Note: Everything you read in this story is purely fictional and bears no connection to reality.
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Chapter One: A Beginning from Nowhere
I was sitting in my room.
There was nothing to suggest that my ordinary life was about to change forever. Suddenly, the lights began to dim gradually, and the sounds around me turned into distant whispers—like the entire world was melting before my eyes. I felt myself being pulled by an unknown force, as if I were diving into a sea of both darkness and light. Everything around me faded quickly, until I lost all sense of time and place.
I woke up—suddenly.
I had no idea what had happened. But the first thing I saw… was the sky. Strangely clear, and even its color felt off. I looked around and found myself sitting on dusty ground beside a narrow road surrounded by trees.
No cars.
No noise.
Just a gentle breeze and the sound of birds I wasn't used to hearing.
I reached into my pocket.
There was something… I pulled it out quickly.
Ten dollars.
My phone — its battery was nearly dead and no network signal.
And a simple pen — the one I always kept in my pocket for no real reason.
I sat there for a while, trying to process everything.
"Am I… dreaming?"
I pinched myself. No, I wasn't dreaming. The air was cold, the ground was rough, and everything felt real.
I looked around — no one.
I began walking slowly along the road. After several minutes, I saw a group of people in the distance, gathered near some wooden buildings that looked like a small village. I hesitated, but my need to understand what was happening pushed me forward.
I approached with hesitant steps, worry and confusion written all over my face. I asked them:
"Excuse me… Can you tell me where I am? And how I got here?"
One of them — a middle-aged man with a calm expression — looked at me and said:
"Looks like you just arrived, huh?"
I nodded silently.
He spoke in a reassuring tone:
"Don't worry. You're not alone. Many people show up here suddenly. We were once like you."
I asked:
"What do you mean? How?"
He gave a small smile, as if he'd repeated this conversation many times before:
"This place is called the New World. No one knows how or why… but we all came from different places — from different worlds."
I was stunned and anxious. Different worlds? Was he joking?
He shook his head and said:
"I wish I were. But this is the reality we live in."
My chest tightened.
"This is insane…"
The man replied calmly:
"It's the truth."
I stood there in silence. My heart pounded, my mind refused to accept any of this. I wanted to scream, to deny it all — but nothing looked familiar anymore.
I asked them:
"Is there a way back?"
Another man, his voice low and somber, answered:
"We haven't heard of anyone going back. If such a way exists… it's unknown to us."
I looked down in silence.
I was here. I didn't know how, or for how long.
And all I had with me was ten dollars, a dying phone, and a pen.
I didn't know what to do.
I just stood there, frozen, trying to catch my breath — trying to understand what was happening.
This wasn't a dream…
But it wasn't the reality I knew either.
All I could think about was: "What now?