Episode 1: The Door to Another Realm

Zara didn't mean to find the book.

She wasn't even looking for anything specific. Just another boring Saturday stuck at home, scrolling through social media, watching the same reels she already saw last week. The afternoon was slow, quiet, and heavy — the kind that makes your brain feel like it's melting. So, when the Wi-Fi decided to throw a tantrum and die on her, she figured she might as well do something… ancient.

Like reading.

Which was how she ended up in the small, almost forgotten library in her house — the one tucked between the dusty store room and the unused guest room. The place was more like a storage for books no one remembered buying. Some shelves were tilted. The lighting flickered every few minutes like it had trust issues. And the air smelled like forgotten memories.

Zara ran her fingers across the spines of old books, most of them untouched for years. Titles she didn't recognize, authors she'd never heard of. Most books looked dull and unappealing, except for one.

A small, black, leather-bound book wedged between two thick encyclopedias.

It looked… different.

Older. Faded. Almost like it didn't want to be found.

She pulled it out gently. The cover was cracked and soft, like worn-out skin. And the title — barely there, but readable under the right angle — caught her breath:

Metaphysics: Unlocking Dimensional Gates.

Zara blinked. She tilted the book, making sure she read it right. Dimensional gates?

What is this? Some kind of fantasy novel?

Curiosity kicked in harder than caffeine. She didn't go back to the couch. She didn't even sit at the reading desk. She just dropped right there on the carpeted floor, legs crossed, book in hand, heart racing like she had just discovered something sacred.

The first page wasn't what she expected.

No author's note. No contents. No publishing date.

Just this line, written in sharp, almost calligraphic handwriting:

"Beyond this page lies a truth the world has forgotten — a truth not meant for all eyes."

Zara narrowed her eyes. That was either really cheesy… or really cool. Maybe both.

She flipped the page.

And then she read.

⸻

The book didn't read like fiction. It was more like… a guide. A very strange, very serious guide to something that sounded like it came straight out of a Netflix series.

Energies. Frequencies. Dimensions. The unseen world that exists around us. And something called astral projection — the soul leaving the body to travel into other planes of existence.

It sounded crazy.

But it didn't feel crazy.

As weird as the words were, Zara couldn't stop reading. Every line pulled her deeper. Her brain was screaming This is nuts, but her heart whispered, Keep going.

That's when she noticed it.

The air.

It shifted.

Cold. Subtle. Like a whisper brushing past her ear.

Zara froze.

The windows were closed. The fan wasn't on. And yet… the room felt like someone had just exhaled a breath of winter right next to her skin.

She slowly looked up from the book. The room hadn't changed. Still quiet. Still empty. Still hers.

And yet… something was off.

Her fingers clenched the pages tightly. She swallowed, trying to ignore the growing tightness in her chest.

Then, for some reason she couldn't explain — she closed her eyes.

Took a deep breath.

And let go.

Everything went quiet.

Like the world had pressed a pause button.

Zara kept her eyes shut, trying to focus on her breathing. In. Out. In again. Her chest rose and fell slowly, but something didn't feel right.

She wasn't breathing just through her lungs.

She could feel her breath… everywhere.

Her toes. Her fingertips. Her spine. Even her thoughts felt like they were inhaling something invisible.

And then — her body let go.

It wasn't dramatic. No earthquake. No wind swirling around her. Just… stillness. A stillness that didn't belong to the physical world.

Her limbs no longer felt heavy. The ground beneath her wasn't there anymore. Not really. She wasn't sure if she was floating, or falling, or just… existing differently.

She opened her eyes.

And the world had changed.

⸻

The library was gone.

So was the carpet, the walls, and everything familiar.

Zara stood in a place that looked like the edge of reality. A sky above her that shimmered between twilight and stardust. The air around her sparkled faintly, like glitter trapped in fog. The ground beneath her feet felt soft, almost like memory foam — but pulsing, as if alive.

She didn't know if she was dreaming.

But it felt too real to be a dream.

Too detailed. Too vivid.

Zara slowly turned on her heel, trying to take it all in. The space around her was wide, endless, and quiet — not empty, but watchful. Like something out there was waiting for her to move.

And that's when she saw her.

A figure. Standing a few feet away. Half cloaked in shadows, half touched by starlight.

An old woman.

But not fragile.

She stood tall, calm, like someone who'd seen galaxies rise and fall. Her silver-white hair was tied in a loose braid that reached her waist. Her eyes glowed faintly — not like torches, but like wisdom that had burned for centuries.

Zara instinctively took a step back.

The woman smiled. Not wide. Just enough to settle the air.

"So… you've found the path."

Her voice was soft. But there was something in it — something that made Zara's heart beat faster.

"You… know me?" Zara asked, her voice barely a whisper.

The woman nodded slowly. "I know what you are. And what you've just done."

Zara's mouth felt dry. She wanted to ask a hundred things. Where am I? Who are you? What is this place? But all she could manage was, "What do you mean?"

The woman stepped forward, slowly, like her feet weren't touching the ground.

"You've opened a door that was never meant to be opened," she said.

Zara blinked. "But… I didn't mean to. I just read the book."

The woman tilted her head slightly. "Some doors don't open by force. They open when someone feels them."

Zara frowned. "Feels them?"

"You were ready," the woman replied. "Even if you didn't know it. Your soul was searching. And the book answered."

Zara looked around again, her mind trying to keep up. "Is this… real?"

The woman smiled faintly. "More real than you think. You're standing between realms, Zara. Between the seen… and the unseen."

Zara swallowed hard. "Why me?"

"Because not everyone listens when the other world whispers," she said. "You did."

Zara looked down at her hands.

They were still there. Still hers. But… not quite. There was something different — like her skin was glowing faintly, her veins lit up from the inside. She moved her fingers, and they responded. But it was like her body wasn't made of flesh anymore. It was something lighter. Softer. Real, but unreal.

"This is astral projection?" she asked, almost to herself.

The old woman nodded. "The beginning of it."

Zara slowly exhaled, though she wasn't sure if she even needed to breathe in this place.

"I thought it was just a theory. Something people made up on Reddit or YouTube," she muttered.

The woman chuckled softly. "Most truths are laughed at… until they're experienced."

Zara's eyes met hers. "So what now? Am I stuck here?"

"No," she replied gently. "You're free to return. For now."

Zara didn't like the way she said that. For now?

The woman turned slightly and began walking. Without really thinking, Zara followed. The space they were in shifted as they moved — landscapes forming and fading like thoughts. A forest. Then a ruined city. Then stars falling from a shattered sky. None of it stayed long. It was like walking through a memory, or a dream in fast forward.

"This place…" Zara said softly, "Is it real? Like — physically?"

"It's a reflection," the woman replied. "A place between realms. Between the living and the spirit world. What you see depends on what your soul brings with it."

Zara blinked. "So… I'm seeing pieces of myself?"

"Something like that."

They stopped.

In front of them, a mirror stood tall — but the reflection wasn't hers.

Instead, Zara saw a girl who looked just like her — same face, same clothes — but with eyes that were pitch black, swirling like ink in water.

She flinched. "What is that?"

The woman didn't answer right away. Her eyes studied the image, as if reading something beyond the surface.

"That is the version of you who listens to the dark too closely," she finally said.

Zara stepped back.

"That's… inside me?"

"It's inside all of us," she said gently. "Fear. Anger. Shadows. In this realm, those pieces take form. They try to trick you. Whisper. Pull you deeper."

Zara felt her skin grow colder.

"You must never follow them."

⸻

Her chest tightened.

Suddenly, this whole journey didn't feel mystical anymore.

It felt dangerous.

"Why are you showing me this?" Zara asked.

"Because you need to understand what you've opened," the woman said, her voice now firmer. "This is not a game. You've touched something sacred. Something ancient. And now…"

Her eyes met Zara's again, this time filled with gravity.

"…something is watching you."

Zara's blood ran cold. "What do you mean?"

"Some beings," she said, "are drawn to new souls. Especially those who enter the realm without protection. They smell you. They hunt the light inside people like you."

Zara's mouth went dry.

"But I didn't mean to. I didn't choose this."

The woman's gaze softened.

"I know," she said. "But the spirit world doesn't care about intention. It responds to energy. And yours… has awakened."

The air around Zara grew thick, heavy with the weight of the woman's words. Zara could feel the cold sweat on her palms, her heart pounding in her chest. She wanted to run. To get out of this strange world and back to her bed, to safety, to normal.

But something held her in place.

"How do I protect myself?" Zara asked, voice trembling.

The old woman's expression softened, though her eyes remained serious. "You must learn to control your energy. Your light, your soul. But it will take time. And it will take training."

Zara frowned. "What kind of training?"

"Training in the art of balance. You must learn to separate the shadows from the light inside you. You must learn not to be consumed."

Zara swallowed hard. She felt small in that moment. Alone. "And what happens if I fail?"

The woman's gaze hardened. "If you fail… you will lose yourself. And worse, you will bring the darkness into your world."

Zara could feel her throat tighten. She had no idea what she was really dealing with. This wasn't just a journey through the mind. This was real. Real. And it wasn't just about seeing ghosts or hearing things that shouldn't be there.

There were forces here. Real forces.

"And what happens to the people around me?" Zara asked. "Will they be safe?"

The old woman's face softened. "They will be safe… as long as you don't fall. But if you do… the darkness won't just follow you. It will follow everyone."

Zara nodded, a cold shiver running down her spine. She knew then that there was no turning back. She had opened the door, and now, whether she wanted to or not, she had to face what was on the other side.

She had no idea what was waiting for her. But she had already started down this path. There was no going back.

The woman reached out and placed a hand on Zara's shoulder. "Remember, Zara, the spirit world is not just a place. It's a reflection of the soul. Your journey here will reveal who you truly are — the light and the dark that exist within you. But the question is… can you survive the journey?"

Zara took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the woman's words. She knew it wouldn't be easy. In fact, it felt impossible.

But something inside her stirred. A desire to understand. A desire to know more. Even if it meant facing the darkness.

"I'm ready," Zara said, her voice steady, though her heart raced.

The old woman gave a small, approving smile. "Good. But remember this, Zara… the more you understand, the more dangerous this world becomes."

Zara nodded. She wasn't sure if she truly understood everything, but she was certain of one thing.

She wasn't going to back down now.

⸻

The world around them shifted again, and this time, Zara felt the pull of the portal.

The old woman gave her one last look. "You have begun, Zara. But your journey has only just begun. Be careful… and remember: not all paths are meant to be walked alone."

With that, the world around Zara began to blur.

Her body felt weightless again, like she was being pulled from the depths of the strange world back into her own reality.

She blinked.

And suddenly, she was back.

⸻

Zara gasped, sitting up straight in her bed, her heart racing. She could feel the sheets beneath her, the coolness of the room, the soft hum of the house around her. It was just… normal.

But was it?

Zara's hands trembled as she placed them on the book that had somehow ended up in her lap. The book that started all of this.

It was real.

Her heart pounded as she tried to process what had just happened. Had she really been there? In that other world? Or was it just some insane hallucination?

But the feeling in her chest told her otherwise. The weight of the woman's words echoed in her mind. Something is watching you.

Zara closed her eyes, trying to steady her breath. She couldn't shake the feeling that her life had changed forever.

And as much as she wanted to turn away, as much as she wanted to go back to pretending that nothing had happened, she knew that she couldn't. Not now.

The door had been opened.

And there was no way to close it.