By morning, the entire world had changed.
News channels everywhere replayed the same footage again and again.
The abandoned warehouse.
The swirling Gate.
The monsters emerging from another world.
And the battle that followed.
Inside a busy newsroom, reporters spoke urgently as the footage played behind them.
"…As you can see in this video, the unidentified creature appears to have emerged from a strange portal-like phenomenon…"
"…Authorities have confirmed that multiple military units responded to the scene…"
"…Experts are still trying to determine what exactly these Gates are…"
Across the globe, millions of people watched in disbelief.
Social media exploded with theories.
Aliens.
Government experiments.
Secret weapons.
Religious prophecies.
No one truly understood the truth yet.
But one thing was certain.
The world had seen undeniable proof.
Monsters existed.
And they were coming from somewhere beyond Earth.
Inside the military command center of Veylan City, the atmosphere was tense.
Large screens displayed the recorded footage from the warehouse.
High-ranking officials watched silently.
One of them spoke first.
"This can't be fake."
Another officer nodded slowly.
"The biological analysis confirms it."
"The creature's DNA structure doesn't match any known species."
The room fell quiet.
Then a general turned toward Darius Kane, who stood at the center of the room.
"You were there when the incident happened."
Darius nodded.
"Yes, sir."
The general crossed his arms.
"Explain everything from the beginning."
Darius took a slow breath.
"The Gate appeared inside the warehouse around midnight."
"The first monster emerged shortly after."
"We managed to kill it."
"But then a second creature appeared."
A video clip played showing the Hound Brute attacking the soldiers.
Several officers leaned closer to the screen.
"That thing nearly wiped out the entire unit," one muttered.
Darius continued.
"That's when a civilian appeared."
The officers exchanged confused looks.
"A civilian?"
"Yes."
Darius pointed to the screen.
The footage shifted to show Arin standing inside the warehouse.
Calm.
Focused.
Completely different from the panicking soldiers.
"That's him."
The officers studied the image carefully.
"He knew the monster's weak point," Darius explained.
"He told me exactly where to strike."
"And after that?"
Darius hesitated slightly.
"…He entered the Gate."
Silence filled the room.
The general frowned.
"You're telling me a civilian jumped into that portal?"
"Yes."
"And survived?"
Darius nodded slowly.
"When he returned… the Gate collapsed."
The officers stared at the screen again.
The mysterious young man walking out of the portal.
Calm.
Unharmed.
One of the intelligence officers spoke quietly.
"We ran a background check on him."
Everyone turned toward him.
"Name: Arin Veyron."
"Age: twenty-three."
"No military training."
"No criminal record."
"No history of supernatural activity."
The officer paused.
"According to all available data… he's completely ordinary."
The general leaned back in his chair.
"…I don't believe that."
Across the city, Arin Veyron sat quietly inside a small café.
The television mounted on the wall was playing the same news coverage as everywhere else.
People inside the café were arguing loudly.
"This has to be some kind of government conspiracy!"
"No way! Did you see that monster? That thing was real!"
"Maybe it's aliens!"
Arin took a sip of his coffee calmly.
Exactly as expected.
The first Gate always caused global panic.
But the real chaos wouldn't begin until more Gates appeared.
Which would happen very soon.
Arin looked out the window.
Cars moved along the busy street.
Pedestrians walked normally.
But beneath the surface…
The world had already begun shifting.
Governments would start forming special task forces.
Scientists would begin researching Gates.
And soon…
People with supernatural abilities would start appearing.
Hunters.
Arin's eyes narrowed slightly.
That system would determine the future power structure of the entire world.
Guilds.
Hunter rankings.
Political alliances.
Wars over Gate resources.
Everything would start soon.
And this time…
Arin planned to control it from the beginning.
The café door suddenly opened.
A tall man stepped inside.
Darius Kane.
His sharp eyes immediately found Arin sitting near the window.
Darius walked over and sat across from him without asking.
Arin looked up calmly.
"You found me quickly."
Darius leaned back in his chair.
"You're not exactly hiding."
Arin shrugged.
"There's no reason to."
Darius studied him carefully.
"Do you know how many people are looking for you right now?"
"I can guess."
"The military. Intelligence agencies. Scientists."
Darius leaned forward slightly.
"They all want to know how a normal civilian walked into a Gate and came back alive."
Arin remained silent.
Darius sighed.
"Look… I don't know what your deal is."
"But you clearly know more about those monsters than anyone else."
Arin stirred his coffee slowly.
"What do you want?"
Darius didn't hesitate.
"Work with us."
Arin raised an eyebrow.
"Us?"
"The military."
Darius crossed his arms.
"We need people who understand Gates."
"You could help save lives."
Arin considered the offer briefly.
Working directly with the military could be useful.
But it also meant losing freedom.
And Arin needed freedom more than anything.
He shook his head.
"No."
Darius blinked.
"…No?"
"I prefer working alone."
Darius frowned.
"You're making a mistake."
"Maybe."
Arin finished his coffee and stood up.
"But the military moves too slowly."
Darius watched him carefully.
"You talk like you already know what's coming."
Arin paused for a moment.
Then he gave a faint smile.
"I do."
Darius stood up as well.
"Then tell me something."
"When will the next Gate appear?"
Arin walked toward the café door.
Just before leaving, he answered calmly.
"Three days."
Darius froze.
Arin stepped outside into the bright morning sunlight.
Behind him, the café buzzed with nervous conversation about monsters and portals.
The world had finally seen the first sign of the apocalypse.
But they still didn't understand the truth.
That Gate…
Had only been the beginning.
And somewhere far away…
Reality was already beginning to crack again.