The portal opened, this time with a crack.
Not a silent tear, but a forced separation of layers. Eva felt her consciousness, not her body, multiply for a few seconds. A feeling of being in multiple places at once… then being forcibly pulled to a single point.
When her feet touched the ground, her knees trembled slightly.
The year 3442.
This universe was different from others because at first glance it seemed orderly. The sky was dark but perfect; the stars were arranged with mathematical symmetry. Structures rose—tall, smooth, covered in light. They weren't metal. Nor were they stone. Rather, they were matter shaped by consciousness.
"This place… is too clean," said Dora.
"It feels like a trap," added Jenna. "There's no chaos, but there's no peace either."
This was Somexane. But an evolved form of the curse.
Technology was everywhere. Lines of light crawling on the ground, transport capsules suspended in the air, structures connected by invisible networks. But amidst all this sophistication, there was one thing in common:
Silence.
"There are living beings," Clementin said. "But there's no sound."
There really were aliens. Kixte's soldiers—mechanically powered, heavily armored, patrolling with emotionless movements. Their weapons were unfamiliar; no barrels, no triggers. Energy was directed by intent.
"Do they see us?" Dora asked.
Eva closed her eyes. She felt the first key. A weight formed in her chest.
"Yes," she said. "But…it's like we're not quite here."
The key had put them into a phase shift. They were visible but intangible. But this wasn't permanent.
"We have time," Hatoshi said. "But it's short."
They moved toward the city center. There were traces of Somatpa. A building—or rather, a focal point. When they entered, the technology retreated.
The walls darkened. The light went out.
And Somatpa spoke.
The sound didn't come from one point. It came from everywhere.
You're carrying the keys.
That doesn't make you the chosen one.
It only makes you a target.
"Did you lure us here?" Eva asked.
No.
I'm just seeing the result.
Jenna stepped forward. "Where does the curse begin?"
There was a moment of silence.
It has already begun.
The second key activated.
The ground trembled. Lines of light distorted. The city began to lose its perfect symmetry. The edges of buildings tilted. Shadows multiplied.
Kixte appeared.
Large, heavy, static. His eyes were mechanical, but his gaze wasn't foolish; it was more indifferent.
"Strangers," he said in a hoarse voice. "You are out of phase."
Zanzafa and Ediloq appeared behind him. Weapons were activated. Energy fields vibrated.
"There is no escape," Zanzafa said, grinning. "This city doesn't like exits."
Hatoshi took a breath. For the first time, he hesitated.
"The third key," Eva said. "Now."
The key activated.
Reality collapsed.
For a moment, everyone was trapped in their own fear. Dora was tossed about in a ruleless void. Jenna was forced to read an unwritten history. Clementin… Clementin saw his own end for a moment.
When they returned, the city was semi-dark. The phase shift was over.
They were now touchable.
"In this universe," Somatpa's voice said for the last time, "there is no passage without a price."
Kixte gave the order to attack.
The weapons didn't fire. The intentions fired.
Clementin stepped forward. He was fast. His reflexes were now beyond human limits. But the curse was following him.
"Retreat!" Eva shouted.
But Clementin didn't stop.
He took a blow. It wasn't physical. It was an internal collapse. He fell to his knees.
Eva ran, but it was too late.
Clementin lifted his head. He smiled.
"My time," he said. "It's here."
Eva shook her head. "No."
Clementin closed his eyes.
And this universe took its first life.
Kixte recoiled. Zanzafa fell silent. Ediloq was afraid.
The keys vibrated.
Somatpa whispered:
I've taken one.
Balance was restored.
Eva didn't scream. She didn't cry.
But at that moment, the last innocent part of Eva died.
The portal reopened.
And now the return would not be an escape…
It would be a war.