About two weeks had passed since the first world was shown. During this time, the inhabitants of different worlds had become accustomed to the screens. They did not interfere with the peculiar way of life of the inhabitants of different worlds. Except for the conspiracy theorists and speculators who were building hypotheses and assumptions about whether their world would be next in the show, or whether the Observer himself was watching them. In some worlds, they even founded a new religion, where the Observer was revered as all-seeing, and his screens were a gift sent from him. And what about the screens themselves? They just hovered somewhere nearby, and if they got in the way, you could just leave them at home. Of course, there were those who did not give up trying to learn more about these screens, but there were only a few of them, and their numbers were steadily declining. All their attempts fell apart at the seams.
Everything was going pretty normally until suddenly the screens turned on. A timer appeared, counting down the time: "00:20:00." The residents were given twenty minutes before the start of the screening of the new world. The audience was alarmed. Researchers and, to some extent, scientists prepared recording equipment to capture what was shown on the screen. And ordinary residents began to prepare... snacks. Some ordered food, some ran to the store, others simply placed a few cans of beer nearby. In general, everyone prepared in their own way.
The Universe: Rick and Morty.
"P-popcorn? Got it... Drinks? Got it... Maybe take some notes? I don't know, last time we had this..." Morty scratched his head, looking at the table in the living room, which was full of various snacks.
Suddenly, a familiar green portal appeared in the living room, and Rick emerged from it, smiling as he placed a case of beer, of a brand unknown to him, on the floor. From his grandfather's smile, Morty understood that Rick was in a good mood.
"Are you back?" Morty asked, smiling at his grandfather's good mood.
"Yeah, and look what I brought." Rick opened a bottle of beer, took a sip, and handed it to Morty.
At that moment, Jerry entered the room and noticed the scene:
"Hey! I won't let my son drink alcohol!"
"Relax, Jerry," Rick waved his hand. "It's an uncontrollably fermented drink from Fermentos-9, it's weaker than tomato juice."
"It's still alcohol, Rick!" Jerry exclaimed, running up to Morty and snatching the bottle from his hands.
"Oh, don't start, Jerry," Beth rolled her eyes, following behind. "If we're talking about responsibility, maybe you should stop secretly drinking champagne yourself first?
"It was for medical reasons!" Jerry quickly retorted, blushing.
"D-Dad, Mom, maybe we should just..." Morty began, but Summer interrupted him, plopping down on the couch with a plate of nachos:
"Shut up, everyone! The show starts in ten seconds, and if I miss even a second because you're arguing, I'm not talking to you for the next few days."
Rick sighed and clapped his hands:
"Now that's the spirit! All right, shut up, take your positions, get the snacks and drinks ready, and — ideally — turn Jerry off.
He took another sip of beer and sat down in his chair. Morty sat down awkwardly next to him, and Jerry, still holding the bottle, sat a little to the side, frowning. Beth stood by the window, watching the screen. Summer stretched out, pressing the pillow to her chest.
The timer on the screen flashed: "00:00:05."
"Here we go..." Rick muttered. "Let's see which universe is going to hell this time."
The Universe: Chainsaw Man
"Ugh... That stupid box again?" Power frowned, stretching on the floor. "If there's another bald guy in there, I'm jumping out the window."
"Pff, I'm fine with it," said Denji, throwing his hands behind his head. "Maybe those crazy monsters will be there again. I love it when everything goes... bam-bam, ha ha!"
Denji really liked what he saw, he didn't care about the absurdity of what was happening on the screen, like turning into a crab monster or that kid with a huge chin. The same could not be said for Power. Of course, she liked the destruction, but only if she was the one causing it, and the events that followed were pure idiocy even for her. Especially the man who risked his life to save some ugly kid. It would be fine if it was someone close to him, but no, the man was seeing the child for the first time, so she didn't understand what was going on.
"I hope they show something really worthwhile... like someone blowing up a building, or... anything! " Power snorted, staring at the screen with a dissatisfied expression. "Just not this drama!
Dengi just shrugged. Then he smiled dreamily.
"I hope they show us some beautiful women." For which he received a pillow from Power. "Hey!" Denji protested, throwing the pillow away. "What for?!"
"For being stupid," Power snorted, without taking her eyes off the screen. "What hot girls? They're showing worlds here, and that's what you're thinking about!
"Well, what if... they show a world where all the women are in swimsuits and, well... or demons with swords. Or at least one, but one that's, wow!" Denji dreamily stretched his arms into the air, as if embracing an invisible figure.
Power couldn't take it anymore and hit him with the pillow again.
"You're such a dreamer."
"You're just jealous!" Denji muttered, rubbing his face, but still smiling. "Okay, let's see, maybe now they'll show something... cool."
They both stared at the screen.
The timer was inexorably approaching zero. Meanwhile, Aki Hayakawa sat in a chair by the window, staring detachedly at the screen, where the timer was counting down the last minutes before the show. Unlike Denji and Power, he wasn't fussing, building expectations, or joking around. He just... watched. Then he looked away from the screen and looked at the couple of demons. They were fooling around as usual. For them, it was like watching a movie. He sighed quietly, then looked back at the screen.
"Let's see what they show this time."
The Universe: Kung Fu Panda.
In the dining room of the Jade Palace, the whole wild bunch gathered around the table. In the corner, at a large wooden table, Po enthusiastically arranged plates of food, overflowing with impatience. Noodles with hot spices, dumplings, sesame buns, a mountain of cookies — everything they could find of their favorite snacks.
"Guys, it's starting!" Po shouted excitedly, hurriedly arranging the treats on the table.
"We can all hear you, Po," Mantis grumbled discontentedly, rolling his eyes. "Don't make so much noise. We're all here, except for Master Shifu," he added, glancing around the dining room.
"I understand, Po, but we need to be patient. This thing isn't going anywhere," Viper said with a smile, pointing her tail at the screen.
"Oh, sorry, guys, it's just that the first world was so... cool that it was... cool," said Po with shining eyes.
Everyone just shook their heads at the panda's childish behavior.
"Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested. I've never seen these strange creatures they showed us before," said Crane. "Especially this one... Saitama. His power is simply amazing."
"It's a different world," Monkey said, waving his hand and taking a cookie, relaxing and staring at the screen. "I think that's enough."
"Yeah, I think so too," added Po, stuffing a few more dumplings into his mouth. "We don't know what's waiting for us. What if the next world is even more amazing?"
"I agree with Po," said Tigress, pouring herself a cup of tea and settling comfortably into her chair. "But we have to understand that it could also be dangerous. We don't know what they'll show us next. Especially when we remember the Observer's words that the "worlds" are chosen at random and they may well show us something terrible. We can't afford to be reckless.
Po shrugged, but couldn't hide the excitement in his eyes.
"I can't help but be excited! It's so thrilling! So many different worlds, so many new things!" His eyes sparkled as he looked at the screen, already anticipating what would happen in a few minutes.
Silence fell as everyone's eyes focused on the screen again. The timer continued to count down the remaining minutes. The atmosphere in the dining room became tense, but at the same time expectant.
On the screen.
As before, when the timer reached zero, the screen darkened and the words "Under Mount Ebot" appeared. Then a poster was shown with a white, emaciated creature with crooked, tormented eyes. And this creature seemed hungry. It smiled unnaturally broadly. Small white horns protruded from its head, and unkempt hair fell down on either side. The mere sight of this creature frightened the audience; even those who were used to encountering monsters felt uncomfortable.
Then the broadcast began.
Episode 1. The Disappearance on Mount Abbott
The episode title flashes for a few seconds, then an image of a mountain appears, with houses flashing nearby. All this is accompanied by melodic sounds. Then the image of the mountain disappears, replaced by the inscription:
"Over the past few years, seven people have been reported missing on Mount Abbott."
It is noteworthy that the last two words were hidden by white censorship. Then the next inscription:
"The seventh disappeared in..." The last words were also hidden by censorship.
"The police tried to find any clues as to the whereabouts of the missing persons. But it seems that nothing useful was found. The latest terrifying assumption about where the missing persons might be is that they fell into a pit at the top of the mountain."
Then they showed the pit itself, which looked quite impressive from a distance.
"The depth of the pit is estimated to be more than 300 meters. This means that survival is not guaranteed. But even if someone survived, it is unlikely that they could have lasted long without food and water. However, hunger and thirst were not the only dangers that could await the survivors. There was another mystery surrounding Mount Abbott."
Then they showed an image with two figures. One was a human holding a spear, and the other was a monster.
"Long ago, two races ruled the land: humans and monsters."
Then two warring sides were depicted: humans and monsters.
"But one day, war broke out between them."
The picture showed humans standing on top of a cliff, one of them holding a magic staff that emitted a golden glow, and monsters below.
"After a long battle, humans managed to win, and with the help of a magic spell, they imprisoned the monsters underground. If they are still alive after so many years, it is likely that fallen humans will not receive a warm welcome. Or perhaps these monsters have changed over time, living underground, and resorted to more primitive behavior."
And here again, the picture of enmity between the two races was shown. But the sound began to repeat itself, and suddenly the monster holding the trident changed dramatically into a more monstrous monster. With a huge mouth full of sharp teeth and a long tongue, and a hand with claws. Whose appearance was accompanied by sounds of interference.
Other worlds.
What they saw made most viewers shrink in their seats. For technologically advanced people, it resembled old videos from cassettes, when fantasy worlds were alien to them and they felt fear of the unknown. The mere sight of the creature on the poster was enough to tell what the next world would be like. The excitement of anticipating a new world instantly gave way to anxiety about what would be shown next.
The Universe: Undertale
Few guessed who the monster on the poster was, but no one denied that it was quite scary. They thought they would be shown some kind of terrifying world, but no, first they were shown a painfully familiar mountain, and then their backstory. What began as something disturbing quickly became a blow to the heart of everyone who watched. No one expected to see something so close... so familiar... and yet so foreign.
A story that had become an integral part of their lives. A story that every monster knew. It was distorted so that they were portrayed as monsters. Like a horror story for children about monsters who kidnap people, hide underground, and never let go of those who fall. Maybe that poster showed how people on the surface perceived them? Maybe they really were monsters to them?
But before, they considered humans to be monsters, for their cruelty, for their wars, for locking them underground like savages. They took away the monsters' sun, sky, and freedom... and called it victory. Now everything looked the opposite. Everything was turned upside down.
Sans just smiled — but it was a bitter smile.
"Well, finally. We're a horror story. Here we are."
"We're not monsters!" Papyrus said, rising from the couch and clenching his fists. "This is just a mistake! We're not bad! I'm ready to prove it to anyone!"
"No, Papyrus..." Sans put his hand on his shoulder, "...we are monsters. But not in the way they think." He slowly shook his head. "The problem is, bro, they don't care. They just like to be scared."
Sans' voice sounded calm, but in the silence, it seemed especially heavy.
"The simpler the story, the easier it is to swallow. Good, evil. Good people, bad monsters. Everything by the book."
Papyrus slowly sat back down. His eyes were full of confusion. However, Sans stared warily at the screen. The moment when the image of King Azgor — unmistakable — turned into a monster was completely stuck in his head. He could assume that it was done on purpose, that someone had decided to edit the video to make monsters look like monsters. It made sense, considering that the format of the fragment shown resembled old VHS tapes. However, now the question arose: could it be that the screen, which was supposed to show another world, had decided to show some kind of video? No. Sans knew it in his gut. This was no ordinary playback. It wasn't just a tape or a recording.
There was something more to this video. Formally, it could have been a montage. Technically, it was another world, very similar to their own.
Sans scratched his head as he stared at the screen. If this was an alternate world, then they were being shown the worst-case scenario that could happen to them.
Universe: Ben 10. Omniverse.
At Mr. Smoothie's cafe, sitting at one of the tables set up outside. Ben ran his hands over his face, complaining and leaning back.
"I hope it's not some kind of horror movie."
Rook, sitting nearby, frowned, turning to him with slight confusion.
"Horror?" he asked, tilting his head. "You mean... a scary entertainment video?"
Ben sighed, shaking his head.
"Not just scary. Where everything is quiet and strange, and then someone suddenly jumps out right in front of the camera," he said, suddenly reaching out his hands toward Ruk's face, as if imitating a screamer. "BOO!"
Ruk blinked but remained unperturbed.
"Scary without any apparent logic? That's... irrational. Like in ancient legends about cursed planets?"
"Something like that," Ben muttered. "Only worse. Because you can't hit it. It's just... creepy. I'm not afraid, of course," Ben added quickly, crossing his arms. "Just... warning you. Just in case."
"I'll keep that in mind," Rook replied dryly, his eyes returning to the screen. "Do you think Mount Abbott has anything to do with the missing people?"
Ben shrugged, trying to maintain a semblance of calm, but the tension still slipped through in his voice.
"I can't say for sure, but everything we've seen points to that. It's like the monsters have gotten way stronger and started leaving their prison and stealing people, dragging them off to their cave. That's usually what happens in old horror movies..."
He fell silent, staring at the frame, at the moment when the monster with the trident turned into something else, accompanied by a distorted sound. Ben shuddered.
"I don't envy those who ended up with them," he shrugged. Just the memory of that horrible monster depicted on the poster made Ben shiver nervously. To cope with it, he took a big sip of his smoothie, trying to look indifferent.
The Universe: Dragons riders of berk
When the screen showed distortion and that monster, many dragons suddenly roared at the screen, feeling threatened, so much so that some dragons breathed fire at the screens. And the dragon riders were no exception.
Hiccup held Toothless by the neck strap, petting him.
"Toothless, calm down! It's okay, it's... it's just an image!"
But the dragon did not listen. He growled low, opening his mouth toward the screen, ready to unleash his breath at any moment.
"What in Odin's name is going on!" shouted Snotlout, who was pinned down by his dragon, pressing him to the ground, trying to crush him. Hookfang even enveloped his body in fire, miraculously not setting his rider on fire.
"How fast do you think we'll die?" Zadiraka asked his sister, squirming under the paw of their dragon, who, sensing danger, pressed both twins to the ground.
He watched as Bars, intentionally or not, released a cloud of greenish gas from his mouth.
"I hope quickly, because I can't stand it," moaned Zabiyaka, cowering. She was less fortunate, as she was already beginning to be enveloped by a thick fog of gas, making it difficult to breathe normally.
Bars, not realizing that he was making things worse, continued to release weak streams of gas, tossing and turning restlessly and growling, as if trying to scare away what he saw on the screen. Meanwhile, Boar glanced from side to side, not rushing to ignite the gas.
"It seems they sense danger from this... monster," said Fishlegs, stumbling slightly, his dragon standing in front of him, blocking his view of the screen.
He tried to calm him down. Astrid put her hand on her dragon's face. Gromgilda turned her head toward her, growling softly. The girl took her face in both hands, trying to calm her down.
"It's okay, Gromhilda. It's okay..." Her words were warm and soothing, but her voice still trembled.
Gromhilda blinked slowly, then let out a quiet, vibrating growl and lowered her head. Her chest rose heavily, but slowly — she began to calm down. The dragoness's eyes closed, and with that, as if by some invisible chain reaction, the other dragons also began to calm down. Toothless stopped staring fiercely at the screen and closed his mouth. He was just breathing heavily. Hiccup extinguished his flame, removed his paw, and moved away from Snorikala. Bars and Boar moved back and flapped their wings to remove the gas, allowing one of the twins to breathe the air she needed. Sardine lowered her wings and exhaled noisily.
Hiccup wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"I can't believe they reacted like that. They were much calmer when they showed them that creature from the past world. Back then, the dragons' only reaction was a quiet growl.
"We should have guessed when we showed them the picture of that..." Astrid took a deep breath, continuing to stroke her dragon. "...monster, they growled.
She sniffed, stood up, dusted herself off, and grumbled, but there was alarm in her voice:
"Don't remind me of it, now I'll have nightmares. But this is the first time a dragon has almost crushed me with fear. I don't know what they'll show us next, but something tells me it won't be good."
He sat down next to his dragon, who now looked guilty, as if he realized he had gone too far.
"And we can't get rid of these square things..." Hiccup sighed, staring at the flickering, trembling screen. "All we can do is watch."
He put his hand on Toothless's neck, trying to convey at least a little calm to him. The dragon snorted, his eyes continuing to follow the image, but the tension in his body eased slightly. He made a quiet, vibrating sound, almost a moan, as if expressing an anxiety he couldn't explain in words.
The other riders followed his example and tried to calm their dragons so that they would not accidentally destroy anything.
"How long do you think it will be before the dragons fly into a rage again? I think it will be half an hour," Zadiraka began, addressing his sister.
"I'm betting on fifteen minutes," replied Zabiyaka.
"Accepted."
On screen.
Episode 2. Investigation.
The new episode began with the text:
"This recording is intended for members only... Any information in this recording is strictly confidential. Several weeks have passed since the seventh disappeared in the Mount Ebot area. The local police sent an investigation team and two speleologists to find the missing persons."
Then a photo of two people appears, whose faces have also been censored.
"Cavers Scott... and Jeffrey..."
After them, there is a photo of a man dressed as a police officer, whose face has also been hidden.
"They had all the necessary equipment, including a radio. Scott also had a camera that transmitted the broadcast to Officer Connor..."
"The cavers began their descent."
Then two images appear, one of Officer Connor and the other of one of the cavers named Scott. Accompanied by voices, the text of the dialogue between them appears below the two images.
The officer asks if the connection is working, to which Scott replies. He complains about interference. When the officer asks about Jeffrey, Scott replies that he is next to him. When asked about their surroundings, Scott says that they are at the bottom of a pit, which is much deeper than they thought, and that there are many golden flowers around them. He also says that he has found a corridor. Going down it, they come across a gate that looks man-made. Which, as Scott notes, is extremely surprising. Then, unexpectedly, Scott asked the officer if he knew any stories about the monsters imprisoned on Mount Ebot. The officer replied that the monsters must all be there, but still insisted on continuing the descent. Then Scott discovered another gate, which was in worse condition and partially destroyed. The officer asked for a photo to be sent.
Then, accompanied by clicking sounds, an image of a white arch appeared. The photo was of poor quality and it was impossible to make out anything else.
Then Scott began to describe the surroundings, realizing that he was inside a huge building. He began to ask questions: "Why didn't anyone know about this?" The officer asked if they had found any traces of the missing people. He received a negative answer, then reported that Jeffrey had found something.
Interference began until the image normalized.
Scott's voice sounded alarmed. The ruins seemed endless. Connor warned them to be careful. Then they began to show images of the ruins one by one. The quality also left much to be desired. It was difficult to make out what was depicted in the photographs.
Scott began to behave strangely, amazed at the scale of the ruins and the fact that he had not yet found any traces of the people who had fallen here. Hearing this, Conor suggested they return, as this task was intended for a large group of people. This upset Scott, who declared that this was the most interesting thing he had seen in his entire career as a caver and asked Conor not to worry.
Then Scott and Jeffrey discover a house with a tree in front of it. The officer says he has a bad feeling and demands that they immediately return to the place where they were last seen, after which they will be evacuated. However, something disturbing happens — Conor calls out to Scott.
"What is that creature?!" Then there were strange sounds that were impossible to identify: either a scream or a growl. And then, for a moment, an image appeared that they managed to capture. The picture was dark, and the dim light illuminated little, but the creature standing in the doorway was clearly visible, especially its large eyes reflecting the light.
The officer asks what is going on. Scott's voice is filled with fear; he says that something attacked them and ate Jeffrey. He is already far away, but he can still hear his screams. Breathing heavily, he asked frantically what the hell it was. Conor replied tensely that he should get as far away as possible and get outside, reassuring Scott that he would be rescued before the monster noticed him. However, Scott was already on the verge of despair and afraid of dying. Cursing, he said he didn't know where he was and that he had never seen these rooms before, regretting that he had come here at all. Then he began to scream hysterically, and his image changed into a terrifying screaming creature. After that, the image disappeared along with the screams.
Again, the text: "The following images are the last photographs Scott took before contact with him was lost." They began to show photographs depicting ruins one by one. Apparently, they were taken in a hurry, and in the fourth one, there were the eyes of a white creature.
Other worlds.
For some reason, everyone understood that going down into the dungeon would not end well. It was as if they already expected to be killed. But even these last moments were terrifying. The feeling of uncertainty, the heart-rending scream, and, as if to finish them off in their already broken state, the last photograph taken in panic. The eyes of an unknown creature, in which hunger could be seen. It seemed as if it was looking at its audience. Many who were watching the screen with their children covered their eyes. Many warriors gripped their weapons tighter. And only the demons watched with glee.
The Universe: Adventure Time
Finn gripped the hilt of his sword tighter as he sat tensely in his home. The ice cream they had prepared remained untouched.
"Thanks, now I'm going to have nightmares," Jake muttered discontentedly.
Finn was silent, clenching his teeth. His fingers turned white on the hilt of his sword.
"They were afraid... they died in fear. He just wanted to save himself." His voice broke. "And they didn't even show the creature properly. Just its eyes..."
Jake finally looked away from the screen and glanced at the melted ice cream.
"I thought we'd see another fun world, not... this." He shuddered. "It's as if this creature could get in here if we look at it for too long."
Finn just put on a determined face, stood up, and pointed his sword at the screen.
"If it really comes out of that screen, let it try. We'll see who scares whom." He stared menacingly at the screen.
He was deeply disappointed when, instead of something good and heroic, they showed this... Especially the death of his... kin. Jay, his brother, imagined what Finn had experienced when he first saw other people, then he stared blankly and almost cried out when they showed the destruction of people. Fortunately, the hero saved everyone. But now things are different.
His dog did not share his courage; he took a spoon and began to devour the melted ice cream. He muttered something under his breath. Then he asked Finn:
"Do you think this mountain exists in our world?"
The young man lowered his sword, thinking about this.
"Mount Ebot, huh?" he said slowly, staring at the floor. "I used to think I knew every peak in LLC. But I don't remember one like that."
He frowned and walked over to the window, peering into the distant landscape.
"But... if it really exists, then maybe it's somewhere off the map. You know, in places we haven't reached yet."
Jake stopped, the spoon hanging in his mouth. He swallowed the ice cream, shivered, then said:
"Bro, be honest... you want to go there, right?"
Finn just smiled slightly, without turning around:
"I don't know. It looks like a place no one should go." He turned to Jake, a spark in his eyes. "But if someone is suffering there... if they're asking for help... or if there's evil there that needs to be dealt with, we can't just sit back and watch. Right?"
Jake took a deep breath and scooped up some more ice cream.
"Okay... But only if you promise to bring a flashlight. And not one of those you always lose within the first hour. I want a real one, bright, with lots of batteries." Jake narrowed his eyes and pointed his spoon at Finn. "And don't say later, 'Oh, Jake, I thought you took it!'"
Finn laughed and slapped his friend on the shoulder, taking an old flashlight with a crack in the glass out of his backpack.
"Okay, no junk. Let's take the Bubblegum Super Flashlight. The one that shines like the sun and can toast a sandwich."
"Now we're talking." Jake nodded contentedly, finally finishing his ice cream. "Because if I hear even a single rustle, I'll grab you and run away from those ruins in a flash."
"Deal, brother. But if that monster really comes out of its cave... it'll have to deal with both of us."
Jake shivered again:
"Just please, let's have an ice cream break first. Seriously."
The Universe: Gravity Falls
"Lick me, Leprechaun!" Uncle Stan exclaimed, recoiling from the screen. "I thought this thing showed other worlds, not gave us a damn cassette tape session!
"This is another world, Uncle Stan," Dipper said, frantically flipping through his notebook, "but clearly not the same as usual." The format is completely different from the previous one. Which begs the question, is the 'screen' showing genuine fragments from another reality, or are we being shown the usual... ahem, scary handmade horror.
"What the hell do you mean, handmade?!" Stan grumbled. "If I'd known there'd be horror here, I would have brought a pillow instead of coffee!"
Mabel, huddling close to Poof, added in a trembling voice:
"I actually thought the next world would be full of rainbows and talking poodles... Not photos with screaming eyes! Who even shows this stuff?"
Zus, squinting, tried to slap the screen, but his hand passed right through it.
"Bad screen. Bad. Why didn't you show something that wasn't horrible?"
"That won't help, Zus. The screens are completely impervious to any kind of influence." Ford shook his head as he looked at his screen, carefully examining the distorted image, his chin resting on his hand in his usual manner.
"These screens are just like the mirror in the bathroom of my first bar," Stan muttered. "It never showed anything good."
"Wait." Dipper suddenly froze. "What if Mount Abbott... is ours?"
Everyone fell silent.
"Well... it's possible," Zus pondered.
"Impossible," Ford interjected, slowly shaking his head. "I've recorded hundreds of spatial distortions in our world, but nothing like that... at least not yet. But the mountain could exist in a parallel reality that intersects with ours. Like Headless Forest—you can't see it until you start looking for it."
"Great," Stan groaned, "So now you're saying that there might be another damn dungeon under Gravity Falls with monsters that eat people?
"Possibly." Ford looked at him coldly. "Or it already exists."
"Oh, great. Just wonderful," Stan slapped his forehead. "I hope there isn't another portal to a world of eye-popping monsters opening up in the basement under my souvenir shop!
"Well, at least we're far away," Dipper said with false optimism.
"Great," Stan muttered. "If someone screams again in the next fragment, I demand compensation. In the form of... I don't know... a sedative."
"I just want it to be something without eyes," added Zuz. "Or at least with fewer teeth."
"Or at least... with a happy ending," Mabel said quietly.
The screen flickered. The distorted image began to change.
The Universe: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012)
The screen flickered, once again showing fragments of a strange world. The picture was shaky, and the sound track was poor. It was as if it had been recorded on old film. As soon as Scott's scream ended and the monster's eyes were shown, the silence in the lair became deafening.
Raphael frowned, gripping the handle of his sai tightly.
"I don't like any of this... This mountain, these recordings... it's terrifying." He narrowed his eyes. "If this mountain is in our world, we're not going to go there, right?"
"It's not in our world, Raf," Donatello replied calmly, busy analyzing the image on his instruments. "It's a broadcast. Something like an interdimensional window. It shows us a foreign reality. We can't interact with it... yet."
"Thank anchovies," Michelangelo muttered, clutching a teddy bear in his hands. "This video is like someone made a horror movie... but not for a horror movie night, but to scare someone specific."
Leonardo, sitting next to him, put his hand on his shoulder, even though he himself was tense as a stretched string. From the very beginning, he hadn't taken his eyes off the screen, especially when a silhouette with huge, light-reflecting eyes appeared in the doorway.
"This creature... It's not like the mutants we're used to fighting. According to their story, these monsters originally lived together with humans, but something went wrong and a war broke out between them. Now I'm curious, what caused it?"
"Okay, now you're scaring me, bro," Mickey said, pulling the blanket tighter. "And I have another question. Who actually goes down into a creepy pit, notices something, and thinks, 'Oh, cool, let's go further!'"
Raphael waved his hand angrily:
"And they find doors there too. Walls, corridors. In the middle of a mountain! It's definitely not natural. Someone built it."
Donnie finally looked up from the screen:
"You know what's weird? This mountain... its description resembles a geological feature. It could exist in some dimension. An underground structure similar to a volcanic vent. But... there's no information about such gates or flowers in our database."
"Are you saying," Leo turned slightly toward him, "that in theory, Mount Abbott could exist in our world?"
"In a parallel version of our world, perhaps," Donnie nodded.
Raphael cursed under his breath.
"I hope there aren't any doppelgangers of us running around and screaming at cameras while they're being eaten by eyed monsters."
Michelangelo raised his hand:
"I'd prefer a version where we're shown on the beach. And everyone's happy. And no one disappears into dark dungeons, okay?"
The screen continued broadcasting.
"All we can do is wait," said Leonardo. "And hope for a happy outcome for those who encounter them."
Everyone just nodded.
On the screen.
Episode 3. The History of the Monster Race.
The third episode began with a fluttering blue flag depicting a white circle with wings on either side and three triangles at the bottom: two pointing upward and one pointing downward. It also bore the inscription: "Runefilm." Then the frame darkens, showing a symbol on a black background similar to the image on the flag, and a voiceover begins, telling the story of the monsters after their imprisonment.
He greeted the audience and began to tell the story from the first episode. He explained the reason why the monsters were unable to escape to the surface. He briefly described how the monsters began to adapt to the underground, building a civilization, creating areas unique to each region, terraforming — in his words — into beautiful places for monsters to live.
It turned out that the mountain was much larger than it seemed at first glance. After founding their first capital, the monsters began to advance deeper and deeper, exploring new territories, populating them, and building new cities. They managed to create ideal living conditions for each monster, taking into account their unique needs, making the underground completely habitable.
As civilization developed, in the early 1500s, the monsters began construction of a structure called the CORE. It provided the entire underground with magical electricity, filtered the air for each region, creating suitable climatic conditions, and distributed food to the monsters. It was a kind of magic generator that made it possible to live in any part of the dungeon. In essence, the monsters turned the place that was supposed to be their prison into a new home, reaching new heights in both technology and magic.
The narrator points out the monsters' unique physiology. He says that thanks to it, the monsters owe their rapid evolution. But he also adds that even without the Core, they could have evolved into creatures much more different than they are today. He explains this by saying that monsters as a species evolve much faster than humans. Their evolution also depends on their habitat and conditions.
In the end, he says that monsters are waiting for the day when they will be freed and come to the surface, and that monsters will triumph again. After that, he thanks everyone for their attention and prays to God to help them rise again. With that, he ends... But after a few seconds of silence on the screen, an image of the Core appears, along with alarm signals, and then the Core bursts into flames.
Universe: Frostpunk
The frost spared no one. The winds howled behind the generator walls, and an icy hum penetrated through the cracks and nooks, as if reminding people once again that winter here is eternal. And yet, despite the harsh conditions, people survived as best they could. The walls, still warm from the steam and heat emanating from the pipes, could not hide the fear that now came not from outside, but from the screen that had recently come to be called "The Eye of Other Worlds." It had become a kind of escape, helping to distract from the endless cold and the struggle for survival. It was no surprise that people were excited when the screens began showing the new world again. However, it did not last long.
An image of the Core appeared on the screen — a huge technological marvel that powered an underground civilization of monsters. The announcer's voice, calm but solemn, spoke of magic, evolution, and the achievements of creatures banished underground. One of the engineers even whispered:
"It looks like our generator..."
People felt a strange sympathy for these new creatures. Even though they had just seen the horrific encounter between two men and one of their representatives. They feared them, but at the same time respected them. The history of the monsters' imprisonment was similar to their own. Both peoples tried to adapt to new realities. Gradually rebuilding civilization. Trying to make the conditions for survival as good as possible. They even had their own generator, which was the heart of their new world. It provided heat, light, and air, making their lives as comfortable as possible. Just like theirs.
Some watched the screen with caution, but in the eyes of most, there was something more than fear — a kind of surreal understanding. Sympathy. A quiet, painful solidarity. These creatures, locked underground, doomed to eternal exile, built their world just like they did — under the yoke of relentless elements. You might smile wryly at the thought that you feel compassion for monsters, one of which killed two poor souls.
"They have interesting architecture..." muttered one of the engineers, looking closely at the Core's design. "Pipelines, energy circulation... magic. It's incredible. Technology and magic hand in hand."
"Interesting..." added her colleague, adjusting his glasses. "How does their magic work?"
But then the screen showed the Core engulfed in flames. Many people gasped.
"No..." one of the engineers gasped. "Not the generator..."
For the inhabitants of a city surrounded by eternal winter, the image of the burning Core was akin to a personal tragedy. For them, the loss of the generator meant inevitable doom. They could only hope that the monsters would somehow be able to repair it, or that they had a backup plan.
Universe: RWBY
After a week of studying, the weekend arrived, and just then the screen decided to turn on. Right now, the entire RWBY team was in their dorm room. Blake was lying on her bed, looking at the screen, feeling sympathy for the monsters. Her initial impression of them as monsters on par with Grimm was slowly fading. She recognized something familiar in them — a people exiled, rejected, condemned to live far from the rest of the world. It all seemed too similar to her own experience.
"They're... not so different from us," Blake finally said, her voice almost a whisper.
Young crossed her arms and frowned.
"It's hard to sympathize with those who, in the last recording... ate a human," she said uncertainly, her gaze intense. She didn't look away from the screen. "But... I understand. They were defending their territory. Probably."
"Probably?" Weiss looked at her suspiciously, raising an eyebrow. "Yang, we don't even know what it was. That creature, it just... attacked. Now I understand why they were locked up. These monsters are dangerous, and they deserve to be locked up in the dungeon."
Blake turned sharply to Vise, her eyes narrowing.
"Are you serious?" Her voice trembled with indignation. "Are you saying they deserve to be locked up because one creature attacked? We don't even know what they're really like. Are you seriously going to accuse their entire people of murder, even if they had nothing to do with it?"
Weiss sighed, clenching her fists.
"I'm not saying they're all monsters... But if one of them is capable of this, that's reason enough to be cautious. Would you let someone with that kind of power just... walk the streets?"
"What if all fauns were locked up because one faun did something bad?" Blake countered, clenching her teeth. "Would you call that fair? Especially when absolutely anyone, even a human, could attack you. What? Would you put everyone else in a cage? Everyone, indiscriminately? You do understand where that logic leads, don't you?"
Vice lowered her gaze slightly, hesitating for a moment, but then stubbornly continued:
"It's not the same thing..."
"It is exactly the same thing," Blake interrupted her. "Prejudice. Fear. We see them at their most vulnerable—exiles, desperately trying to survive... And all you see are monsters?
"I see reality," Weiss narrowed her eyes. "We can't afford to be naive. One monster has already attacked. What if more come after him?
"So what?" Blake's voice faltered. "Don't people kill? Don't they do terrible things? Why not lock them all up then? Why are they forgiven, but these people aren't?"
For a moment, there was silence, thick as if the air in the room had become heavier. And in that silence, the voice of their team leader, Ruby, rang out:
"We don't know the whole story. But from what I've seen... they don't hold a grudge against humans." At her words, all three—Blake, Yang, and Weiss—turned to her. Ruby flinched slightly under their intense stares, but continued with greater determination. "This fragment... it's more like an educational video. Like in elementary school, when they show you how the world works. And... they never mentioned humans once. No accusations, no hatred. Just a desire to return to the surface, and even then, it doesn't say that they all immediately attack humans as a mob. These are just guesses."
Ruby smiled awkwardly. Her words hung in the air, settling in the minds of everyone in the room. It made everyone think, her guesses had a right to exist, but they weren't given time to think, because the screen continued broadcasting.
The Universe: The Witcher
A quiet evening in one of the bars was accompanied by a broadcast from another world. Incomprehensible images, the narrator's words, a story about a race imprisoned in the dungeon. Monsters, exiled by humans, created their own refuge, built cities, and wove magic with technology. And finally, , a structure they called the Core. According to the narrator, it was one of the greatest structures, providing the monster people with everything they needed.
Geralt leaned toward the screen and remained silent. Next to him, Yennefer, her hand on her chin, stared intently at the projection. Lutece tried several times to interject, but each time he changed his mind, seeing the seriousness of the situation.
"These are... not monsters," the witcher finally said. "At least, not in the sense we understand them."
Yennefer nodded, her eyes still fixed on the screen:
"Their magic is very different from ours. I've never heard of magic being combined with technology. Or used to change entire areas of space, climate, living conditions... as if reality itself obeys their will.
She thoughtfully ran her fingers over her chin, watching as images of artificial biomes created by monsters flashed across the screen: icy, hot, and even aquatic.
"This is no longer just magic. It's... a new paradigm. They didn't cast spells — they rewrote the laws."
Geralt frowned:
"Too much power in one set of hands rarely ends well."
Yennefer smiled slightly, but without joy.
"Yes, especially when it involves isolation... and the pain of exile. They had to create a world from the ruins, and they did it, even better than many people on the surface."
The Core flashed on the screen. A powerful explosion, alarms, fire. Yennefer frowned:
"And yet... even the most perfect world can burn in an instant."