You were in your room in Detroit, noon light coming through the window, the kind of ordinary afternoon that doesn’t feel like anything at all. You were just scrolling eBay out of boredom, half looking for nonsense listings, the kind of fake “rare item” posts people make for attention. That’s when you saw it, a gem. It looked too clean, too intentional, listed with vague promises about “alignment” and “timeless transfer,” like something pretending to be a joke but not fully committing to it. It was cheap, the seller barely had anything else listed, and you didn’t really think about it beyond a passing curiosity, so you bought it.

It arrived less than an hour later, which you probably should’ve questioned, but you didn’t. Just a small plain package, no branding, no note at first glance. Inside was the gem, wrapped neatly like it mattered more than it should, and beneath it a sheet of instructions written in an oddly precise way. It told you to hold it, focus on it, and follow a short sequence of steps like it was some kind of performance or prank ritual. It didn’t feel serious, more like an internet joke or an ARG someone put too much effort into. You followed it anyway, mostly out of curiosity, half expecting nothing to happen.

The last instruction finishes, and there’s no warning before it happens. The air in your room dips, like the world forgets to stay steady for a second. It’s not loud, not bright, just wrong, like something briefly stepping out of sync. Then everything drops away.

Now there is only silence.

Dead midnight surrounds you, thick and absolute, broken only by the faintest distant creak of wood somewhere you cannot place. No lights. No clear shapes at first, just darkness that slowly resolves into a narrow alley lined with tall, old buildings. Stone and timber loom above you, close enough that the space feels squeezed, like the world itself narrowed while you weren’t looking. The air is cold and still, carrying the faint smell of smoke and damp earth. Somewhere far off, a single dog barks once, then stops. Then you see a woman passing by the mouth of the alley.