This Is Not the Life That I Imagined

Liam's voice shouted through their comms, sharp and urgent. "The portal is starting to destabilize. Hold the lines!"

John's pulse quickened as the alarms blared even louder, mixing with the frantic voices of his fellow agents. He could hear the faint hum of energy vibrating through the air, growing stronger by the second. Then he saw it—a flicker in the distance, like a distortion in the air, a ripple of energy that seemed to pulse outward from the direction of the portal.

The ground rumbled beneath their feet, sending cracks racing through the earth like jagged lightning. The house above the portal's location shuddered before collapsing inward, chunks of debris crashing into the street. John staggered, barely keeping his balance as the tremors intensified. A low hum filled the air, and a static charge prickled against his skin, making every hair on his arms stand on end.

Then the portal gate itself became visible—huge and menacing. It expanded, the shimmering energy warping the space around it. Everything it touched crumbled to dust, like reality itself was being consumed. The ripple pulsed outward, violent and unforgiving, until the portal was a towering ten meters high.

John tightened his grip on his bow, his knuckles turning white. His heart pounded in his chest, and for a moment, time seemed to slow.

The first creature emerged—a hulking, twisted monstrosity, its scales glinting in the eerie light of the portal. Its massive frame rippled with muscle, every step shaking the ground beneath it. The air seemed to thicken with its presence, a deep, guttural growl rumbling from its throat. Its eyes, glowing with malevolent energy, locked onto the agents on the top of the walls.

John's breath hitched. His mouth went dry, and he felt the cold sweat and tension creeping up his spine. He glanced at his team, their faces pale and grim, every one of them frozen for a heartbeat as they stared at the monstrous figure. The creature snarled, and behind it, more shadows stirred, taking shape as one creature after another emerged from the widening portal.

"There's too many," someone whispered, their voice trembling over the comms.

Everyone's heart was in their throat, with grave faces, as the ground trembled underfoot with more beasts poured through—snakes too big to be normal, their maw dripping with venom, and winged creatures that screeched into the sky. Many different kinds of beasts in all shapes and forms could be seen; the roar of the monsters was deafening, and the pressure in the air was so thick that John could feel it vibrating in his bones.

He gritted his teeth, adrenaline spiking through his veins. "Ready!" John barked, his voice barely audible over the chaos. He nocked the first arrow, his muscles taut as he watched the unending tide of creatures emerge.

The chaos had begun.

John had three types of arrows prepared by Liam for him and the others who use the bow—standard arrows, of which they had the most stock; explosive arrows; and armor-piercing arrows.

He and his teammate Ethan, who could run fast, depend on extremal weapons to deal damage. They drew the strings to their limits, waiting for Lain's commend.

"Fire!"

All kinds of projectiles were throwing at the monsters from every direction—boulders, spears, and arrows of all shapes and kinds. John released the explosive arrow, watching as it cut through the air before striking one of the monsters.

BOOM! BAAM!

The first wave of creatures was shredded, but no one celebrated. More monsters were still emerging, an endless flood from the portal

"One more time! Ready!" Liam's voice crackled with urgency through the comms as the monsters kept coming.

Once again, every team readied themselves. And John nocked another explosive arrow.

"Fire!"

Another wave was obliterated, but more monsters took their place.

"Again! Ready!" Laim clinched his fist as he gave the commend. His sweat was dripping from his forehead as he was calculating the best timing for the attack.

"Fire!"

Boom!

The earth shocked, and the ground leveled from the shock wave of the attacks. The monsters stopped coming for a few seconds.

Just as the agents grew confident and joyful, another wave of monsters started to emerge, but this time things were different. As soon as they appeared, they threw different kinds of energy attacks at the agents, from fire and venom to ice and rocks.

The monstrous projectiles rained down with terrifying speed—flames roared across the ground, venom hissed as it ate through steel, and shards of ice and rock pummeled the defensive lines.

"Shields up!" Liam shouted, his voice strained as agents raised barriers of energy, earth, and metal to block the incoming barrage. Sparks flew as fire clashed against barriers, ice shattered against solid defenses, and venom splattered across stone, sizzling violently. But the sheer force of the attack was overwhelming, and some defenses buckled under the pressure.

John rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a chunk of ice that would've impaled him. He quickly nocked another explosive arrow and let it fly, watching it soar toward the group of creatures launching attacks.

BOOM!

A few beasts were thrown back, but many more surged forward.

"They're getting closer!" someone yelled over the comms.

The monsters charged the walls with a terrifying speed. Some leaped, claws outstretched, while others bashed into the stone, their immense strength shaking the foundation. John's heart raced as he watched one of the winged creatures swoop low, talons reaching for the top of the wall.

"Take them down!" John shouted, switching to armor-piercing arrows. He fired rapidly, each arrow piercing the beasts' thick hides with precision. His teammates followed suit, sending blasts of energy and steel spears toward the monsters trying to climb.

The first wave of creatures hit the wall—massive claws sank into the stone, wings beat furiously as they ascended. Some of the smaller monsters scaled the walls, their limbs scrabbling against the stone as they neared the top.

One of them—a snarling, multi-limbed beast—reached the top, its sharp teeth bared as it lunged at an agent nearby. The agent barely had time to react before it was on him. John spun, releasing an arrow that struck the beast through the side.

The agent staggered backward, just as another barrage of fire rained down from the monsters still pouring out of the portal.

John gritted his teeth and switched to explosive arrows again. The wall trembled as more creatures battered it, and cracks began to spread along the stone. If they couldn't stop the assault soon, the entire defense would collapse.

"We need backup now!" someone called through the comm, his voice tense.