Alise slowly opened her eyes, stretched and sat down on a makeshift bed made from a mattress and a few blankets. She looked at the boy who was still unconscious, barely moving with his breathing. His face was calm but tired - as if he had been through something that could not be described in words.
She pulled on her sweatshirt and moved closer to see if he was OK. Nothing had changed.
Suddenly she heard footsteps. She turned to see Noah putting on his rucksack and reaching for his gun.
- Where are you going? - She asked, slightly worried.
- I'm going for a walk," he replied calmly, kneeling down next to Rex and attaching a makeshift leash to him. - I like to walk alone in the nearby woods sometimes. It helps me... not to go mad.
Alise furrowed her brow.
- Is it even safe?
Noah shrugged.
- No. But I don't want to spend my whole life in this factory. Besides... I have Rex. And if I keep quiet, no one will notice me.
She hesitated, then nodded.
- Fine. I'll stay here and watch the place... and him," she added, glancing at the unconscious boy.
Noah smiled slightly, but there was a shadow of concern in his eyes. He reached into one of the drawers and pulled out a small pistol.
- Take it.
Alise took a step back.
- What should I... no... I don't know how to...
- You don't have to be a sniper," Noah said calmly. - Just keep it with you. Just in case.
She hesitated, looking at the gun as if she held something forbidden. But then she took it slowly. Her fingers trembled.
- Keep your finger off the trigger until you have to shoot. The safety is here," he pointed quickly. - Use it only if there is no other choice.
Alise nodded, holding the gun with both hands as if it were a brick of dynamite.
- Hurry back, okay?
- I'll do what I can," he said with a slight smile and walked towards the exit with Rex at his side.
Alise was left alone. The silence in the factory suddenly seemed louder than usual....
Alise stood still for a moment, staring at the closed door through which Noah had left. The factory was silent again, broken only by the low hum of machinery and isolated sounds from outside - the sound of the wind, the distant singing of birds.
She looked around inside. The room was cold and empty, even though they had tried to create something of a home here. Shelves of tins, a few scattered blankets, a worn mattress, a few candles and lamps that sometimes worked. Too quiet. Too quiet.
With a sigh, she moved deeper into the factory. She walked between the pillars, sweeping her eyes over the concrete walls and metal structures. There was a faint smell of dust and rust in the air. Her legs led her aimlessly - she just walked, not to think. The dark corridors of the abandoned factory frightened her.
The rooms, with no doors and barely lit lamps, looked like something out of a horror film. She walked along and stopped at one of the windows, the pale rays of the morning sun streaming in. She leaned against the frame and gazed into the distance.
- What is mother doing now? - she whispered softly. - Are they still alive?
Images flashed through her mind: mum in the kitchen, dad laughing on the terrace with a cup of coffee, Sophie drawing at her desk. Max and his silly jokes. Emma and their walks together after school. Grace with her textbook always open.
It all seemed so far away, like it was just a dream. Or... Like it had never happened.
She tightened her grip on the gun she still carried. She didn't feel safe with it, but knowing that she was all alone in this strange world made her feel even worse.
Suddenly she heard something strange coming from the room where the boy was.
Alise returned to the room, hoping that the boy was still unconscious where she had left him. She walked through the door and glanced quickly at the bed, but the boy was gone. She froze for a moment. She glanced around the room quickly but didn't see him anywhere.
She felt her heart beat faster. There were no more signs of the boy's presence, no sounds, just silence. She began to wonder if this was a dream, or if the portal that had opened really had some effect on his condition.
Suddenly, from behind her, she heard a small voice:
- Hello.
Frightened, Alise turned abruptly, forgetting everything around her. In an instant, she tripped over her own feet and fell to the ground. She felt the adrenaline kick in. Raising her head, she saw the boy standing beside her, smiling slightly.
- Hey, take it easy. - The boy reached out to help her. - Thanks for looking after me.
Alise, confused and still on the ground, looked at him in surprise. "How can this be?" - she thought. The boy did not look unconscious, on the contrary, he seemed quite conscious and... present.
- When I woke up, I was completely disoriented," he continued, helping her to her feet. - I looked around. Well... I have to admit it looks a bit scary.
Alise couldn't utter a word. Instead, she stared at him intently, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Finally, she managed to gather her thoughts and replied: "I... Alise," she said, tentatively holding out her hand. - It's a pleasure to meet you.
The boy's smile broadened and there was a gleam of interest in his eyes.
- Andrew," he replied, shaking her hand. - It seems I have you to thank for everything. For rescuing me and giving me a place to rest.
Alise felt her heart quicken. She felt that this boy might have something to do with all that was going on, but she didn't know exactly what yet. It was all so strange, she couldn't believe it was really happening.
Alise looked at the boy carefully, still a little tense after the scare.
- Hey... - she began carefully. - Where... did you come from? This portal... we saw you fall out of it.
Andrew furrowed his brow and rubbed his neck with his hand.
- Portal? - He repeated, as if trying to remember something. - I just remember... some darkness. Something chasing me... or attacking me. Everything was a blur. Then suddenly it was bright, like a flash, and... well, I just woke up here.
Alise stared at him in mild disbelief.
- Nothing more? No details? Where are you from?
Andrew shook his head.
- I don't know... it's all like a fog. I feel that... it wasn't my world. Or maybe it was? Damn... my mind is all mixed up.
He was silent for a moment, then looked at her with a slight smile.
- But I guess I owe you my life, huh? Thank you for looking after me.
Alise nodded slowly, still keeping her eyes on him.
- Well... it's not every day that someone falls out of a portal twenty metres from your window. It's hard to ignore.
Andrew laughed softly.
- I already know that I did not fall into the most boring world.
Alise looked at him cautiously.
- And what world are you from? - she asked cautiously.
Andrew was silent for a moment, as if wondering what to say. Alise thought he might not remember, maybe he was too confused... But after a moment he breathed softly and looked into her eyes.
- I come from a place... that I think you know," he finally said. - The same world as you.
Alise stiffened.
- I remember that day," Andrew said quietly. - Something happened. Something... opened. A portal. Everything started to collapse. And then... I ended up somewhere else. I don't know where exactly. Some strange dimension, everything was... twisted. Something was attacking me. I fought, I ran. And somehow... I finally fell out here.
Alise looked at him stunned. Her heart beat faster.
- Are you really from my world? - she whispered.
Andrew nodded his head.
- Yes. But I don't know what happened to him. I don't know if he still exists. It all happened so fast.
Alise sat down carefully on one of the metal boxes and looked at Andrew curiously.
- And you? What world are you from?
Andrew hesitated. His eyes flicked off somewhere, as if he was trying to remember something... as if he didn't know what to say.
Seeing this, Alise sighed softly and began to speak.
- I... came from a place that looked normal. I went to school, had a family, friends. Everything was fine until strange things started to happen. Some cracks in the air, strange premonitions... And then a portal opened. It pulled me in. And... I ended up here. In a dimension that looks like the end of the world.
She was silent for a moment, looking down at the ground. Then she raised her eyes to Andrew.
- I've been looking for a way to get back ever since.
Andrew was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath.
- I remember," he said quietly. - I was there too. I saw it start... the portal, the chaos. And then... then I ended up in a strange place. Everything was wrong. Something attacked me. I don't know how, but I managed to escape. And suddenly I was here.
Alise looked at him with her eyes wide open.
- So... you are from my world?
Andrew slowly nodded his head.
Alise stared at Andrew as if his words gave her new hope.
- We have to find a way to get back there," she said with determination in her voice. - If we are both from the same world, we might be able to do something together.
Andrew lowered his eyes as if he didn't know what to say. He wanted to say something, but at that moment their conversation was interrupted by a sudden noise. The sound of bottles breaking, shouting and what sounded like a dog barking.
Alise sprang to her feet and ran to the nearest window. She pushed back a piece of cloth covering the glass and peered out.
- Oh no... - she whispered, blanching.
Andrew was standing beside her, looking through the glass as well.
Outside, amid the ruined streets and overgrown pavements, several armed men stood. They were dressed in dirty jackets, their faces covered by masks or scarves. Rifles gleamed in their hands. One of them was holding Noah, his hands bound and his forehead slit. Next to him sat Rex, also captured - one of the bandits holding him on a chain like a trophy.
- It's the same gang," Alise whispered. - Those psychos we met in the bunker... ....
Andrew's eyebrows furrowed, his gaze clouded. - Who is the person they have captured? - He asked - This is a friend of mine, he helped me take care of you," Alise replied firmly - It seems they found your trail.
Alise stepped back from the window, feeling her heart pounding.
- We have to do something. We have to save him.
Andrew looked at her gravely.
- Just the two of us against them? We have to plan well... - Andrew said, unmoved by the situation.