Caught Between Worlds

The rustling of leaves underfoot and the weight of the autumn air, saturated with the scent of wet soil and withering grass, filled my mind, yet my thoughts were empty. Is this really me? Is this really me? These enormous breasts swaying with every step, causing strange, painful sensations, and the long hair sticking to my cheeks and neck, blocking my view. I raised my hand, trying to brush a strand away, but only tangled it even more. Damn it! I can’t believe this is really me now.

The experiment... Yes. The memories surfaced, like a cold stream of water. I was standing in the lab, surrounded by familiar equipment, chrome surfaces, and the soft hum of machines. A radiation resistance test. We were all confident that the risks were minimal. The parameters were precisely calculated, and we followed the protocol strictly. But something went wrong. A flash, a powerful discharge that pierced through my nerves like fire. That was the last thing I remembered — a burning sensation, as if my body had been turned inside out and reshaped from within.

And then — emptiness. When I came to, everything seemed blurry. But as soon as I opened my eyes, reality hit me with full force. Somewhere in the forest, alone, in this new body. Why? How?! I — Professor Anatoly Pavlovich, a physicist, an awkward forty-year-old man whose life revolved around the lab and calculations — was now... someone else. A young woman, barely in her twenties, trapped in a body I didn’t understand, a body that didn’t feel like mine.

Where am I? It looks like our world, but I’m already sure it’s a completely different reality… Different animals, different trees...

— Nonsense… just nonsense, — I whispered, hearing my still unfamiliar, melodious and high-pitched voice. I sounded as if I was hoarse, but it wasn’t that. The voice vibrated softly, touching every sound and enveloping it. The usual intonations that once sounded calm and firm now seemed distorted by some foreign throat. Damn… even when I rasped, I somehow sounded… sexy? Inside, everything tightened at these thoughts. It felt like I was speaking every phrase as if trying to seduce someone, without even understanding why.

I stopped and listened. The wind rustled the branches, the leaves whispered softly, and suddenly I thought I heard something else among the forest sounds. Muffled voices. Someone was nearby.

Instincts told me to hide, but my legs carried me forward on their own. Stepping carefully, I moved towards the sound, trying not to make any unnecessary noise.

‘Who’s there?’ — the thought flashed, and I tried to focus — ‘Could it be my colleagues? Maybe they’re looking for me?’ Hope sparked but quickly faded. The forest was too wild and unfamiliar. It didn’t look like anything I knew.

I stepped behind a tree and froze. A small clearing ahead, hidden by thick bushes, revealed a group of people. Four of them. Three men and one woman. But their appearance stunned me. They looked like characters out of science fiction, not people lost in the woods. Their outfits gleamed with metallic inserts, built-in LEDs, and holographic interfaces on their wrists. Silver and dark blue armor plates hugged their bodies, protecting vital areas, and their faces were partially concealed under helmets with transparent visors that exposed only their eyes. The attire looked functional and advanced, reminiscent of future special forces gear.

— Are you sure she came through here? — asked a tall man, his face illuminated by a blue light from the holograms built into his helmet. His voice was low and steady, but it carried a chilling calm.

— Saw the tracks myself, — replied another, with a display on his chest flashing a set of data. His eyes darted across the clearing as if scanning something. — Portal readings are still active. She might have been here.

— She couldn’t have gone far, — the woman said sharply. Her suit was adorned with thin gold lines, making her look like the leader of the group. — We can still feel the portal’s energy. That means she’s close. Find her before the link breaks.

I felt chills run down my spine. They’re talking about me? Portal? My heart started pounding harder, but my body froze, refusing to make even the slightest movement.

— You, — the woman nodded at the man with the scanner, and he flinched sharply. — Check the eastern part of the forest. You, — she turned to a broad-shouldered figure in heavy armor with red light patterns, — search the slope near the stream. We need to track her down before… before she draws the Keepers’ attention.

— The Keepers? — the words slipped out before I could realize. The melodic, high-pitched voice pierced the air, and all four froze at once. My eyes widened. ‘Idiot! Why did you say that?!’ I reflexively stepped back, but a branch underfoot snapped treacherously.

All four turned simultaneously, their gazes locking onto mine. One thought flashed through my mind — ‘Run!’

— She’s here! — shouted the woman, her eyes flaring red through the visor as she raised her hand. — Grab her!

I spun around and dashed away. The forest whirled around me, my body reacting on its own, but everything felt so alien and clumsy. I stumbled but managed to stay on my feet, feeling the heavy strands of hair slap against my back. They started shouting and rushed after me with a loud crash. The forest seemed to come alive, every branch trying to grab me, every root aiming to trip me. My chest bounced and ached, my breath was ragged, and the strain in this new body felt unbearable.

— Stop! — one of the men barked, his voice echoing off the tree trunks.

I glanced back while running and saw the man with the scanner extend his arm in my direction. A shimmering glow appeared in the air — a greenish light spreading from his palm, like waves of heat rising from the ground. Then — a sudden, painful jolt to my back. I cried out and fell to the ground, my face hitting the wet grass. My body froze, then convulsed. My legs and arms felt as if they were glued to the ground. What is this?! Damn it, I can’t move!

— Got you, — the woman said with satisfaction, stepping closer. Her face was now clearly visible through the transparent visor of her helmet. I lay there, struggling to catch my breath, unable to even twitch. — Well, little girl, — she leaned in, her face coming close to mine. — Did you really think you could run away?

Her fingers grabbed my chin, lifting my head so that our eyes met. Inside, everything boiled with humiliation and fear, but I could do nothing but stare back.

— Who are you? — I hissed, but my voice betrayed me. In my ears, it sounded like a pathetic, barely audible whisper.

— Who am I? — the woman repeated with a smirk. — Oh, my dear… We are the ones who maintain balance. The ones who guard the passageways between worlds. And you… — she ran a finger down my cheek, and I shuddered with disgust. — To be honest, I have no idea who you are, but you’re not supposed to be here… — she pulled out some device and pointed it at me. I only managed to blink before everything around me disappeared.