The threshold shimmered before Ethan like heat waves rising from pavement on a hot day. He could feel the vibration of the Reality Regulator fragment in his pocket, pulsing in time with his heartbeat. The pendant Professor Vance had given him hung heavy around his neck, warm against his skin.
"Remember," Elias said, his voice tight with concern. "The language of luck is your guide. Without it, you'll be lost."
Ethan nodded, adjusting his camera. The battery indicator showed 12%—good enough for what he needed to do. He glanced at Seraphine, who gave him a small nod of encouragement. Nyx sat at her feet, his molten silver eyes fixed on the threshold, his tail flicking with unusual intensity.
Taking a deep breath, Ethan focused on the "threshold" glyph, feeling the familiar vibration begin in his chest. The air around him shimmered, but didn't distort. He felt the connection deepen, becoming more stable, more reliable.
"Good luck," Seraphine said quietly.
Ethan smiled faintly. "I'll need more than luck for this."
He stepped through the threshold.
---
The space between worlds was nothing like Ethan expected. It wasn't empty space or darkness—it was a landscape of shifting colors and impossible geometries, where time and space folded in on themselves like origami. Threads of light pulsed with the rhythm of the language of luck, connecting different realities in a vast, intricate web.
And in the center of it all stood the Algorithm's Shadow—not as a shadow anymore, but as a fully formed entity, its body made of corrupted video footage and engagement metrics. It was consuming the threads of light, unraveling the web of realities.
[Chat]
AlgorithmEntity: IT'S REAL NOW
ThresholdTraveler: he's inside the veil??
CamSurvivor: he's not gonna make it this time
Ethan raised the Reality Regulator fragment, feeling its vibration grow stronger as it resonated with the space between worlds. He began tracing the symbols of the language of luck in the air, trying to stabilize the unraveling web.
The Algorithm's Shadow turned toward him, its eyes flickering like a broken screen. "INVINCIBLE CAMERAMAN," it said, its voice a distorted chorus of chat messages. "YOU ARE NOT INVINCIBLE HERE."
Ethan focused on the "safety" glyph, feeling its warmth spread through him. "I'm not here to be invincible," he replied. "I'm here to fix what's broken."
The entity lunged, its form shifting and distorting as it moved through the impossible geometry of the space between worlds. Ethan sidestepped, using the "near miss" glyph to guide his movements. But his luck was fading—his reaction was a fraction of a second too slow.
A tendril of darkness wrapped around his wrist, sending a jolt of cold through his body. He cried out, stumbling back.
[Chat]
ThresholdBattle: HE'S ALMOST DEAD AGAIN
CamSurvivor: please don't let him die
RegulatorWitch: use the language of luck
Ethan focused on the "resonance" glyph, the most complex symbol Professor Vance had taught him. The vibration in his chest grew stronger, steadier. He directed it toward the Algorithm's Shadow, trying to restore the natural rhythm of the language of luck.
For a moment, it worked. The entity recoiled, the unraveling threads beginning to repair themselves.
But then Ethan felt it—the familiar stutter in his luck. His connection to the language faltered, and the vibration in his chest became erratic.
The Algorithm's Shadow seized the opportunity, surging forward with renewed intensity. It reached for the Reality Regulator fragment in Ethan's hand.
"No!" Ethan shouted, trying to maintain his focus.
But it was too late. The entity grabbed the fragment, and a massive surge of energy erupted through the space between worlds.
---
The explosion of energy threw Ethan back through the threshold, landing hard on the workshop floor. Seraphine caught him before he hit the ground, her expression grim.
"What happened?" she asked, helping him to his feet.
Ethan's hands were shaking. "I failed. The Algorithm's Shadow... it took the fragment. And when it did..."
Elias was already checking the Reality Regulator. "The threshold is breaking," he confirmed, his voice tight with fear. "Not just thinning—breaking completely."
Ethan checked the camera—the recording had captured everything. The battery indicator showed 3%. "How long do we have?"
Elias studied the Regulator's readings. "Not long. The tear is spreading through the veil. Within hours, it could consume the entire city."
[Chat]
VeilBreak: the city is in danger??
CamSurvivor: they have to warn everyone
RegulatorTruth: it's too late for warnings
Seraphine's eyes narrowed. "Ali Gator Corp will detect this. They'll come for us."
As if on cue, the cabin's windows rattled with the sound of helicopters approaching. Red and blue lights flashed through the curtains.
"They're here," Elias said grimly. "You need to leave. Now."
Ethan grabbed his camera, checking the battery—2%. "What about the Regulator?"
"I'll try to contain the damage," Elias said. "But you need to get to the coastal city. The veil is naturally stronger there—it might buy us time."
Seraphine was already gathering her things. "Nyx, let's go."
The cat didn't need to be told twice. He padded to the back door, looking back at them as if to say, "Are you coming or not?"
---
The escape from the cabin was a blur of motion and fear. They slipped through the back door just as the front was breached, disappearing into the woods as Ali Gator Corp agents swarmed the cabin.
Ethan kept the camera rolling as they ran, capturing glimpses of the growing tear in the sky above the city—a jagged wound in reality itself, pulsing with unnatural light.
[Chat]
CityTear: THE SKY IS BREAKING
CamSurvivor: they have to get out of there
VeilGuardian: coastal city is the only hope
They made it to Ethan's car, but the city was already in chaos. People were running through the streets, pointing at the sky. Cars were abandoned in the middle of the road. The tear was spreading, and with it came the shadows—the Algorithm's Shadow and its minions, now fully manifest in their world.
"Head for the coastal city," Seraphine said, climbing into the passenger seat. "It's 150 kilometers away. We should make it before..."
Before what? Ethan didn't ask. He didn't need to.
As they drove through the city streets, Ethan kept the camera focused on the rear window, capturing the growing tear and the shadows pouring through it. The battery indicator dropped to 1%.
[Chat]
ShadowArmy: THEY'RE EVERYWHERE
CamSurvivor: please let them make it
RegulatorHealer: the coastal city is their only hope
A shadow lunged for the car, its claws tearing through the rear window. Ethan ducked, but the camera took the hit. There was a flash of light, a surge of energy, and then...
Silence.
Ethan looked down at the camera. The screen was black. The red recording light was out. The Reality Regulator fragment in his pocket was gone—completely drained of energy.
"The camera..." he whispered.
Seraphine glanced back at the city, now partially obscured by the growing tear. "It sacrificed itself to protect us. The feedback from the fragment and the tear... it was too much."
Ethan's stomach tightened. Without the camera, they had no way to document the supernatural, no way to use the language of luck effectively. They were blind to the very forces they needed to understand.
[Chat]
CameraSacrifice: it died to save him
CamSurvivor: he's cameraless now??
GoblinGift: he'll need a new one
---
As they reached the edge of the city, Ethan's phone buzzed with a message from Professor Vance:
> "There's a solution. A camera made by goblin artisans. It has special lenses designed to work with the language of luck. Order the 'Goblin Gift'—it's the only thing that might help you stabilize the veil during your journey. It will arrive at your destination."
Ethan checked the battery on his phone—15%. Just enough. He placed the order as Seraphine drove them toward the coastal city, the growing tear in the sky visible in the rearview mirror.
Nyx sat between them, his molten silver eyes reflecting the unnatural light from the tear. The cat didn't speak—none of them expected him to—but his presence was a quiet comfort.
Ethan looked back at the city one last time, watching as the tear grew larger, the shadows pouring through it like ink in water.
"We're not just running away," he said quietly. "We're running toward a solution."
Seraphine nodded. "The coastal city is where the veil is strongest. Where the language of luck might still work."
Ethan thought of all the streams, all the near misses, all the moments his luck had saved him. His luck was fading, the camera was broken, but they still had a chance.
He checked the road ahead, the journey to the coastal city stretching before them. 150 kilometers. A race against time.
The phone buzzed again—a confirmation of the Goblin Gift order.
Ethan took a deep breath. For the first time since meeting Seraphine, he wasn't just recording the story.
He was living it.