Chapter 1: The Charm of Change

The alarm went off at 5:00 a.m. sharp, like it always did.

Sophie opened her eyes immediately. No snoozing. No hesitation. Discipline.
She rolled out of bed, her muscles tight from yesterday’s intense training session. A good kind of tight. A kind of tight that meant she was staying in control.

6:00 a.m. Gym – Fasted cardio. 40 minutes of HIIT sprints. Followed by an ab circuit.
She glanced at herself in the mirror between sets—her stomach was flat, toned, sculpted from years of strict training. But still, she pinched at her waist, scanning for even the slightest imperfection.

Not good enough. Never good enough.

7:30 a.m. Breakfast – Half a cup of oatmeal, one egg white, one black coffee. 180 calories total.

Ethan walked past, already dressed for work. “Going heavy on the carbs today?” he remarked, smirking as he kissed her cheek.
Sophie forced a laugh.

That was Ethan—always tracking, always measuring. Just like her.

He meant well.

Didn’t he? A small part, deep inside Sophie actually craved how Ethan treated her. She loved the humiliation.

She finished eating in exactly five minutes, washing her bowl immediately. No lingering in the kitchen. No temptations.

8:00 a.m. Work & Social Media – She scrolled through her fitness account, checking comments.

Messages filled her inbox:
“Sophie, how do you stay so disciplined? You’re my inspiration!”

“Can you post your meal plan? I need to lose 10 pounds ASAP!”

“Your abs are GOALS!”

Sophie smiled at the validation.
But deep down, she felt… empty.

This wasn’t fun. It was work.

Every meal. Every workout. Every second.
And it never, ever stopped.

At 5’8”, 115lbs, she needed to stay disciplined to maintain her perfection.
It must be nice to just… let go.

She immediately pushed the thought down.
No. She worked too hard for this. She had control.

That was all that mattered.

Soon it was time to meet up with Maggie to go shopping.

Maggie has been Sophie’s best friend for decades, before she got so into fitness culture.

Maggie felt real to Sophie, she was softer, a little chubby, but good looking, a little shorter at 5’5”. She was as good a friend as one could ask for.

Sophie was Maggie’s maid of honor a few years ago, Maggie got married to her long time boyfriend Jake.

Jake was nice, he was fit himself, but not up to Ethan’s level. He would often push back at Sophie telling her that she’s too thin and needs to eat more.

Sophie noticed Maggie’s weigh creeping up over the years but was never mean about it. She got Maggie to work out with her, help maintain a healthy lifestyle. She teetered between 135 and 140 pounds.

At the boutique, they started trying on clothes.

Sophie tugged at the hem of her sports bra, watching her reflection in the mirrored wall of the boutique fitting room. The fabric clung to her lean frame like a second skin, highlighting the toned definition of her abs.

Objectively, she looked great. Strong. Disciplined. But all she could think about was how tired she was of maintaining this body.

“You good in there, Soph?” Maggie’s voice drifted through the door.

“Yeah, just—” Sophie sighed, stepping out. Maggie was standing in front of a display of oversized sweaters, flipping through the options. She was the complete opposite of Sophie—soft, round, and comfortable in it. At least, that’s what she always claimed.

Maggie took one look at Sophie’s outfit and smirked. “Yeah, no. That’s not even a color, it’s beige. Boring.”

“It’s neutral,” Sophie corrected.

“It’s sad,” Maggie said. “You should get something fun.”

Sophie rolled her eyes but smiled. “I don’t really do fun. Not like you.”

“Oh yeah, I’m loads of fun.” Maggie snorted.

“So much fun I had to pretend I wasn’t full at dinner just to keep Jake from pouting.” She sighed, flipping a sweater back onto the rack. “Honestly, I love him, but he’s relentless. Every meal, every snack, every moment at home, he’s pushing food on me. I tell him no, and he still finds a way to make me eat. Like, I get it, he likes big girls, but I’m already there!”

Sophie raised an eyebrow. “He forces you?”

“No,” Maggie said quickly. “It’s not like that. It’s just… he makes it hard to say no. He gets all sad if I don’t want seconds. And if I say I’m full, he’ll be like, oh but you barely ate!”

She mimicked Jake’s exaggerated disappointment. “And then the next thing I know, he’s sitting next to me with a spoon, trying to hand-feed me like I’m some kind of pet.”

Sophie snorted. “That actually sounds… kinda nice?”

Maggie blinked. “Uh, what?”

Sophie shrugged. “I mean, I know it’s probably annoying, but at least he doesn’t make you feel guilty for eating. I can’t even have a cheat meal without Ethan making a comment about macros and how it’s going to ‘set me back.’ I don’t remember the last time I just ate something without thinking about it.”

Maggie frowned. “That’s depressing.”

Sophie gave a weak laugh. “Yeah, well. That’s fitness life. Every meal is a decision. Every indulgence is a backslide. Honestly, it must be nice to let loose sometimes.”

Maggie hesitated, then shrugged. “Grass is always greener, I guess.”

Sophie glanced down at the pile of clothes Maggie was holding—loose, comfortable, cozy. The exact opposite of her own wardrobe. She exhaled sharply. “You ever wonder what it would be like to actually switch lives?”

Maggie snorted. “Oh, all the time. I’d love to be tight and toned for once. See what it’s like to feel light on my feet.”

“And I’d love to eat a meal without calculating the calorie count.”

“Yeah, well,” Maggie laughed. “If you ever find a body-swapping spell, hit me up.”

Just then, Sophie’s eyes landed on a small display case near the register. A delicate, antique pendant sat among a collection of cheap trinkets and costume jewelry. It was round, golden, and engraved with an unfamiliar symbol—almost like a swirling vortex.

Drawn to it, she stepped forward, reaching out to pick it up.

“I feel like I’ve seen this before…” she murmured.

Maggie peered over her shoulder. “It does look kinda old-school.”

Before Sophie could reply, a strange sensation pulsed through her fingertips. The air around them seemed to shift, like the world had just taken a slow, deep breath.

And then—
A rush of dizziness. A strange, weightless pull.

The pendant grew hot in Sophie’s hand—
And everything went black.