The attempt is successful

John closed his eyes and focused hard on his own sleeping body. After several long seconds, he felt a sudden shift. When he opened his eyes again, he was back in his familiar own body. He sat up on the bed and looked down at his own hands with relief. “It worked. I’m back!” Mara smiled, clearly relieved. “Good. I was really worried.”

Before they could say anything more, Karen woke up. She blinked rapidly, looking around John’s messy bedroom in complete confusion. “Where am I?” she muttered, her voice rising with panic. “This isn’t my house. Why am I here? What’s going on?!” John froze. The panic hit him instantly. Karen was clearly terrified and angry. In that moment of rising panic, something unexpected happened. Mara suddenly gasped and her body went limp, collapsing gently onto the floor. At the same time, Karen’s body stiffened for a brief second, then her expression changed completely.

“John? What just happened?” Karen said, sounding disoriented. She looked down at her hands and her body. “Why am I in Karen's body?” John stared wide-eyed at the scene. Mara was now inside Karen’s body, and they have no idea how it happened.