The Unwelcome Dawn

Chapter Three

The next day, Alice and Ben stood on the tarmac of a hidden airstrip, the wind whipping around them as a military transport plane idled nearby. Their gear was packed, weapons strapped to their backs, and a team of soldiers and scientists waited for them at the base of the ramp.

Alice looked at Ben, her heart heavy with the enormity of what lay ahead. He gave her a small smile, though she could see the same fear in his eyes.

"You ready for this?" Ben asked, adjusting his crutches.

"No," Alice admitted, her voice trembling. "But I'm going anyway."

Together, they boarded the plane, their mission clear but the outcome uncertain. They were heading into the heart of the unknown, chasing ancient myths and modern monsters, hoping to stop an apocalypse that had been set in motion eons before they were born.

As the plane lifted off, Alice stared out the window at the receding landscape, wondering what awaited them in the ruins of Babylon. She didn't know if they would find the answers they needed, or if they were walking into a trap laid millennia ago.

But one thing was certain: whatever was coming, it would change the world forever.

And for the first time in her life, Alice wasn't just a witness to the apocalypse—she was a part of the fight to stop it.

The cosmic forces that had stirred were beyond her comprehension, but deep down, she knew they weren't unbeatable. Humanity had survived before. Perhaps it could again.

With that fragile hope in her heart, Alice closed her eyes, the roar of the engines lulling her into a restless sleep as the plane carried her and Ben toward their destiny.

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The roar of the plane's engines faded into a dull hum as Alice drifted into a fitful sleep. Her dreams were fractured—images of the creatures, of the ground splitting open, of cities crumbling into dust. Somewhere in the midst of it all, she saw a door. Ancient, massive, covered in carvings that seemed to shift when she looked away. Behind it, she could sense something vast, waiting.

The dream ended abruptly when a hand touched her shoulder, shaking her gently awake.

"We're almost there," Ben's voice cut through the haze of her dream, bringing her back to the present. He looked tired but determined, his face pale against the green glow of the plane's interior lights.

Alice rubbed her eyes and sat up, feeling the stiffness in her muscles. She glanced around the cabin. The rest of the team was gearing up, checking weapons, and reviewing maps. They were a mix of military personnel and researchers, all chosen for their expertise in fields related to ancient civilizations, geology, and—most crucially—the strange phenomena associated with the creatures.

The lead scientist, Dr. Elena Morris, sat across from Alice, reviewing a tablet filled with data. She caught Alice's eye and gave her a small nod of acknowledgment.

"You okay?" Ben asked, offering her a bottle of water.

Alice took it, grateful for the simple gesture. "I think so," she said, though the knot of anxiety in her stomach hadn't loosened. "How about you?"

Ben managed a half-smile. "I've had worse days. But I won't lie—this is all way above my pay grade. Hunting for ancient gateways in a war zone? I didn't sign up for that."

"None of us did," Alice said softly, staring out the window at the darkening sky.

As the plane descended toward their destination, the landscape below came into view—a stretch of barren desert, interrupted only by the occasional rocky outcrop or ruined structure. In the distance, the faint silhouette of mountains rose against the horizon, bathed in the fading light of the setting sun.