Trapped In Elysium: A Virtual Reality Nightmare-Chapter 178: We’re fucked.

Marcus’s boots struck the dusty ground of the tomb with a dull thud as he stumbled forward, the swirling light of the portal still rippling behind him. He barely had time to adjust to the present before hands caught his shoulders—Borik’s thick fingers gripping one side, and Jason’s nervous palms patting the other.

"He’s back!" Eleanor gasped from where she stood guard beside the portal. Her sword was already half-drawn, instincts honed from battle never quite letting her relax, not even for a second.

Marcus straightened, brushing off their touches and shaking his head. "I’m fine. I did it. He took the pendant.... It’s done."

"You saw him?" Sophia’s voice cracked as she stepped forward, her blue eyes wide with an urgency that hadn’t left them since Marcus disappeared. "You actually saw Liam?"

Marcus nodded, slower now, the weight of everything he’d just done catching up to him in a rush. "Yeah. I saw him. He’s still the same idiot... late for Nexus, mouth full of sarcasm... but he took it. That’s what matters."

Eleanor let out a breath, her fingers clenching into fists at her sides. "Then we still have a chance."

The queen didn’t move. She stood off to the side, the faintest glow still curling around her fingers where the portal pulsed. Her eyes weren’t on Marcus. They were on the flickering shimmer behind him.

At first, the others didn’t notice. The excitement of Marcus’s return was enough to draw their attention, to pull them close and drown out everything else in questions and relief. But then Borik looked past Marcus and frowned. His dwarven eyes narrowed.

"Wait a minute," he grunted. "That thing... it’s not closing."

The group turned, one by one, their gazes sliding toward the portal. The swirling surface had started to pulse—once, then twice—before a sudden spark burst outward like a solar flare. It hissed in the air, and the edges of the gate began to ripple violently. The space itself seemed to warp, bending around a force that was coming... or rather, already on its way.

Sophia’s face went pale. "Someone’s... coming through?"

Jason reached instinctively for his crossbow, though there was nowhere to aim yet. "That’s not possible," he muttered, eyes flicking toward the queen.

"It’s possible," the queen cut in quietly, her voice sharper than before. Her skin looked even paler now, her body swaying subtly, as though even hovering was costing her strength.

"Possible?" Eleanor stepped forward, her tone calm but firm.

The queen’s gaze didn’t move from the portal. "Time isn’t stable when tampered with.

"What do you mean?" Marcus asked, stepping forward. His voice was louder now, defensive. "No one else came with me. I didn’t bring anyone."

"No," the queen said softly, "but someone may have followed.

Jason’s brow furrowed. "Who the hell—"

A sudden crack sounded from the portal—a sharp, unnatural noise that echoed through the chamber like the splitting of stone. The light inside the swirl dimmed for a heartbeat, then flared again, stronger. There was movement in the light— warping and solidifying, a figure starting to push through.

Sophia reached for her bow and arrows. "Get ready."

The light flared once more—and this time, a silhouette finally formed. A figure stepped through.

Tall. Lean. Not armored. Not armed.

The figure stumbled as it emerged, one foot dragging before the other caught solid ground. Dust rose up as the portal spat them out, and the tomb was filled with a strange quiet—the hush of the moment before answers either broke you or made you whole.

Jason froze mid-step, staring.

The others just watched.

He wasn’t anyone they knew.

The group froze.

The man blinked rapidly, coughing, eyes wide with raw panic as he sat up. He was young—barely older than Marcus—with messy hair plastered to his forehead, his shirt soaked in sweat, and one sneaker missing. He looked like he’d just crawled out of a nightmare and into hell.

"W-Where am I?" he stammered, throwing up both hands. "Please! Don’t hurt me—I don’t even know where this is—what is this place?!"

"Who are you?" Eleanor barked, stepping closer. "And how did you come through the portal?"

"I-I don’t know!" he cried. "I swear, I don’t know what happened—I was just—I was walking—back home—and then everything started spinning, and then I was just—here! Please, I swear to God, I don’t even know any of you!"

The queen, still hovering, raised her head slowly. Her eyes narrowed on him, scanning every inch of his face, searching for something... anything.

Sophia didn’t lower her weapon. "You expect us to believe that? A random stranger just stumbled through a portal?"

"I’m not lying!" the man shouted, his voice cracking. "I’m just a student—I don’t even know what’s going on—I’m not supposed to be here, I swear on my life!"

Jason glanced at Marcus, muttering under his breath, "Did you see him back in the city? Was he following you?"

Marcus shook his head, tense and uneasy. "No. I don’t recognize him. I was watching Liam the whole time. There was no one else."

Von growled lowly. "Might be a trick. Could be a spy. Or worse."

The man flinched, crawling backward on all fours until his back hit the far wall of the chamber. He started puking.

"I-I’m not a spy! I’m not anything! My name’s Devon! Devon Holt!—I work in IT—I don’t know any magic, I don’t know any of you, I swear to God.

Borik leaned in toward Eleanor. "He stinks of fear... but not of lies."

The queen rose shakily to her feet, pushing Eleanor aside with a gentle hand. Her voice was soft, but commanding.

"Lower your weapons."

"He’s a threat—" Eleanor protested, but the queen raised a hand.

"I said lower them."

Reluctantly, blades returned to sheaths and bows relaxed, but no one stepped away from the circle that boxed the stranger in.

The queen approached the man slowly, her eyes never leaving his. He looked ready to bolt, though there was nowhere to run.

"You say your name is Devon Holt," she said. "And you’re from Earth."

He nodded quickly. "Yes. I-I don’t know how I got here—I didn’t mean to—I was just walking to work, and I saw this ripple thing, and then there was this light—like a whirlpool—and next thing I know I’m lying here and you’re all pointing weapons at me."

The queen studied him in silence for a long moment, then finally said, "He’s telling the truth."

Everyone turned to her.

Jason frowned. "You can be sure?"

She nodded. "His aura... it’s pure. Untouched by this world. His body hasn’t adapted to the ley lines, his spirit still vibrates on Earth’s frequency. He is not from here... and he has not been here long."

Sophia narrowed her eyes. "So then how did he get here? Accidents don’t happen with time portals."

"No, he stumbled upon the portal by mistake" the queen said, her voice low. "The timeline is ruined."

Marcus looked around, his brow furrowed. "Oh shit, we’re fucked."

Something had changed.

The queen turned to Devon again. "You are safe now... for the moment. But listen closely. This place... this world... is dangerous. Every step you take from now on will matter. And if you’ve been pulled here without cause... then something—someone—is pulling strings."

Devon nodded slowly, trembling, confused beyond belief. "O-Okay... just... please don’t kill me..."

Eleanor’s blade still hovered by her hip. "No promises."