The world dissolved into a dizzying kaleidoscope of colors before snapping back into focus, leaving Lily blinking against the unfamiliar sunlight.
Her head throbbed, a dull ache behind her eyes like a persistent hangover, though she hadn't touched a drop of anything stronger than chamomile tea in months.
One minute, she was doomscrolling through social media, the next, BAM!
Transported to...
well, where exactly was this?
Gone were the familiar sounds of traffic and the comforting hum of her refrigerator.
Replaced by… birdsong?
The chirping was so loud, so clear, it felt almost amplified.
She sat up, brushing off the rough, unfamiliar fabric of her now-ripped jeans.
The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, a stark contrast to the chlorine-tinged air of her city apartment.
Panic fluttered in her chest, a trapped bird beating against its cage.
This definitely wasn't Kansas anymore.
The "system," the disembodied voice that had ushered her into this… wherever "this" was… had helpfully (or not so helpfully) informed her that she was in a "parallel world," an alternate version of ancient Europe.
A version apparently teeming with mythical creatures and magical abilities, and some seriously archaic fashion choices.
Judging by the roughspun tunics and leather jerkins of the villagers staring at her with open suspicion, she'd definitely overpacked on skinny jeans.
The village, nestled between rolling hills and a dark, brooding forest, looked straight out of a history book – if the history book included illustrations of monstrous, shadowy figures lurking just beyond the treeline.
The villagers, clustered together like frightened sheep, were casting wary glances in her direction.
Their fear, she quickly realized, wasn't just directed at the shadowy figures.
It was directed at *her*.
"A witch!" someone hissed, the word ripping through the tense silence.
Lily internally groaned.
"Not this again." Every time the system flung her into a new world, it seemed like "witch" was the default greeting.
She needed a new PR agent, stat.
A portly man, his face etched with worry lines and sporting a rather elaborate mustache, waddled towards her.
"Who are you? And how did you get here?" he demanded, his voice laced with suspicion.
This, the system had informed her, was George Miller, the village mayor.
Basically, the local sheriff, judge, and jury all rolled into one slightly overfed package.
"I'm Lily," she said, holding up her hands in a gesture of peace.
"And honestly, I'm as clueless as you are. I just... appeared here."
Miller narrowed his eyes, his mustache practically bristling with distrust.
"Appeared? Nonsense! You're clearly a witch, sent to curse our village."
"Seriously?" Lily sighed, running a hand through her messy hair.
This was getting old.
"If I were a witch, wouldn't I have, I don't know, turned you into a toad by now?"
A gruff voice cut through the air.
"She probably doesn't have the power. Just another charlatan trying to take advantage of our misfortune."
A tall, burly man with a crossbow slung over his shoulder strode forward.
Henry Thompson, the village hunter, renowned for his tracking skills and his equally impressive skepticism towards anything even remotely unusual.
Except, you know, giant shadowy monsters apparently.
Those were totally normal.
Lily rolled her eyes.
"Charlatan? Look, I'm just trying to figure out where I am, just like you guys are trying to figure out what's going on with those… things in the woods."
Before anyone could respond, a series of bloodcurdling shrieks erupted from the edge of the village.
Several small, shadowy creatures, vaguely resembling rabid squirrels but with glowing red eyes and razor-sharp claws, were darting through the streets, terrorizing the villagers.
"Shadowlings!" someone yelled, and the crowd scattered in panic.
"See?" Henry sneered, gesturing towards the chaos.
"Useless."
Lily smirked. "Hold my beer."
She mentally accessed her system inventory, a mental catalogue of gadgets, weapons, and skills that would make James Bond green with envy.
Time to put the "power" in "girl power."
A shimmering, silver staff materialized in her hand.
It was sleek, lightweight, and hummed with a low, thrumming energy.
The villagers gasped, their eyes wide with a mixture of fear and awe.
Lily grinned, feeling a surge of confidence.
This was going to be fun.
With a flick of her wrist, the staff crackled with energy, and a beam of pure light shot out, vaporizing one of the shadowlings in a puff of smoke.
Another flick, another shadowling down.
She moved with a grace and speed that surprised even herself, taking down the remaining creatures with effortless precision.
Silence descended on the village, broken only by the crackling of the dying embers where the shadowlings had been.
The villagers stared at Lily, their mouths agape.
Henry's jaw was practically on the ground, his crossbow forgotten.
Even Miller seemed to have lost his bluster, his mustache drooping slightly.
Lily leaned on her staff, a smug grin spreading across her face.
"So," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "still think I'm a charlatan?"
Miller cleared his throat, his face flushed.
He opened his mouth to speak, but the words seemed to catch in his throat.
Lily turned to face him, her eyes glinting with a sudden thought.
"Actually," she said, her voice taking on a serious tone, "I need your help. I need to find someone, someone who lives in the old abandoned castle on the hill…"
The biting wind whipped Lily's hair across her face as she stumbled out of the swirling vortex of light, the remnants of her interdimensional journey clinging to her like a second skin.
Gone was the sterile white lab, replaced by the looming shadows of ancient trees and the unsettling quiet of a world unknown.
She clutched her chest, the thump-thump of her heart a frantic drum against her ribs.
Where… where was she?
A quaint village, nestled in the valley below, offered a flicker of hope.
Smoke curled lazily from chimneys, painting the twilight sky in shades of grey and lavender.
It looked…peaceful.
Deceptively so.
Lily's internal warning system, honed by years of gaming and an overactive imagination, screamed at her that this tranquility was a thin veneer over something far more sinister.
Her instincts proved right.
As she descended the winding path toward the village, a bloodcurdling shriek tore through the quiet.
Then another.
And another.
The air crackled with an unseen energy, the very ground seeming to vibrate with a primal fear.
Lily broke into a run, her modern sneakers oddly out of place on the cobblestone path.
She burst into the village square to find chaos.
Villagers, armed with pitchforks and rusty swords, scrambled for cover.
Snarling, shadowy creatures with glowing red eyes darted between the houses, their guttural growls chilling the very air.
"Demons!
The Shadow Hounds are back!
" a man with a grizzled beard and a terrified expression yelled, pointing a shaking finger at the creatures.
He wore a simple tunic and breeches, his clothes speaking of a time long past.
Lily's mind raced.
Shadow Hounds?
Demons?
This wasn't the world she knew.
But one thing was clear: these people needed help.
And she, with the help of her system, was just the person to give it.
Discreetly, she willed her system interface to appear.
A translucent screen shimmered before her eyes, filled with a dizzying array of options: "Skills," "Inventory," "Shop." Her fingers flew across the screen, selecting "Skills" and then "Basic Energy Blast."
A tingling sensation spread through her limbs.
Focusing her will, she aimed at the nearest Shadow Hound, a hulking beast snapping at a cowering woman.
A bolt of pure energy erupted from her hand, striking the creature squarely in the chest.
It yelped, a sound of pure surprise and pain, and dissolved into a puff of black smoke.
The villagers stared, mouths agape.
Silence descended upon the square, broken only by the crackling of the remaining Shadow Hounds.
A tall man, dressed in slightly finer clothes than the others, stepped forward.
He had an air of authority, his gaze sharp and assessing.
"Who are you?" he demanded, his voice laced with suspicion.
"And what… *was* that?"
"My name is Lily," she answered, forcing a confident smile.
"And as for what you just saw… let's just say I'm here to help."
The man, who Lily later learned was George Miller, the village mayor, eyed her with a mixture of awe and distrust.
Beside him stood Henry Thompson, the village hunter, clutching his spear, his expression wary.
A woman with kind eyes and a calm demeanor, Emily Davis, the village doctor, approached Lily, her gaze filled with curiosity rather than fear.
The remaining Shadow Hounds, emboldened by the villagers' hesitation, began to advance.
Lily knew she had to act fast.
This was her chance to prove herself, to earn their trust.
And maybe, just maybe, to figure out how to get back home.
She took a deep breath, her fingers hovering over the system interface, ready to unleash her next surprise.
The perilous realm had a new player, and she was just getting started.