The gate pulsed again.
Not violently.
Not unpredictably.
But knowingly.
Like it had begun to recognize something standing before it.
Something… changing.
The Second Layer
"Again," Dominic said.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
The old man studied him for a moment longer before nodding.
"…This time will be different."
Marcus groaned softly.
"That's never a comforting sentence."
The Warning
The old man stepped closer, his voice quieter now.
"The first layer touched your power."
A pause.
"The next will touch you."
Dominic didn't flinch.
"Do it."
The Descent Begins
Energy rose from the gate once more.
But this time—
It wasn't gentle.
It surged.
Wrapping around Dominic like a living force, pulling tighter, pressing deeper.
His body tensed instantly.
The First Fracture
A sharp crack echoed—
Not from the ground.
From him.
Marcus froze.
"…Yeah, I definitely heard that."
Dominic dropped slightly to one knee.
But he didn't fall.
Didn't break.
Inside the Change
His vision shifted.
Not the world around him—
But something within.
Darkness.
Then—
Fragments.
Memories that weren't his.
Places he had never been.
A sky that wasn't theirs.
A war that never ended.
The Other Side Bleeds Through
The gate wasn't just testing him.
It was showing him.
What existed beyond.
What he was forcing himself to become part of.
Dominic's breathing deepened.
But he didn't pull away.
The Resistance
"Hold it!" the old man instructed.
"Don't reject it!"
Marcus looked between them.
"He looks like he's about to collapse!"
The old man didn't look away.
"If he rejects it now…"
A pause.
"He won't survive the next attempt."
The Turning Point
Dominic's hands clenched against the ground.
His shadows flared—
Instinctively resisting the foreign energy.
The gate pulsed harder in response.
Pushing back.
Rejecting him again.
The Choice Within
For a moment—
It felt like he would lose it.
Lose control.
Lose himself.
Then—
He stopped resisting.
Acceptance
The shadows calmed.
Not disappearing.
Not weakening.
But aligning.
The energy surged deeper.
This time—
It didn't clash.
It fused.
Marcus blinked.
"…Wait. Why does that look worse?"
The Change Becomes Real
Dominic's body lifted slightly off the ground.
Not by force.
By shift.
His presence changed.
Subtle—
But undeniable.
The air around him grew heavier.
Denser.
Like he no longer fully belonged to this side.
The Gate Responds
The surface of the gate rippled again.
Stronger this time.
Clearer.
Not rejecting him.
Not fully accepting him either.
But closer.
Much closer.
The old man exhaled slowly.
"…He's crossing the threshold."
The Pain Peaks
Dominic's eyes snapped open.
And for a brief moment—
They weren't entirely his.
A flicker of something else passed through them.
Ancient.
Cold.
Endless.
Then—
Gone.
The Break
The energy snapped back.
The gate stilled.
Dominic dropped back to the ground.
Hard.
Marcus rushed forward slightly.
"…Okay, that looked like it hurt."
Dominic didn't respond immediately.
His breathing was heavy.
Controlled.
But strained.
The Aftermath
The old man stepped closer.
Watching him carefully.
"…You felt it."
Dominic nodded once.
"…Yeah."
Marcus frowned.
"Felt what exactly?"
Dominic's gaze lifted toward the gate again.
"…Them."
The Realization
Silence followed.
Because now—
They all understood.
This wasn't just about entering another world.
It was about becoming something that could survive it.
The Cost Revealed
"You're changing," the old man said quietly.
Dominic didn't deny it.
"I know."
"If you continue…"
A pause.
"You may not be able to come back the same."
Dominic's answer didn't change.
"I'm not planning to come back the same."
The Shift in Resolve
Marcus stared at him for a moment.
Then sighed.
"…Yeah, that sounds about right."
The Alpha Killers remained silent.
But they stepped closer.
Not stopping him.
Standing with him.
The Next Step
Dominic pushed himself back to his feet.
Slowly.
Steadily.
His gaze locked onto the gate once more.
"How many layers left?"
The old man didn't hesitate.
"…One more."
The Final Barrier
The air grew heavier again.
Because this—
Would be the last step.
The one that determined everything.
Marcus rubbed the back of his neck.
"…No pressure, right?"
No one laughed.
The Edge of Transformation
Dominic stepped forward again.
Closer than before.
The gate reacted instantly.
Rippling.
Waiting.
Because now—
He was no longer fully rejected.
But not yet accepted.
And the next step—
Would decide which side he truly belonged to.