed. The creature spasmed once more and y still.

  Ren dropped the crowbar and heaved the corpse off Kazik.

  "Are you okay?!" he asked, helping him sit.

  Kazik gasped for air, eyes wild. His arm bled, shirt torn and soaked, but no bite marks.

  "Scratches… I’m alive," he rasped. "Thanks…"

  Ren exhaled with relief, though they had no time to rest. He scanned the trees—no more attackers, for now. But gunfire echoed, drawing attention.

  "We have to move," he muttered.

  Kazik nodded and tried to rise but staggered. Ren grabbed his good arm.

  "My rifle…" Kazik groaned.

  Ren spotted it among ferns, a few meters away. He ran, retrieved it, and spotted a fallen soldier’s backpack. He opened it—a miracle: three magazines that matched the rifle. He snatched them, along with a combat knife, ignoring a damaged grenade that looked ready to explode.

  Kazik joined him, limping.

  "Let’s go," Ren said, helping him stand and handing him the rifle. "I’ve got ammo."

  Kazik mumbled thanks through clenched teeth.

  They pressed forward through the undergrowth, away from the skirmish site. Ren knew they were heading deeper into the Gate, closer to whatever y at its center—maybe a nest of horrors—but there was no turning back.

  His mind raced with thoughts of Karolina. Had she warned those outside? Were they preparing a rescue—or were they celebrating the Gate’s closure, assuming everyone inside was dead?

  No one would come for them. The Council had sent them here to die. That much was clear.

  But at least Karolina had made it. That mattered.

  He clenched his fist. They couldn’t give up.

  They moved like ghosts through the decaying forest. The air thickened with rot and sulfur. Trees pulsed with sickly light. The ground wept toxic sludge. Each breath was a struggle.

  Eventually, the woods thinned. Rotten trunks gave way to twisted roots and barren soil. A sickly green glow shimmered ahead.

  Ren squinted. A clearing—or rather, a dead zone stretched out before them. The ground was bckened and cracked, venting steam like the innards of a diseased beast. It looked like the belly of some massive, festering organism.

  "This must be it…" Kazik whispered, slumping against a tree, breathing hard.