The door creaked open.
A man in a long, worn trenchcoat stepped inside, brushing sand off his shoulders. "Honey?" he called gently.
In the kitchen, a woman turned from a line of drying laundry. She was visibly pregnant, the soft curve of her belly noticeable beneath her modest dress. Her golden hair glinted in the sunlight pouring in through the blinds.
"Well, come home," Miss Kate said with a smile. "How was work?"
The man let out a tired sigh and approached her. "Exhausting. Monsters keep popping up around the outer sector," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. He rested his chin lightly on her shoulder. "But I'm just happy I have the chance to be with you."
She turned to face him, cupping his cheeks gently. "You're a monster hunter, Jarg. Please be careful out there. I love you too much to lose you."
He chuckled. "You're not going to lose me. We've got a baby coming, remember? It's 1670. Let's live it together."
Miss Kate's smile widened, a touch of pink rising to her cheeks.
"Just promise me you'll stay indoors," Jarg said, holding up his arm to reveal a strange glowing mark etched into his skin. "The gas outside—it's deadly to anyone without the protection. My mark keeps me safe, but you…"
"I know," she replied softly. "I'll be careful."
"Good," Jarg leaned closer with a grin. "But uh… can't we shower together today?"
"Nooo," she laughed, blushing deeper.
"Awnn," he whined playfully as he pulled away.
-
Days passed.
And Jarg didn't return.
Miss Kate waited, pacing the living room, hands over her belly. The ticking clock grew louder each night. Hope began to wear thin.
Then one afternoon, the phone rang.
She rushed to pick it up. "Ah Jarg! I was worried sick, I—"
The voice on the other end wasn't his.
"We're sad to announce that Jarg Williams has passed," came the cold, detached tone of a news anchor. "He will forever be remembered as a hero… and as a valiant warrior who—"
The receiver slipped from her fingers and clattered to the ground.
Tears poured silently down her cheeks at first, then in waves.
"No… no, no, no!" she screamed, hurling the nearest object across the room. It shattered against the wall.
She stumbled forward and punched the TV screen, cracking it. "Why?! Why him?! It's not fair!"
She collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.
That's when the house shook.
Monsters burst through the weak points in the wooden walls. Miss Kate screamed and stumbled back, coughing as a noxious green mist crept into the room.
"No no!" she cried, covering her mouth and nose. "Not now!"
But it was too late.
The monsters closed in grotesque, snarling things with jaged maws. They seized her arms, pulling her down, clawing at her dress.
"Please—no! Not my baby!" she cried, shielding her belly, trying to crawl away. "Spare my baby…"
But the mist filled her lungs.
And she breathed it in.
Her screams turned to a gurgle of pain and panic.
Then…BOOM.
A spray of blood erupted from every direction as all four monsters exploded violently, torn from within.
In the silence that followed, a tall figure stepped forward.
The Unknown Entity.
Its eyes locked on hers.
-
back in the present.
Miss Kate stood amidst the winds of her private dimension, one hand over her abdomen. Her voice was low, trembling with fury and sorrow.
"I lost my baby that day," she whispered. "And became a monster. All because I inhaled that stupid toxic…"
-
Somewhere else, deep in that same dimension of endless sand
Zed marched forward, scanning the desert horizon. "We're not getting out of here," he muttered. "This place is literally infinite."
Felt adjusted Floris in his arms. "Quit overreacting."
The ground rumbled beneath them.
"Tch another tornado?" Zed looked up sharply.
No. This time, the ground itself opened.
A massive hole tore into the earth, deep and wide. Then, just as suddenly…it stopped expanding.
Zed and Felt exchanged a glance and peered down into the chasm.
Floris stirred, coughing harshly. She slipped from Felt's arms and dropped to the sand, struggling to her feet. "We have to leave this place. Now!"
"Whoa, easy,what's going on?" Zed asked, reaching out to steady her.
"LET'S GO!" she shouted, panic lacing her voice.
Felt furrowed his brow. "I get that, but what's happening?"
The ground trembled harder.
Floris turned, eyes wide with pure dread. "This place is about to collapse!"