Back in the Present

Jason was devastated. He looked at the warning on the computer, contemplating whether he should actually use a year of his lifespan. Should I do it…? No…it’s not worth it. He walked out of the area, returning to the library. He sat down, not knowing what to do. As he looked around the library, he wondered if the people he saw were even real.

What should I do??? He started to panic, wondering what would happen if he didn’t go back to his own world. He wanted to give up. He couldn’t figure out what to do. I have to go back, I need to find a solution! He sprinted towards the bookshelf, determined to find a solution this time.

He walked towards the computer in the unknown area. He started to think if there was anything he could do to reset the computer. There might be something on the back of the computer that I can check. He walked around the computer, looking at the back, surprised. There were 4 zeros lined up, as if they formed a code. Out of curiosity, he touched one of the zeros, and flinched when he saw that it turned into the number 1. Could this be a code that I need to solve? Even if it were a code, how would I figure it out? There are probably around 10,000 combinations for this! He started thinking about everything that he remembered before he was transported into this world, but nothing he remembered had a connection to this 4-digit code.

Discouraged, he walked outside. He sat down once again, panicking. Trying to calm himself down, he picked up a nearby book. He read a few pages, getting immersed in the story. That was a pretty good book; maybe I should borrow it. WAIT! I found the map of the library in a book! Maybe I can retrace my steps and find the same book! But what if it’s not there? Whatever, I have to go check myself to make sure. I picked up a fiction book, so I’ll go over to that section.

He walked over to the fiction section, navigating through bookshelves till he saw the book. He took it out, expecting his plan to fail. He flipped the pages, one by one. And there he saw it. The map. He slowly unfolded the map, looking at it to see if there was anything he could use to get him back to reality. He looked at the path. No connection. He looked at the back of the map. No connections. He looked at the number of locations marked with an X. 4. There were 4 locations. It didn’t make sense, but he had to try it.

He walked to each shelf, looking for clues. That’s when he saw it. Everything made sense. He saw a small number on the second level of the bookshelf. The number 2. He walked to the next. The number 0. He walked to the next shelf again. The number 2. He walked to the final location. He pulled back the books on the shelf. The number 6. It all makes sense now! This must be how I get back to 2026!

He walked back to the computer once again, just not the front this time. He walked to the back, looking at the numbers. He clicked the buttons to form the year 2026. All of a sudden, a portal opened again, sucking his body in and teleporting him. Please work… He woke up in his bed. He quickly picked up his phone. 2026.