Ben stepped into the portal without thinking.
For a moment, everything around him turned bright. So bright that he had to close his eyes. It felt like he was moving very fast, like the world was pulling him somewhere far away.
Then suddenly—
Everything stopped.
No sound. No movement.
Ben slowly opened his eyes.
He was standing on the same road.
The same broken road.
The same red sky above him.
"…What?"
He looked around quickly.
Nothing had changed.
The air was still heavy. Ash was still floating around like dust in the wind. The silence was still there, pressing on his chest.
"My universe… I'm still here?"
Ben turned in a circle.
"This doesn't make sense. I went inside the portal… I was supposed to go somewhere else."
He looked up again.
No portal.
Just the red sky.
Ben's breathing became faster. "No… no, this is not how it's supposed to work."
He looked at his Omnitrix.
Still glowing red.
Still warning.
"Okay… okay… think."
He took a deep breath.
"Maybe I did something wrong."
He tried to stay calm.
"I'll just try again."
Ben raised his hand and looked around, hoping the portal would open again.
"Come on… open…"
Nothing happened.
He pressed the Omnitrix.
No response.
He pressed harder.
Still nothing.
"Come on, don't do this now…"
He tried again.
But the Omnitrix stayed quiet.
That's when he felt it.
Something strange.
Not outside.
Inside his body.
His chest felt heavy. His arm felt weak. Even standing felt harder than before.
"…Why do I feel like this?"
He looked at his hand.
It was shaking slightly.
"This isn't normal."
He pressed the Omnitrix again.
Still nothing.
"Work!"
A voice came from behind him.
"You are not ready."
Ben turned quickly.
The Grandmaster was standing there again, calm as before, like nothing had changed.
Ben got angry immediately. "Not ready? What do you mean not ready?! I went inside the portal!"
The Grandmaster spoke in a steady voice. "And the portal rejected you."
"Rejected me?" Ben asked. "Why?!"
"Because entering another universe is not simple," the Grandmaster said. "You cannot just walk into it."
Ben stepped closer, frustrated. "Then tell me how! I don't have time to stand here and learn!"
The Grandmaster looked at him carefully. "You will have to make time."
"I don't have time!" Ben said louder. "My family is gone!"
For a moment, there was silence.
Then the Grandmaster said slowly, "And if you rush… you may lose even more."
Ben stopped.
That line hit him.
He didn't reply for a few seconds.
Then he asked, more quietly, "So what do I do?"
The Grandmaster answered, "You prepare."
Ben frowned slightly. "Prepare how?"
"You train," the Grandmaster said. "You learn about the multiverse. You learn how different worlds work."
Ben shook his head. "I don't need lessons. I just need to fight."
The Grandmaster replied, "That is exactly why you are not ready."
Ben looked at him.
"You think this is just another fight," the Grandmaster continued. "It is not."
Ben didn't speak.
"You will need new abilities," the Grandmaster said. "New control. New understanding."
Ben asked, "What kind of abilities?"
"You must create and train aliens that can survive in other universes," he explained. "Aliens that can fight without breaking the balance."
Ben looked confused. "Create? I don't create aliens. The Omnitrix gives them to me."
The Grandmaster said one simple line.
"Not anymore."
Ben went quiet.
"…What do you mean?"
Before the Grandmaster could answer—
A second light appeared.
Another figure stepped forward.
Ben looked at him carefully.
"…There are two of you now?"
The new one smiled a little. "I am your Grandmaster."
Ben sighed. "Okay… this is getting confusing."
Your Grandmaster stepped closer.
"It's not as hard as it sounds," he said.
Ben crossed his arms. "It sounds very hard."
The Grandmaster raised his hand toward the Omnitrix.
Suddenly—
The Omnitrix changed.
A yellow light started glowing from it.
Ben looked down in shock. "What is this?"
"This is an upgrade," the Grandmaster said. "Made for you."
Ben slowly touched the Omnitrix.
It felt different.
Stronger.
"What does it do?" he asked.
The Grandmaster explained, "Now you can summon any alien you choose."
Ben blinked. "Summon… like call them outside?"
"Yes," he said. "They will appear when you need them."
Ben's eyes widened.
"For real?"
"Yes."
For the first time since everything happened, Ben felt something change inside him.
Hope.
But then he shook his head.
"That won't work."
Both Grandmasters looked at him.
"Why?" one asked.
Ben replied, "Because I can't stay in alien form for long. I always turn back. So how will this help?"
The Grandmaster spoke again.
"The rules have changed."
Ben listened carefully now.
"Since the universe changed… your Omnitrix changed too," he said.
Ben looked down again.
"It now works on your will," the Grandmaster continued. "If your will is strong, your alien form will stay."
Ben asked, "And if it's not strong?"
"You will return to your normal form."
Ben nodded slowly.
"And if I push too much?"
The answer came clearly.
"It will affect your health."
Ben looked serious now.
"You will feel weak. You will need time to recover," the Grandmaster said. "You cannot use too much power again and again."
Ben took a deep breath.
"So I have limits now…"
"Yes."
The Grandmaster added, "And one more thing."
Ben looked up.
"You can only stay in one alien form at a time," he said. "If you want to switch again and again, you must grow stronger."
Ben understood.
"…So I really need to train."
"Yes."
At that moment—
The portal behind them started to close.
Ben turned quickly. "Wait! I'm not ready yet!"
But the portal didn't stop.
It slowly shut down.
The light disappeared.
The red sky returned again.
Ben stood there.
Silent.
Then he asked, "So now what do I do?"
The Grandmaster answered, "When you are ready… the portal will open again."
Ben looked at his Omnitrix.
The yellow light was still glowing.
He closed his fist slowly.
His voice was calm now.
But stronger.
"…Then I'll get ready."
He looked at the empty world around him.
Ben looked at the red sky.
"They failed."
He closed his fist.
"I won't."
Author Note
Next chapter will show Ben's training, new aliens, and his first step toward the multiverse.
If you like this story, support it and follow the journey.