It Seems I've Come to Another World
It seems I've come to another world.
A round sun hung high in the sky.
It was night just a moment ago.
This was definitely not normal. In fact, it was completely wrong. On top of that, the sun looked far larger than it should have been.
It's about twice as big, isn't it?
The air felt different too. It carried a heavy scent of earth. Of course, looking at the landscape around me, that made sense—the smell of grass and soil was overpowering.
I'd already taken it all in, but I scanned my surroundings once more. The towering buildings and cars that should have filled the skyline were gone. Instead, an endlessly barren stretch of land greeted me: grass, rocks, more rocks, still more grass, sand, sand, and yet more grass.
The grass wasn't even proper turf. It was dry and sparse, the kind you'd find scattered across a desert.
Where the hell was I?
"...Someone, please tell me I'm dreaming."
A single gust of wind brushed across my cheek. It felt far too vivid to be a dream. As much as I hated to admit it, this seemed to be reality. And it probably wasn't Earth.
I stared up at that enormous sun and muttered, "Another world, huh."
Reincarnation or transportation to another world was a staple of modern web novels. I'd never imagined it could actually happen in real life.
"Wow. I really didn't see this coming."
Stunned into a daze, I suddenly looked around again. I couldn't just stand here. Whether this was another world or not, I needed to find people. Waiting around didn't seem like it would bring anyone passing through.
Yeah. No chance at all.
No matter which way I looked across this empty plain, there wasn't the slightest sign of a road, not even a single wheel track. It felt like a true desert where no one ever set foot.
Not even a single tree for shade.
There wasn't any grass thick enough to offer cover, either. What little grew here was withered and limp, lying flat against the ground. If I wasn't careful, I might die alone and forgotten in this vast emptiness—starving, dehydrated, or from heatstroke.
At least I'd eaten dinner right before coming here. That was a small mercy. I could probably last through today, maybe even tomorrow, without too much trouble.
I dug through my outer jacket pocket and found two small plastic bottles of barley tea. I'd tossed them in to give my workout a slight boost. For some reason my phone was in there too. I didn't remember putting it away. I'd thought I'd dropped it.
It was powered off. I tried turning it on, but nothing happened. Dead battery or broken—I couldn't tell. My wallet, some gum, a few small chocolates I kept for late nights at the office, and the multi-tool knife on my keychain all came out one after another.
I was genuinely grateful my company didn't enforce a strict suit policy. If I'd been wearing one, I wouldn't have had any of this with me.
After checking my belongings, I let out a long sigh and started walking. I didn't pick a direction. Every way looked the same.
As I walked, I occasionally spotted thin branches lying on the ground. Maybe trees had grown here once. Now there wasn't a single one in sight. Every time I found one, I picked it up and stuffed it in my pocket. It might not make proper firewood, but it could at least serve as a torch for the pitch-black night. If I could gather enough for a small campfire, even better.
They call it hope because it's rarely fulfilled. Despite my efforts, I barely had a handful.
"What now?"
Standing in a place with nowhere to hide, I looked up at the sky. The sun had already set. The red-stained landscape suddenly plunged into darkness as if someone had cut the power. I'd just watched the sunset, yet after a few steps it was so dark I couldn't see my own feet.
I hadn't realized how absolute natural darkness could be. There wasn't even time to light the branches I'd collected for torches.
From somewhere came the cry of a beast. It wasn't a wolf or bear. It was a bizarre sound I'd never heard before. I couldn't even guess what kind of creature made it.
And it was cold. Moments ago I'd been so warm I'd tied my jacket around my waist, but the moment the sun vanished, a chill sank into my bones. It would only get worse as the night deepened. What if the temperature dropped below freezing? I'd really die here—frozen solid.
"Anyway, I need to start a fire. Quickly."
Small branches, but many little things make a mountain. It might give me a little warmth. It probably wouldn't last an hour, but it was better than nothing.
I fumbled in my pocket for a branch and had just flicked on my lighter when I saw it: a tiny speck of light in the far distance, smaller than a dust mote. In daylight I would never have noticed it. Only the absolute darkness made it visible.
"People..."
I didn't know if they were bandits or something worse, but there were people there. I was saved.
In the pitch blackness where I couldn't even see the ground beneath my feet, I started running toward that light. Somewhere far behind me, the beast cried again. It sounded a little closer than before. I didn't dare look back. My legs moved even faster.
I thought I'd reach it quickly, but the light was farther than it seemed. I ran, walked, then ran again until I finally drew near. When I could make out the shapes of people, I stopped at a distance.
They might be bandits or slavers. I needed to make sure they weren't dangerous before approaching. They stood in bright light while I remained hidden in shadow. They wouldn't see me. Sure enough, no one had noticed my presence.
What had looked like a firefly from afar was actually a fairly large campfire. Quite a few people sat around it in small groups. Most seemed to be men. A small shadow lingered a little way from the flames—perhaps a woman or a child.
I checked for handcuffs or ropes, but saw none. They didn't appear to be bandits or slavers. Beyond the fire stood several wagons and horses. A large pot hung over the flames, and the smell of food drifted on the air. My stomach clenched with sudden hunger.
One man stirred the pot with a ladle and shouted something.
"[Unintelligible words]."
Of course this was another world. I couldn't understand a single syllable.
People picked up bowls and lined up. The man ladled food for each of them, and they returned to their spots to eat quietly. Occasional soft laughter rose from the group.
They seem all right.
At least they didn't look like the sort who would drag someone off or rob and kill them. I took a deep breath. All right. Let's go.
To avoid startling them, I deliberately made my footsteps loud as I approached. The dry ground didn't carry much sound, but in the quiet darkness it was noticeable. As I drew near, several men raised spears and swords toward the shadows.
"[Unintelligible words]!"
Probably something like Who goes there? Stop!
I raised both hands and walked into the light. Even without shared language, expressions, gestures, and tone could communicate. I called out in the friendliest voice I could manage.
"I'm just a traveler! I don't mean any harm!"
When the bright light filled her surroundings, the first thing to vanish was her lover Jinwoo's hair. The others probably didn't notice. His hair wriggled as though drawn by a magnet, stretching toward the light, sparkling as it disappeared.
Without thinking, she reached out and touched it. It wasn't the time for that—definitely not—but she didn't know why she'd done it. She must have been enchanted by the light.
That's when the anomaly struck. The instant her hand met Jinwoo's hair, something invisible sparked against her skin. Prick, prick, prick. It felt like sparks of carbonation against her flesh. At the same time, her own fingers began to scatter and vanish.
On the surface it looked similar to what was happening to Jinwoo, but it was different. He had melted gently into the light. She felt as if angry light were devouring her.
Prick, prick, prick, prick. With each sting, more of her body disappeared. Overwhelmed by terror, a scream finally tore free. She yanked her hand back, but it was already too late. The light continued consuming her.
The sensation grew stronger. What had been mere prickling became sharp as an awl stabbing into her. It hurt. It hurt so much. But light filled her mouth, choking off any scream. Fear stole her breath.
Just as she thought she would die like this, an impact far beyond anything before slammed into her skull. It felt like shoving her head into a massive bomb. She was really going to die. That was her last thought before consciousness slipped away.
When she came to, she lay with her cheek pressed against a cold floor.
Her entire body ached and tingled as though it had been chopped apart and crudely reassembled. Her vision was blurry. Her senses felt dull. The only thing she could tell was that the light enveloping her hadn't completely vanished. It crackled like static across her skin before slowly fading.
Her organs, bones, skin—every part of her prickled with pain. A few tears slipped from Sohee's eyes and fell to the floor. She wanted to understand what had happened and where she was, but she had no strength left. She couldn't even twitch a finger.
By the time the light finally disappeared, her clogged ears began to clear. She heard people murmuring. Some voices brimmed with joy, others sounded troubled. But something was strange. It wasn't Korean. She wasn't fluent in foreign languages, but she could at least distinguish English, German, or French. This belonged to none of them. The pronunciation and cadence were completely alien, like hearing an unknown tribe from the depths of some jungle.
While she struggled with confusion, her blurry vision gradually cleared. She blinked slowly, and the scene around her came into focus.
What is this? What kind of situation is this?
Sohee moved only her eyes, taking everything in. People dressed in clothing straight out of a medieval film stood around her. She tried to push herself up when a man approached and knelt beside her.
He was strikingly beautiful, with sparkling golden hair, pale skin, and long lashes. She'd never seen such a handsome man. Her heart gave a sudden, heavy thud.
The man removed his outer robe and gently covered her lower body. Only then did she realize her pants were gone. Her face burned crimson.
When he murmured something to her, the surrounding speech suddenly became understandable.
"Saintess, if it is difficult to move, there is no need to force yourself to rise."
Saintess? Me? What is this man talking about?
Startled, she stared as the man offered a gentle smile.
"I am Alf, first prince of this kingdom. Welcome, Saintess."
A prince... a prince?
Oh god.
What on earth was happening?
Sohee could only stare, mouth agape.