It started with a dream. A dream of adventure. Of friendship. Of life and death. It was a dream that took my breath away each time, for it was not mine, but of a world I so desperately wanted.

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I took a deep breath, feeling the rain beat against me. As the lightning flashed around me, it lit up the night sky, and I saw the gleams of armor and swords in mid-air, crashing against fellow swords.

“Your majesty!” I heard someone shout over the roar of thunder. I turned my head to see one of my knights, bloody and battle-worn, stumble towards me. “You must leave! Nefron can not lose its Queen!”

I gripped my sword tighter, raising my shield as the next wave of enemies approached.

“I have to protect this kingdom! If I die while doing it, so be it,” I told him. “Rally the troops, we must not let them pass.”

The knight nodded and called to his fellow knights around us. As the enemy kingdom approached, I raised my sword, the lighting in the sky making it glow.

“For Nefron!” I shouted, and I heard the same cry repeated down the lines. I took a deep breath, knowing what was coming next, then started the charge. This would be the battle that determined my kingdom’s fate, I could not let such people overtake it. I ran faster, my heart beating with each step. I could see the King’s face now, his evil smile brightened by lighting. This was it…

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“Ms Duman!”

My eyes shot open, blinking at the sudden change in lights. I glanced around in a daze until my eyes focused on someone in front of me. Someone wearing a familiar blue striped shirt….I felt my face grow hot as I realized what was going on.

“Do you think yourself to be above such lessons, Ms Duman?” My teacher, Mr. Iyan, asked angrily. I glanced around me, seeing all of my classmates' eyes on me. I had fallen asleep in class. Again.

“Um…no, sir,” I mumbled, glancing at the ground to escape my teacher’s glare.

“Then please explain why you saw fit to fall asleep in my class?!” He asked, his food tapping in anger. I didn’t look up, letting my long hair cover my blushing face. It was bad enough I fell asleep in class, but it was a living nightmare to fall asleep in Mr. Iyan’s.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered, my eyes trained on Mr. Iyan’s tapping foot. I heard the snickers of my classmates, and Mr. Iyan sighed with annoyance.

“Quiet class!” He barked. “Ms Duman, if I catch you asleep in my class again, it will be detention.”

I nodded, and as Mr. Iyan went back to teaching his history lesson, I brought out my notebook and opened it to a blank page. As I started writing, I felt my mind wandered back to the dream I had. It was a good one. I had been Queen, fighting for my kingdom bravely. I softly smiled, absently sketching out the crown from my dream as Mr. Iyan continued his lecture.

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As soon as I arrived home after school, I noticed a note left by my mom on the coffee table. I took off my coat, picked up the note, and read it. The note said that she was needed at the office and that there were some leftovers in the fridge if she couldn't make it back in time for dinner. I sighed and put the note in my pocket. I knew that if Mom had to be at the office, dinner would be late since my dad also comes back home late. 

I went to the kitchen, grabbed a bar for a quick snack, and then headed towards my room. Once there, I lay down on my bed, took a well-worn book from my shelf, and opened it. Although I should have been doing my schoolwork, I couldn't resist finishing my favorite part of the book I had started reading before falling asleep. I opened the book to my last page, and a smile spread across my face. Whenever I opened my books, the familiar comfort would wash over me with each page I read. It felt like home.

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The red flames danced around my fingers, casting a warm glow on my hand. I looked over at the guy in front of me and asked, "You told me I was normal. Did you know?" 

He answered with a grin, "Know that you, of all people, were an element manipulator? Diera, I don't think anyone knew." He watched as I twirled the flames, his grin growing wider. "Diera, this is awesome! You can control fire!" 

I chuckled at his excitement, letting the flames grow larger. "Yeah," I replied in a daze, "pretty awesome." 

With a final smile, I closed my fist, extinguishing the flames, leaving my hand feeling cold and empty.

Suddenly, we heard the voice of our captain calling out to us. "Felix! Diera!" 

I flinched at the sound. "We forgot the supplies, didn't we?" I said, noticing the empty bag at our feet. 

"We're so dead," Felix muttered. 

"Where did those two get to?" Captain Alto's voice was getting closer, so we had to make a decision. 

"Do we stay or..." I trailed off, letting Felix fill in the blanks. He started grinning and grabbed the bag. 

"After you, Milady," he said, pretending to bow. I pushed his helping hand away and started climbing up the boxes leading to our escape. Just as Felix and I made it to the top of the wall, I saw Captain Alto appear around the corner, spotting us on the wall. His face transformed from rage to surprise. 

"What are-" 

Felix cut him off, "Have a good day, mister," waving before hopping down on the other side. I let out a laugh before following Felix, and we both ran through the alley, hearing the yells of Captain Alto among our laughter….


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I opened my eyes and felt my book on my cheek. It was still early, just 4:30 in the afternoon. I got up, stretched, and went downstairs to heat up some leftovers for an early dinner. I put last night's chicken in the microwave and grabbed some grapes from the fridge. While waiting for the chicken to heat up, I thought about my dream from the previous night. I remembered the names Felix and Alto, which appeared in my earlier dreams, but this time the world was different. Despite the changes, there was still a sense of familiarity in the midst of the unknown world...

And while some may find it strange, I couldn't help but feel grateful for my vivid imagination and the worlds it created for me every night. It was like having a personal escape from reality, a place where anything was possible and everything was under my control. So I continued to embrace my love for dreaming, cherishing every moment I spent in those alternate realities, and eagerly looking forward to the next adventure my mind would take me on.