Beep! Beep! Beep!
"Just five more minutes…" Arthur said sleepily.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
But the alarm clock was relentless. Arthur fought against the sound, pressing a pillow over his ears in a desperate attempt to muffle it, until his mother entered the room.
"Hey, kid, are you deaf? You're going to be late for school. Get up, now," the boy's mother said, holding a pan full of boiled eggs.
"Aw, Mom, let me skip today, please?" Arthur pleaded with a whiny voice.
"You have five to get out of there."
"Five minutes?" Arthur said, a playful smile on his face.
"Four."
Arthur finally understood she meant seconds, not minutes. In the blink of an eye, the boy shot out of bed, not daring to challenge his mother's authority.
He put on his uniform, went to the kitchen for a hurried breakfast, and then rushed to the bathroom to fix his hair and brush his teeth.
Staring at himself in the mirror, Arthur showed neither approval nor disgust. His expression was neutral, almost indifferent. He observed his medium-length black hair for a moment, messy from sleep, and tidied it with his fingers. His brown eyes looked exhausted, framed by considerable dark circles, already tired of the day before it had even begun.
He was a boy of average appearance: medium-length black hair, brown eyes. He also had a single lock of white hair, a hereditary trait, in addition to his lean body and broad shoulders. Though his slightly-above-average height made him stand out a bit among his classmates, nothing about him really drew much attention, which he was satisfied with.
The boy led an ordinary life as an ordinary student. He definitely wasn't popular, but he had a few friends. He wasn't the best student either, but he got satisfactory grades—enough to pass comfortably. He was the perfect example of an average student.
As he walked toward school, he was lost in thought about his favorite hobby: swords. He was absolutely obsessed with them, knowing everything from their forging process, balance, and blade styles to the names of fencing techniques from different eras. His room was filled with pictures of them. His internet search history was basically just about the subject, with pages and pages of videos, forums, and articles saved, and he even owned a few unsharpened replica swords.
Because of this, he was in the fencing club, and he wasn't just an ordinary member. He was considered one of the best in the school, even being scouted for the state games.
But Arthur didn't much like that idea. He just wanted to lead a quiet life without trying too hard.
It was a quiet, cold morning as he walked to school, yawning from sleepiness.
Looking to his side, he noticed a small group of bullies tormenting a chubby boy.
"Where's the money, you damn fatty?" one of the bullies said, kicking the boy.
Observing the scene from a distance, Arthur wondered how he should act. After all, he was no movie hero here to save the kid, but he couldn't just walk past. His conscience wouldn't let him.
He took a moment to analyze the situation and decided to intervene.
"Hey, you guys. Leave the kid alone."
The bullies turned their attention to Arthur.
"And what's it to you, pipsqueak? You think you're Batman now?" one of them asked sarcastically.
"Come on, guys, we're all from the same school. Go pick on someone else."
The bullies looked at each other and smirked.
"Let's see if the real-life Batman is any good in a fight."
Arthur realized he had really gotten himself into a mess. He ended up fighting the bullies, but he took a beating and was left sprawled on the ground.
After a while, the boy got up and straightened his rumpled clothes. He noticed the chubby kid staring at him.
"What is it? What are you looking at?"
"Did you pick my fight for nothing? Are you an idiot or something?" the chubby boy said, annoyed.
Arthur just nodded and continued his walk to school. He knew he hadn't done it for the kid. He just wanted to be able to put his head on the pillow at night and feel like he had at least tried. That he hadn't been completely indifferent. That he hadn't turned his face away like everyone else.
'I didn't do it for him… I just didn't want to carry that weight with me,' he thought, kicking a small stone on the path as the school gate appeared on the horizon.
Deep down, he felt like a good person, and he liked that feeling.
The crowd of students began to appear, everyone talking and joking. He could see his school, a simple but huge building with numerous classrooms and hallways.
He soon headed to his classroom as usual and sat at his desk. He attracted a few glances because of his bruised appearance, but nothing that bothered him much.
Arthur was calm, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed, watching the classroom slowly fill up with students.
It was then that he felt two small, soft hands cover his eyes from behind.
"Guess who?" a feminine voice whispered close to his ear.
"If I get it wrong, are you going to kill me?" he replied with a slight smirk.
"Definitely," the voice exclaimed.
Arthur sighed, already knowing the answer.
"It's Lydia, isn't it?" Arthur said, trying to remove her hands from his face.
Lydia jumped in front of Arthur with a charming smile.
"That's right, Arthur!" she exclaimed happily.
Lydia was Arthur's childhood friend. With honey-brown eyes, short dark hair, and a symmetrical face, she was considered one of the prettiest girls in the class. The two had always been very close; they played together as kids, were in the same class at school, and shared many happy moments.
Though Arthur would never admit it, he had a secret crush on her, something kept deep in his chest that made his heart race whenever she was near. But he felt unworthy of having her as a girlfriend. After all, who would want to be with someone as average as him?
"So, how are you today? You don't look so good… you're all messy and bruised," Lydia said, gently placing a hand on Arthur's face.
Arthur blushed and looked away, trying to hide it.
"A turbulent morning, I guess," he replied, trying to sound confident.
Lydia looked at Arthur with a concerned expression, which quickly turned to anger.
"Tsk… You always show up like this and never give me an explanation," she said, pouting and crossing her arms.
Arthur took advantage of the situation.
"Well, well, I didn't know you worried about me so much. I appreciate it, you know?" Arthur said with a grin, teasing Lydia.
Lydia blushed, looking away for a moment before replying.
"I-It's not like I care about you, okay? I'm just… I'm just curious, that's all. Curious and nothing more, you hear?"
She tried to play it cool, but the slight flush on her cheeks betrayed her true feelings. Arthur noticed and smiled, deciding to let her off the hook.
Secretly, the boy loved to tease her, especially making her flustered.
The class had begun, and to Arthur's dismay, it was the subject he hated most: math. The teacher's monotonous voice was like a sleeping spell, and he could barely keep his eyes open.
With his head resting on his hand, Arthur looked around the room, trying to fight off sleep. He watched his classmates doodling, napping, or just staring at the board like zombies. His eyes stopped on Lydia, sitting next to him.
'How can she be so pretty even when she's paying attention to math?' he thought.
Soon, Arthur's eyelids grew heavy.
He blinked once.
He blinked twice.
On the third…
BOOM!
Arthur found himself standing in a vast, green field, with low vegetation, a gentle breeze, and the intense smell of grass.
In front of him stood a colossal city surrounded by walls that stretched for miles, with several entrances guarded by knights mounted on beautiful, sleek horses.
Turning around, he saw a dense, dark forest with a cold and sinister atmosphere.
Arthur stood there, completely lost. He rubbed his eyes and thought:
'I have to be dreaming, right? Is this real?'