A strange silence enveloped us, heavy and oppressive. We stood frozen, our eyes darting around, trying to make sense of our surroundings. Was this really the Earth we knew, or had we stumbled into some alien world?
Kaito's voice shattered the quiet, sharp with panic. "Where the hell are we? Are we still on Earth, or did that tunnel teleport us to another planet?"
Nora's calm voice cut through his hysteria. "We're still on Earth."
Kaito's brows furrowed, his skepticism palpable. "You sound so sure. Got any proof?"
Nora's lips curled into a faint smile. "I don't speak without evidence. The Earth's radius, from surface to core, is about 6,371 kilometers. I have a device—the [Deep Meter]. It measures our depth from the surface. Right now, we're roughly 6,368 kilometers down. That means we've teleported to the heart of the Earth."
We stared at her, awestruck by her revelation. Gratitude flickered in our eyes, but the moment of wonder shattered as Ivan's voice rang out. He tore off his oxygen mask, took a deep breath, and shouted, "There's oxygen here! I can breathe!"
One by one, we followed suit, removing our masks. Albert's voice joined in, tinged with disbelief. "He's right. I'm breathing just fine."
But my gaze fell on Mr. Jackson. His face was etched with deep unease. I approached him, concern creeping into my voice. "Mr. Jackson, are you okay?"
He nodded slowly, his tone grave. "I'm fine. But if we're truly on Earth, how is there a sky down here? And where's the sun?"
His words sent a chill through me. He was right—how was this possible? Questions swirled in our minds, but answers were nowhere to be found.
Then—
Kaito's scream pierced the air. "Look! Over there, to the north! Is that… a giant?"
All eyes turned northward. Our breaths caught in our throats. Two colossal Brachiosauruses loomed in the distance, their long necks swaying, their massive bodies casting shadows that seemed to swallow the ground. Even as herbivores, their sheer size was terrifying.
Ivan collapsed to the ground, his voice a mix of despair and fear. "I can't take this anymore. This mission… it's too much. From the moment we entered that tunnel to now, it's been one danger after another. And now this?"
Albert rushed to his side, offering quiet words of comfort. Ivan wasn't a fighter—not like the rest of us. His only strength lay in his ability to tame animals, a gift that let him control wolves or giant bats. But against the likes of giant pythons or centipedes, he'd been nothing more than a bystander. His fear was understandable.
Grace stepped beside me, her voice trembling with unease. "Dinosaurs went extinct long before humans existed. So where did these come from?"
No one could answer her. We scanned our surroundings, and the sight only deepened our dread. Triceratops, Diplodocus, Stegosaurus—creatures we'd only read about in books now roamed before our eyes.
After a tense silence, Ivan stood, a spark of determination in his voice. "We need to get out of here. We have to tell the General about this… this new world at the Earth's core. Then we'll come back with a stronger team."
Mr. Jackson's calm voice cut through his resolve. "You're forgetting something, Ivan. Our oxygen masks are nearly depleted. We can't make it back to the surface with what's left."
Ivan's confidence didn't waver. "I knew you'd say that, Mr. Jackson. That's why I have a plan."
Mr. Jackson raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Let's hear it."
Ivan's voice grew firm. "Those of us who are stronger stay here. The weaker ones—like me—take the remaining oxygen masks and head back to the surface."
Mr. Jackson gave a wry smile. "First, no one wants to stay in this unknown world. We know nothing about it, or what dangers lurk here. And you think the 'weaker' ones can make it through that tunnel? You saw what it was like."
Ivan's face paled. He opened his mouth but found no words.
Mr. Jackson continued, his tone softening but firm. "Listen, Ivan. I know you're scared. We all are. But we have no choice. We stick together. Wherever we go, we go as a team. That's our only chance of survival."
But then—
A bone-chilling roar echoed from the tunnel behind us. We were standing in front of the teleportation gate, its entrance still open. We peered inside, and our blood ran cold. A pack of monstrous pythons slithered toward us, their eyes glinting with hunger.
Panic gripped us. My mind raced. Killing one of those things was hard enough. Now there are four or five? What do we do?
Before anyone could act, Daniel stepped forward. With a swift motion, he pulled two grenades from his pocket and hurled them at the tunnel's ceiling.
BOOM!
The explosion sent chunks of rock crashing down, sealing the tunnel's entrance. The pythons were cut off.
We stared at Daniel, stunned. He grinned, brushing off the tension. "What are you all gawking at? You think hunters are the only ones with guts? You might have physical strength, but I've got the brains."
His smug words sparked irritation, but we held our tongues. He'd just saved us. Those grenades, carefully stashed away, had bought us time.
But our relief was short-lived.
A deafening roar erupted from the jungle behind us. We spun around, and our hearts stopped. A Tyrannosaurus Rex—massive, ravenous, and unstoppable—burst through the undergrowth, its eyes locked on us.
Before we could react, it charged at the Special Forces team. Daniel barked orders, and gunfire erupted. Bullets rained on the beast, but its thick hide shrugged them off like raindrops. With a single swipe, it sent the soldiers sprawling.
Daniel turned and fled. The hunters braced for a fight, but fear rooted us in place. Even I couldn't muster the courage. I'd taken down a giant python, but this… this was five times stronger.
Mr. Jackson's voice cut through the chaos. "Run! Get out of here!"
We scattered, desperation driving us into the jungle. The T-Rex locked onto Ivan, its massive jaws snapping as it pursued him. Ivan sprinted, his handgun trembling in his grip. He fired, but the bullets bounced harmlessly off the beast's hide.
Ducking behind a tree, he tried to outmaneuver it, firing wildly. But in his panic, he tripped over a rock and crashed to the ground. The T-Rex loomed over him, its jaws parting in a guttural roar.
Ivan's body shook, his eyes wide with terror. In that moment, his past flooded back to him.
Ivan's Past
Rain poured down on a cold, desolate evening. Two young brothers—Ivan, six years old, and his younger brother, Lian—shivered in the biting wind. Lightning illuminated the sky, revealing a car speeding away in the distance. Inside were their parents. They glanced back one last time, their faces devoid of remorse, only a chilling silence.
"Mama… where are we going?" Ivan's voice trembled, but the only answer was the storm's roar.
Hours later, they stood before the rusted gates of an old orphanage. The car was gone, leaving the brothers alone in the freezing darkness.
Ivan gripped Lian's tiny hand tightly. "Don't be scared, Lian. I'm here."
That night marked the beginning of their new life.
Years passed in the orphanage, a place of hunger, cruelty, and survival. Ivan adapted, growing tough to protect himself and Lian. His younger brother was frail, often sick, and Ivan would give up his own food just to see Lian smile.
One day, in the forest behind the orphanage, a terrifying incident changed everything. A child was trapped, cornered by a monstrous creature. Ivan rushed to help, and as he grabbed the child, a strange energy surged through him.
Time seemed to stop. The air grew thick, and darkness clouded his vision.
BOOM!
A wave of energy erupted, knocking the creature to the ground. Ivan collapsed, unconscious.
When he awoke, he knew something had changed. A strange, otherworldly power coursed through him—a gift to bend the life force of creatures to his will. He hid it, knowing the world had no mercy for the weak. He vowed to grow strong, no matter the cost.
But fate was cruel. Lian fell gravely ill, struck by a rare disease. The doctors said treatment was possible—but the cost was astronomical, far beyond an orphan's reach.
Ivan refused to give up. He turned to the Hunter Association, a dangerous world where people risked their lives for power and wealth. For Ivan, it was the only path to save his brother and prove that even an abandoned child could forge his own destiny.
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Back to the Present
--
Ivan's blood surged, fear giving way to defiance. As the T-Rex lunged, he dove aside, firing his handgun. A bullet struck the beast's eye, and it roared in pain, thrashing wildly.
Ivan scrambled back, gasping in relief. But the moment was fleeting. The T-Rex charged again, faster this time. Ivan was thrown to the ground, blood streaming from his mouth, his body broken. He couldn't move.
And then, in one horrifying moment, the T-Rex devoured him.
From a distance, we watched, helpless. Rage and guilt burned in my chest. Why couldn't we save him?
But there was no time to mourn. The T-Rex turned toward us, its eyes gleaming with hunger. I didn't understand how it sensed us from so far away.
Grace, Daniel, and I bolted, but the beast was faster. Daniel tripped on a rock, crashing to the ground. Grace reached to help him, but he shoved her away, scrambling to flee.
Grace stumbled, too slow to recover. The T-Rex loomed over her, its jaws wide. Her voice trembled, barely a whisper. "Is this… the end?"
-
To be continued…