Lucian stared at the glowing system window hovering in the air above the counter.
Traveler's Map Fragment Activated
First Destination Detected
World Access Unlocking: 10%
He rubbed his chin slowly.
"Well," he muttered, "that's mildly terrifying."
Elena looked at him from the other side of the counter, confusion written all over her face.
"You keep staring at empty air," she said cautiously. "Should I be worried?"
Lucian glanced at her and shrugged.
"Honestly? I'm worried too."
The system screen flickered again.
World Access Unlocking: 15%
Lucian blinked.
"Oh. It's going up."
Elena folded her arms.
"What is going up?"
Lucian tapped the glowing text with his finger.
"This thing says my shop just found another world."
Elena stared.
"…Another world?"
Lucian nodded.
"Apparently."
She glanced toward the door again, where the parking lot ended in endless darkness.
Her voice lowered.
"You're serious."
"Dead serious," Lucian said. "Though I'd prefer not to be dead."
The system chimed softly again.
World Access Unlocking: 20%
Lucian leaned back against the counter.
"You know," he said, "most people spend their night shifts stocking shelves."
Elena tilted her head.
"And you?"
"I unlock alternate universes."
She looked at him for several seconds.
Then she sighed quietly.
"I think my life has officially become strange."
Lucian laughed.
"Welcome to the club."
The shop lights flickered gently.
Not like before.
This time the energy in the room felt… heavier.
Alive.
Elena's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Do you feel that?"
Lucian nodded slowly.
"Yeah."
The air inside the store shifted.
Like a breeze passing through a forest.
Lucian frowned slightly.
Something about that feeling was familiar.
Warm.
Deep.
Ancient.
He pressed a hand against the counter.
The wooden surface beneath his fingers hummed faintly.
Elena noticed.
"What is it?"
Lucian hesitated.
"I don't know."
But part of him did know.
The system's words echoed faintly in his mind.
Son of Gaia
The ground beneath the shop seemed to breathe.
Like the earth itself recognized him.
Lucian shook his head.
"Okay, we're ignoring that for now."
Elena raised an eyebrow.
"You just felt something supernatural and you're ignoring it?"
Lucian shrugged.
"Priorities."
The system chimed again.
World Access Unlocking: 35%
Elena walked closer to the counter.
"So this 'world connection' thing…"
Lucian nodded.
"Yeah?"
"What happens when it reaches one hundred percent?"
Lucian looked at the screen.
Then at the door.
Then back at the screen.
"I'm guessing we find out."
Elena did not look reassured.
The shop suddenly trembled lightly.
Both of them froze.
A faint ripple moved through the air near the entrance.
Like heat rising from asphalt on a hot day.
Lucian slowly pointed.
"Uh…"
Elena turned.
The space in front of the automatic doors was warping.
The darkness outside twisted slowly, like something behind reality was pushing forward.
Elena stepped back instinctively.
"What is that?"
Lucian stared.
"I'm going to guess…"
The system chimed loudly.
World Access Unlocking: 50%
"…that."
The ripple grew larger.
The glass doors hummed softly.
Light flickered along the edges of the doorway.
Lucian crossed his arms.
"Well, that's new."
Elena moved closer to him now.
Not out of fear exactly.
More like instinct.
Her eyes stayed locked on the distortion.
"Is something coming through?"
Lucian shrugged.
"Hopefully not something that wants to eat us."
Elena gave him a look.
"You say that very casually."
"Practice."
The system chimed again.
World Access Unlocking: 70%
The ripple expanded further.
Now it looked like a circular distortion hovering in the doorway.
Like a portal trying to form but not fully stable yet.
Lucian leaned forward slightly.
"Okay, that's definitely a portal."
Elena's red eyes narrowed.
"A portal to where?"
Lucian smiled faintly.
"Somewhere interesting."
She did not look convinced.
The air hummed louder.
The shelves rattled lightly.
Snack bags crinkled.
The lights dimmed slightly before stabilizing again.
Lucian scratched his head.
"Note to self," he muttered, "interdimensional doorways are bad for store inventory."
Elena blinked.
"You're worried about snacks?"
"They're good snacks."
The system chimed once more.
World Access Unlocking: 90%
The portal brightened.
The darkness beyond it began to change.
Colors flickered inside the distortion.
Shapes formed and dissolved.
Lucian leaned against the counter again.
"You know," he said casually, "I always wondered what it would be like to visit another world."
Elena looked at him.
"You're taking this very calmly."
Lucian grinned.
"Well, panic never helped anyone."
She studied him for a moment.
Then something in her expression softened.
"You're strange," she said again.
Lucian nodded proudly.
"I've been told."
The system chimed one final time.
World Access Unlocking: 100%
The portal stabilized instantly.
Light burst outward briefly before settling into a clear circular gateway floating just inside the store entrance.
Lucian and Elena both stared.
Inside the portal, a completely different place was visible.
A city street.
Bright lights.
Tall buildings.
Cars moving through traffic.
Lucian blinked.
"…Well."
Elena stepped closer.
"That's definitely not outside."
"Nope."
The portal hummed quietly.
The system displayed a new message.
Destination Established
World Connection Stable
Lucian tilted his head.
"So that's how that works."
Elena glanced at him.
"Are you going to go through it?"
Lucian considered the question.
Then he looked at the shelves around the store.
Then at the portal again.
He sighed.
"I probably should."
Elena folded her arms.
"You say that like you're going grocery shopping."
Lucian smiled.
"I mean, technically I am."
She frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Lucian tapped the system screen.
"My job is to collect items from other worlds."
Elena stared.
"So you're going to walk into another universe…"
Lucian nodded.
"…and start shopping."
He pointed at her.
"Exactly."
She rubbed her forehead slowly.
"I think I need another bottle of that blood substitute."
Lucian laughed.
"Fair."
The portal continued humming quietly.
The city on the other side looked alive.
Busy.
Completely unaware that a doorway from another dimension had just opened in a convenience store between worlds.
Lucian took a deep breath.
"Well," he said.
He walked around the counter.
Elena watched him carefully.
"You're really going."
Lucian stopped near the portal.
"Looks like it."
He glanced back at her.
"You staying here?"
Elena hesitated.
Then she nodded slowly.
"For now."
Lucian smiled.
"Good."
He gestured around the store.
"Try not to rob the place while I'm gone."
Elena rolled her eyes.
"You're unbelievable."
Lucian grinned.
"Thanks."
He turned back toward the portal.
The light reflected in his eyes.
Somewhere deep in the ground beneath the shop, something ancient stirred.
The son of Gaia was about to take his first step into the multiverse.
Lucian stretched his arms once.
"Alright."
He took one step forward.
Then another.
And then—
He walked through the portal.