In one of the cities, Professor John, an archaeology professor at the university, lived a quiet life with his loving family. Despite his academic work, lectures and scientific articles were not enough to satisfy his eternal passion, exploring ancient ruins, digging through dark tombs, and collecting old artifacts. Therefore, during every university break, he would leave his office and work as a consultant for an excavation company to fund his trips to remote locations.
Those moments spent exploring the unknown ignited his enthusiasm. His colleagues at the company called him "Professor" out of respect for his expertise, but their hearts trembled at his boldness. While they limited their excavation to safe zones, he insisted on breaking into forbidden places, the ones considered "cursed" by the locals.
Then came the day when he returned from one of his expeditions, carrying in his hand a strange artifacta disk with a surface covered in mysterious symbols, as if it were an ancient language forgotten by time. This artifact was found in an old tomb, and everything around it seemed ancient, as if from a bygone era. Alongside the disk, there was an old scroll surrounded by cryptic symbols.
Professor John returned home filled with curiosity and excitement. He placed the artifacts on his desk and turned on the lamp above them. The disk in his hands felt cold, rough, and strange.
He carefully unrolled the scroll, his eyes scanning the strange letters written on it. His gaze caught something unusualthe letters seemed to shift under the lamp's light, but when he adjusted the angle of the light, they stopped moving. Perhaps fatigue was playing tricks on his mind.
"Am I imagining things?" Professor John whispered to himself, taking a deep breath before glancing at the lower part of the scroll. He saw a meticulously drawn magic circle beneath some faded lines:
"To open the sealed door, draw the mark, place the key, and recite the chant."
His sarcastic laughter broke the silence of the room. "Superstitions!" But his feet betrayed him.
He stood from his chair and pushed aside books and scattered maps from the floor to create an empty space. Using black ink from an old bottle he kept for his studies, he carefully replicated the magic circle depicted in the scroll.
He observed his drawing with a smirk before turning to the desk, picking up the peculiartextured disk, which was about the size of a fist.
Placing the disk at the center of the circle, he retrieved the scroll and reread the instructions: "Recite the chant." His eyes moved downward to the text beneath the instructions.
It was time to recite the words. He hesitated for a moment before raising his voice, speaking aloud what was inscribed on the scroll:
"With the echoes of forgotten ages, and the silence of the unknown dawn, With footsteps that leave no trace, and whispers unheard by the mind, O you who dwell where there is neither light nor shadow, Open the gate, release the truth, and reveal to me what is hidden from sight!"
As he uttered the final word, the room trembled violently. Strange shadows began stretching across the walls, consuming everything in their path. A tremendous force tore through his very being, shaking his body from within.
His vision blurred, darkness enveloping everything... then he lost consciousness.
---
After a long time...
"Ah... my head!"
Professor John awoke, his head feeling like it was about to explode, his mind clouded with confusion. He tried to open his eyes but couldn't. When he attempted to move his body, an indescribable pain surged through every part of him, forcing him back into unconsciousness.
After some time...
Professor John finally managed to open his eyes, his gaze scanning an unfamiliar room with a strange design. Shock overtook him as he took in his surroundings.
"What happened? Wasn't I just performing a magical ritual? And what is this strange place?" he muttered, uncertainty and a hint of fear in his voice. He looked at the wooden bed, the worn-out blanket, and the tattered clothes. The more he observed, the greater his fear of the unknown grew.
Raising his hand, he noticed it looked smaller than before. A sudden wave of panic gripped him, and he jumped off the bed, rushing toward an old mirror. What he saw left him in utter disbeliefa young boy with long black hair tied up, ruby-red eyes, and a handsome face.
"What?! This isn't me!" Professor John exclaimed, his voice laced with fear. His heartbeat quickened, and suddenly, a searing headache overwhelmed him, as if struck by a hammer. He lost his strength and collapsed to his knees.
"Calm down..." he whispered, taking deep breaths to regain his composure. Then, a flood of memories surged into his mind...
Professor John murmured to himself, "Novalim Continent... Cloud Kingdom... Phoenix City..."
His eyes widened in shock, his face frozen in disbelief as he stared at his reflection in the mirror.
Then, in a trembling voice, he muttered, "I have transmigrated..."