NOVEL NEXT Chapter 52: Cracks in the Web
Chapter 52: Cracks in the Web
Peter leaned over the strange device on his desk, its faint hum the only sound in the dimly lit room. Oscorp's Project Nexus had to be the missing piece—the connection between the rift, Wraith, and whatever was coming.
He worked carefully, disassembling the device with tools he'd scavenged from his closet. Its inner components were unlike anything he'd seen before. Alien symbols glowed faintly on the circuits, shifting under his gaze like they were alive.
"This isn't just advanced tech," Peter muttered. "This is… something else."
He scanned the circuitry, trying to map its purpose, when his laptop screen suddenly flickered. Lines of alien code flooded the monitor, and a distorted voice emerged from the speakers.
"Warning. Unauthorized access detected. Initiating lockdown."
The device sparked, and Peter yanked his hands back as a jolt of electricity shot through it. His room went dark for a moment, then his laptop rebooted, a single message flashing on the screen:
"They're watching."
Peter's spider-sense flared, and he instinctively turned toward his window. A shadow moved across the building across the street. Someone—or something—was watching him.
"Not today," Peter muttered, slipping on his mask.
Peter swung out of his window, his movements quick and precise. He landed on the rooftop across the street, scanning the area. The faint scent of ozone hung in the air, the same smell he'd noticed during his encounters with Wraith.
"Alright, creeper," he said under his breath. "Where are you?"
A blur of motion caught his eye, and Peter leaped after it, firing a web to propel himself forward. The figure moved with inhuman speed, darting between buildings and down narrow alleys. Peter pushed himself to keep up, his muscles burning with the effort.
The chase led him to the industrial district, where the shadows seemed thicker and the air heavier. The figure finally stopped, standing atop a rusted crane.
Peter landed on a nearby beam, his breathing ragged. "Alright, buddy. You've got my attention. Care to explain why you're stalking me?"
The figure turned, and Peter's heart skipped a beat. It wasn't Wraith. This figure was bulkier, its body covered in jagged, organic armor that glistened like oil. Its eyes glowed a sickly green, and its mouth twisted into a snarl.
"You… are not ready," the creature growled, its voice a guttural rumble.
Peter's spider-sense screamed as the creature lunged at him, claws outstretched. He dodged at the last second, flipping over the beast and landing on the crane's arm.
"Okay, you're definitely not from around here," Peter quipped, firing a web at the creature's face. It tore through the webbing like tissue paper, its claws slashing at the metal beam beneath Peter's feet.
The creature's movements were erratic, its body shifting and warping as if it couldn't hold its form. Shadows oozed from its skin, and Peter realized it wasn't entirely solid—it was like the rift's energy given shape.
"What are you?" Peter demanded, dodging another swipe. "And what does the rift have to do with this?"
The creature roared, its voice splitting into multiple tones. "The rift… is life. The rift… is death. You cannot stop it, Spider-Man."
"Yeah, well, I've heard that before," Peter shot back. He fired a web-line at a stack of crates and yanked them down onto the creature. The impact knocked it off balance, and Peter used the opportunity to land a powerful kick to its chest, sending it crashing to the ground below.
The creature struggled to rise, its form flickering like a dying light. It looked up at Peter, its eyes blazing with hatred.
"They are coming," it said, its voice barely a whisper. "And you… will fall."
Before Peter could respond, the creature collapsed in on itself, dissolving into a pool of shadows that seeped into the ground. The air grew still, and Peter was left alone on the rooftop, his heart pounding.
Back at his apartment, Peter replayed the encounter in his mind. The creature's words echoed in his ears: The rift is life. The rift is death. They are coming.
He stared at the remnants of the device on his desk, now inert and lifeless. Whatever Oscorp had unleashed wasn't just a science experiment gone wrong. It was something far more dangerous.
Peter opened his laptop, pulling up every article and research paper he could find on dimensional rifts. Most of it was theoretical, but one name kept appearing: Dr. Reed Richards.
"Of course," Peter muttered. "Mr. Fantastic himself. If anyone knows about interdimensional portals, it's him."
He sent a quick message to Dr. Richards' public contact email, explaining the situation in vague terms. He didn't expect a reply anytime soon, but it was a start.
As he leaned back in his chair, his phone buzzed. It was MJ.
MJ: "You free tomorrow? Ned and I are hanging out at the diner. You should come."
Peter hesitated. Part of him wanted to say no—there was too much at stake, and he couldn't afford to take a break. But another part of him, the part that craved some semblance of normalcy, told him he needed this.
Peter: "I'll be there."
Meanwhile, in the Shadows
Far from Peter's apartment, deep beneath the city, Wraith stood in a cavern lit by the faint glow of the rift's energy. The air crackled with power, and Wraith knelt before a massive, swirling vortex.
"My lord," Wraith said, their voice reverent. "The beacon grows stronger. The gate will soon open."
A deep, resonant voice emerged from the vortex, cold and commanding. "Good. The time has come for this world to bow. Ensure that the spider does not interfere."
"As you command," Wraith said, rising to their feet. The shadows around them swirled, taking the shape of monstrous figures.
The rift pulsed, its light growing brighter. And from within its depths, something stirred.
End of Chapter 52