The moment the Gate Core shattered, the entire dimension began to collapse.
The sky cracked like broken glass.
Dark purple clouds twisted violently, forming massive spirals above the floating terrain. Lightning flashed continuously, illuminating the destruction spreading across the alien landscape.
Arin Veyron didn't wait to admire the view.
He was already running.
Behind him, the Hound Lord roared in pure rage.
The sound shook the ground.
The monster had realized what just happened.
Its territory.
Its dimension.
Everything was being destroyed.
And the human responsible was trying to escape.
Arin sprinted across the uneven terrain, his lungs burning as he pushed his body forward.
The ground beneath his feet cracked open, revealing glowing red energy below the surface.
Chunks of rock began floating upward as gravity itself lost stability.
"This place won't last long," Arin muttered.
The destruction was spreading fast.
But there was one problem.
Arin didn't know exactly where the exit was.
When someone entered a Gate, the portal usually appeared somewhere nearby in the dimension.
But now that the core was destroyed, the connection between worlds was collapsing.
Which meant the portal might disappear soon.
If that happened while he was still inside…
Arin shook the thought away.
"Focus."
He climbed over a jagged rock formation and stopped briefly to look around.
The landscape had changed drastically.
Massive cracks split the ground in several directions. Some areas had completely collapsed into glowing red pits.
And in the distance—
A swirling vortex hovered above the ground.
The exit.
The Gate portal back to the human world.
Arin immediately ran toward it.
But he wasn't alone.
The Hound Lord had begun chasing him.
Its massive body crashed through the terrain behind him, destroying everything in its path.
Every step shook the ground like a small earthquake.
Arin glanced back once.
The creature was terrifying up close.
Nearly five meters tall.
Its armored body was covered in sharp spikes.
Its glowing red eyes burned with pure hatred.
Arin calculated the distance quickly.
"At least thirty seconds behind."
Normally that would be enough.
But the terrain was collapsing too fast.
Suddenly—
A section of ground in front of Arin shattered.
A massive crack opened across the path.
Arin skidded to a stop just before falling into the glowing abyss below.
"…Great."
The gap was nearly five meters wide.
Too far to jump safely.
Behind him, the Hound Lord roared again.
The monster was getting closer.
Arin looked left.
Then right.
He spotted a narrow rock pillar leaning across part of the gap like a bridge.
Unstable.
But usable.
Without hesitation, he climbed onto it and carefully crossed the gap.
The pillar shook violently under his weight.
Small pieces of rock broke off and fell into the glowing pit below.
Halfway across, the Hound Lord reached the edge of the chasm.
The monster didn't slow down.
It jumped.
The massive creature easily cleared the gap, landing heavily on the other side.
Arin cursed under his breath.
"That thing moves faster than expected."
He jumped down from the pillar and continued running.
The portal was closer now.
But the dimension was collapsing faster too.
Chunks of floating rock crashed into the ground around him.
Lightning bolts struck randomly across the terrain.
The entire world was falling apart.
Suddenly—
The Hound Lord attacked.
The monster swung one enormous claw toward Arin's back.
Arin barely rolled forward in time.
The claw smashed into the ground, creating a crater where he had been standing.
Arin scrambled to his feet.
The monster towered over him now.
Up close, its presence was overwhelming.
Its breath smelled like blood and rot.
Its glowing eyes locked onto him with murderous intent.
For a moment, neither moved.
Arin knew he couldn't win in a direct fight.
But he didn't need to.
He only needed a few more seconds.
The portal floated behind the monster.
Just twenty meters away.
Arin glanced at the creature's legs.
Then he smirked slightly.
"Let's try something."
The Hound Lord roared and lunged again.
This time, Arin ran directly toward it.
The monster seemed surprised by the sudden movement.
At the last second, Arin slid beneath the creature's body.
As he passed under it, he grabbed a sharp piece of crystal from the ground.
Then he drove it into the joint of the monster's back leg.
The Hound Lord screamed in pain.
Its massive body stumbled.
That brief moment of imbalance was all Arin needed.
He sprinted past the monster toward the portal.
The vortex pulsed violently now.
The connection between worlds was weakening.
Arin reached the edge of the portal just as the Hound Lord recovered.
The monster turned and charged one final time.
Its claws extended.
Its roar echoed across the collapsing dimension.
Arin didn't look back.
He jumped directly into the swirling vortex.
The moment he passed through—
Everything went white.
For a brief instant, his body felt like it was being torn apart.
Then—
He crashed onto solid ground.
Concrete.
Cold air.
Bright lights.
Arin blinked slowly.
He was back inside the warehouse.
Soldiers surrounded the Gate, their weapons raised.
Darius Kane stood at the front.
The moment Arin appeared, everyone froze.
"…He came back," one soldier whispered.
Arin slowly stood up.
The portal behind him flickered violently.
Then—
It collapsed.
The swirling vortex vanished completely.
The Gate was gone.
Silence filled the warehouse.
The soldiers stared at Arin like they had just witnessed a miracle.
Darius walked forward slowly.
"You…"
His voice sounded almost disbelieving.
"You actually survived."
Arin brushed dust off his coat.
"Yes."
Darius looked toward the spot where the Gate had been.
"…And it closed."
Arin nodded.
"For now."
The soldiers exchanged shocked looks.
No one fully understood what had just happened.
But one thing was clear.
The mysterious civilian who walked into a dimensional portal…
Had just saved everyone in that warehouse.
Darius studied Arin carefully.
"Who are you really?"
Arin didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he looked toward the broken warehouse windows.
Outside, emergency lights still flashed across the city.
News reporters were already broadcasting live.
Millions of people would soon learn about the Gate.
About the monsters.
About the beginning of the apocalypse.
Arin finally turned back toward Darius.
"My name is Arin Veyron."
Darius waited.
But Arin said nothing more.
The young strategist simply walked toward the exit of the warehouse.
Behind him, the soldiers continued staring in silence.
Because deep down…
They all felt it.
Tonight had changed the world forever.
And somehow…
That quiet young man had been at the center of it all.