"If you want to go and find out the truth, come with me," the boy said, extending his hand to me.
I looked at his hand hesitantly, but with curiosity, I couldn't contain, I finally took it. A strange cold feeling enveloped my body as my hand touched it.
A moment after that, I felt a strange sensation. Like being sucked into an invisible stream of energy, the world around me changed. When everything returned to normal, I realized that we were in the same place but with a different atmosphere.
The environment around me looked a little darker and gloomier. The buildings looked older and almost neglected. There was something that felt wrong in the air. I felt a strange energy vibration around me.
"Welcome to the parallel world," the boy said with a smile. "Here, reality is distorted, and we must be careful. This world is full of mysteries and unexpected dangers."
I nodded, trying to understand the situation I was in. It was like stepping into a similar world but with stark differences. I felt tense yet also interested in exploring further.
The boy stepped forward, inviting me to follow him. We walked through the quiet streets, and it felt so lonely. I tried to keep my mind open, looking for clues or signs of my existence in this world.
"What's going on?" I asked the boy. "Why am I in this parallel world?"
He paused for a moment and looked at me seriously. "You have a special bond with this world," he replied. "There is something inside you that connects you to this dimension. We need to find out more to find the answers you seek."
I felt even more curious. Did I have a special role in this world? Why was I connected to this dimension? All these questions were raging in my mind.
We continued our journey, exploring the corners of this gloomy city. I felt that something was watching us, whether it was a supernatural entity or an invisible being. But I didn't feel afraid because I knew I wasn't alone.
As the sun began to set, we came across an old building that seemed to be full of mystery. The boy looked at me excitedly.
"This is the place that might hold the answers you seek," he said in a trembling voice. "We must enter and uncover the secrets within."
I clenched my fists tightly, trying to overcome the anxiety that struck. Despite my fear, I chose to move forward. I had to find the answers that had haunted me all this time.
We walked to the door of the building and entered it carefully. This parallel world was still full of mysteries that needed to be solved. And although this journey was fraught with danger, I was prepared to face it to find the truth I was looking for.
In the darkness of the old and spooky building, we stepped slowly. Our steps rumbled in the eerie silence. I felt the adrenaline coursing through my body, but also the fear that kept haunting me.
The boy led the way through winding hallways and dust-filled rooms. Every corner of this building felt like it held an untold secret. I felt the energy vibrations getting stronger, indicating that we were getting closer to the truth I was looking for.
Finally, we arrived at a room that was different from the others. In the center of the room was an old wooden table with books and scrolls of paper lying on it. This room seemed to be a long-abandoned library.
"This is the perfect place to find your answers," the boy said, pointing at the table.
I approached and began to browse through the books. The titles ranged from theories about parallel dimensions to notebooks that appeared to have been written by previous researchers. I tried reading a few pages, looking for clues that might be hidden there.
Suddenly, I found a book that caught my eye. The cover was dark red with gold lettering engraved on it. I opened the first page and was surprised by what I read.
"Your Story in the Parallel World: Explorations Between Dimensions," the title read. The pages inside contained stories of people trapped in parallel worlds and their attempts to return to their home worlds.
I gasped as I realized that these stories had similarities to my own experiences. It was as if this book was written specifically for me. I kept reading, looking for clues that could help me understand what was happening to me.
The boy was also reading enthusiastically beside me. We exchanged glances, expressing our confusion and curiosity. As it turned out, I was not alone on this journey. Others were experiencing the same thing.
We continued to browse through the pages of the book, looking for clues that might be hidden between the words. In the middle of our reading, we found a folded note that had fallen off one of the pages.
The boy smiled. "You've found the clue you were looking for," he said.
"What makes you sure that this is a clue?" I asked incredulously.
The boy shrugged his shoulders. "It all comes back to you. Unfortunately, I can't give you a definitive answer," he replied in a nosy tone.
"Yikes!"
"Do you still want to continue the search?" he offered.
I nodded in agreement. Then we continued our journey together with the mysterious boy. In the middle of our journey, I suddenly remembered that I had not asked about the name of the boy who had brought me here. Remembering this made me immediately ask his name.
"Hey, what's your name? I haven't known your name for a while."
The boy turned around briefly, showing off his characteristic smile. "You're a little late asking. My name is Poppy," he introduced himself. "Are you satisfied, Choi Saeran?"
I was surprised when he mentioned my long name. She knew it—she knew my name! Even though I never said my name at all, I'm sure I never recognized this little girl named Poppy.
"Where did you get my name?" I asked curiously.
Poppy smiled slyly; she put her index finger next to her lips and replied like this: "Little secret, you don't need to know it."
And from there, I decided not to ask any more questions. She looked even more sickening in my eyes.
***
On our journey, I kept busy thinking about the clue I found earlier. I don't know why I was so curious about the contents of the clue. I haven't read it at all, and it's a bit disturbing to my mind.
"If you're curious, why don't you open it?" Suddenly, Poppy, who was walking in front of me, spoke up, breaking the silence between the two of us.