Pandemonium

A group of friends decided to go camping at one of the most popular sites in the Sierra Madre Mountains- a place known not just for its breathtaking views, but also for the strange stories whispered by the locals.

Halfway through their hike, the trail markers began to fade, and before they realized it, they were lost. To make things worse, their water supply was running out. Exhausted and uneasy, they decided to rest under the thick shade of towering trees.

The forest was still. Too still.
Then, Ken noticed something glimmering in the distance. A flicker, like sunlight bouncing off glass.

Through the dense trees, they spotted it. A lake. Wide, calm, and strangely inviting.

Without a second thought, they rushed toward it, their thirst and fatigue urging them on. As Ken knelt by the water's edge, he cupped his hands and scooped up some of the cool liquid. Just as he was about to drink...

...the lake began to glow.

A blinding light erupted from its depths, illuminating everything around them in a dazzling, otherworldly radiance. The water shimmered as if alive, pulsing with energy. Startled, they shielded their eyes, afraid that if they kept looking, they might go blind.

It lasted only a few seconds, then, silence.

When they finally opened their eyes, the forest was gone.

Before them stood a massive gate, forged from dark metal and carved with strange, twisting symbols. Beyond it glowed a faint crimson light, and distant echoes hummed like whispers in the air.

At the top of the gate, etched in bold, ancient letters, was a single word:

"PANDEMONIUM."

"Not everything divine is pure and not everything dark is evil"