Eren : NO WAY...
Eren's eyes widened at the sight—
an unknown app, likely downloaded while he was trapped in that dark, vast room.
It was all real after all...
Eren : What could possibly this app be all about!?
Eren hesitated to click it.
It was tied to that dimension he had been trapped in.
Questions flooded his mind.
Eren : How did my phone even return to me while I was falling? It should've fallen out of my pocket...
Plus that scary figure...
His concerns chilled him to the core.
His phone had stayed with him even as he fell into the endless darkness.
The Lich in the dark room had warned him—
complete the tasks and objectives from the app, or death would soon find him.
Eren : Damn...
Henry : What damn?
Eren : Ughh... sorry.
Henry : What's the sorry for mister?
Eren : Never mind...
An awkward silence grew between Eren and Henry,
as Henry fumbled, flustered by Eren's reaction to his phone.
Lisa : Did anything happened between you two?
Eren and Henry : No?
Lisa : Alright then. Eren, you can stay here for a while, you are injured as of right now so you should take your time here.
Feel free.
Eren : Thanks for letting me stay here for awhile. I won't stay here for that long since I have to return to my home...
Lisa held a plate of snacks and food,
asking Eren to stay at her house to recover from his injuries.
Lisa : Alright! By the way, I brought you snacks.
Eren : Thanks!
She handed the plate to Eren.
Eren munched on the chips, sharing some with Henry.
"Tasty..."
"Yummy"
Then suddenly, the doorbell rang—
someone had arrived at the house.
Lisa : Excuse me.
She heads to the door to open it.
Eren then asks Henry.
Eren : Hey, what can I call you?
"Call me Henry", the little boy replies to his question.
Henry : What's your name?
"Eren Fritzwerld, nice to meet you", he replies to Henry.
Eren : I want to ask you something.
Henry : Sure! Go ahead.
Eren : How did you and your mother found me?
Henry : You were lying on the ground on the middle of the street near our house. You were unconscious so we brought you here.
Eren : I see... thanks for bringing me here.
At that moment, Lisa and someone who had just returned from work entered the room where Eren was resting.
Daniel Amanei : Hello there!
Eren : Hello there, the name's Eren Fritzwerld.
Lisa : We haven't introduced ourselves to you. I am Lisa Amanei.
"And call Daniel" her husband introduces himself to Eren.
Eren : Thanks for bringing me here to rest for a while. I really appreciate that.
Lisa and Daniel : No problem! I do request you again to stay here a little while.
Eren : That's a kind family right there....
Thanks.
Daniel sat on the couch beside Eren.
Eren, though badly injured, had recovered slightly—
the bleeding on his arms and forehead had stopped, now sealed under bandages.
Daniel picks the TV remote and turns on the TV.
Daniel : Hey Eren, you heard about some portal that was spawned in the middle of the road of this city?
Eren : Yeah... I know.
THAT'S WHERE I WAS TRAPPED!
Daniel : That portal disappeared just a few hours ago. However there were more news about the portal thingy.
Eren : Really?
Daniel : Check it out yourself.
The TV buzzed with a news broadcast—
reporting on the mysterious portals that had recently appeared, then vanished.
"Breaking News"
"The black portal that appeared three days ago has disappeared just hours ago. It had blocked the main four-way intersection when it emerged."
"Another portal that showed up two days ago on the highway connecting Levertsen City to Darien City vanished an hour ago."
"It's now confirmed that the investigation team sent into the portal at the four-road intersection... has been found dead."
Eren : That's worst...
I was the one who saw a severed head coming out of that portal, not only that I entered it, just to find the corpse of that team.
Daniel : Will this continue to happen? To think it's on world wide.
Eren : Wait, the portals summoned outside of this country as well?
Daniel : That's right...
Eren : What is this all about with the portals? Why did it even emerge?
Eren checked his phone to see the time—
only to realize he was late. Not slightly, but very late.
He was supposed to be home before 7 PM, but now it was...
Eren : 7:30!!?
Ughh... excuse me but I think I am late.
Daniel & Lisa : You are?
Eren : May I go now?
Lisa : If you are feeling fine, feel free to leave.
Eren : Alright, thanks.
Eren left the room and walked toward the door, ready to head out of the house.
Henry : Awww... already leaving?
Eren : Yeah, I have my parents that would be waiting for me so I gotta leave as well.
Henry : Can we meet anytime soon?
Eren : Sure. We'll meet sometimes in the future.
Henry : Alright then! Cya.
The Amanei family waved to Eren as he stepped out of the house.
Eren : Cya!
Knowing he was far too late, Eren began running through the streets, using his phone to track his home address.
But something lingered in his mind—
the words he had said to Henry just a little while ago...
Eren : Parents?... Why did I lie to him? I should have said "I have to return to my caretaker".
A few minutes passed as Eren ran, leaving the Amanei family's quiet neighborhood behind.
Levertsen City—his home—was a sprawling metropolis, lined with towering skyscrapers and glowing neon signs. The sky dimmed as evening set in, painting the glass buildings in shades of blue and crimson.
Massive LED screens lit up the streets, looping footage of the recently vanished black portals in Baferdton.
"BREAKING NEWS: Another Portal Vanishes – Investigation Team Missing."
Crowds moved around Eren as he weaved through them. The voice of a news anchor echoed from speakers overhead, drawing mixed reactions—some watched, others ignored.
"Authorities remain puzzled. Citizens are advised to avoid hotspot areas."
Eren : Actions are already taken...
Eren's thoughts shifted to someone—
Jack.
The one who had protected him from the hostile creatures inside that dark portal.
They were trapped together… but now?
Where is he?
Questions flooded Eren's mind.
Eren : Jack... is he even alive?
I was someone who could've died in there… if I hadn't been protected in that portal, in that dimension I was trapped in.
I was lucky—lucky enough to survive.
But him...
He was strong, stronger than me. Could he have made it out on his own?
Is he even alive?
The thoughts came out of his mind.
Eren : Home's close...
But will he yell at me the second I walk in after disappearing for 24 hours?
When Eren was pulled into the portal, it was sometime in the evening—likely between 5 and 7 PM.
Now, the time was 8:27 PM.
According to the calendar on his phone, a full day had passed.
He had been gone for exactly one day… just one day to escape that strange dimension.
Eren : Now the apartment is visible...
As Eren ran, his apartment building finally came into view, standing tall at the end of the street.
Reaching the entrance, Eren was immediately recognized by the guard, who called out to him.
John McClevan : HEY, BOY! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN FOR THE PAST 24 HOURS?!
Eren : I'LL EXPLAIN THINGS LATER.
Eren sprinted toward the elevator, urgency in his steps as he rushed to return to his apartment after being gone for 24 hours.
John : What's this kid up to... First time he's been gone longer than twelve hours without coming back...
Welp...
As Eren slid into the elevator, he quickly pressed the button for the 7th floor and hit the 'Close Door' button. The man was in a hurry.
Eren : C'mon! Hurry up!
A minute later, the elevator arrived at the 7th floor.
Eren's apartment was on this floor, shared with someone.
It was the first time he'd been away from home for more than 12 hours—actually, it had been 24 hours. The only other time he spent outside his apartment was during college.
Eren pressed the doorbell, his breath heavy from the relentless run. The strain of the past hours weighed on him.
David Sarverld : Hello there.
An older man, around 40 to 50 years of age, with black hair, wrinkles lining his face, and glasses perched on his nose, opened the door. His eyes widened in a mix of shock and relief as he saw the boy standing there—17 years old, black-haired, hoodie torn, clothes stained with dirt.
"Eren…?"
Without a moment's hesitation, he pulled the boy into a tight, overwhelming hug.
David : WHERE WAS YOU THIS ALL TIME? YOU KNOW YOUR OLD MAN WAS WORRIED WHEN YOU WERE OUTSIDE FOR ONE WHOLE DAY!
Eren : I apologize! I couldn't call you because I forgot! I was staying at my friend's house!
David was taken aback upon hearing that Eren had made friends.
David : Boy! You have grown up! You made friends now...
Eren : Yeah....
David : Come on in.
Eren entered the apartment after 24 hours. Unlike returning from a vacation—when he'd come home after a few days, drop his bag, and feel a wave of relief—this was different. There was no vacation, no David waiting inside. Just silence. And it hit different.
David : You hungry Eren?
Eren : Yeah...
David : Dinner's coming...
"Alright". Eren replied back.
Eren : After all,... I returned home safely.
I survived...
Then something clicked in his mind.
Eren's eyes widened with realization.
It felt like the terrifying feeling still hadn't left. It was the...
Eren : THAT APP!
Eren pulled out his phone, hands trembling.
What was that app all about?
Curiosity churned in his mind, laced with a growing fear.
He swiped across the screen...
And there it was — the app.
Its name simply read:
"???"