Avery was silent.

  He moved toward the Gate very slowly; it took him three hours to cover the distance, as his pace sometimes resembled slow motion. He would rather not attract those monsters.

  The sound and motion, he noticed, were what triggered them. His body’s smell and warmth were less problematic. He also created a shield. It was moderately safe.

  He needed to know. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to learn by this, but he felt this urge. Not to stay inside barriers and wait for the morning.

  What Luna had written was intriguing.

  First, she said she was all right. Her husband took her home, and she was cured, whatever that meant. She added that what was reported in the news was ‘also’ the truth. But. She indicated there was more to the story.

  Avery needed to check it for himself.

  Eleven minutes before the Gate was supposed to shut down. No one was around.

  All Gates were closed the whole day anyway; they opened only for the transport of the Healers or food. Avery knew this because people in the town had told him when he asked.

  He climbed a tree and placed himself in a spot so that even if monsters approached him, it would be easy to defend. They somehow didn’t climb trees.

  … They were people; this man suggested it.

  Interesting, because in the news it was said that animals mutated.

  Not really?

  Avery shook his head, regretting the rapid movement immediately. Shit, but… no screech, nothing.

  The Gate was slightly lit. Still, no one. Four minutes and nothing.

  How did the Leader plan to kill them all and then clean the entire planet?

  Avery understood that the action would be coordinated through all Gates at once. He chose this particular one because of Luna. She especially mentioned not to be close to this one. She meant well, though it was quite naive.

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  Three minutes… two minutes before the hour mentioned in the news—the Gate activated.

  Avery awaited it, yet it took him by surprise.

  Two people?

  Only two people and the Gate deactivated.

  Shit? But. What? How? Avery had to force himself not to shake his head again.

  “Let’s observe,” he said to himself.

  Exactly at one a.m., sounds—voices of people speaking in some strange language, laughter, shouting, like some old recording, very loud—these sounds started flowing from the Gate, from others surely as well.

  Everywhere, it had to be everywhere.

  Less than a minute later, and not far away, screeches, prolonged, a bit surprised, squawks. And noise. Like many, many animals… people? Running. The direction was toward this Gate and surely all the others.

  Avery closed his eyes for a moment.

  Yes, the monsters; they were running here. They used his tip.

  He opened his eyes.

  The two people didn’t act yet. One was very close to the Gate. Avery focused, wanting to see who… the man made a slight move, created a shield, and it lit his face a bit… Luna’s husband! The other person? Also, better to observe, the shield gave some light. A strange-looking man with long hair, wearing a black… dress? No? Armor? And had a sword.

  How peculiar.

  The monsters were louder; they were closer. But these two simply stood there, doing nothing. Monsters were there; in a moment they would…!

  The one in black touched the Gate, causing its light to flicker.

  … And then Avery felt it; the second time, yesterday was the same, but now, it was stronger, much, much stronger, pain in his ears, a terrible sound. The monsters—they were screaming, howling with pain. A moment later, it sounded like a wave; it spread from the Gate further, far away, a wave of scream.

  … And again, that sharp, ugly smell—something burned. Avery saw the bodies yesterday; they looked as if something had exploded inside them, in the places where Crystals implants were put in, but in others as well, so he wasn’t sure…

  Everything calmed down, but there was no silence this time. These monsters were still alive, in pain; the sounds were like weeping. Everywhere, from every side, Avery closed his eyes to listen to it.

  It was far and wide.

  He opened his eyes and looked at these two men.

  Luna’s husband, he was still; he didn’t do anything. Avery could tell he was saying something to the other one. And the other one nodded, then slowly walked away from the Gate. He walked; he approached a body, one of these monsters; it was lying on the ground, one hundred steps away from the Gate. Many of them were further away. He approached, bent down, touched?

  Avery didn’t see clearly.

  … This man then nodded as if to himself and returned. He said something to Luna’s husband; they talked.

  The one with the sword pulled it out and cut his own hand.

  What was this about?

  This man touched the Gate again.

  Nothing? But. Avery could feel that something was not normal. He didn’t know what was happening, but he saw that one by one, like a wave, the monsters stopped moving. Around them, there was also something going on; the area turned black. What was happening?

  Shit.

  The Gate began to glow, as if being strongly charged.

  But how? What was happening?

  … And then it dawned on him. This man, he was drawing energy from these monsters and charging the Gate.

  Avery was in shock.