Dean didn't stop. The tires screamed against the road, and the engine roared. Every nerve in his body told him he was treading on thin ice. But he had no time to think. He had to keep going forward, only forward, hoping he would find something ahead—a house, a person, anything—that could save him from certain death.
He drove past more abandoned cars. Some were flipped, some looked fine, but all stood as silent witnesses to his terror. His heart pounded so loudly he thought the monsters could hear it. They probably could—they were supernatural psychos, after all.
Just when Dean thought he might have to circle around again, he saw a flicker of light. A flash. A small beacon in this abyss of a town.
At first, he thought it was a trick by the monsters. Yeah, right, like a flashing "come here and die" sign. But no—the light wasn't a trick by the monsters. It came from inside a house. Maybe a torch. Maybe a flashlight. Maybe… a chance to survive.
Dean slowed a little, squinting through the windshield. The flash came again, steady this time, guiding him like a little GPS through the nightmare. His eyes compeletly filled with releif and hope.
He knew… this was his chance.
Without thinking, Dean pressed the gas and drove straight for the house.
Then it happened. Once again.
Monsters. More of them. They appeared out of the dark near the house where the flashing light had come from. This time, they didn't show up in the middle of the road like before. Instead, they stood on the sides of the road, spreading out as if to block his way to the house.
Dean didn't think twice. He slammed the accelerator to the floor. The car shot forward as he yelled, "Eat my dust, assholes!" He steered hard to the left side of the road, keeping as much distance from them as he could.
In the middle of it all, he opened the store panel and purchased the Ghost Veil ability. His heart hammered as more monsters appeared, now standing in the front yard of the very house he was aiming for.
It was all or nothing. Dean pressed harder on the gas. Just as he passed the monsters, he yanked the wheel and took a sharp turn, launching the car straight into the front yard. The tires screamed, rubber burning as the car drifted. It finally skidded to a stop in the yard, landing just behind the monsters and creating a temporary barrier between them and the house.
Dean shoved his door open, activating Ghost Veil as he jumped out. Seven seconds. He had seven seconds.
"Open the fucking door!" he shouted at whoever was inside the house.
The door of the house moved—just a crack at first—as a man's face appeared, eyes wide, peering out.
Dean ran for his life, across the front yard, nearly falling, counting every second in his head.
The man's eyes went wide as he saw Dean charging at him like a raging bull. With a quick grunt, he yanked the door open just enough.
Dean didn't hesitate. He dove forward, scraping his shoulder and arm against the frame as he fell through the doorway and rolled hard across the floor. The man slammed the door shut behind him, and the sharp click of the lock echoed through the room.
"Holy... shit...!" Dean panted still on the floor for a moment, heart pounding, lungs burning, trying to catch his breath as the sound of the lock felt like a lifeline.
Outside, the monsters slowly circled the car, smiling as always. They didn't seem too bothered that their prey had escaped. In fact, the smiles on their faces made it feel like this had been their plan all along. Then, just as quietly as they had come, they slipped back into the darkness.
Inside the house, the second the lock clicked shut, a panel popped up in Dean's head.
***
[Mission Complete: Survive until Sunrise]
Reward: +200 Points
***
Dean cursed under his breath. The sun wasn't even up yet, but maybe the system figured him being behind a locked door was good enough. Monsters couldn't claw through doors, right? Unless some idiot cracked one open. For once, the thing cut him some slack.
He sat up on the floor, chest heaving, sweat dripping into his eyes. His shoulder throbbed where it had smacked the doorframe on the way in. Across from him, the guy who'd let him in hadn't moved an inch—still standing stiff near the door, staring at it like he expected monsters to punch right through the wood.
Dean coughed, his voice filled with sincere gratitude. "Thanks, man....Seriously.... If you.... hadn't opened that door, I'd be monster chow by now."
The guy finally looked at him. Face pale, lips tight, but he managed a nervous half-smile. "Don't mention it." He paused for a second before muttering under his breath almost to himself,You're lucky. Real lucky."
Dean rubbed his shoulder as it stung a bit. While doing so, he sized the guy up—broad shoulders, rugged, the type of dude who had "leader" written all over him whether he wanted it or not. Dean already knew the name, of course, but had to play clueless. "Dean. Name's Dean Ross."
The man, finally sure no monsters would break through the door, smiled at Dean. "Boyd. Boyd Stevens."
Dean gave a dry chuckle, trying to hide the recognition. "So, Boyd… not that I don't appreciate the rescue, but what the hell were those things out there? Creepiest sons of bitches I've ever seen."
Boyd hesitated. Dean had just survived a near-death experience and he felt that the kid needed to rest both mentally and physically But when he saw the look in Dean's eyes, he felt he had to speak.
"They're… monsters," Boyd said finally, voice low and tired. "Real ones. Dressed as humans. Nobody knows what they are, where they came from, or why they're here. But when the sun goes down, they come out. And they hunt."
Dean raised his eyebrows, feigning surprise. "Hunt? Yeah, no shit. They almost boxed me in."
"They're smart," Boyd said, jaw tight. "Smarter than you think. They trick you into opening doors, windows, anything. They talk to you, lure you. That smile? It's bait." He leaned in slightly. "Never open a door at night unless you're damn sure who's there. Even then… think twice."
Dean cracked a nervous smile. "Yeah… guess that makes you crazier for opening up for me. Could've been a death sentence."
"I've never seen those things run like that," Boyd said, eyes narrowing as he replayed it in his mind. "That's why I let you in. If you were one of them, you wouldn't have been out there screaming, 'Open the fucking door!' while running for your life."
Dean leaned against the wall, his breathing slowly returning to normal.
"So…" he muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead. "What the hell is this place? I was driving on the highway, hit a tree in the road, kept going in circles, and somehow ended up back in the same place—and then those monsters showed up."
Boyd hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "That's… how it happens. Doesn't matter what road you take or how far you drive—you end up right back here. This place doesn't let you go."
Dean tilted his head, pretending he hadn't heard. "Doesn't let go? Like… a spider web? Trap?"
"Exactly like a trap," Boyd said, voice flat and heavy. "Everyone here? Same story. People were traveling, living normal lives… then suddenly they're here. Once you're in, you don't get out."
At first, Dean said nothing. Anyone hearing that would naturally feel disbelief, suspicion, and a whirlwind of other emotions. He let himself appear to go through the same turmoil, pretending to process it all, before finally muttering, "Well, ain't that just peachy."
He scratched his jaw and asked louder, "So we're stuck. Just us and a bunch of grinning psychos outside waiting for dinner?"
Boyd stayed silent. His stare alone said enough.
Dean sighed, shaking his head. "Christ. How many of us are here? People, I mean."
"A couple dozen," Boyd said. "Enough to scrape by, keep things moving. We've built rules. Systems. Ways to survive. As much as possible."
Dean nodded slowly, pretending to piece it together. "Rules. Got it. Don't go outside after dark. Don't open the damn door. Don't fall for the smiley bastards."
"That about sums it up," Boyd said, helping Dean to his feet. "You'll learn the rest. Everyone does. Or they don't last."
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I added a romance tag to this fanfiction, but I'm not sure yet what direction to take. So please vote on the options below.
Should it have:
1. Romance – one love interest.
2. Harem – one girl in each world he travels to.
3. No Romance – focus only on story and action.
×××
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