On a quiet night I was sleeping peacefully until many voices broke through. I tried to ignore them—showing up at this hour is such bad manners. How frustrating it is to live in a condominium. "As soon as I get this month's paycheck, I have to move. Why is the world such chaos? Would it kill people to be orderly for once, like me? Maybe I should move to a lit…tle…town," I whispered.
If the noise wasn't enough, my sweet pillow suddenly stopped being comfortable. It felt rigid, so I folded my arms beneath it to ease myself.
—"Javier, wake up, we're still in class!" shouted a shrill, noisy voice.
"Javier? Who's that? That's not my name. Surely they're talking to someone else. Yes, that must be it—better to keep sleeping." (zz, ZZ, zz)
—"Guys, he didn't hear me. Could you help wake him up?" (giggles in the background)
Everyone nodded with big smiles and chanted together: —"One, two, three!"
They all clapped. Startled, I lifted my head from the desk and joined in the applause without thinking. After a moment I thought: "What the hell?"
Annoyed and confused, I tried to understand why we were clapping. I forced my eyes open, looked around, but everyone kept applauding until sharp laughter rang out: —"Javier woke up! Ha, ha, ha!"
The applause ended, replaced by a sea of laughter. My bewildered face only made them laugh harder. I felt utterly embarrassed, wishing this was just a bad dream. "Yes, it must be a nightmare."
I blamed it on the midnight tuna sandwich I'd craved—it must have upset my stomach. But everything felt too real. "Please, let me not have fallen asleep somewhere random after all those sleepless nights cramming for finals."
Trying to shrink into myself, I pressed my head against the hard pillow, hiding my face in my arms. "Wake up. This isn't real."
When the laughter faded, a sweet-looking young woman approached: —"Still sleepy, little Javier?"
Her tone made me feel even more ashamed, as if I were a child. "Great, this went from embarrassing to downright insulting very quickly."
I wouldn't let myself be treated like that. I'm not violent, but I'd fight back with wit. I raised my head.
Seeing her filled me with a strange illusion. I stared at her face, wondering if I knew her. Déjà vu struck hard, but no answers came. "Who is this person? I don't know her at all. Why is she so tall?"
—"Who is Javier? Are you talking about me?" I asked.
She replied patiently: —"Of course, who else but you, Javier Xavier?"
Her words hit me like a hammer. My brain froze, then clicked. A wave of information surged through me, washing away all traces of sleep.
—"Baby, are you alright?" she asked with concern.
By reflex, a name flashed in my mind. I answered automatically: —"Yes, Miss Macléry Koll, something just got in my eyes. I'm fine."
She warned me gently not to rub too hard, then walked away. The pain returned. Instinct pushed me to escape. When she asked where I was going, I blurted out that I needed the bathroom. She allowed it, thankfully without pressing further.
Outside, frustration weighed on me. "First I wake up in a strange place, second they treat me like a child, third they call me by a name that feels familiar… Where the hell am I? Have I gone insane?"
I wandered slowly, my mind ablaze with doubts. "This has to be a joke!" I exclaimed, clutching my head. People stared strangely as I hurried into the bathroom.
I splashed water on my face, trying to calm down, but fragments of memories kept surfacing. When I finally looked into the mirror, I froze.
"Is this me? I stopped being a child long ago. But with everything happening, what else could be impossible? Who is Javier Xavier?"
Memories flooded me like a torrent: —rich parents —four years old —hate plums —everyone acts foolish —I'm strange —people think I'm special —my middle name is Charles…
I fell silent. "This is too complicated. The good thing is I'm not that Charles guy. My name is…? Why can't I remember?"
Panic rose. "What's happening to me? Who is Javier Charles Xavier?"
I tried to deny reality. "This must be a dream. Or maybe I was attacked, put in a coma, and now I'm hallucinating. Soon I'll die and escape this nightmare."
I laughed bitterly. Tried pinching myself hard—nothing. Resigned, I thought I'd die like an insect. Tears welled up. My mind collapsed under the weight of unanswered questions.
Eventually, I gave up resisting. The pain dulled. "At least that's something."
I wondered what life would be like as this unknown Xavier, apparently with wealthy parents. The thought of being rich felt strangely heavy.
As I left the bathroom, bells rang. A man in a suit approached: —"Young master Charles, it's time to return home." —"Yes, Frederic, let's go. I need to sleep."
We rode in a pompous car. Everything looked retro, yet increasingly familiar.
Arriving at what seemed like a castle, I hurried to my room and collapsed into sleep. I wasn't ready for what awaited me in the days to come.