The desert wind howled across the broken wreckage of the helicopter.
Smoke twisted upward into the burning sky as the survivors struggled to stand.
Ethan Vale wiped blood from his forehead and stared at the distant horizon.
The massive Door of Oblivion still towered in the desert like a nightmare made real.
Even from miles away, its black surface glowed faintly with shifting blue symbols.
And the creatures…
They were spreading.
Dark shapes crawled across the dunes like an endless tide.
Ethan's stomach twisted.
"This is how worlds end," he whispered.
Behind him, the commander checked the remaining soldiers.
Only six had survived the crash.
Six soldiers.
One wounded pilot.
One mysterious woman in black tactical gear.
And Ethan.
The archaeologist who apparently held the key to humanity's survival.
Or its destruction.
The woman approached him again.
Her expression was cold but curious.
"You said something earlier," she said quietly.
Ethan looked at her.
"About the Gatekeeper."
"Yes."
She crossed her arms.
"I want an explanation."
Ethan laughed bitterly.
"I wish I had one."
But the truth was…
Something was changing inside him.
Ever since the creature had spoken to him, strange images had begun flashing through his mind.
Ancient temples.
Endless stars.
Worlds burning beneath black skies.
And a single phrase repeating over and over.
THE GATE MUST REMAIN CLOSED.
Ethan pressed his hands against his temples.
"Something's happening to me…"
The commander walked over.
"We can discuss that later."
He pointed toward the mountains in the distance.
"If we stay here, we die."
The woman nodded.
"The research base is roughly thirty kilometers away."
Ethan frowned.
"That's a long walk."
"Then we better start."
The group moved quickly across the desert.
The sun climbed higher, turning the sand into a burning ocean of gold.
Every step felt heavier than the last.
But no one complained.
Because behind them…
The invasion continued.
Occasionally, enormous shadows passed overhead.
Flying creatures scouting the desert.
Each time, the group froze in silence until the monsters disappeared again.
After two hours of walking, the pilot collapsed.
"Water…" he gasped.
One soldier handed him a small canteen.
But the commander looked worried.
"We don't have enough supplies for this trip."
The woman spoke calmly.
"There's an abandoned outpost ahead."
She pointed toward a cluster of rocky hills.
"We might find something there."
Ethan studied her carefully.
"You seem to know this desert well."
She hesitated.
Then answered simply.
"I've been here before."
"Doing what?"
"Classified."
They reached the outpost just before sunset.
The place looked like an old military station.
Rusty communication towers leaned against the sky.
Broken vehicles lay half buried in the sand.
But something was wrong.
The gate to the outpost had been torn open.
Not broken.
Torn.
Like paper.
The commander signaled the soldiers.
"Weapons ready."
They moved inside cautiously.
The silence was unnatural.
No wind.
No birds.
No sound.
Then they found the bodies.
Soldiers lay scattered across the ground.
Some were crushed.
Others had simply…
Stopped existing.
Just like the soldiers at the door.
Ethan's chest tightened.
"They were stationed here…"
The woman examined one of the bodies.
"They never had a chance."
Suddenly—
A deep rumble echoed across the desert.
Everyone froze.
Ethan slowly turned toward the horizon.
The Door of Oblivion glowed brighter than ever.
And something enormous was emerging from it.
Even from miles away, they could see its silhouette.
The commander whispered one word.
"God…"
But Ethan knew better.
"That's not a god."
The creature stepped fully through the doorway.
It was easily three hundred meters tall.
Its body looked like living stone, covered with glowing cracks of blue energy.
Each step shook the desert like an earthquake.
The woman's voice became deadly serious.
"That's a Titan-class entity."
Ethan looked at her sharply.
"You've seen this before?"
"No."
She stared at the creature.
"But intelligence reports warned us."
"Reports from who?"
She didn't answer.
Instead she turned toward him.
"What exactly did the creature say to you earlier?"
Ethan hesitated.
Then he told them everything.
About the voice in his mind.
About the phrase Gatekeeper.
About the feeling that the door somehow recognized him.
The soldiers exchanged nervous looks.
Finally the commander spoke.
"If what you're saying is true…"
"…then those things might want you alive."
Ethan felt a chill run down his spine.
"That's not comforting."
Night fell quickly.
The group sheltered inside the outpost.
They found food, water, and a functioning radio.
The commander tried contacting command again.
But every frequency was silent.
Finally a weak signal appeared.
"…all units… fall back… global emergency…"
Static swallowed the rest.
The woman looked grim.
"That means the invasion isn't limited to the desert."
Ethan felt his heart sink.
"They're opening more doors…"
Suddenly—
Pain exploded inside Ethan's head.
He collapsed to his knees.
Visions flooded his mind again.
But this time they were clearer.
He saw an ancient civilization.
Towering cities beneath alien stars.
And a gigantic structure identical to the Door of Oblivion.
But in the vision…
A human stood before it.
A human glowing with blue light.
The Gatekeeper.
The person responsible for sealing the door between worlds.
Then the vision shifted.
The door opened.
Darkness poured through.
Worlds burned.
Civilizations vanished.
And the Gatekeeper…
Failed.
Ethan screamed as the vision ended.
The soldiers rushed to him.
"What happened?" the commander asked.
Ethan's voice trembled.
"I saw them."
"Who?"
"The ones who built the door."
The woman leaned closer.
"And?"
Ethan looked toward the glowing horizon.
His face pale.
"They weren't trying to open it."
A long pause.
"They were trying to keep something out."
Silence filled the room.
Outside, the distant Titan roared.
The sound shook the night sky.
Ethan whispered the final truth he had seen.
"And the worst part is…"
The woman asked quietly,
"What?"
Ethan's eyes filled with dread.
"The door isn't broken."
He looked straight at her.
"It's unlocking."
And somewhere in the darkness of the desert…
Something was coming for its Gatekeeper.