A journey beyond worlds

I had been wandering around the coin show all day, searching for that one rare gem, but

nothing had caught my eye. After more than an hour of browsing through countless stalls, I

noticed a mysterious old woman standing alone, draped in a pitch-black cloak. Her stall was

oddly deserted, which struck me as unusual, especially considering her impressive collection

of coins. She had tetradrachms, Aeginas, darics, and a variety of other ancient currencies

that any collector would covet. Her demeanor suggested she was highly knowledgeable, yet

despite her expertise, there was something about her that made me uneasy. It was as if

there was an invisible barrier keeping potential buyers away.

Still, I decided to ignore it and approach her.’Hello there, ma’am. You seem to have a

beguiling coin collection here. If you don’t mind, may I take a look?’ I inquired. She looked up

at me, stared for a second, and simply nodded, leaving me with a spine-curling sensation.

As I was looking around, I came across a beautifully hand-carved coin made of bronze. I

didn’t remember seeing it in any of the ancient coin books I had read, so I decided to ask the

old woman.’Excuse me, ma’am, but I’m afraid I haven’t seen this coin anywhere before. If

you would be so kind as to brief me about its history, I would really appreciate it,’ I said. She

looked up at me, her face beaming with a mysterious grin, and said, ‘This coin is from

Alsoria, a kingdom from a different world, which I am sure you have no knowledge about,

young lady’.

I looked at her, puzzled. For a second, I thought that the woman was crazy. A different

world? What was she talking about? Even Though I thought the woman was spouting

nonsense I still decided to ask her if I could touch the coin because it looked so ethereal,

gleaming under the dim lighting it truly felt as if it was out of this world. So I asked her

“Would it be ok if I inspected the coin a little” to which she replied with a simple nod.

As soon as I picked it up I felt a strong pressure as if the coin was drawing me into itself . The world began to blur and I started to feel dizzy and lightheaded. Before I completely passed out I

heard the voice of the old woman yelling ‘you must find the most important thing to get back

young lady !’ When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a medieval street where people wandered about, dressed in bizarre outfits unlike anything I had ever seen. And as if that wasn’t strange enough, some of them were flying on actual brooms! This couldn’t be real. I approached a passerby and hesitantly asked, “Umm… Hi, could you tell me where we are right now?”

 She gave me an exasperated look and replied, “We’re in Alsoria. How could you not know that?” Then, she hurried away, disappearing from sight as quickly as she could. Alsoria,I

remember the old lady mentioning the same name when I asked her where the coin was

from. I still can not believe that she was telling the truth. How can there be a different world?

All of this seems too far -fetched to be real but I guess I have no choice but to believe it .

The realisation that I was in a place called Alsoria—a name the old woman had

mentioned—hit me hard. My mind started racing , trying to make sense of it. How could I

have been transported to a different world through a coin? It sounded like something out of a

fantasy story, yet here I was, surrounded by strange sights and sounds.

For a while, I just stood there, feeling overwhelmed. The medieval street around me seemed

like a dream, yet it was all too real. I could feel the rough cobblestones beneath my feet and

hear the lively chatter of the people.

The air was fresh and clean, mixed with something unfamiliar. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. Panicking wouldn’t help.”Alsoria,” I whispered to myself, the name feeling strange on my tongue. I didn’t know anything about this place, but it seemed I had no choice but to accept it. The old woman had said I needed to find the most important thing to get back home, but what was that supposed to mean? And did I even want to go back home? The thought surprised me.

Back in my world, life had been pretty ordinary, even boring at times. But here, everything

was new and full of possibilities. For the first time in a long while, I felt excited—a thrill of

stepping into the unknown. Maybe this was the adventure I had been longing for, even if I

hadn’t realized it.

As I walked through the streets, I couldn’t help but be amazed by the world around me.

People were busy trading goods, using strange coins I had never seen before. A man in a

long robe was performing magic tricks, making fire dance in his hands. Children ran around,

laughing as they turned invisible for a few moments. This world was filled with magic, and I

felt drawn to it, despite the strangeness I wandered deeper into the town, passing by shops

selling enchanted jewelry and potions that promised to keep you young forever. I stopped at

a stall where a blacksmith was making glowing weapons. He noticed me watching and gave

me a friendly nod.

The warmth of the people, the liveliness of the town—it was all so different from the dull life I had known. The more I explored, the more I realised that I didn’t want to leave. The thought of going back to my old life, where there is no fun or excitement , made me uneasy. Here, I could

start over, live a life filled with adventure. The idea was so tempting that I found myself smiling.

As the day transitioned into evening, the streets grew quieter, and lanterns lit up the town

with a soft glow. I found a small inn hidden away in the corner of a street, its sign swaying

gently in the breeze. The innkeeper, a friendly woman with kind eyes, welcomed me like I

was an old friend. She even offered me a room and a meal, not asking any questions about

where I came from. After settling into my room, I lay on the bed, thinking about everything

that had happened. I still couldn’t fully understand how I had ended up here, but I knew one

thing for sure—I didn’t want to leave. This world, with its magic and mystery, offered me

something I had always wanted: a life full of meaning and excitement.

As I drifted off to sleep, I made a decision. I would stay in here, explore this new life, and see

where it would take me. Maybe I would find the most important thing that could send me

back home, but even if I did, would I really want to go?

When the morning came, I woke up feeling determined. I would discover the secrets of this

world, learn how to live here, and make the most of this unexpected adventure.

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By: Anika Samaiyar,

Class IX,

Apeejay International School, Greater Noida