Chapter 13: The World Reacts
Bright leaned against the kitchen counter, phone in hand, absently scrolling through the news.
A notification popped up.
Emily: You see the portals yet?
Sent at 4:37 PM.
That was it. No teasing, no explanations—just a simple text.
Bright didn't respond. Not because he didn't care, but because by now, everyone had seen the portals. They were the only thing people talked about. It didn't matter where you lived—if you had a phone, a TV, or a set of working ears, you knew.
With a sigh, he refreshed the news feed. The same headlines flooded the screen.
Global Leaders Call for Patience as Scientists Study the Portals
Portals Appear in Over 300 Locations Worldwide—More Incoming?
Curiosity Killed the Cat? Five More Enter, None Return
Bright exhaled slowly through his nose.
It was a lot of noise, but not a lot of answers.
He had checked the news earlier while ordering groceries online, scrolling through article after article while filling his cart—instant noodles, canned food, frozen meals, and an embarrassing amount of energy drinks.
Not because he thought the world was ending.
He just hated going outside.
His country, Velmira, was one of twelve large nations on the Western Continent. It was a place of towering cities, sprawling highways, and constant political maneuvering. As expected, their government had responded with a calm but firm approach—deploying security forces, blocking off portal sites, and handing the situation over to researchers.
At least, that's what the official statement said.
Other countries on the continent had handled things differently.
Ostland, Velmira's long-time rival in economy and technology, had taken a similar approach, though they had been quicker in mobilizing drones to scan the portals.
Ruthen and Xyphos, known for their strict government control, had blacked out all information, surrounding their portals with military forces and restricting movement near them.
Navarre, a country steeped in history and spirituality, had already declared theirs "The Gates of Revelation", drawing religious groups to their sites like moths to a flame.
Ferrosia and Kaelor, the tech giants, had wasted no time in testing the portals—sending in drones, rovers, and even robotic arms. Nothing had come back.
Beyond the Western Continent, the rest of the world was in a similar state of cautious chaos.
The Eastern Continent, home to nations like Sankor and Ephris, had gone on high alert. Some cities were already under martial law, treating the portals as potential national threats.
The Northern and Southern Continents, with their harsh, frozen landscapes, had portals appear in the middle of the ice fields, making them harder to study up close. Scientists were being sent in, but they had to battle the elements first.
And then there was the Central Continent—the largest landmass and the birthplace of many ancient civilizations. Their response had been mixed. Some governments saw opportunity, others danger, and a few were keeping their cards close to their chest.
No matter where you looked, people were reacting in the strangest ways.
Some rushed to visit family, fearing that something big was coming.
Others hoarded supplies, clearing out supermarkets like they were prepping for an apocalypse.
And, of course, the internet jokers had arrived in full force.
A viral video showed a guy in a cowboy hat trying to lasso a portal. Another had someone standing in front of one with a "WELCOME ALIENS, WE HAVE SNACKS" sign.
Bright snorted. No matter how bizarre things got, people always found a way to turn it into a joke.
His groceries had been confirmed for delivery. That was more important than whatever mystical space doors had popped up overnight.
Until something actually came out of those things, he wasn't going to start screaming about the end of the world.