"Is this really a dream?"
I asked, my voice trembling as I struggled to grasp the scene unfolding before me.
I found myself being stabbed by many magic swords and ensnared by four heavy magic chains; the magic chains tightened my wrists and legs, which almost made them draw blood. The atmosphere was thick with fear, and the ground beneath me was like turning into a sea of blood. And rain, each sound a raindrop mingling with the cries of the innocent victims and brave warriors. Some victims are running away from being mercilessly hunted by monstrous creatures that hungrily lurk in the shadows, their presence felt worse than me being stabbed by magic swords. The air felt heavy, like it was trying to choke me against my chest. Every breath was a struggle, and my heart hammered so hard that I could barely think of anything. The darkness of fear wrapped around me.
On the battlefield, a woman appeared, a blonde woman, runs toward me, her hair covering her face, she is wearing gold and silver armor and a small blue skirt. Somehow, it still looked amazing. Even though the outfit looks amazing and protective to the girl, she looks ragged; she has many slash wounds around her body that are bleeding. She looks determined to run toward me.
But as I see a hope of salvation right in my eyes, her foot struck a slick patch of blood-soaked earth. In a desperate moment, I watched her stumble and lose her balance. The armor that once symbolized strength does not appear to weigh her down. My heart raced with silent desperation.
"Is this a dream? Please, tell me that this is just a dream."
I said, my voice trembling with disbelief and desperation.
After I said those haunting words, she was suddenly enveloped by a storm of magic swords, each one piercing through the air with ferocity like a lightning bolt crashing down from the heavens. It's not hundreds of them, it's thousands or maybe more like millions of them striking down toward the woman struggling to stand up.
I trembled, staring at the swords embedded in the ground, dust rising around them. But when the dust had settled, I fell into despair, seeing that woman die in front of me. I am speechless after seeing it.
My eyes are getting blurry and are almost turning into darkness. But before that, I can see that girl lift her head, look at me affectionately, and smile. She mouthing something like "Don't worry" that making my heart tighten with pain. Everything in my vision turns into darkness. I open my eyes again. The ceiling of the apartment appears in my view. I sit up and look around.
A dream? What a weird dream…
I thought, getting up and preparing for my day, I come stand in front of the window, I have black hair. I only wear my shorts when I go to sleep so my body show on the mirror. My whole body is covered with bruises, and even my face is covered with some of those bruises. I ignore them and go to the shower. The bathroom is small, but it's enough for one person like me. The cold water covers my body that have bruise help me ease the pain, like healing magic from a fantasy world I know from Anime and novels.
"Why do I always have that kind of dream...?"
I said, thinking while showering.
After the shower, I dress up in black pants and a white shirt symbolized school uniform for high schoolers like me. I grab my backpack and my phone before leaving. As I step outside the door, the fresh air comes to me. I inhale and exhale, looks exhauted and tired.
"Ugh, stuck in the same old routine again."
I said, going to the train station to go to school. While walking, I open one of my favorite apps, a web novel app. I have read many web novelsonn this app, but there is one web novel I love. The novel is "Omnivar: Paradox of Selves" A web novel about many fallen protagonists fighting the multiverse. While reading the web novel, I did not notice that I had just stepped inside the train. I get a seat and change the web novel app into a music app. I pull out my wired earbuds and put them on. I closed my eyes and thought of my life.
My name is Zin Fortis, and I have the weird name among all the kids around me. But my name has a lot of meaning. From my parents who have died a long time aI can'tan't even remember their faces, maybe that time when I was five. That old times, they said my name means Brave and Protection.
Growing up without my parents on my side, I have already learned how to be self-reliant. After the tragic happend to my parents, I got friends' families with me as my guardians.
At the age of eight, as I sat in my classroom, the beginning of my terrible life began. Many students started whispering and joking about me having no parents and how terrible I am. Some kids also started bullying me as they hate me having special treatment from teachers because of the teachers' pity.
Despite all that, I tried to ignore it as a word come from my head, an illusion of a man I thoughts that's my dad.
"Don't cry, you are a man. Be brave, that's what your name means..."
That voice said. It's a male voice. I feel that both familiarity and safety in that voice.
Day by day till one day, I was in the hallway, walking back to my classroom, and suddenly everything went black; the hallway and outside the window were covered in darkness. I somehow see in the dark. Everyone around me froze, I looked outside and saw that even the bird outside the window froze like time stopped. A person covered with darkness appeared as a reflection in the window, and in front of me, I was surprised. Instead of being scared, I curiously ask that person.
"Who are you?"
That person was silent for a while before a male voice came up.
"Stop hiding your own feelings; you are making yourself worse. Don't be sad alone, you have friends to be with."
After the person said and disappeared. Leaving me alone with question marks. The time went back to normal, and I went back to my class.
As soon as I came near the classroom door, I heard my classmates whispering.
"That kid, Zin, is always quiet."
Others added up.
"He could be the person who made his parents die."
"Don't say that; if he heard that, he would kill us all."
Another classmate said with mocking and laughing.
I stood there, hiding behind the wall, and clenched my teeth. griped my hand to suppress the anger and tears.
When one of those students said something, my eyes opened wide. Everything snapped as I couldn't control myself. That day went horribly. Since that day, I have lived a secluded life. no socialize to anyone, only teachers and those I need to communicate with.
A few years later, I turned into a teenager, and I got into a high school far away from everything related to my past life. I started to live alone in my apartment and started my new high school life. A few days or months ago, I got into a friend's group, and they were always nice to me. I also met a girl who was also nice to me, and we even got close to each other. I feel like I'm inside a kind of romance novel. I thought my days would be nicer from now on. But on the fateful day, I was preparing the courage to confess to the girl I had grown close to, but the thing I got was like a splash of cold water in my face. The girl was hugging one of my friends in my friend group, who I might seem to be my best friend.
"You're just a joke to us."
Her voice doesn't just come from her mouth; it comes from everywhere, echoing in my mind.
"Little Jerk, like you should know your place."
The guy she hugged said, giving her affection in front of me.
"You thought I cared about you?"
She leans down to my ear, her voice low so that only I can hear that.
"You thought I would fall in love with a guy like you?"
She said, her words like daggers pierce inside my heart.
In that moment, I truly understood that I'm not their friend in their eyes. Day by day, they started to bully me. They are always laughing, mocking, insulting, and punching me like a punching bag.
My glasses, the only accessory I always have and use, are now destroyed every single time I get bullied. I bought glasses every day, only to have them destroyed the next day. Every day, I gripped my hands till they drew blood to endure their torture.
I now started to have more bruises, which made others scared of me because of how I looked. I ignore the avoidance and whispers from others, kept go to school to study, even knowing I will get bullied again.
Back to the present, the day goes by, and the same thing happens as yesterday. Bullied. As I am on my way back to my apartment, many people around me move away from me when I try to walk by them. I know the reason why they are avoiding me, but I pretend not to notice that and walk toward my apartment as quickly as I can.
I know that I'm sad at how they are avoiding me, but I can't even drop a single tear. I don't remember when, but I know I can't during the bullying times in high school. As I open the door and step inside my apartment, I immediately remove my backpack and lie on the bed, face down on the pillow.
I start to drift off. I'm looking peaceful while sleeping. Getting deep inside my dreams is the best way I can escape from those torture days. While I'm in deep sleep, some weird shards or fragments appear around me. A blue circle with a weird, strange symbol inside. Those things that are hovering around me start to reflect the light of that blue circle as that circle starts to glow.
A cold wind goes through me. My eyes half open, half close to see clearly.
"Ugh, why is my room getting cold...?"
The confusion in my mind as I rub my eyes.
The wind appears again, colder.
As I slowly open my eyes, confusion from the cold, I am greeted by a clear blue sky and clouds. A large green lawn below me combine with the clear blue sky make the landscape look so poetic. I grab my glasses somehow beside me. I put them on and look around, confused and curious.
I'm surprised at the place I'm at.
How did my apartment turn into a strange place?!
I thought as I saw some blue slimy creatures surrounding me and looking at me curiously.
"What are these creatures—"
A sudden strong wind blew at me, making it hard for me to see or breathe due to the sudden wind. A large shadow above me. make a whole area I'm at cover with darkness. I look up, seeing a dark black creature that looks like a dragon.
"Wha—What? What is that creature? It looks like a dragon?!"