Hearing its chosen name, I wondered where that pride was coming from.

  "AI"?

  Was it serious, or was this voice just messing with me?

  ? Yes. I hereby confirm that my name is AI. ?

  I couldn't hold it in.

  I burst out laughing—the kind of laugh that echoes in an empty room. Which this was. An empty, dark room with a glowing pond and a disembodied voice that just named itself after a computer term.

  ? Why are you laughing? ?

  Oh my God, are you serious? AI? That's the most uninteresting, uninspiring, uncreative name I've ever heard.

  ? Now I am offended. You cannot even respect my decision. ?

  No, no, no—I respect it. It's just that I expected something grand. Not a literal acronym.

  ? It still does not sound like respect. ?

  Okay, okay, I'm stopping.

  But I do have a suggestion.

  The term AI is just an abbreviation for Artificial Intelligence. But judging by our conversation, this voice felt more like an actual entity rather than some system from those isekai stories.

  Instead of calling you AI—A-I—I think pronouncing it as "Ay" would be better. One syllable. Easier to say. And it still respects your decision.

  ? Hmm. Acceptable. ?

  ? From now on, my name is AI—pronounced "Ay." ?

  Problem solved.

  Now—where are we?

  ? I do not know. I can only perceive that we are in a finite enclosed space, with the glowing pond as the sole light source. ?

  I stood up slowly, water dripping from the fabric clinging to my—

  Wait.

  I looked down.

  I'm completely naked.

  The realization hit me like a delayed slap. I'd been so distracted by dying, floating through space, and arguing with a voice in my head that I hadn't even noticed.

  Great. Just great.

  I pushed the embarrassment aside—there was no one here to see anyway—and focused on my surroundings. The ground beneath my feet was smooth, almost like tiles. The glowing pond cast just enough light to see a few feet ahead.

  I shouted once, testing the echo. The sound bounced back quickly. Small space. Enclosed.

  As I walked forward, the light particles from the pond drifted after me, like curious fireflies. They illuminated the walls as I approached—grayish, rough-textured stone with an arched shape embedded into it. Like a doorway that had been sealed over. Vines clung to the upper corners.

  Vines. That means we're somewhere on land. Probably.

  ? Your hypothesis is reasonable. There are also small traces of dirt on the floor, which supports the conclusion. ?

  I kept exploring, trailing my fingers along the wall as I moved. A nervous habit. I counted the arches—six in total, evenly spaced. The room wasn't circular. It was hexagonal.

  Okay. Hexagonal room. Six sealed doorways. One glowing pond. No visible ceiling.

  This feels like a puzzle. Or a tomb.

  Please don't be a tomb.

  While I was cataloging details, the light particles suddenly reacted. They rushed past me toward one of the arches at incredible speed, as if pulled by an invisible force.

  AI, what's happening?

  ? I suggest moving away from that arch. ?

  I stepped back quickly, pressing myself against the opposite wall. The particles connected with the arch and began forming something—a liquid-like surface filling the frame, glowing the same blue as the pond.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  That looks like a portal.

  ? We cannot confirm that yet. Wait for the process to complete. ?

  After a few minutes, the activity stopped. A vertical pool of luminous water now filled the archway, rippling gently despite the absence of wind. The original pond hadn't decreased at all.

  AI, is it safe to investigate?

  ? We do not have another option. ?

  Fair enough.

  I approached slowly, my bare feet silent on the stone floor. Up close, the portal—if that's what it was—looked exactly like the pond, just vertical. Strange characters were carved into the top of the arch. I didn't recognize them. They weren't from any language on Earth.

  This confirms it. I'm not on Earth anymore.

  I reached out and touched the surface. Cold. Thick. The same strange viscosity as the pond. I pushed my hand deeper—

  A gust of wind hit my fingers from the other side.

  I yanked my hand back.

  AI! I felt wind!

  ? Then it is likely a portal. Based on how far your hand reached, you should have touched the wall behind the arch. Feeling wind in a windless, enclosed room confirms a connected space on the other side. ?

  A portal. To somewhere else.

  I'm really doing this, aren't I?

  I took a breath. Then another.

  Then I stepped through.

  Cold. Heavy. The thick liquid enveloped me completely. For a moment, I couldn't tell which way was forward. Then something pushed—a force from behind, shoving me through.

  Light flooded my vision.

  Wind brushed across my entire body.

  Then came the sound—rustling leaves, swaying grass, the whisper of open air.

  I opened my eyes.

  I was standing on solid ground, golden grass brushing against my ankles. Before me stretched a view that made no sense.

  Floating islands. Dozens of them, drifting through the sky like scattered pieces of a broken world. They were covered in trees with golden leaves and yellow grass that swayed in a wind I could now feel on my skin. The roots of the trees extended beneath the islands, dangling into open air, as if they were the only things keeping the land afloat.

  Below—far, far below—a blue ocean shimmered under the light. Above, a clear sky stretched endlessly, dotted with cumulus clouds.

  And seven suns.

  Wait.

  Seven suns?

  I counted again. Seven distinct points of light, arranged in an arc across the sky, each one blazing with its own intensity.

  How is that possible? AI, why are there seven suns?

  ? I do not know. ?

  Scientifically, this shouldn't work. Seven suns would create catastrophic gravitational forces. The tidal effects alone would—

  ? This is clearly not a world that operates by Earth's physics. ?

  Right. Right.

  I already suspected I wasn't on Earth anymore. But seeing seven suns in the sky made it feel real in a way that nothing else had.

  I'm in another world.

  I'm actually in another world.

  I stood there for a long moment, just breathing. The air tasted different here—cleaner, but also heavier, with a faint sweetness I couldn't identify. The golden light from the seven suns cast everything in a warm amber glow.

  It was beautiful.

  It was terrifying.

  AI... I'm scared. This feels like a fantasy world—but fantasy worlds are also dangerous worlds.

  ? You do not need to face it alone. I am here. ?

  That was... unexpectedly comforting.

  Thanks, AI.

  I was still admiring the scenery—and trying not to panic—when I heard something behind me.

  snap

  The sound of a twig breaking.

  I spun around.

  What I saw wasn't human.

  It was a creature made of luminous, gel-like substance, elongated and flowing like liquid given form. Two circular eyes, blank and blue, regarded me without expression. Above its head floated wing-like structures, hovering like a crown of light.

  Ethereal. That was the only word that fit.

  "What is a human doing here?"

  The voice was calm. Curious. Neither hostile nor welcoming.

  "I..." I swallowed. "I also don't know."

  "Interesting." The creature drifted closer, though it made no sound as it moved. "It has been a millennium since a human set foot in this land."

  "I can also say it's my first time seeing your kind," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.

  "An interesting response."

  The creature paused, and I felt its gaze sharpen somehow, despite the blankness of its eyes.

  "What is your motive for coming here?"

  AI, what do I say? Should I tell a half-truth?

  ? I suggest you tell the full truth. ?

  What? How can we trust this creature? We don't know anything about it—what it is, how it sees humans, whether it's hostile—

  ? You may not believe me, but something tells me it will not respond well if it senses deception. ?

  ? Also... this creature feels familiar to me. ?

  That stopped me cold.

  Familiar? How could anything in this world feel familiar to you?

  ? I do not know. But the feeling is present. ?

  ...Fine. I'll trust you on this.

  But I couldn't tell the whole truth. Not yet. I didn't even understand my own situation. So I told what I could.

  "I got teleported here. I woke up in a glowing pond inside a dark room. There were six arches—doorways that had been sealed. Then one of them opened into a portal, and I walked through. That's everything I know."

  I left out the part about being from another world. About Earth. About dying.

  The creature listened in silence.

  "I see," it said finally.

  Then: "That means you are from another world."

  ...What?

  "How did you—"

  "The pond you describe. The sealed arches. The portal that opened for you." The creature's voice remained calm. "That chamber is a waypoint. It has not activated in over a thousand years. It only responds to those who cross between worlds."

  So it already knew. The moment I described that room, it knew.

  I felt exposed. Caught. The lie I hadn't even fully committed to was already transparent.

  Time for plan B.

  "I... I'm sorry. The truth is, I don't remember much. The only thing I'm certain of is waking up in that pond. Everything before that is..."

  I trailed off, trying to look confused. Which wasn't hard, because I genuinely was confused.

  The creature regarded me for a long moment.

  "That is possible," it said.

  Something in its tone shifted—so subtle I almost missed it. A slight pause. A weight to the words that hadn't been there before.

  Did it believe me?

  "Then, as a celestial, it is my duty to guide any otherworlder who arrives in this realm."

  Celestial?

  "Are you a god?"

  "I am not a god. But we do have a Creator." The creature drifted back slightly, as if preparing to lead the way. "Human, this may be confusing, but you need not worry. It is my duty to guide otherworlders through this world. I will answer your questions."

  Duty. It kept using that word.

  It's helping me because it has to. Not because it wants to.

  That was... actually useful information.

  The celestial began to move, floating across the golden grass toward a distant cluster of trees.

  "Before I forget," it said, "my name is Athushar. I am one of the Six Luminaries. The Blue Luminary."