Yes... or so he thinks.

I returned to consciousness embraced by soft sheets, in that exquisite state where one is neither half asleep nor half awake, when the skin is sensitive and feels good brushing against the fabric.

I absentmindedly noticed my nakedness and the erection between my legs, but I was too dazed to think why. Still without opening my eyes, I stretched to wake myself up, hoping to reach the edges of the bed, and I stretched more… and more… and more.

Something was wrong; my bed wasn't a single, in fact, my sheets weren't even half as soft as the ones covering me. And my body felt strange, I couldn't say what, it was as if I had lost something I'd always had, or that that something had changed, but I couldn't say what.

I opened my eyes suddenly, sitting up, and beheld a world made for giants. The bed was bigger than a king-size, and even lying horizontally against its sides, I'd only reach halfway down it. The wardrobe, the dresser, and other furniture scattered throughout the room looked far too large from his perspective. He could still reach them without much trouble, but they'd only come up to his chest, maybe a little higher.

Trembling, I started wondering what on earth was happening until the fog of sleep began to clear from my mind and I remembered what had happened: the magic pamphlet, the game of evolution and culture, the new reality.

Carefully, I got out of bed, my bare feet caressing the carpet I'd fallen onto. My feet felt strange, the same sensation that permeated my entire body, and I still didn't know what it was. It was frustrating to feel like I had the answer on the tip of my tongue, but no matter how hard I concentrated, it eluded me (like when you forget a word and it takes a while to remember it, only this time it didn't seem like I'd remember it anytime soon).

I moved with almost irrational caution to the full-length mirror hanging on the wall. I jumped when I felt something brush against my shoulders, and I panicked, clutching them. It hurt when I tugged at my own hair. Was my hair long? I played with it hesitantly, feeling its texture. It was surprisingly soft, almost silky. Determined to find out what had happened, I walked with trembling steps to the mirror.

There I saw a face that wasn't mine, on a body I didn't recognize. I was mesmerized when I observed my new self.

I was shorter, so it was no surprise that everything seemed bigger. I was probably between five and five feet tall. My long, black hair reached my back, and every time I moved my head, it tickled—I wasn't used to the sensation. I was also quite thin. I used to have a little belly; I wasn't fat, but I didn't have a flat stomach like this either. Even my waist was narrower.

The most radical changes were in my hands and face. People spend more time looking at their hands than their faces, and now that I was paying attention, I could see my new fingers, very thin and delicate. I clenched them into fists, feeling their softness. And finally, my face: androgynous features, a small nose, somewhat full lips, large eyes, and… I definitely wasn't the same as before.

I don't know how long I stood there, stunned, staring at myself as if it were the first time I'd ever seen myself in a mirror, which, technically, was true.

A maniacal grin spread across my face, and I frantically began exploring my new body. I searched my face for any sign of a stubble: nothing, completely clean-shaven. I felt my stomach, thin and taut, not at all flabby or saggy. I bent down to feel my thighs, firm but slightly thick.

“YESSSSSS, THANK YOU!” I couldn't contain my excitement any longer and screamed with ecstasy. It was almost exactly as I wanted it, point by point; the magic booklet really worked.

Wait a minute, if this had become real, it meant… I ran back to the bed, more specifically to the nightstands, looking for my phone. I had to climb onto the bed to search properly. My smile faltered when I found nothing, neither on the bed nor in the drawers, not even a charger. I moved to the other side of the bed, rummaging through the other nightstand. Nothing there either, just papers I didn't recognize and a wristwatch (it was almost 1 p.m. – had he slept that long?).

Confused, I scratched my head. Perhaps in this world there were different customs regarding cell phones? It served as an excuse to explore his new home. With renewed energy, I headed to the bedroom door. Its handle was at a somewhat awkward height, and I went out to see what lay beyond.

Not caring about my own nakedness, after all, this was my own house (or so I hoped). I was greeted by a somewhat elegant hallway, nothing extravagant, but the ceiling lights were of the modern, elegant type, and the floor had a black and white checkerboard pattern, a rather odd choice for flooring. But who was I to question the tastes of a different reality?

I passed through several other doors. In the first room was a rather impressive bathroom, so spacious that even several really tall people could fit comfortably. There was even a bathtub big enough for three of me. The toilet, sink, mirror, and lights were all a sober white, and while not my height, it wasn't excessive (even so, I had to stand on tiptoe to get a good look in the mirror; I was still impressed by my new appearance).

Behind the next door was a pantry, nothing impressive, except for the absence of canned goods. In fact, now that I looked at it closely, it was somewhat… rustic? I wasn't sure. Garlic was hanging from the door, dried food was on several shelves, and were those strawberries preserved in honey? I peeked inside a little further and confirmed my suspicions: there wasn't anything even remotely canned or packaged. The bags of flour had no brand name, nothing to indicate the manufacturer.

"Strange." Perhaps marketing was done through other means. I hoped the advertising wouldn't be too aggressive.

Passing through the doors, I entered the living room. Like the bathroom and the bedroom, it was very spacious, slightly luxurious. A four-seater sofa in an L-shape faced a ridiculously large television mounted on the wall. To one side was a window that opened onto a balcony.

"So it's an apartment," I observed through the glass. It must have been quite high up, since I could only see other buildings, nothing of the street below. In fact, I couldn't hear any cars, motorcycles, or any other vehicles.

In the middle of the living room was a long table. Several chairs were too high for me, except for one at the head of the table with longer legs. On it sat a single red candle as a centerpiece.

On the other side of the room was an open kitchen, tucked into a corner of the apartment, separated from the living room only by a kitchen island that stretched from the wall to a column. I went inside to have a look around. Like everything else in my new home, it wasn't the right size for me, but I opened the refrigerator anyway. I didn't find anything out of the ordinary (well, ordinary for me): vegetables, milk, fruit, etc. Starting to feel hungry, I grabbed an apple and devoured it while I continued exploring.

Every time I'd gotten out of bed, I'd been feeling a gradual increase in temperature. I thought it was the expected summer heat, but the air conditioner running in the living room ceiling confirmed that the room was quite cool. The tension between my legs confirmed my suspicion. I looked down to see an erection. I chuckled as I chewed the apple. I was indeed aroused by the anticipation. If I lived in a house not built for my height, it could only mean that someone tall lived with me, and in this new reality, the only tall people were women.

While daydreaming about what my new partner would look like, I stumbled upon a note. It was stuck to the front door. When I approached, I saw only three symbols I didn't recognize. No, wait, I did recognize them. They were the symbols for "exit," "return," and "soon." I felt dizzy from the sudden information spat into my brain out of nowhere. I had to lean against the wall to keep from falling. A new writing system? That was... unsettling. And it wasn't even made with letters, but with symbols for ideas. It was strange.

Curious, I approached a bookshelf full of books, wondering how they were written. I picked up a leather-bound one, not very big. When I opened it, my heart stopped and the apple slipped from my hands.

They were letters, but I didn't recognize them. They were grouped to form words and sentences; it was quite obvious, but I lacked the knowledge to understand it. To me, they were just meaningless gibberish. They weren't even the same letters as in my old reality. This one over there looked like… like…

My heart went from stopping to pounding like a motor. Almost panicking, I tried to remember what the letters I knew looked like, the writing, only for my mind to go blank. I remembered that I knew how to read and write, that I had done it many times, but when I tried to recall how to do it, nothing came to me.

I dropped the book. This couldn't be happening. I had won the game. The world was supposed to be perfect, but apparently, I was illiterate. I almost tore my hair out wondering what had gone wrong, until I remembered the only part of the booklet that had turned yellow, the only sentence that didn't fit with the narrative I had constructed. Was that enough to ruin his world like this?

Hyperventilating, I looked around, searching for the magic pamphlet, but I couldn't find it anywhere. The room—it had to be there! I ran out to go back, only with this new body, I wasn't used to its proportions, and I ended up brushing my hand against my erection.

The world exploded in pleasure. I felt my legs weaken, and I collapsed to the floor, exhausted. It felt like the first time I masturbated, only much worse. My body was struck by a paralyzing weakness that left me dazed on the floor, all while my penis continued to ooze semen.

"What the hell is going on?" was all I could ask myself as I writhed around.