The glowing path led me through alleys I didn't know, past buildings I'd never seen, through streets that smelled like garbage and worse.
My legs burned.
My stomach cramped.
How far is this thing taking me?
The system didn't answer.
Fine. Rude, but fine.
I kept moving.
The buildings changed. Less trash. Fewer shadows. The street widened. Lanterns hung on hooks outside doors—real flames, not electric. I'd seen enough movies to know this was full-on fantasy town.
Then I saw it.
A temple.
Not huge. Not fancy. Stone walls, wooden door, a symbol carved above the entrance—some kind of sun or star, hard to tell in the dark. Light glowed through a small window. Warm light. Firelight.
And smell.
Food.
My new body's stomach screamed so loud I almost doubled over.
I stumbled to the door. Knocked before I could think about it.
Footsteps. Slow. Measured.
The door opened.
An old woman stood there. White hair pulled back. Wrinkled face. Kind eyes. Simple brown robes. The kind of grandmother who'd bake cookies and pinch your cheeks.
"Hungry, child?"
My mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.
"...Yes."
She smiled. Stepped aside. "Come in."
I crossed the threshold.
The temple inside was one room. Small altar at the far end with candles. Wooden benches. A fireplace with a pot hanging over it, bubbling. Steam rose. My mouth watered.
"Sit." She gestured to a bench near the fire. "I'll get you a bowl."
I sat.
She ladled soup into a wooden bowl. Brought it over. Handed it to me.
"Careful. Hot."
I looked down at the soup. Vegetables. Some kind of meat. Steam in my face.
The system beeped.
[SIDE QUEST: TRUST]
· Objective: Accept her food.
· Reward: 50 EXP + Hidden Information.
· Penalty: None.
Hidden information?
I didn't care. I was too hungry.
I blew on the soup. Took a sip.
Hot. Salty. Perfect.
I drank faster. Burned my tongue. Didn't stop.
The old woman watched me. Said nothing. Just... watched.
The system beeped again.
[WARNING: HIDDEN EFFECT DETECTED]
[This person is not what she appears.]
I froze. Spoon halfway to my mouth.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
Not what she appears. Not human. Monster? Demon? Something worse?
I looked up slowly.
The old woman's smile hadn't changed.
But her eyes...
Her eyes flickered gold.
"Go ahead, child," she said softly. "Drink. You're still hungry."
[CHOICE]
A. Drink the soup. Trust the system to warn you if it's poison.
B. Don't drink. Run. Now.
C. Ask a question: "What are you?"
---
My whole life—both lives—I'd picked C.
What if? What then? What's the right answer?
Analysis paralysis. Fear of the wrong choice. Doing nothing while the clock ran out.
Not this time.
I lifted the spoon. Drank.
The old woman's eyes widened. Just a flicker. Then she laughed—a real laugh, warm and surprised.
"Bold. You're either very brave or very stupid."
"Hungry," I said. "Mostly hungry."
She sat down across from me. Studied me like I was a puzzle.
"The soup isn't poisoned. You're safe. But most people, when they see what you just saw..." She tapped her eye. "They run. They scream. They faint. You kept eating."
I shrugged. "Dying of starvation in an alley seemed worse than whatever you are."
Another laugh. "I like you, child. What's your name?"
"Ren."
"Just Ren?"
"Just Ren."
"I'm Mira." She leaned forward. "And to answer the question you didn't ask—I'm a priestess. A real one. Not the kind in the big temples up the hill. The old kind. The kind who remembers when the gods walked among us."
Gold flickered in her eyes again.
"They left gifts behind. For those who need them."
[QUEST COMPLETE: TRUST]
[+50 EXP]
[HIDDEN INFORMATION UNLOCKED]
[MIRA - PRIESTESS OF THE FORGOTTEN GODDESS]
· Age: Unknown (estimates: very old)
· Affiliation: The Sleeping Goddess (dormant deity)
· Notes: Not hostile. Genuinely kind. Dangerously powerful. Potential ally.
I stared at the screen. Sleeping Goddess? Dangerously powerful?
Mira watched me read invisible text. Her head tilted.
"You have one, don't you? A gift from the gods."
I looked up. "What?"
"The system. The interface. The thing only you can see." She smiled. "I told you. I'm the old kind of priestess. I recognize the signs."
I didn't say anything.
"Relax, child. I won't hurt you. Won't tell anyone. Won't try to take it." She stood. Walked to the pot. Ladled more soup into my bowl. "The gods don't give those lightly. You were chosen."
"Chosen?" I almost laughed. "I was an Uber driver. I died because a passenger was loud and I couldn't make a decision. Chosen for what?"
Mira came back. Sat down. Looked at me with those gold-flicker eyes.
"I don't know yet. But neither do you. And that's the point, isn't it?" She gestured at the bowl. "One meal at a time. One choice at a time. The path reveals itself to those who walk it, not those who sit and wonder which way to go."
I looked at the soup.
Looked at her.
"I don't know how to do this," I admitted. "This life. This world. I don't know the rules. I don't know who to trust. I don't know anything."
"Good."
"Good?"
"Knowing you don't know is the first real step." She stood. Walked to a cupboard. Pulled out a blanket. "You can sleep here tonight. By the fire. In the morning, we'll talk about what comes next."
[NEW QUEST: MORNING CONVERSATION]
· Objective: Speak with Mira after sunrise.
· Reward: 100 EXP + Guidance.
· Penalty: None (but why wouldn't you?).
I took the blanket.
"Thank you," I said. And meant it.
Mira nodded. Headed toward a door at the back of the temple. Paused.
"Ren?"
"Yeah?"
"You asked what I am. You didn't ask about the gold in my eyes. You didn't ask about the Sleeping Goddess. You didn't ask about your system." She glanced back. "Most people would have asked. Why didn't you?"
I thought about it.
In my old life, I'd have asked everything. And then asked more. And then worried about the answers until I couldn't move.
Now?
"Because you gave me soup," I said. "And a blanket. And didn't kill me. Whatever else you are... that's enough for tonight."
Mira was quiet for a long moment.
Then she smiled. A different smile. Softer.
"Sleep well, Ren."
She disappeared through the door.
I lay down by the fire. Blanket pulled tight. Stomach full for the first time in... however long this body had been starving.
The fire crackled.
The system was quiet.
And for the first time since I woke up in this world, I wasn't afraid.