Several days had passed since I arrived in this strange world.
At first, everything had been a blur—confusing, surreal—like I was trapped in a dream I couldn't understand.
But now… I was beginning to adapt.
Each morning, I woke with the first rays of sunlight slipping through the branches above.
I stretched slowly, my body still aching, and made my way to the nearby stream.
I washed my face and drank deeply from the cold, clear water—so crisp, so pure—it was the only thing that still reminded me of the world I came from.
After that, it was off to work.
It never got easier. Lifting crates, moving tools, hauling equipment—tasks that demanded strength I never had before.
But my body was starting to learn.
My fingers were tougher now. My shoulders no longer burned like they used to.
I worked in silence, focused on every task, and with each passing day, I got better—faster, more efficient.
The unfamiliar was slowly becoming routine.
At the end of the day, I received my payment—ten dollars.
Then I would head straight to the same small restaurant.
I'd started to recognize a few familiar faces there. Even the waiter stopped asking for my order. He'd just offer a tired smile and say:
"Same as usual?"
I'd nod, too exhausted to speak.
The meal never changed: rice, meat, strange herbs, a light soup, and a slice of bread brushed with butter.
Five dollars for warmth in my stomach and a moment of peace.
After eating, I returned to the forest.
I found the same patch of ground, lay down, took a deep breath, and drifted into sleep.
That was my life now: work, food, sleep.
A monotonous cycle.
And yet, it was the beginning of something I could almost call stability.
The start of a new life.
But one night, after another long day, I sat in my usual spot between the trees.
My thoughts were too heavy for sleep.
A dull ache grew in my chest—the ache of homesickness.
I saw their faces in my mind: my mother, my father, my siblings.
I heard their laughter.
Felt the warmth of our home.
Little details I used to overlook… now felt like priceless treasures.
I glanced at the phone I'd carried with me since day one.
I'd been avoiding it—partly because I had no charger, partly because I wasn't sure this world even had electricity as I knew it.
But now… I couldn't resist.
"Just one look. Just one try."
I pressed the power button.
The screen glowed faintly in the darkness, its light like a thread connecting me to the life I'd lost.
I opened the contacts app, fully aware of how foolish it was to hope.
I tapped on "Mom."
It rang.
Once.
Twice.
No answer.
I tried my dad. Then one of my siblings.
Still nothing.
Only silence.
I closed the phone and sighed.
A tear nearly escaped the corner of my eye.
But just as I was about to power it off completely, I noticed a new icon.
A strange app I hadn't seen before.
Its name: "Beyond the Unknown."
I frowned.
That hadn't been there before.
Curiosity took over.
I opened it.
A black screen appeared, followed by a simple message—as if someone had written it just for me:
"You, who hold this phone…
Do not use me unless absolutely necessary.
You can only use me five times.
Use me wisely."
I stared at the words.
Then, suddenly, I burst out laughing.
"In a world like this… a mysterious app too?!"
The laughter was real. Rare.
It didn't feel like the app was offering me some magical solution.
It felt like it had shown up just to make me laugh again.
To remind me that I was still human.
I closed the phone and looked up at the sky, now covered in stars.
"Thank you… whoever you are," I whispered, "for the laugh."