A single Torii gate stood solemnly in the center of an open field, its chipped red paint worn down by the elements.

Has that always been here?

I wondered inside my head as I looked at it from the sidewalks. Not far behind it was a group of shophouses, colored in a mix of red and cream, buildings that I always saw on my regular commute to and from university, yet for the life of me I couldn’t remember ever seeing that gate standing there. Torii gates were uncommon in Indonesia, to say the least. I never once saw one in real life, excluding the styrofoam ones you could see in events, so I was sure I was seeing things. I had just finished my afternoon class, so maybe I was just a little bit tired.

That was what I told myself, but I couldn’t help but feel curious, so I pushed my motorcycle back, careful to not hit anyone else, and parked it near an empty bus stop. Taking my helmet with me, I made my way through an opening in the middle of silver fences that lined up around the field. Stepping on the grass, I made my way toward the gate at a leisurely pace. I was sure that it would disappear eventually, still thinking that I was just dizzy from all the tasks piled up on me.

But as I got closer, the opposite thing happened. Instead of disappearing, the Torii gate became even more real. Two large and sturdy pillars formed the gate’s sides, while an upper curved lintel acted as its roof. Most of it had been colored red, with the exception of the curved uppermost part that had been colored black.

Did someone build this here?

I looked up at it, the gate lacked any name. While Japanese culture had spread through anime, its effect on the broader population was still minimal, and since there wasn’t anything else here, I doubt whoever made this made the gate as a part of some event. I didn’t go to university during my weekends, so I could only assume that this gate was erected between Friday to Sunday, but its condition made me think otherwise.

Cracks and scratches filled the wood that had been used as its pole, some of its red paint faded away, revealing the tattered wood underneath. It didn’t look like someone took care of it. I looked around me, finding no one else near this structure. I had been standing there for quite a while, so shouldn’t its owner be worried I might damage it at some point?

But no matter where I looked, I couldn’t find anyone else. The closest humans I could see were the ones passing by in their cars and bikes out on the main street around eighty meters behind me, but no one seemed to care, either. They didn’t even bat an eyelid my way, as if I didn’t exist, nor did this Torii gate.

“Do you even-”

Exist?

My question was answered almost instantly as I touched its surface with the tip of my right index finger. It felt real, I could feel the rough feeling of the wood along with the uneven surface of its red paint. I brought my right hand to my face and slapped my cheeks with it, the hurt throbbing afterward, confirming that I was not dreaming. I brought my sights back onto it, the gate standing there unmoved.

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I got more curious and decided to check on its other side, so I passed under its roof. At that second, I feel my life flash before my eyes, but not literally. It felt as if for that very moment, time stopped. I couldn’t see, but at the same time, I could see all too clearly. My heartbeat paused, but at that exact time, my heartbeat thundered louder than it ever before, as if trying to break free from the cage holding it in my chest. I felt a weird sensation where my body was drained of its energy completely, yet at the same time, I felt stronger than I ever was before.

And despite entering the gate by walking, I found myself tumbling down when I passed to the other side, the grass covering the field straight in front of my face. I coughed and pushed myself up. I turned around, bringing my sights back onto the Torii gate, but it was gone. It was no longer there. Within what may be a single second, or an eternity, that very Torii gate was no longer here. It had disappeared completely, replaced by a group of lawned grass on the ground. Nothing of it was left, not even the very structure of it.

I panicked and quickly touched myself, confirming that nothing else had disappeared. I brought my phone out from my pants and turned on its selfie camera, aiming it straight toward my face. I checked myself from top to bottom. Nothing changed, not my face, short black hair, or black eyes. I wore the same red and black checkered shirt that I took to university that day, with the same black trousers. I didn’t get any dirt or grass on me, either.

That… was weird.

I felt creeped out by this phenomenon, but at the same time, weirdly enough, I felt intrigued by it. I wanted to run away yet I wanted to investigate it. But the gate in question was gone, so it wasn’t like I could do anything. With my mind still puzzled about what had happened, I returned to my bike and drove back home.

Nothing interesting happened following that. Partly because of the fact that even the most outstanding events would pale in comparison anyway, but also partly because there was simply nothing interesting happening.

But the way time passed felt way faster, probably because my brain was constantly thinking about what I just saw. A Torii gate, worn and battered, in the center of an empty field with nothing around it, and it didn’t even exist a few days ago, nor did it remain after I passed it. Just what am I seeing? What kind of wizardry was this? I did some research into it, looking through various articles regarding real-life magic and supernatural occurrences, but I didn’t find anything useful. Maybe because there was simply no other information, or maybe I didn’t search deep enough.

Unfortunately, university work prevented me from going further down this rabbit hole, forcing me to look at what was directly in front of me. I finished off my assignment and stretched my limbs, admittedly quite tired. I looked at my phone, a notification on the top of my locked screen. I opened it which led me to Fine, my messaging app.

“Yo, Simon, up for a game tonight?”

A Fine chat from my high school friend, Caleb. Even with university, I tend to be able to find some time for a short and quick night game, but today was an exception.

“Sorry, can’t.”

“That sucks.”

I returned my smartphone to my table and shut down my computer. Unfortunately, my brain was simply too dizzy for me to play all thanks to that random Torii gate. Questions remained, besides, out of all the mysterious and magical things that could appear, why a Torii gate? Something so far apart from my country’s culture.

My brain spun around, and I threw myself to my bed. I realized that I forgot to turn off the lights, which bothered me quite a bit, but I felt my body was too heavy to be lifted up again. I turned around, facing my face downward toward my bed, my hand gripping the white pillow.

I let out a sigh and closed my eyes, the dark world behind my eyelids engulfing me.