A hand reached out from the crack, and a humanoid monster emerged. Its entire form was shrouded in pure darkness, its body covered in countless eyes, yet its face bore no eyes, only a gaping mouth. The creature gazed upon him, and when it spoke, its voice echoed across the entire world.
"Child of dusk, you have been seen—"
It tried to step through, but the moment its feet touched the ground, cracks began to split across the sky. The heavens swirled, the earth trembled. The being froze, then slowly withdrew its step, its many eyes fixed on Viktor, who was writhing in pain.
"No mortal walks away from our gaze. The sky fractures at my touch, yet it is you who trembles, not the world. Grow, struggle, bleed, your strength changes nothing. In the end, you will return to us."
With that, it vanished into the darkness, but the crack remained. The pain in Viktor's eyes began to subside, though blood and tears still streamed down his face. He forced himself to stand and faced the portal. Suddenly, a deep roar echoed from within the rift, a sound of a beast in agony.
A chill ran down Viktor's spine. He knew something far worse was coming. He had to seal the crack before more creatures emerged.
He tore open the World Book, flipping to the World Page, but his expression darkened; there was no record of the crack. Frantically, he turned the pages until he reached the sixth one. The roar grew louder.
From the rift emerged a creature of pure darkness. Tentacles writhed from its form, and at its center was a single, monstrous eye surrounded by gaping maws. It bellowed, a sound like a goat's scream twisted into something unnatural, then lunged toward Viktor. Its presence radiated chaos; it sought to destroy everything.
Viktor quickly turned invisible, dodging aside as the monster struck. The World Book in his hand glowed, recording everything about the creature the instant it stepped fully into his world. But there was no name, no origin, no weaknesses listed.
He didn't have time to search for answers. Acting quickly, Viktor manipulated the ground beneath them. Earth swallowed the beast as massive tree-like chains erupted, binding it in place. The prison shook violently, the monster's screeches rattling the air, but it could not break free. Viktor was pouring every drop of World Energy into sealing it.
Finally, he let out a shuddering breath, sweat dripping from his brow. He almost sacrificed half of insect living in the world, converting their existence into more World Energy, reinforcing the seal until strange glowing patterns formed around the crack, locking it in place.
Viktor collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. He had never imagined that the gods from beyond reality would invade his soul world. It had been beyond his expectations, but fortunately, he had acted fast enough.
When he opened the World Book again, words began to form on the sixth page. It recorded the portal for the first time, giving it no name but describing it as an Outer Dimension, a realm that exists between reality and what lies beyond it. A passageway for the entities outside reality to force their way in.
There was no record of its origin or how it was created.
But then, the Book revealed something crucial. The Outer Gods beings, or Viktor had taken to calling them, were attempting to tear down the barriers of the Outer Dimensions, trying to break through into reality itself. Yet not all who dwelled in the Outer Dimensions welcomed them. Some entities were enraged by the Outer Gods' intrusion, and a war had begun between the two sides.
How long this conflict had raged, Viktor could not tell. He only knew that the Outer Gods' power might eventually overwhelm the defenders. And with time flowing differently between Earth and the Outer Dimensions, there was no telling when the barrier would finally fall. Still, Viktor allowed himself a small sigh of relief; at least he had time to prepare.
The sun was setting now, signaling the end of the day. Soon, Viktor would wake up. He turned his gaze toward the creature's prison. The monster still thrashed within, its chains groaning, its many mouths screeching. It had no name, the first of its kind, birthed by the Outer Gods. And it had no weaknesses. The thought of killing it made Viktor grit his teeth.
He couldn't keep it imprisoned here forever. If he didn't find a way to destroy it, unexpected danger might eventually break loose.
At that moment, he heard Jass's voice faintly calling him. But before waking, he knew he had to seal the portal.
Drawing on the last of his strength, Viktor poured hundreds of units of World Energy into the seal. The ground trembled as glowing patterns formed around the rift, locking it in place.
Only then did his surroundings begin to blur, his vision fading as his consciousness slipped away.
When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the real world, lying in the dorm.
Unbeknownst to Viktor, however, cracks had begun appearing across the world, spreading like spiderwebs in the sky. One by one, they widened and broke, and from them emerged clawed hands. Bat-like monsters clawed their way into reality, shrieking as they descended upon the world below.
---
Viktor opened his eyes groggily, his vision blurry for a moment. Jass stood over him. He fumbled for his glasses, slipped them on, and yawned. His body felt rested, but his mind was drained, as though he hadn't slept at all.
"Hey, Viktor! Today's your first class, are you ready?"
Viktor simply nodded. After breakfast with his sister, they made their way to their first lesson. Since it was Wednesday, their class was Mythical Zoology.
Nevermore's schedule was strange; each day brought different subjects, not all of which had been shown in the "original show" Viktor had once known. Living in this world had taught him countless small details, even about things that had never been revealed before.
At the back of Nevermore's zoo waited, not an ordinary one, but a menagerie of mythical beasts. Students gathered at the entrance until the teacher finally appeared: a stout man with a bald head and a long, bristling beard.
"Alright, kids! Today is Mythical Zoology class. And before we start, let's welcome our new students, Wednesday Addams, Agnes DeMille, and Viktor DeMille. I am Professor Malachi Crowe."
Viktor glanced at Wednesday, standing beside Enid, who was with another friend, Yoko. As though sensing his look, Wednesday turned her head. Viktor gave her a polite smile, but she ignored him completely.
After introductions, Professor Crowe unlocked the iron gates. They groaned open, revealing a sprawling courtyard hidden deep behind Nevermore. This was no ordinary zoo. The enclosures weren't for lions or tigers; they were for nightmares.
Barbed fences thrummed with enchantments, a low hum vibrating in the air. Chains glimmered faintly as if alive, casting shifting reflections across the ground. And in the corners of the menagerie, every shadow seemed to breathe.
Professor Malachi led the class forward, his presence offering at least a small sense of security to the students.
"Welcome to the Menagerie," he said, voice carrying easily over the murmurs of the students. "Here at Nevermore, we do not simply study theory. We study the beasts themselves."
A deep, muffled roar shook the ground beneath them. Several students stumbled back in startled.
Enid leaned toward Yoko and whispered, "Please tell me that was someone's stomach."
"Unless someone eats volcanoes for breakfast," Yoko muttered, "I don't think so."
"This place is fascinating…" Agnes said with a quiet, eager smile.
Malachi stopped before the first enclosure: a massive glass tank filled with swirling, ink-black water. Something vast and sinuous glided just below the surface, scales glinting with a ghostly, ethereal glow.
"The Kelpie," Malachi said. "A shapeshifter that lures travelers onto its back before dragging them to a watery grave. Observe its eyes."
The water rippled as the creature's head emerged, its lantern-like eyes burning through the mist. Gasps rippled through the students as the Kelpie shifted, first into a sleek black horse, then into a beautiful, spectral woman. Her voice echoed faintly through the glass, as if calling to someone from far away.
Malachi turned back to the class and said. "And today, we will discuss how to store, contain, and protect a mythical beast."
Ajax raised a shaky hand. "Are you sure we're not… You know… going to kill them?"
Malachi's eyes narrowed, and his voice was colder as if offended by Ajax's words. "No. Killing is a last resort. Like any species, mythical beasts are prone to extinction. As humans multiply, their habitats shrink. Their numbers dwindle. Too often, they are hunted for treasure, for trophies, or simply for vanity."
He stepped closer, his voice dropping just enough to make the air feel heavy, and his gaze landed on Ajax for a brief second.
"And too often, fools mistake them for monsters. They are not. They are creatures of instinct, of territory. They live in peace until provoked. Only then do they show their fangs."
The class fell silent. Even Enid stopped fidgeting, her ears twitching slightly.
"Containment," he said at last. "That is always your priority once you discover a mythical beast."
He slammed his hand against the enclosure, the sound echoing through the menagerie. A combined roar of beasts erupted in response, a roar of desperation and lingering for several seconds before fading into silence.
"You must build a prison that does not break. For their sake... and for yours."
Agnes's smile widened, her eyes gleaming with a strange excitement.
"A prison. Now this is an education."
Viktor's lips twitched as he shook his head slightly. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Wednesday. She stood perfectly still, but there was a faint smile on her face, eerily similar to Agnes's. Hidden excitement gleamed in her expression. Viktor glanced back at Agnes, his lips twitching again despite himself.