The world around me blurred as the classroom lights flickered, casting long shadows across the rows of desks. I blinked twice, trying to shake the weight of sleep dragging at my eyes. Mr. Hoshino's monotone lecture about feudal Japan faded into the background, replaced by a rising hum in my ears—like a whisper only I could hear.
It was happening again.
I clutched the edge of my desk, heart pounding. The lines between dream and reality had started to blur lately, like my subconscious refused to stay in its place.
Then, it hit me.
A pulse, like a heartbeat not my own. The air shimmered, and suddenly I wasn't in class anymore. The walls dissolved, and I was standing in the middle of a vast, moonlit field, surrounded by tall silver grass swaying in a wind I couldn't feel. The sky above was a rich violet, filled with unfamiliar constellations.
I'd been here before.
Every night for the past week, I returned to this dream—this otherworld. It felt more real than my own life. I could feel the cold air on my skin, the earth beneath my feet, and… something else. A presence.
"You came back."
The voice was soft, almost hesitant. I turned, and there she was—Aira. The girl with eyes like storm clouds and a voice that always sounded like it knew too much.
I didn't know who she was or why she kept appearing in my dreams. But every time, she looked at me like she'd been waiting for centuries.
"I didn't mean to," I said, which was a lie. Deep down, I wanted to return. Reality felt dull. This place? It was alive.
Aira stepped closer, her expression unreadable. "The more you come here, the harder it will be to leave."
I swallowed. "Then maybe I don't want to leave."
She looked at me for a long time, then turned away. "You don't understand what that means yet."
Suddenly, a low rumble echoed across the field. The sky flickered like a glitch in a game. Aira stiffened.
"They've found you."
Before I could ask who, the dream cracked like glass. The sky shattered, and I was falling—fast.
Then—
"Yo! Wake up, dreamboy!"
I jolted awake to find Kai poking my cheek with a pen. Mr. Hoshino was glaring in my direction, and the rest of the class was stifling laughs.
I blinked, breathing hard.
But my fingers… they still smelled faintly of silver grass.