North stirred awake, with a slow languorous yawn, as his body gradually pulled itself from the depths of slumber. His eyelids, heavy from a night out spent drinking, finally peeled themselves open to reveal an elaborately decorated ceiling just overhead. Among other things, North found himself sprawled on an absurdly plush bed. Its overwhelming softness felt alien to the touch... almost unsettling even.
Curiously, his gaze shifted from the bed to assess his current surroundings. A quick one over made it alarmingly clear that he was far from his modest one-bedroom apartment. The room was adorned with lavish furnishings, exuding a timeless elegance that echoed the aged grandeur of a Victorian-styled palace.
However, what really caught his attention was the small glowing orb floating effortlessly in the air. It cast a warm light that soaked throughout the room. Somehow, illuminating the entire space, without any discernible power source—like some extraordinary magical lamp. In another corner of the room, a small white orb emitted a cool breeze, acting in what he assumed to be some sort of air conditioner.
“Seriously, Where am I?" North thought aloud, feigning a calmness that didn't quite reach his chest. Just when he thought he was close to panicking, a sudden, sharp stab of pain shot through his head; and with it, brought along an onslaught of unfamiliar scenes and information that came flooding down his brain. "Argh!" North cried out, as the relentless throbbing persisted for thirty whole minutes. Luckily, after what felt like an eternity of agonizing torture, the pain finally subsided.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
"Huff... haa... huff..." Gasping for breath, North's body slumped to the floor, shaking from the trauma he had just endured.
“Haaa...” He took a deep breath, shutting his eyes, as he focused squarely on calming his trembling nerves. North continued like this, in silence, for several more seconds.
“Phew...!” With one final exhalation, he opened his eyes again, turning his sights towards the full-length mirror positioned at the far edge of the bed. Without realizing it, his hands instinctively clenched into fists, as his gaze lingered on it. Pressing his lips, North stood up, and slowly approached the mirror.
As his reflection came into view, he saw the shocked expression of a young pale skinned lad on the cusp of adolescence. His hair was a tangled mess of muddy brown that cascaded loosely over his narrow shoulders. Although his face was rather plain, it amplified his dazzling emerald green eyes.
It was his younger self, or more accurately, an alternate version of himself from an entirely different reality. North was completely stunned. Could it really be that he had transmigrated to another world? Not only that, but the world of one of his least favorite novels.
'Heh, I guess anime had it right!' North thought with a hint of amusement, making a vain effort to ignore the harrowing implications of what that could entail.
