Chapter 1: The Ordinary Life
Sam was an ordinary person, living an ordinary life. Each day was a repetition of the last—wake up, go to work, come home, sleep, and then repeat. There was nothing in his daily routine that stood out, no spark to set him apart from the world around him. People had become selfish, too focused on their own lives, their own problems. The world, it seemed, had lost its magic, and Sam had become numb to it.
But it hadn't always been like this.
There was a time, back when he was younger, when life felt different—full of possibility. The world was a place of wonder. He could remember a movie from his childhood, one that had left an indelible mark on his mind. A magical world, filled with witches and wizards, enchanted creatures, and grand adventures. It was a world so unlike his own that it felt almost unreal—yet it had been so compelling, so real in his imagination.
He thought about it often. Harry Potter, the story that had captured his heart and mind. He used to dream about being a part of that world, attending a magical school, learning spells, exploring hidden realms.
"Maybe it would've been fun to go to a magical school," Sam thought, gazing out the window at the rain pouring down. The thunder rumbled in the distance, as if the storm itself was in sync with his thoughts.
Sam hadn't watched those movies in years, but suddenly the urge to revisit them overcame him. The nostalgia tugged at his soul like an old friend calling from the past.
"Maybe it's time for a rewatch," he muttered to himself.
Alica, his AI assistant, hummed to life. "Confirming, Sam. You wish to watch Harry Potter?"
"Yeah," Sam replied, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Let's do it."
As Alica began streaming the movie, Sam leaned back into his couch, the dim light of the screen casting a soft glow. Outside, the storm intensified, the rain crashing against the windows, thunder shaking the walls. Sam found comfort in the familiar sounds, letting them wash over him as the magical world of Hogwarts unfolded before him.
But as the opening credits rolled, something unexpected happened.
A deafening crack of thunder split the air, followed by an intense flash of light. Sam felt the entire house tremble, as if something monumental had just occurred. His screen flickered. Alica's voice cut out.
Then, the lights went out.
The thunder seemed to pulse in time with the erratic flickering of the lights, each rumble more violent than the last. Sam's breath caught in his chest as a sharp crack of energy shot through the room. The surge of power felt like it came from the very core of the universe. His body jerked violently, his mind a blur of confusion.
And then, just as quickly as it all began, everything went still.
Complete silence.
Sam felt weightless, like his body no longer existed. The sensation was like being suspended in time and space—unmoored from the physical world. Darkness enveloped him, a cold and all-encompassing void that stretched on forever. He couldn't hear, couldn't feel, couldn't even think. There was no sense of time, no rhythm of existence. There was nothing.
In that pitch-black emptiness, Sam's consciousness flickered—fading away as though he were slipping deeper into a dreamless sleep. A dreamless sleep that didn't end.
And then, just like that ha