Brighting

Chapter 15: The Rules Aren't Being Followed

Later that evening, around ten, Emily sent Bright another text.

Emily: Sorry I hadn't called.

Bright, who was already on his phone, replied instantly.

Bright: Madam, no need to be sorry. This humble servant will wait for you all his life.

Emily: Funny. 😑

She added another message right after.

Emily: I had to accompany my mom all day. She's really worried about her husband.

Bright smirked at the wording.

Bright: You mean your father? Why are you too shy to type that? Hahaha… Papa's sweetheart.

Emily: Mr. Brooks, you're fired.

Bright: Sorry, sorry.

A short pause. Then he added:

Bright: What do you think?

No reply came for a while. Then—

Emily: You shouldn't go near them.

Bright frowned.

Bright: Umm…

Emily: Bright, I'm serious.

Bright: Why?

Emily: There's no real reason. I don't know anything yet, and neither do my parents. But they know a lot, and I'm sure they'll get some information soon. Until then, maybe you should come over or find a secure place… I don't know, like under your bed?

The last part had a questioning tone, as if even she didn't believe what she was saying.

After that, their conversation drifted to other things. They joked about how a bunch of monkeys with guns might come out of the portals or how people were acting like they were in some post-apocalyptic movie.

It seemed like they had both quietly agreed not to bring up anything about their relationship.

For now.

Three Days Later

Though the tension from the portals hadn't completely faded, people were getting tired of waiting for the world to end.

No floods had poured out. No zombies, no skeleton armies.

People were still vigilant, but the initial shock had worn off.

Most were now going about their daily lives, treating the portals as just another weird, unexplained thing that they couldn't wrap their heads around.

The government had remained silent, their movements largely unnoticed by the public.

But Emily had given Bright some inside information—soldiers had started preparing.

They were getting ready to enter the portals.

Bright had been curious from the start.

The whole thing wasn't following the script.

Every story he'd ever heard about portals made it very clear that they were supposed to immediately break open and unleash chaos.

Three days in, and nothing had happened.

So, he decided to check it out for himself.

Of course, he was scared.

He had no idea what was inside.

But the thought of stepping into something unknown, something no one had ever explored before sent a small thrill through him.

Right now, he was sitting in front of his window, watching the portal in the distance.

It hovered just in front of a roadside shop.

Three figures stood nearby, chatting casually. Probably police officers on guard duty.

Usually, eight to ten officers were assigned to each portal.

Bright frowned. Where were the rest?

He glanced at the passing pedestrians. Some gave the portal a quick glance, but most just kept walking, uninterested.

It was strange how quickly people adjusted to the bizarre.

Bright had told Emily earlier that he'd be going to bed early since he wanted to wake up before dawn.

She had, of course, teased him mercilessly.

Now, as he sat in the dimly lit room, he twirled a gun in his hand, checking the magazine. Fully loaded.

Two more rounds in his pocket.

Emily had given him the gun after he had improved slightly at shooting. He still wasn't great, but at least he could hit something if the barrel was pressed directly against it.

He chuckled at his own joke.

He and Emily had wasted an entire round just fooling around.

Now, though… this was real.

Meanwhile, At the Portal

The guards had spent the past few days doing nothing but standing around, shooing away onlookers and waiting for something to happen.

At first, they had been vigilant.

But boredom had a way of creeping in.

Over time, they had started relaxing, chatting casually, their attention slipping.

It was 9 AM, and the night shift had just started an hour ago. Some of the previous guards had already left, while a few others lingered, waiting for the next group to arrive before heading home.

In their tired state, none of them noticed the quick, agile shadow that slipped past them.

A single figure moved swiftly, crossing the short distance in seconds.

And then—

They disappeared into the portal.

Bright's hand touched the portal, half-expecting to be sucked in immediately.

Nothing happened.

He pushed forward and felt a thin, invisible barrier.

Like pressing against a delicate film of plastic.

It broke easily.

The second he stepped through, he shut his eyes.

No twisting stomach. No disorienting shift.

It felt just like stepping into another room.

Bright opened his eyes—

And his stomach dropped.

He shouldn't have come.

He had thought the portal was fake.

Now, panic crept into his chest as he took in his new surroundings.

He wasn't on the street anymore.

He was standing inside a massive cave.