The moment John stepped out of the shimmering blue portal, the scent of wet earth and thick vegetation assaulted his senses.
Thump!
He landed on a patch of moss-covered ground, branches cracking beneath his boots.
The canopy above was dense, shrouding the sky in a veil of green shadows.
The jungle around him pulsed with life, chirps, rustles, and distant howls echoing in all directions.
He stood still for a moment, adjusting his breath, orienting himself.
Then, a low, vibrating hiss slithered through the air.
John's eyes snapped to the right.
Emerging from between two thick trees, its clawed feet crushing underbrush effortlessly, was a massive lizard-like beast.
Its body was scaled, dark green with jagged black patterns.
Two thick tails swayed behind it, both tipped with bone-like spikes.
Its head, narrow and elongated, turned sharply, revealing seven glowing eyes, each blinking at a different rhythm.
John's heart skipped a beat.
