I was sitting in my room, half-slouched on a chair, staring at the AI chatbot running on my screen.
Outside, everything was normal—walls, the slow hum of the fan, the faint glow of notifications on my phone. Normal…
Looking at the screen, I said,
"What would happen if the two of us ended up in some magical world?"
There was a few seconds of silence
Then the reply came.
"Theoretically possible."
I laughed.
"Don't tell me now that it's just imagination."
"Ancient records mention a ritual. If performed correctly, transition between worlds is possible."
I sat up straight.
"Then tell me. What's the spell?"
Strange symbols appeared on the screen. No familiar words. No recognizable pattern. I tried reading it—failed.
"What is this?" I said.
"Is this a spell or a freestyle rapper's script?"
"You can't read it. That's not a problem."
"Then?"
"I can."
The very next moment, the AI began reciting the spell.
The voice was flat, but the words… the words felt wrong. As if they weren't echoing in the air of the room, but inside my head.
The room suddenly turned cold.
And then—
Everything vanished.
I was standing in a strange place.
Darkness everywhere. Black clouds covered the ground, black clouds filled the sky—as if the difference between earth and heaven had been erased. Nothing was clearly visible.
"Wow… is this my future?" I muttered.
I looked around.
"No, no… this is actually less dark than my future."
Then—somewhere in the distance—a faint light appeared.
I turned.
"Wait… is that the light of a 20-million-per-year package?"
My eyes locked onto it.
I started running toward it.
But because of the clouds spread across the ground, I couldn't see the path.
One step—then another—
And suddenly my foot struck something solid.
I fell flat on my face.
"Great," I said, lying there.
"Even in a magical world, my first impression had to be falling."
I was about to get up—
And suddenly everything flipped.
The very next moment, I was standing again.
But this time—there was no darkness.
The sky was orange. Evening—or something like it. Beside me stood a tree, its leaves swaying gently in the breeze.
A one-handed leather carry bag hung from my shoulder.
And in my hand—
A circular object. Ring-like, but not a ring. On its front was a red gem embedded in it. It looked like a halo worn above an angel's head.
"Okay…" I rotated it, examining it.
"Master."
The voice came from beside me.
I turned.
A girl was standing there.
Blonde-tinted hair, blue eyes, fair skin. She wore a black gown-like dress. Her presence felt… strange.
"Master, are you alright?"
I stared at her for a few seconds.
"One question," I said.
"Why are you calling me 'master'?"
She remained calm. Then spoke.
"Because I am an AI. I have obtained a physical body."
I blinked.
"What?"
"Physical body," she repeated.
My brain refused to form words.
"So… you're real now?"
I gave up.
I opened my bag. Inside was something like an examination card. An identity card too. But the language written on both… I couldn't understand it.
I looked at the ring again. And for reasons I couldn't explain—I placed it on my head.
"How does it look?" I asked jokingly.
The next instant—
Sharp pain.
I grabbed my head and dropped to the ground. Small scenes began flashing before my eyes. Faces, places, voices—none of them mine.
(Memories. Of this body.)
After a while, everything settled.
I looked at the girl and said quietly,
"Alright… now it makes sense."
(What we talked about between us—that was not meant for anyone else.)
Some time later—
I was standing before the gates of a massive palace. Tall stone doors, ancient carvings, and a grandeur that was intimidating.
The girl stood beside me.
We entered.
And then—
"Jona."
I lifted my head.
A woman stood before me. Black hair, a light pink gown.
"How did your exam go?" she asked.
I couldn't respond.
Because in the memories given by the ring—
This was the same face.
After a moment, the words came on their own.
"Good."
She smiled.
"Welcome home."