The sensation was disorienting, a rush of energy, a shift in perception. One moment Ji-woo was reaching through the shimmering portal, the next he was… somewhere else. He stumbled back, his senses reeling. He was no longer in the small cottage. He was… outside.
The wind whipped at his face, carrying the familiar scent of salt and the cries of seagulls. He blinked, his eyes adjusting to the bright sunlight. He looked around, and his breath caught in his throat. He recognized this place. The jagged cliffs, the churning sea below, the familiar curve of the coastline. He was back on the cliff where he had jumped.
He staggered towards the edge, peering down at the waves crashing against the rocks. It was the same spot, the very place where he had stood, consumed by grief, only moments ago (or was it?). He touched the rough stone of the cliff face, the coldness grounding him in reality. He was back. He was home.
A wave of confusion washed over him. How was this possible? He had jumped, expecting oblivion, and instead, he had been transported to a magical world, a world of thatched roofs, strange creatures, and whispered magic. And now, he was back, as if no time had passed at all.
He looked back towards the small house, its location now marked by a faint shimmer in the air, a ripple in the fabric of reality. The portal. It was real. The journey, however brief, had been real. Aethel existed.
He walked away from the cliff edge, his mind racing. He had to understand what had happened. How was it possible to travel to another world through what seemed like a simple doorway in the ceiling of a small cottage? Was the house itself magical? Was the portal a one-way trip, or could he return to Aethel?
He felt a strange mix of excitement and trepidation. He had glimpsed a world beyond his wildest imagination, a world of magic and wonder. But he also felt a sense of unease. He was a stranger in Aethel, a man out of time and place. He had no skills, no powers, no understanding of their customs or their language. How could he survive in such a world?
He reached his old house, the familiar structure now imbued with a new sense of mystery. He hesitated before opening the door, a sense of anticipation building within him. He stepped inside, the familiar scent of dust and old wood filling his nostrils. It was the same house, yet it felt different, charged with an energy he hadn't noticed before.
He looked up at the ceiling, at the shimmering portal, the gateway to Aethel. He knew he had to go back. He had to explore this mystery, to understand the connection between the cliff, the portal, and the magical world he had briefly glimpsed. He had to find answers.
But as he looked at the portal, a new thought occurred to him. If the portal connected only to this specific cliff, to this isolated spot on the coast of South Korea, then perhaps… perhaps he could use this connection to his advantage. He had a link to two worlds, a unique opportunity. He could bring things from one world to the other. He could… trade.
The idea sparked in his mind, a glimmer of hope in the face of the unknown. He might not have magic, he might not have powers, but he had something else: knowledge. Knowledge of the modern world, knowledge of technology, knowledge of things that didn't exist in Aethel. He could use this knowledge to survive, to thrive.
He smiled, a flicker of excitement replacing his fear. He didn't know what the future held, but he was ready to face it. He was Ji-woo, the accidental traveler, the unlikely entrepreneur, the man who had found a doorway to a new life, and he was determined to make the most of it. He looked up at the portal, no longer with fear, but with anticipation. He was going back.