In his room, sitting alone on his worn-out chair, Shiro tapped away at his keyboard, eyes locked on his PC screen. The faint glow of the monitor illuminated his tired face in the dim darkness.
Outside his door, a familiar voice echoed through the silence.
"Shiro, still playing? Didn't I tell you to sleep? Turn your PC off and go to bed. You have school tomorrow."
He slipped his headphones down to his neck and called out, his voice carrying a hint of annoyance.
"Okay, okay, Mom. I'll go after some time."
There was a pause before her fading voice replied,
"You better do it quick."
The quiet returned, leaving only the hum of his PC fans. Shiro let out a long, tired sigh.
Why is it always like this? Be born, grow up while hearing study hard, and be a proper human. Go to school, come back home, do the homework they dump on us, eat three times a day, waste time, and repeat… every single day, until you die.
Why can't life be like a fantasy novel…
His chest felt heavy with invisible weights. He complained too much about life, about this suffocating world and its unbreakable system.
Slowly, he removed his headphones and placed them on the table, then turned off his PC. He grabbed the clothes scattered on his bed and stepped into the bathroom.
Warm water washed away the exhaustion clinging to his skin, but the emptiness remained untouched. After changing, he stood before the bathroom mirror, staring at his reflection under the dim yellow light.
"…Why do I have brown hair? Why not black, like in those novels? Why these dull grey eyes… why couldn't they be something different?"
He didn't expect an answer. Turning away, he walked back to his bed, collapsing onto the mattress with his arms spread wide, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.
His mind drifted to the stories he had read, the games he had played, the worlds where people like him were never just… people.
What if… I was the protagonist of a story?
What if… transmigration myths were real? Maybe there is another world beyond Earth. Maybe… after death, the chosen ones go there.
He chuckled softly to himself, a hollow sound in the silent room.
Oy, oy… what am I thinking about now… nonsense as always.
His eyelids grew heavy as sleep pulled at his thoughts.
Another boring day tomorrow. Same school. Same faces. But at least… I have a sister who roasts me with a new method every day. That's the only thing I appreciate… her creativity in insults.
His lips curled into a small smile before darkness claimed his mind completely.
He pulled his pillow over his face, blocking out the faint glow of his PC and the dim light seeping under his door. A quiet sigh escaped his lips, muffled by the fabric.
Within minutes, his breathing slowed, and sleep gently claimed him, pulling him away from the tired world he knew so well.
••
In the middle of an endless battlefield, where the ground stretched so far it vanished beyond normal sight, Shiro found himself standing alone.
He turned to his left and saw an army charging forward, soldiers wielding weapons infused with elemental powers. Some were casting spells as they ran, their faces twisted with determination. His eyes widened in shock as he turned to his right—another army was rushing at him from the opposite side, their war cries shaking the air.
Then, a girl's voice echoed around him, calm and ethereal.
"This world was once a symbol of peace, protected by the Samurai three hundred years ago. But when the people turned against them, four kingdoms were formed, and war erupted. Seeking victory, they allied with dragons and phoenixes. The Samurai fell, and with their fall, the fate of this world changed forever. It became a symbol of destruction."
"Yet that wasn't the end. A mysterious woman appeared, wielding unimaginable power. Greedy for her strength, the kingdoms turned against each other to seize her. Ten years have passed since then. The war still rages on, and that woman remains a mystery. Is she even real? The prophecy says… during this endless war for her, a person will come. He will call himself Dreamer. And he will change this world forever."
As her voice continued, the battlefield around him blurred and shifted. Suddenly, he was soaring above a dense forest, as though watching drone footage. The scene changed again—forest to towering mountains, mountains to a dark, endless valley, the valley to kingdoms burning under war. Then came flashes of monstrous beings, their bodies twisted with darkness, wielding powers beyond human understanding.
Finally, the vision shifted one last time.
He saw himself standing on broken ground, drenched in blood, a sword gripped tightly in his trembling hand. Before him stood a woman with long black hair, her eyes hidden behind dark strands, a crimson aura swirling around her as she summoned her katana.
Then, everything went black.
Words appeared in the darkness, glowing faintly:
Coming soon. Be prepared, Dreamer [Shiro].
He woke up with a jolt, sitting up in bed. His hands were trembling, his eyes were wide open, and his breath came in ragged, heavy gasps.
He sat there, trying to process what he had just seen.
Was that a dream… or a trailer for some story? It felt like I was the main character in it. My name… it was written there, right next to "Dreamer." What the hell am I thinking? It's just a dream. Probably because I keep overthinking about being the protagonist of some fantasy story before I sleep.
He let out a shaky sigh.
This nonsense… It's going to kill me one day. My overthinking is making my dreams terrifying.
Shiro lay back down on his bed, closing his eyes with the remnants of that strange dream still lingering in his mind. Within minutes, sleep pulled him under once more.
••
In a pitch-black space, where only a thin layer of mist floated near the ground, Shiro sat frozen, his eyes wide with confusion. Before him hovered a tiny fairy, no bigger than the size of his hand. She had shimmering blonde hair and deep emerald eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness as they locked onto his gaze.
Shiro's voice trembled as he asked,
"W-What is this place? Who… who are you?"
The fairy smiled softly, her expression carrying an unsettling mix of warmth and mystery.
"I am Starila," she replied, her voice echoing gently in the void. "A myth created by people like you… those who dream of becoming the protagonist of their own story."
She floated closer, her glowing wings casting faint reflections in the mist as she continued,
"This place is the realm before dreams. As for what you saw earlier… yes, it was a trailer. A glimpse into your story. You have been chosen to be its protagonist, Shiro."
His mouth hung open as her words sank in. He sat there, frozen, unable to speak, a chilling realization crawling down his spine.
Everything he saw in that dream…
It was about to become his reality.
•••