Ash had that look again—the one he wore whenever his brain wouldn't shut up. His eyes locked on nothing, like he was staring through the mountain itself.
And then it happened.
A loud crack echoed under their feet.
Before either of them could react, the ground split. It didn't crumble or shake. It tore, clean like paper. A blinding white light burst from the tear, swallowing the stone beneath them. Ken barely got out a shout—"What the fuuuck!"—before both of them dropped into the abyss.
They fell.
Not like falling off a ledge, or even down a cliff.
They fell through something. Through layers of air that didn't feel like air. Ash couldn't breathe, couldn't scream. It was like gravity was confused. Like the world itself didn't know what to do with them.
And then, just as fast as it began, it ended.
With a soft thump, they landed in grass.
Real grass.
Ash groaned, rolling onto his back. It was green, soft, warm. The air was clean. He could breathe. There were flowers. Trees. The sky was bright and golden, like the sun had been dipped in honey.
Ash sat up fast, hands clenched.
Ken was already on his feet. Blood floated around him like tiny red feathers, ready to strike if needed. His eyes scanned the area. His smile was gone.
No jokes.
Just silence.
Ash stood slowly, taking in the view. The place was beautiful—too beautiful. It didn't feel real. The colors were too soft. The air smelled like rain and old dreams.
He looked around and muttered, "What the fuck..."
There was no one.
No noise.
Just the wind playing with the grass.
Ken stepped closer, voice calm but serious. "I think... we're in one of the realms. We fell through a tear... a Nexus crack."
Ash glanced at him. "You sure?"
"Nope," Ken said. "But think about it. We didn't die. We're breathing just fine. No monsters. No fire. This place doesn't hate us yet. That means... it's not hell. Might even be the Realm of Warriors. Or Heaven. I dunno."
Ash nodded slowly. "Yeah... makes sense. Feels like something sacred. Like a place where heroes come to rest."
Ken looked around, a bit more relaxed now, but still alert. "Wherever we are, we need to get out. I told John to cover for us before we left. Said we were going on a mission."
Ash turned to him slowly. "What?" he asked, voice flat.
Ken rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I figured if we got caught, it'd be better if HQ didn't panic. So I made something up."
Ash blinked. Then just stared.
"You mean... no one's coming to look for us?"
Ken grinned awkwardly. "Yup."
Ash dropped his sword hand and sat down in the grass with a sigh. "No shit you did that."
Ken threw his hands up. "I didn't think we'd fall into a magical crack in the ground, okay?"
Ash flopped onto his back again. "You're so lucky that I don't kill."
And suddenly the wind changed. It got fast, like it was running from something.
Ash felt the ground shake under his feet. At first, he thought it was just him. But then Ken looked around too, eyes sharp.
The grass moved like waves. The trees in the distance bent like they were bowing. The sky looked too bright for a moment, then too dark, like it forgot what color it was supposed to be.
Then came the sound. Not loud. Just strange. Like bones clicking. Like something crawling with too many legs.
From the hills behind them, something came crawling out. Long and giant. Its body twisted like a snake. But it wasn't a snake. It was something else. Something wrong.
It had many heads. But none of them had mouths. They had beaks. Like birds. Long, sharp, curved beaks. Each one moved like it was breathing on its own. Some were wet. Others cracked open slightly, letting out a cold sound that felt like silence breaking.
Ash froze.
Ken took a step back. "What the hell is that?"
Ash didn't answer. He was looking at the top of the creature.
Someone was standing there.
At first, Ash thought it was a man. But no. It was... something else.
It looked too perfect. His body glowed, not with light, but with something deeper. Like he wasn't real. Like a dream had put on skin. His hair floated even though the wind had stopped. His face looked peaceful but not kind. Like he had never felt fear. Or pain. Or anything human.
Ash stared at him, and something strange started happening.
He felt like his body wasn't his anymore. Like every part of him was being taken apart and put back together. Over and over.
His skin felt hot, then cold, then like it wasn't there. His heartbeat didn't feel right. His blood moved slow, then fast. His thoughts were going quiet, like someone was turning the volume down inside his head.
He could feel something watching him. Not with eyes. But with something older.
Something deep.
It was like this being—whatever it was—wasn't just looking at him. It was reading him. Learning him. Seeing every part of who he was, and maybe... not liking it.
Ash dropped to his knees.
He couldn't breathe right. His chest hurt. Not like he was dying, but like he was being rewritten. He forgot his name for a second. Then remembered. Then forgot again.
The creature with beaks stayed still. The man—or the thing—on top didn't move either. But it didn't have to. Just standing there was enough to break something inside Ash.