The portal swallowed Demha whole.
He emerged into a world draped in silver and shadow — a clearing in the middle of a dense, alien forest. The ground beneath him was cracked stone, scorched by time. Tall, thin trees with leaves like blades rose around him, their black bark stretching into a sky veiled in sickly mist.
And overhead…
Three moons.
One red, one pale white, one glowing violet — all full. Their light bled through the forest, casting monstrous silhouettes between the trunks. The wind carried whispers, rustling the leaves in a rhythm too precise to be natural.
Demha wasn't alone.
A circle of 2,000 people stood with him, scattered across the clearing. Some looked ready — armored, armed, trembling with anticipation. Others looked lost — in pajamas, torn jeans, clinging only to fear. Lovers, loners, children, criminals. The desperate. The proud. The naive.
Everyone who entered the gate — for glory, for fun, or for curiosity — now felt the same thing:
Terror.
Then… the voice came.
Cheerful. Mocking. Sweet as poison.
"Ahhh… welcome back, my favorite fascist creatures…"
It echoed from everywhere — from the trees, the dirt, the moons themselves.
"Let's keep it simple for the warriors waking from their little nap.
When I say 'Start' and you hear the ring bell… you must kill three people around you.
Fail… and, well…"
A low growl rolled through the clearing like thunder.
Eyes turned toward the forest.
And the forest… looked back.
Dozens of monstrous beasts waited just beyond the moonlight.
Wolves with two heads and human teeth. Giant horned dogs foaming red. Bears walking upright with claws longer than swords. Bees the size of wolves, their wings screeching like dying screams. Snakes with eight legs and eyeless, twitching skulls.
Creatures that shouldn't exist — and others no one had ever imagined.
Watching. Breathing. Waiting.
The voice giggled again.
"Let's begin.
Start."
There was no ring.
But panic didn't wait.
First, people froze. Confused. Processing.
But a few — those who had faced multiverse challenges before — knew:
Death here was real.
And they moved first — lunging at the closest people.
and criminals who also joined the gate didnt seem to have a problem killing for their survive , and with the first one's blood dropping on ground
the chain of madness begin
The first blood splattered. A cry. A body fell.
Then madness exploded.
A teenager bashed a man's skull with a rock.
A woman clung to her lover — only to be stabbed from behind.
Terror swallowed the clearing.
No one noticed that the bell never rang.
Because fear had already made the decision.
And fear was louder than any bell.
—
Demha stood on the edge of it all.
He hadn't moved.
Not out of bravery.
But because he felt nothing.
The moment he entered and didn't see Lessa — the world had drained out of him.
"What's the point?"
A two-headed wolf padded toward him from the forest edge. Its claws clicked on the stone. Its eyes gleamed like molten silver.
Demha didn't flinch.
Half a minute passed.
Already — over a thousand bodies littered the ground.
Who were standing up they plunged blades into already dying victims — trying to reach the magic number: three.
Blood pooled.
And then…
A rabbit entered the clearing.
Wearing a gentleman's suit.
Its fur was snow-white. Its eyes were not glowing, but veiny and red — as if soaked in blood. Its teeth… were human.
It chuckled softly as it stepped forward, unconcerned with the carnage.
"My, my… humanity.
Didn't even wait for the bell."
A teenager (who tried challenges before ) — shaking, soaked in blood, clutching an axe (was so frightened from being killed so when he saw the time is already half past and he still didnt kill except one , he betrayed his friend who get into the gate together, stabbed him in the back and his friend's blood was all over him from his face to his legs ) — stared at the rabbit with pure rage with tearing coming out of his eyes (one look at him and you know his mind already gone)
"I didnt kill my friend , you who made me do that , i will revenge for my friend !"
He lunged at the rabbit, roaring.
The rabbit didn't move.
A massive bear lunged from the shadows and caught the boy mid-air — crushing him in its jaws.
Three bites.
Silence.
The rabbit's smile faded. His head tilted. His tone turned cold.
"Dont worry , you never meant to have a chance in test anyway."
"Its just your slaughter "
He snapped his fingers.
And the monsters attacked.
The wolves, the bears, the bees, the snakes, the spiders…
They didn't kill quickly.
They tore limbs. Broke bones. Played.
The beasts loved their meals squirming.
Screams choked the air.
Someone begged for help.
Another cried for God.
A woman tried to crawl — the spider took her legs first, then her tongue.
It lasted two minutes.
Seemed like the longest nightmare you cant scream or wake up from
Only thirty people survived.
Not because they were smart.
Not because they were strong.
Not because they were worthy.
But because they couldn't move. Their bodies had frozen — either from trauma, or despair. Maybe they had simply… given up.
Their survival was just … pure luck…
—
The rabbit spoke again, tone dripping with mockery:
"You who stayed alive this time … sorry for this mistake ."
"Unfortunately, my friends like to play with their food."
Referring to beasts dont hunt boring preys who stand still .*
He glanced around the field of corpses with a sneer.
"Ahh… brings back some good memories, i hope , doesn't it?
the rabbit saying in sarcasm
"I guess being the one who been watched isnt as amusing as being the one who watch" the rabbit tone change and saying it with pure disgust everyone could feel his hatred ..
Then he vanished into the woods.
The beasts followed.
And silence returned.
The thirty survivors — covered in blood, shaking, empty-eyed — stood in a ring of corpses.
The thirty still standing didn't move.
They didn't run. Couldn't.
They were paralyzed with fear — or had accepted their fate.
Demha stood still, breath shallow.
He watched a wolf gnaw a man's leg like a bone. A spider rip off a woman's arm. A snake crush three bodies into one, then uncoil them like trash.
The whole test lasted less than three minutes
No victory.
No pride.
Only horror.
Then the rabbit's voice whispered, one last time:
"Next time… maybe wait for the bell."
And he was gone
End of part 2 chapter 5