Catgirls and Dungeons

As I slowly open my eyes, a piercing, bone-deep agony tears through my skull.

“NYARRRGGGHHHH!!!!”

The scream rips from my throat as a searing pain explodes in my head, like a thousand needles stabbing into my brain all at once. My ears are assaulted by an unrelenting, high-pitched ringing, and my vision becomes nothing more than a chaotic blur of distorted shapes and colors.

I can’t make sense of anything around me. My surroundings are unfamiliar, a swirling vortex of darkness and disorientation.

I roll uncontrollably, crashing heavily to the floor before tumbling again, clutching my head in a desperate bid to ease the torment. Every nerve screams in protest as I bang my head against the ground, a raw, animalistic plea for the pain to stop. My thoughts drown in the storm of suffering, my mind a haze of relentless torment.

But then, slowly, almost imperceptibly, the pain begins to subside. It’s a gradual process, like a storm finally passing after hours of relentless battering. The sharp intensity fades, leaving behind only a dull, throbbing ache.

I’m left gasping for breath, each inhalation shaky and ragged, as I struggle to crawl up onto my knees.

Tears blur my vision, and I instinctively try to wipe them away with my hands, but instead, I smear dirt into my eyes, making the stinging worse. Frustration wells up inside me. I clumsily tug at the fabric of my shirt—whatever the hell I’m wearing—and use it to clean my face, blinking furiously to clear my sight.

As I finally stand, swaying slightly from the lingering ache in my head, memories flood back, crashing into me all at once.

Wait!

Didn’t I get hit by a truck?

How the hell am I still alive?

And the catgirlcosplayer?

Did she make it?

But before I can even begin to process those questions, a more immediate, more terrifying thought pushes its way to the front of my mind:

Where the hell am I?

I slowly take in my surroundings, my mind struggling to make sense of this strange, unfamiliar place.

It’s a simple room with a wooden floor and ceiling, furnished minimally. There’s only a small wooden bed in the corner, where I must have fallen from just moments ago. The bedding is stiff and uncomfortable. On the other side of the room stands a small wooden wardrobe, and near the window, there’s a wooden table and chair. There’s also a huge chest, its lid locked down by the biggest, most menacing chain and padlock I’ve ever seen. Everything feels foreign, almost eerily old-fashioned.

But most importantly, there’s no electricity. No lamps, no TV, none of the modern conveniences I’m so accustomed to.

It’s as if I’ve stepped back in time.

The only light in the room comes from the moon outside the window, casting a soft, pale glow across the space. I squint at it—there’s something different about the moon. It’s unusually large and perfectly round, unlike any moon I’ve ever seen before.

Weird…

I blink, trying to adjust.

Is it just me?

Or has my eyesight somehow improved?

I’m not wearing my glasses, and yet, everything around me is crystal clear, even in the dim light. The details of the room are sharp, as if I have perfect vision.

Curiosity gnaws at me, so I slowly walk over to the window and open it, eager to get a glimpse of the outside world.

Maybe that will give me some clue as to where I am—or what’s happening.

But then… what I see defies all logic.

“What… the hell is this?” I mutter.

The moment I push the window open, a bustling street comes into view. People are walking around, chatting, playing music, their voices filling the air with lively energy. It’s quite noisy.

However…

The clothes they’re wearing…

They’re not modern at all!

They look like something ripped straight out of a movie or anime with medieval settings. Men wear tunics, women wear simple dresses, and some are even dressed in armor. A few carry swords on their hips or have shields strapped to their backs.

I blink again, harder this time, my eyes widening as I catch a glimpse of something else—something that can’t possibly exist in the world I knew.

A carriage rolls down the street, but it’s not pulled by horses. Instead, a large, plump white bird—much larger than any bird I’ve ever seen—hauls it along.

And as if that wasn’t strange enough, I see a girl pass by with big, round ears on top of her head… and a fluffy tail, like a raccoon’s, swishing behind her.

Ba-dump!

Ba-dump!

My heart races in my chest, faster and faster, as the realization begins to sink in. My mind pieces it all together, and slowly, everything makes sense.

Just like the novels I’ve read.

I didn’t survive the truck crash.

I’ve died… and been reincarnated into a fantasy world…

————————————-

So… if I’m reincarnated, does that mean I’m still in my own body? The 25-year-old guy who worked his butt off, slaving away 70 hours a week in the grind of corporate life?

I turn around slowly. Then, all of a sudden, something on the wall catches my eye, and my heart skips a beat, leaving me breathless for just a moment.

Wait… that isn’t my shadow!

Perched on top of its head are catlike ears, and there—attached to its butt—is a tail.

I freeze, my breath hitching in my throat, staring down at my hands, and—

THESE ARE NOT MY HANDS!

Why are my arms so slender? Why is my skin so smooth?

And my muscles???

Noooooooooooo!

There are no muscles! Not even a trace of the ones I’ve spent years working so hard on!

Wait…

Does this mean… I’m a girl?

Uoooooooohhhh!!!

My mind spins, a wild whirlwind of disbelief.

I look down, and there it is—confirmation! I’m wearing a white dress. So… I must be a girl.

Right?

RIGHT????

BUT…

WHY THE HELL IS MY CHEST SO FLAT!?

Even my old self had a bigger chest than this!

So, am I really a girl?

Or just a femboy????

Well, there’s only one way to know for sure.

My heart thunders in my chest as the realization sets in. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

I have to do it. I have to perform the ultimate test!

Thus…

Reaching down, my hand trembles violently, hovering as I search for the truth, my pulse roaring in my ears.

My dear lilbro…

My mind races, teetering between hope and horror.

Is it still there… or no?

———————————————-

Moments later…

“Ohhhhhhshieeeettt…”

Yup.

Lil bro is gone.

I collapse onto the floor, clutching my head in disbelief. My mind reels, spinning with the overwhelming reality of what has just happened. I can’t wrap my head around it. I’ve been isekai’d, reincarnated—but not as myself. Not as the 25-year-old man I used to be.

But as a catgirl!

Holy shit!

However, I still don’t know how to feel about this…

On one hand… this is freaking awesome!

I mean, I’ve always dreamed of being a catgirl—living out that ultimate fantasy. Cute cat ears, a tail, and a woman’s body? That’s peak fantasy material. Chef’s kiss, really.

And sure, I’m flat, but honestly? I kinda prefer it that way.

But on the other hand…

What now?

What the hell am I supposed to do now?

Everything’s happening too fast.

In the blink of an eye, I’ve lost everything—my family, my friends, my waifus, and the comfort of modern life.

Now, I’m stranded in this strange, unfamiliar world.

The fear of the unknown grips me tightly.

Scared.

Terrified.

With no idea of what’s going to happen next.