The sun was dipping below the horizon, painting the sky in soft hues of orange and purple. Dusk had settled in, and the world outside my window buzzed with life. Birds of every feather flitted through the air, their cheerful chirps echoing like a symphony of joy as they hurried back to their nests. Each one seemed to carry the warmth of reunion, eager to nestle into the comfort of their families. Their songs filled the evening with a melody of belonging, a stark contrast to the hollow ache gnawing at my chest.
In this serene, almost magical moment, I sat alone in my cramped room, drowning in misery. Today was my birthday—my twenty-second, to be exact—and not a single soul had remembered. No calls, no messages, no knocks on the door. Not even a fleeting "happy birthday" from a stranger. Who would bother, anyway? I had faded into the background of everyone's lives, a forgotten shadow. My existence, it seemed, held no weight in anyone's memory.
I stared at the cracked ceiling, my mind spiraling into a pit of despair. "Oh God," I whispered to the empty room, "will I really leave this world like this? Without ever tasting the joys of life, without ever knowing what it's like to be truly alive?"
The weight of my thoughts pinned me to the chair. I could have crawled into bed and slept away the rest of this wretched day, letting the hours slip by in oblivion. But sleep, that elusive friend, refused to come. My eyes burned with exhaustion, yet my mind raced, replaying every lonely moment of the past seven years. I had no one—no friend, no family, no confidant—to share my burdens with. The silence of the room was deafening, amplifying the void in my heart.
When I was fifteen, my grandmother passed away. She was my entire world, the one person who had raised me with boundless love and care after my parents abandoned me as a child. Her warmth, her stories, her gentle hands braiding my hair—they were the pillars of my existence. When she left, she took the light with her. Seven years had passed since that day, and I had fended for myself, piecing together a life from part-time jobs and sheer stubbornness. I cleaned tables, delivered packages, and scrubbed floors, all to keep a roof over my head and food in my stomach. But no amount of work could fill the emptiness inside.
As the evening deepened, my sorrow began to morph into something darker—anger. It simmered in my chest, hot and unrelenting. I wanted to scream, to smash something, to run as far away as my legs could carry me. The urge to flee this suffocating house, to abandon everything and vanish, was overwhelming. But where would I go? And more importantly, who would care if I disappeared? The thought stopped me cold, my fists clenching as I sank back into the chair, defeated.
Time crawled forward, and the room grew dim. The plate of food I had prepared hours ago sat untouched on the table, now stone-cold. I couldn't muster the will to eat. Loneliness wasn't just a feeling—it was a disease, a parasite that had burrowed into my bones, my blood, my very soul. It consumed me, leaving nothing but a shell of the boy I once was.
Eventually, the night grew heavy, and my eyelids began to droop. I dragged myself to the bed, collapsing onto the worn mattress. Before sleep claimed me, I folded my hands and prayed, my voice barely a whisper in the dark. "Oh Lord, I can't endure this lonely life any longer. I beg you—fill my days with color, with purpose, with someone to share it all. Let me never face another day alone. This is my birthday wish. If you don't grant it, I swear… tomorrow, I'll end it all."
The words hung in the air, heavy with desperation. Exhausted and broken, I slipped into a troubled sleep.
The night stretched on, and my dreams pulled me into a strange, vivid world. I found myself wandering alone through a dense jungle, the air thick with the scent of earth and leaves. It was dusk, the same time as in the waking world, and the forest was a labyrinth of towering trees and tangled vines. Shadows danced in the fading light, but I pressed forward, unafraid. Something drew me deeper, a pull I couldn't explain.
Then, a radiant light pierced the gloom. It was blinding, almost divine, and I stumbled toward it, my heart pounding. As I drew closer, I saw the source—a god-like figure hovering above the ground. His feet didn't touch the earth; instead, he floated, enveloped in an aura of raw power. His presence was overwhelming, humbling. I fell to my knees, bowing in reverence.
He spoke, his voice resonant and kind. "You've endured loneliness for far too long, my child. But that ends now. I grant you a device—a machine that will let you step into any anime world of your choosing. There, you can live a new life, free from the chains of your past. But heed this warning: use it only to better yourself. If you misuse this gift and harm the innocent, a punishment beyond imagination will find you."
Trembling, I dared to ask, "What kind of punishment?"
He offered no answer. In a blink, he vanished, leaving only the fading glow of his light. I scrambled to my feet, calling out, searching the jungle for any sign of him. Nothing. Frustration boiled over, and I shouted into the void, "You crazy old man! You tricked me and ran off like a coward!"
The moment the words left my lips, the world around me warped. The lush jungle dissolved, replaced by a nightmarish hellscape. I stood atop a jagged rock, surrounded by rivers of molten lava that hissed and bubbled. The heat scorched my skin, and panic clawed at my throat. Then, a bone-chilling laugh echoed through the air, freezing my blood.
I turned, and my heart stopped. A witch loomed before me, her figure seductive yet grotesque. Her curves were alluring, but her face was a nightmare—massive fangs glistened with saliva, and her blood-red eyes burned with malice. Her long tongue lolled out as she cackled, the sound piercing my skull.
I ran, my legs burning as I darted across the rock. She pursued, her claws slashing through the air. The lava trapped me, cutting off any hope of escape. A brutal strike to my back sent me crashing to the ground, pain exploding through my body. I begged, groveling for mercy, but she only laughed louder. In a flash, she tore away my pants and underwear, leaving me exposed and vulnerable. Her eyes locked onto my manhood, and drool poured from her mouth like a grotesque fountain.
I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the end. Her nails raked my thighs, drawing torrents of blood. Then, in one horrific bite, she devoured me. The pain was unbearable, a white-hot scream tearing from my throat as I jolted awake.
I was back in my bed, drenched in sweat, my heart racing. The alarm blared incessantly—7 a.m. I clutched my chest, gasping for air. "What a horrific nightmare," I muttered, shaking my head. "If that had been real, my death would've been pure agony."
As the fog of sleep lifted, I replayed the dream in my mind. Was it more than a nightmare? Had my desperate prayer been answered? Was the witch's attack a warning of what awaited if I broke the rules?
I stumbled out of bed and into the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face. As I freshened up, my hand drifted downward, and I found myself caressing my groin absentmindedly. In a strange moment of camaraderie, I whispered to it, "My little prince, you've been my only friend in this lonely hell. I'll protect you, no matter what."
After brushing my teeth and showering, I stepped back into my room—and froze. There, in the center of the floor, stood a machine unlike anything I'd ever seen. It was sleek, futuristic, pulsing with an otherworldly energy, like something ripped from a sci-fi tale or a time-travel story. My jaw dropped, my eyes wide with disbelief.
Joy surged through me, so intense I forgot I was still naked. I rushed to the machine, my heart soaring. Looking up, I clasped my hands and thanked God with all my soul for this impossible gift.
A glowing power button caught my eye, and I pressed it without hesitation. The machine hummed to life, its screen bursting into a dazzling animation.
WELCOME TO ANIME SWITCH WORLD
Please read the following instructions carefully:
You may select one anime world at a time from the following list. For now, you're limited to these 10 options:
One Piece
Attack on Titan
Demon Slayer
Naruto
Death Note
Jujutsu Kaisen
Solo Leveling
Bleach
Berserk
One Punch Man
At the start, a spinner will choose your anime world. After leveling up, you can pick manually. Warning: If you spin, you must enter the selected world. Refusing will trigger a punishment worse than death.
At beginner levels, you'll spawn randomly in the anime world. At Level 10, you can choose your spawn point.
At the starting level, you cannot kill anyone.
Death in the anime world is permanent. No extra lives or respawns.
You may explore freely, but any task assigned by the system must be completed. Failure will result in a fate more terrible than death.
Customize your abilities to match the anime world's powers. Excel to earn rewards and level up.
You may now spin to select your anime world.
I read every word with bated breath, my excitement tinged with dread. Fear coiled in my gut, but I pushed it down, remembering the emptiness of my life. If I backed out now, loneliness would kill me slower and crueler than any nightmare. This was my chance—to live, to adventure, to rewrite my story.
With a trembling hand, I pressed the spin button. The spinner whirled, its colors blurring as my pulse raced. Seconds stretched into eternity, my fate hanging in the balance. Finally, it slowed… and stopped.
The needle pointed to One Piece.