That night, I slept soundly. And then I had a dream. I realized, even though it may sound strange, that I wasn't really asleep—and found myself in a strange place.
I stood at the center of a seven-pointed star inscribed within a circle, drawn or inlaid into the marble floor. A silvery, witch-like mist swirled around me. The silence was so deep it rang in my ears. I felt as though I were on an island, and beyond the mist there was nothing—no air, no space, no time.
Then, silhouettes began to materialize at the tips of each ray of the seven-pointed star. It was like watching a photograph slowly develop—they seemed to seep out from another world and take their places around me.
Directly in front of me appeared a middle-aged, bearded man wearing a crown. To his left stood a smiling woman of about forty, dressed in rich clothes. Her gaze radiated kindness and care. Next to her was a powerful man holding a hammer.
Silently, without understanding anything, I glanced around the circle, looking at each of them in turn. My gaze fell upon a short figure cloaked and hooded so deeply that not even a hint of its face could be seen. Its body beneath the garments appeared strange—neither male nor female, not even childlike. It seemed to possess animalistic contours and features. That figure radiated an incomprehensible, frightening power that made me tremble. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and I hurriedly turned away.
A mischievous young girl in a light dress was smiling at me, her hands reaching out playfully. A bright, innocent smile bloomed on her lips, and her eyes shone with clear, childlike light. Behind her stood a man clad in armor, a shield in his left hand and a sword in his right. His stance exuded unshakable strength and confidence.
When I had completed the circle, an old woman was watching me in silence, her gaze calm yet expectant. She held a lantern in one hand, and her eyes gleamed with intelligence—and with some kind of otherworldly knowledge.
"Well, human, are you glad to see us?" asked the man wearing a crown.
"Ahem... I don't understand you," I admitted, feeling uneasy, to be honest. The situation looked, let's face it, not trivial, and the scary thing was that I didn't understand anything. And the beast-like figure, to which I had involuntarily turned my back, made it particularly creepy.
"We are the Seven," said the woman with the lantern. "Do you recognize us now?"
A sudden thought flashed through my mind, and I clung to it like a drowning man to a straw.
"Westeros?"
"That's right," laughed the man in armor. I realized his name was the Warrior—and then the rest became clear to me as well. Only the Stranger continued to frighten me, and even understanding the situation didn't make it feel any more logical or simple.
"Well, why are you silent?" The Maiden smiled modestly but with quiet pride. "Don't you understand yet that we are calling you to our world... Will you come?"
"Um... I'm sorry, but I really don't know what to say."
"Ho-ho-ho," laughed the man with the hammer—loudly and hollowly, like a barrel. Or rather, not a man, but the Smith.
"Ask what you don't understand," advised the Crone. "And we will answer."
"Well, then... all right. Where am I? What does all this mean? What's even happening?"
I admit, I was behaving childishly at the time—asking ridiculous questions and showing completely idiotic emotions. But the whole situation hit me like an avalanche. I just wasn't ready for it. Although, if we're going to make excuses, who in their right mind would be ready for such a thing? This was clearly no ordinary, everyday occurrence. My confusion and fear were entirely justified.
***
The Seven answered my questions. It turned out that this place had many names, though the most understandable was the Crossroad—a focal point where different worlds and times intersect, allowing travel between them. The Seven needed me for a single purpose: they wanted to invite me to Westeros. And most astonishingly, they offered to replace not just anyone, but King Joffrey Baratheon himself.
I was so shocked that I couldn't even think to hide my reaction.
"Are you serious? Get into the body of such a bastard? They'll kill me sooner or later! Not to mention, this character is anything but inspiring!"
"If you change nothing, you'll be killed within twelve hours of arriving there," Mother 'reassured' me calmly. "So you must survive."
"Joffrey?" I echoed, realizing these "guys" wanted me for some reason—and I made a weak attempt to bargain.
"Why not Jon Snow? Or Robb Stark? Or even Stannis or Renly Baratheon? Couldn't we have gone with young Viserys?"
They explained that other candidates couldn't be chosen due to certain spatial and temporal constraints. Only Joffrey—the young king who officially supported the Faith of the Seven—and only on the morning of his last day. I could agree or refuse; it was entirely my choice. They wouldn't have trouble finding someone else.
"Why me, exactly?"
"We liked your thoughts about our world," Father replied simply.
"And what will I have to do?"
"Westeros is approaching a great crisis," said the old woman gravely. "Within a few years, everything may collapse into chaos. New gods and entities will come, and we, the Seven, will lose our power and authority. We must preserve our dominion."
Now that was more like it—finally something that made sense. The Seven wanted to protect their influence, keep stability in Westeros. I could understand that.
I remembered the saying: God has no hands but human ones.
By that point, I'd calmed down a little. No one seemed intent on killing, castrating, or torturing me, and I even started to feel a bit bolder.
"Throw me—or someone else—into Rhaegar Targaryen before he was killed. He also supported the Seven!"
But that, too, was impossible. Only Joffrey, and only on that single day.
"So I'm alone against the whole world?" I asked darkly.
"It depends on you," the Warrior replied evenly. "It's not so hard to find loyal friends."
"And girlfriends," the Maiden added brightly.
"And girlfriends," Mother agreed. The Smith and the Warrior nodded in unison, and the Stranger muttered something in a language I couldn't understand.
"The world will not only try to kill you," the Crone said softly. "Very often, it will help you—granting you happiness, love, or hope. In the most unexpected moments, you may find joy, aid, or success. You simply need to recognize those moments."
"Will you come to my aid?"
"That would be... undesirable. And difficult," Father admitted after some thought.
"But still possible?"
"We'll see," Mother answered. "It doesn't depend only on us. But we can appear to you in dreams—there, in Westeros—and speak with you."
"And in your darkest moments, we'll still try to help," the Warrior added.
They spoke with me for a while longer. Only the Stranger remained silent, as if he'd swallowed his tongue—a truly unnerving presence.
"I need to think about it," I said finally. "I can't make a decision like that right away."
"You have three days," said the Crone. "Then we'll return for your answer."
All seven figures began to dissolve, fading like smoke rising from a dying fire. And then I woke up.
***
Three days... Is that a lot or a little? I suppose it depends on what you can do with them.
I thought. I read. I watched the series. And by doing so, I was playing a strange game with myself, inching ever closer to saying yes. Why not? They told me I wouldn't owe them anything. I would simply enter that world, try to survive, and—if possible—prevent or win a great war. Whatever I achieved would be my reward.
So why not dive into Westeros? Especially since it fascinated me—and by now, I remembered it all quite well.
To be honest, the first few days were terrifying. Sure, I'd read the books and watched all six seasons of the show. But I still didn't know the customs, didn't know how people actually looked, spoke, or lived. The first days of adaptation would be brutally hard.
However, there are always hardships and difficulties, even in ordinary life. Maybe I'd fail—but so what? I'd simply miss out on an extraordinary opportunity. Nothing fatal would happen; I'd just wake up at home as if nothing had occurred. The Seven had promised that... though I couldn't shake the nasty feeling they hadn't told me everything.
In the end, I accepted the challenge. After all, this is something many dream about—and when you miss such a chance, you regret it for the rest of your life.
And so, I found myself once again at the Crossroad—and the Seven stood before me.
"So, what's your decision?" asked Father.
"I agree."
"We knew it," said the Crone with satisfaction, and the lantern in her hand flared brightly.
"So be it!" declared Father.
The world spun before my eyes. Flashes of light burst around me; I felt myself pulled somewhere—then everything vanished....