NOVEL WEB Chapter 12: Chapter 11
[ Third person POV ]
City Washington DC
Near the SS+ rank portal, newly called "the dark portals" because of their jet black color, were camps set up by the American government for the hunters. A few meters away, Ethan's camp, an experienced hunter, was slightly better built but remained similar to the others.
As Ethan took a short nap, sitting in a comfortable chair with his feet on the desk, an employee of the American Hunters Association burst in abruptly.
"M-Mr. Ethan! It's an emergency!" the employee said in a trembling voice.
"What? What's going on now?" Ethan grumbled.
"It's the door... the one that appeared a few hours ago. Its energy level has just increased alarmingly!" the employee explained.
"And so? What's the problem?" Ethan asked.
"According to the latest analysis, it's possible that a crack may form... and it could happen in a few minutes," the employee finished.
"Damn... But wait a minute, why are you coming to me? Aren't there Rank A and B hunters on site? They are more than competent enough to handle this," Ethan questioned.
"That's exactly why you should go," Alex said, entering the office. "The sooner the work is done, the better... if you go, the number of dead hunters will decrease."
"Of course, it always has to fall on me. Fine, I'm coming. Give me some time to get ready. You, go back there and tell them to hold their position in the meantime!" Ethan agreed with a sigh.
*******
Ethan arrived at the scene accompanied by the employee, who seemed nervous and agitated. The present hunters whispered among themselves, their low voices creating a constant buzzing in the air. Ethan paid no attention to their murmurs and walked towards the door.
The employee, noticing the direction Ethan was heading, hurried towards him. "Mr. Ethan, the association's office is not in that direction," he said, trying to guide him elsewhere.
Ethan turned around, a mocking smile on his lips. "I don't care about the office," he replied nonchalantly. "The reason for my visit is right in front." He pointed to the dark door standing before them.
The employee sighed, resigned to Ethan's stubbornness, known for his obstinate character and disregard for rules.
Arriving in front of the door, Ethan watched attentively as the process unfolded, hands in his pockets. The air was charged with palpable tension, and all the hunters positioned themselves, ready to attack at the slightest sign of danger.
Suddenly, ominous crackling sounds echoed. Large cracks began to form on the smooth surface of the door, extending like black veins on an ink background.
After some endless minutes, there was movement for the first time. A leg emerged from the door, followed by another, then the upper part of a human body. Ethan squinted, trying to make out the silhouettes taking shape in the darkness.
On closer inspection, two people could be seen, a man and a woman, supporting each other. The woman was pale, almost lifeless, while the man wore a disgusted expression. They were hunters, but their appearance was far from reassuring.
Behind them, two more hunters emerged, followed by the rest of their group members. Ethan, along with the present hunters, seemed surprised by this unexpected situation.
However, when the last person, a woman, crossed the threshold, a chilling shiver ran down the spines of all those present. For a brief moment, they felt like they were facing death itself. This oppressive feeling lasted only an instant, but it left an indelible mark on their minds.
The murmurs resumed among the hunters, more intense this time. "Damn, what was that?" whispered one of them, his voice trembling.
Ethan, who was closest to the door, had been the most exposed to this strange sensation. "Damn, what was that?" he whispered to himself. "Just now, I thought I saw two silhouettes come out after that woman," he said, his hand dripping with sweat.
He turned to the hunters who had emerged from the door, then to those who were waiting, his mind racing. A troubling thought crossed his mind: "If those two silhouettes were real, I wouldn't bet on our lives... No one here would have survived."
Ethan shook his head, trying to dispel this unsettling idea. He turned to leave, but the pressure he had felt a few moments earlier continued to haunt him. "That pressure earlier, I really felt like I was facing death," he murmured, a shiver running down his spine.
The hunters who had just come out of the door seemed exhausted and disoriented. They staggered, leaning on each other to maintain balance. Their faces were marked by fatigue and fear, as if they had gone through hell and barely come back alive.
Ethan approached them, trying to understand what had happened on the other side of the door. "What happened in there?" he asked firmly.
Nox, supporting the pale Rhéa, looked up at Ethan, his gaze haunted and distant. "It was... it was horror," he rasped. "Creatures... things I had never seen before..." Not wanting to continue, he fell silent.
The woman beside him shuddered, clutching his arm as if her life depended on it. "They were not human at all... they were monsters, no, demons," Rhéa murmured.
Ethan frowned, trying to make sense of their words. He turned to the other hunters who had come out of the door, seeking answers. "And you? What did you see?"
The other hunters shook their heads, visibly traumatized by their experience. Some had vacant stares, as if they had seen things beyond comprehension. Others trembled, their hands clenched on their weapons, as if they expected the creatures to emerge at any moment.
Ethan realized that something terrible had happened on the other side of the door. Something that exceeded anything they could have imagined. He turned to the employee who had accompanied him, his face grave.
"We need to know what happened... Take care of them and give them some time to recover... I'm leaving now," Ethan concluded.
The employee nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. He hurried to the association's office, determined to inform his superiors of what had just occurred.