The sky outside my apartment window is streaked with pink and orange as the sun struggles to rise. I’ve been working on an app that lets users explore virtual worlds through augmented reality. Today, I’m testing a new feature—location-based portals. The app will allow you to walk through a door in one building and appear in a completely different place nearby.

I open my laptop and pull up the test environment. It’s a park near a library, with rows of trees and a small pond. The app shows me as an avatar standing in front of a blue portal. I step forward and press my fingers to it. A swirling light envelops me, then fades, and there I am—now walking through the grass towards a statue in the middle of the park.

I walk over to the library’s entrance and test another portal. I’m instantly inside, standing in a dimly lit hallway with old books lining the walls. The app is working; this could be revolutionary for tourism or just a fun way to explore different places without leaving your home.

But as I step out of the portal back into the park, my phone buzzes with notifications from friends asking about why there’s an avatar in our local library. They think it’s part of some new art installation. It’s both exciting and amusing—there are already rumors flying around even though this is just a test.

I decide to explore one more portal—a small café near the park, where I used to meet my friends for lunch before everything changed. As soon as I step through, the familiar smell of coffee hits me, followed by the sound of clinking dishes and soft conversations. My heart flutters; it feels like a shortcut to a simpler time.

I walk up to the counter and place my order. The barista smiles at me warmly, and for a moment, I’m back there with old friends, laughing over lattes and sharing stories about our days. It’s an eerie but comforting sensation—like stepping through a portal into your past self.

As I step back out into the park, feeling like I’ve just traveled in time, I realize that sometimes, these boundaries between worlds are just software glitches waiting to be discovered.