It was an ordinary day—until it wasn't.
I sat on a park bench, eating vanilla ice cream. Beside me sat a tanned beauty with an athletic body—Ana, my childhood friend and a tennis champion. She had just finished a long training session and was now chilling with me. The sun blazed above, its harsh rays softened by the shade of the trees. Sweat dripped from her head and neck, making my heart skip a beat as I stole glances at her.
"You never learn, do you..?" she teased, adjusting her posture to give me a better view of her cleavage. Needless to say, we were more than just friends by now—I had slept with her quite a few times.
"It's getting too hot. What do you say… should we hang out at my apartment?" I suggested, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer. In this position, the heat and sweat only heightened the tension between us. We were in a public park, sure, but there was barely anyone around.
Ana licked the last bit of her ice cream before shoving the empty stick into my mouth. "I don't think so, Mr. Jock," she said, gently pushing my arm away. "Why not invite one of your fangirls who have been orbiting around you lately?" She clicked her tongue in mock anger, creating distance between us. I chuckled—she looked adorable when she was envious. Even from this angle, I could see a hint of blush betraying her tanned cheeks.
Just as I was about to convince her, something suddenly hit my forehead. Something soft. Something fluffy.
"Mew."
It was a fucking cat. A black cat had jumped right onto my face. Where the hell did it even come from?
"The fuck—?" I cursed reflexively, my ice cream slipping from my grasp and ruining my shirt. Somehow, I managed to grab the cat and pull it off my face.
"Ahahaha! To think the star player is afraid of a cat. Your fangirls would be so disappointed," Ana giggled, clearly amused. But something was off. My body felt… weird.
"Gr gr… Mew."
The cat struggled in my grasp, but I held it tightly, not letting it escape. But why? Why wasn't I letting it go?
It was at that moment that I realized—my body was no longer under my control.
I stood up.
"Leaving already? Don't expect me to follow you…" Ana scoffed, oblivious.
Come on, Ana, this isn't the time to play cute.
But before I could say anything, my legs moved on their own. I suddenly started running—so fast that my bones shook painfully with each step. I was charging straight toward the park exit.
My legs moved on their own, my body acting against my will. I sprinted out of the park, my vision blurring from the speed. The city blurred past me—bustling streets, honking cars, flashing neon signs—none of it mattered. I weaved through the crowd like a shadow, ignoring the startled shouts and curses of pedestrians.
"Wait ..Stop…!" I tried to call out, but no sound escaped my lips.
The cat clung to me, its claws digging into my shirt. Its small body was unnaturally warm, almost burning against my skin. The more I ran, the more I realized—this wasn't just a random freak event. Something was forcing me forward, something has possessed me.
Behind me, I heard Ana's voice, faint at first, then growing closer.
"Hey! Stop! Where are you going?!" she shouted, her voice laced with concern.
I wanted to stop. I wanted to turn around and tell her I had no control, that something was wrong. But my body didn't listen.
The city streets opened up to a bridge—an old steel structure arching over a dark, rushing river. My feet carried me to the center. The wind howled, whipping through my clothes as I climbed onto the railing.
"Ana—!" I tried again, my voice finally breaking free.
She was closer now, panting from the chase, her eyes wide with panic.
"What the hell are you doing?! Get down! Why? Why are you doing this?" she screamed, her voice hoarse from tears
I stood there, perfectly balanced on the thin metal rail. Below me, the water churned, cold and merciless. A faint blue light glowed in it, real or perhaps my imagination.
Ana reached out a hand, her face twisted in desperation.
"Don't be stupid! Come back!"
Her voice trembled.
For a moment, just a brief moment, I thought I could fight it. I thought I could resist.
But then—
My body lurched forward.
I jumped.
The wind roared past my ears as the world flipped upside down. My stomach twisted, my heart pounded. Ana's scream echoed above me, raw and filled with terror.
Then—impact.
Cold. Crushing. A weightless abyss swallowed me whole.
I sank. The river wrapped around me like chains, dragging me deeper, my limbs numb, my lungs burning.
For the first time since it all started—my body was mine again. But it was too late.
So this is how I die…?
Darkness closed in. Ana's voice was gone. The world faded into nothing.
---
Then, suddenly—
A sharp pain shot through my hand.
I gasped. My lungs filled—not with water, but air. My eyes snapped open.
Dripping, jagged stone stretched above me, forming a cavernous ceiling. Pale blue light shimmered from glowing moss on the walls. I was lying in a shallow pond, the water unnaturally warm, rippling around me.
And the cat—
The same black cat—was perched on my chest, its sharp teeth biting into my palm.
"Ow! Fuck—!" I yanked my hand away, the sting jolting me fully awake.
The cat sat back, licking its paw nonchalantly, as if it hadn't just been gnawing on me.
"What the hell…" I muttered, pushing myself up.
I wasn't in the park anymore. The bridge, the river, Ana's voice—they were gone.
I was somewhere else. Somewhere completely different.
"Where is this place?" I muttered.
As soon as the words left my mouth, a sharp click echoed through the cave. A semi-transparent blue panel materialized in front of me, floating in midair like a holographic game window.
It read:
# Location: Unnamed Cave, Blackstone Mines, Solstice Empire.
"Huh?" I gawked at the screen, my mind struggling to process what I was seeing. A freaking system panel?
I reached out and swung my hand at it, but my fingers passed right through as if it were made of light. "Don't tell me… it's that kind of trope. Is this… another world now?"
A moment of silence. Then—
"T-That's right, sir… this isn't your world. It's ours…"
The voice was delicate, raspy—like someone forcing words through a sore throat.
My breath hitched. Slowly, I turned my head.
And to my absolute shock—the cat was the one speaking.
"What the fuck…?" I whispered, my body tensing.
I instinctively leaned back into the warm water, taking slow, deep breaths to steady myself. A game panel? A talking cat? Was this even real? Or had I lost my mind after drowning?
The cat tried to step onto my chest, but I quickly grabbed it by the scruff of its neck, lifting it away from me. My mind screamed at me to throw it as far as possible.
"Get off me, you creepy little bastard! This is all because of you!" I growled, swinging my arm to hurl it away.
But the cat clung to my wrist desperately, its tiny claws digging in just enough to stop me without hurting.
"Sir, please—listen to me!" it pleaded. "I… I am sorry for bringing you here, truly. But I had no choice—I was forced to obey orders from above."
I froze mid-motion. Slowly, I brought the cat closer, holding it up face to face.
For the first time, I took a good, hard look at it.
Its body was sleek, pitch-black, and noticeably smaller than an average cat. But its eyes… its eyes were mesmerizing. A brilliant, glowing blue, almost too bright for this dark cave.
It wasn't just some ordinary cat.
"Speak. Now." My voice came out sharper than I intended. "I want to know everything that's going on."
The cat mewled before speaking again.
"Sir… I am not a mere cat. My true name is Espel. I am an Ancient Spirit. Like all others of my kind, I possess a unique ability—I can enter any body and take full control over it."
I stiffened at his words, but he continued.
"This body you see isn't my original form, just my current possesion. My true body is collateral to my Masters—the one who assigned me this mission. They sent me to your world with strict orders: possess you, make you jump into the river, and ensure your arrival here. How that river was used to transport you… I have no idea. I was only given the task of making you jump. That is all I know about this business."
Espel lowered his head, his glowing blue eyes dimming slightly as it trying to apologise.
"But I do know that I have caused you terrible harm, taking you far from your home. And believe me, Sir, I understand how it feels to be torn away from your world." His voice wavered. "Please… forgive me."
I exhaled slowly, finally processing everything. An enslaved spirit, a forced mission, a river used as some kind of dimensional gate…
"And who exactly is this Master of yours?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. I had seen this kind of setup in countless novels—cultists summoning a hero, forcing them to save their world. But sending a body-hopping cat? That was a new one.
Espel hesitated. "I… cannot answer that, Sir."
I frowned. "You can't? Or you won't?"
"I will die the moment I even think about naming them," Espel said grimly. "My life is not my own. I exist only to follow orders. That is how I have lived for centuries—ever since my masters successfully enslaved me in the ancient era. Over ten thousand years ago."
Even though this creature had literally made me kill myself, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. There was something tragic about him—forced servitude across millennia, his true body held hostage. It didn't help that I had a soft spot for cats to begin with.
Instinctively, I reached out and patted his head. His fur was soft, despite the eerie glow in his eyes.
"Don't think this means I forgive you," I muttered. "I don't care who your masters are. From now until I find a way back to my world, you're going to help me."
Espel blinked up at me, surprised. Then, with a slow nod, he responded, "As you wish, Sir. I cannot take you as my Master, but I can serve as your in all capacity—at least until my next orders arrive, which… usually take decades."
"Good." I sighed, pushing aside all unnecessary thoughts. No use dwelling on what's already happened. What's done is done.
Now, there was only one thing left to do.
I grinned. This is another world, after all.
"Alright, time for the fun part." I stood up from the water and stretched my limbs, rolling my shoulders as excitement coursed through me.
Then, inhaling deeply, I raised my hand and called out:
"STATUS!"
A loud chime rang in my ears, and another translucent blue panel materialized before me.
---
[STATUS WINDOW]
# Name: [Unnamed]
# Race: Otherworlder (97% Human)
# Class: None
# Level: 1
# Health: 71/100
# Mana: 50/50
# Strength: 12
# Agility: 14
# Intelligence: 25
# Endurance: 11
# Luck: -1
#Skills: • Otherworlders' System (Passive): Works as a Guide for the individual.
I stared at the window, my heart pounding.
"Well… this just got interesting."