There he was again, with no idea how, right in the middle of a castle siege. Dozens of knights surrounded him, shouting words that sounded like English, though for some reason he couldn't understand a single one. Kai smiled, shrugged, and stepped forward.
"Again, this battle," he muttered to himself as the knights closed in. "I wonder why I keep repeating it. It's so damn hard to win—and even harder to avoid the consequences."
He moved among them with absurd, almost ridiculous speed. They looked as if they were trapped in honey. One knight tried to stab him with a spear; Kai grabbed him by the helmet and threw him against the castle wall as if he were trash. The wall shattered like paper.
"Come on, at least try to make me sweat a little," he scoffed. He truly enjoyed dreams. I wish I could move like this in real life, he thought.
From behind, a woman's voice cried out in desperation. She had a French accent—or at least that's what Kai thought.
"My God, please, stop!"
Kai ignored her. He leapt into the air and brought his hand down; a bolt of lightning fell from the sky at his command, exploding against the ground with exaggerated violence. The shockwave sent more knights flying through the air.
Power coursed through his body like pure electricity. It was getting easier every time, easier to move at that impossible speed, to control it. And all of it inside a dream. A dream. If he was asleep, why did it feel so real? Why the adrenaline?
He laughed like a happy maniac.
With one powerful jump, he soared hundreds of meters above the castle. He stuck a finger in his ear, pulled out a thin stick that barely worked as a toothpick, and held it before him.
"Expand."
The stick froze in midair and, in the blink of an eye, became a massive pillar—a colossal staff descending to crush the entire castle… until it suddenly stopped.
Kai blinked, confused.
Down below, holding a ring, stood a man wrapped in a golden aura. He had a handsome face, a beard worthy of a Viking king, and slicked-back blond hair. Kai didn't know who he was, but something deep inside him reacted with a strange mix of hatred and excitement.
He smiled.
"Well done, Your Majesty," he said with sarcasm. "Let's see if you can handle this."
He lunged forward. But the man merely made a gesture, slicing the air itself, and Kai felt reality split in two. Everything tore apart. Everything collapsed.
Darkness. Kai was left suspended in nothingness, trying to understand why he hadn't woken up yet. Usually, dying did the trick.
In the void, a golden figure appeared—humanoid, with a flat nose and a mane flowing from its jawline. It wore armor reminiscent of a videogame samurai. Even amid delirium, Kai thought:
Could I ever grow a beard like that? Ha. Not in a thousand years.
He looked around, unfazed by the figure. Then he saw him—the one he knew too well. That damn idiot who had starred in several of his nightmares. He was smiling calmly this time, without the usual look of disappointment. Just standing there, content.
"W-why?" Kai asked, incredulous.
"What do you mean, why? You're turning eighteen today. Couldn't miss it," the figure replied, standing and walking toward him. "I just wonder if you'll ever stop being a disappointment."
Kai's nerves flared. He stepped forward, ready to beat the hell out of him while he had the chance—after all, this was his own mind.
Then his body reacted. Something tugged at his spine, as if trying to rip it out. The pain surged through his veins—deep, intense, but disturbingly familiar. The golden figure advanced, and Kai understood what it meant. It dissolved into a trail of light that shot straight into his head, crushing his skull from the inside.
Kai screamed.
Luckily, the pain ended quickly when he regained consciousness.
December 15th, 2029.
He woke up with a sharp smack to the back of his head. For a few seconds, strange symbols flashed across his retinas as the light overwhelmed him.
"Ow!" he groaned, rubbing his head.
The whole class was staring at him, a few stifled giggles fading into silence. Mr. Williams was mid-lecture about the laws of conservation of energy. Kai blinked. He was at his desk. Again. He sighed in frustration as his vision blurred every time he tried to focus without his glasses.
The teacher stopped talking and scanned the room like a hawk searching for prey. Kai ducked behind his desk, trying to blend in with the furniture. His head was buzzing.
Damn it. Two years of this, and I still don't understand what kind of dream gives me migraines when I die, he thought, clutching his temples.
Luckily, the old man's hearing wasn't what it used to be, and he couldn't figure out who the culprit was. Kai let out a quiet sigh… until he noticed the eraser that had been used as a projectile rolling to his feet.
He turned slightly, adjusting the glasses his mother forced him to wear. The atmosphere was the same as always—bored students staring into nothing, surviving the class. Except for Mike and his gang, who were snickering quietly as they loaded more supplies like heavy artillery. Kai didn't say a word. He just lowered his hand, felt around the floor, and calmly picked up the eraser.
Without even looking all the way back, he counterattacked.
The eraser flew in a perfect line and smacked Mike right in the forehead, earning a pitiful groan. The class barely held back their laughter as Mike slumped over his desk, trying not to draw attention. A few seconds later, he lifted his head, furious. Kai smiled with saintly calm… before giving him the universal middle-finger salute.
To anyone else, it might have looked aggressive. For them, it was just Wednesday. They'd known each other since kindergarten—that was their language.
A burst of laughter erupted beside him. Maddie was covering her mouth, shaking with laughter. Her hair was short, black as ink, with green streaks falling across her red lips. She looked at him with a grin, eyes sparkling with amusement.
"I know I'm gorgeous," she whispered, pointing at her mouth. "But you really shouldn't drool when you look at me, Kai."
He raised an eyebrow. There was no need to act surprised—gorgeous was definitely not the word he'd use. Still, just in case, he wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve. Maddie laughed even harder.
"You're such a—" Kai started.
A sharp, ominous throat-clearing cut him off.
"Miss Carter," Mr. Williams intervened, crossing his arms. "If something's that funny, perhaps you'd like to share it with the class."
Kai lowered his head. Mike let out a muffled chuckle from the back.
"And you, Mr. West," Williams continued, "if you're only going to wake up to interrupt my class, maybe you should just stay asleep on your desk."
Laughter. Lots of it. Kai buried his face under his winter hat, red as a stoplight.
"I'd punish him, sir. Such disrespect shouldn't be allowed in a learning environment," Mike added with mock seriousness.
The laughter grew louder. Kai wished he could evaporate. Or that winter break would start right that instant. A gust of wind rattled the windows, as if the weather agreed.
Kai sneezed, hunching over. He was wearing two jackets and a thick beanie, but his body hadn't been cooperating for days. Even for him, it was strange to get this sick. Maddie glanced at him, worried. She pulled a pack of tissues from her backpack and handed them to him silently. Kai nodded tiredly in thanks, accepting them.
The rest of the class dragged on at the pace of a retired snail. Kai kept scratching his ear, like something was bothering him—a habit he'd developed over the years since those strange dreams had started.
Finally, the bell rang.
Kai shot out of the classroom like a convict escaping a maximum-security prison. No "bye," no "see you," nothing. Just freedom. He could finally get home, where his only concerns would be:
how many hours to sacrifice to his video game addiction, and how many calories to consume through junk food and energy drinks. A solid plan.
Or at least it would have been… if he hadn't taken a solid hit to the back of the head.
"What, you thought I'd let you escape that easily, birthday boy?" Maddie sing-songed in her usual teasing tone.
Kai brushed his hair back. Lately, it had been sticking up for no reason—and growing faster than usual. He wasn't complaining; with this weather, having enough hair to use as a scarf was a plus.
Then he froze. A chill ran down his spine, sharp and clear.
He turned immediately. That familiar pressure—that animal instinct that rarely failed him—hit hard: someone was watching him.
He squinted. At the far end of the hallway, standing still like a misplaced shadow, was a boy he'd never seen before. Asian features, short spiky black hair slicked back like a porcupine… but what stood out were his eyes: an impossible blend of red and yellow, as if they were burning from the inside.
Kai frowned. That guy stood out way too much for him to have never noticed before.
A tap on his back made him jump.
"Seriously, you need to fix your posture, idiot. At this rate, you're gonna end up walking like a camel," Maddie grumbled.
"Hey…" Kai lowered his voice. "Have you ever seen that guy before?" He motioned subtly.
Maddie glanced in that direction. The boy was now casually chatting with two girls in the hallway, like nothing was off.
"Who? Oh—" she squinted. "Nope. You think I know everyone in this school? I barely remember the teachers' names. Although… damn, he's hot. Must be an exchange student," she said, biting her lip dramatically.
Kai rolled his eyes. How could he forget his friend's obsession with Asian idols?
"Right. Of course. Ever since that radioactive goo hit your hair, both your taste and your memory have been ruined," he said, pointing at her green streaks.
Maddie pouted dramatically. Kai burst out laughing, ruffled Maddie's bangs on purpose, and sprinted toward the exit.
"Kai, you idiot! Get back here!" she laughed, running after him.
The chase ended several blocks away from school, when Maddie finally caught up and started poking his side mercilessly.
"Okay, okay! I give up!" Kai laughed, curling in on himself.
Bare trees rose on either side of the street like gray fingers, and snow was falling—slow, elegant, inevitable. Maddie smiled as the ground turned white, while Kai couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling that someone was following them. Every time he turned around, the street was empty. Silent. Normal. Which didn't help.
"Your mom baked a huge cake. Even Mike helped with the decorations," Maddie said in a conspiratorial tone.
"You know the point of a surprise is for it to be, you know… a surprise?" Kai muttered.
"Not my fault you spy on my phone like a creep."
"You gave me your phone. Just mute your notifications."
"Yeah, yeah, blah blah blah."
Kai ran a hand over his forehead, sighing through a slight headache. When they arrived, he barely had time to collect himself before everyone shouted—
"Surprise!"
His mother, a woman with bronze skin and slightly graying hair, pulled him into a tight hug. He greeted the relatives who only showed up to remind him they existed, then went over to check on the twins, Oliver and Ellie, who were busy flinging baby food like they were blessing the dining room.
"Your hair's that long again already?" his mother scolded, brushing his bangs aside.
"Miraculous growth. Not that bad," Kai replied, pausing for a moment as his dream came back to him. "Have you heard anything from…?"
His mother gave him a pitying look and shook her head. Kai sighed, nodding as he scratched his ear again.
"Hair growing in weird places?" Mike joked, shaking his hand. "Could it be puberty? Finally?"
Kai ignored him with professional precision. Between the laughter, food, and warmth of home, the discomfort began to fade. The hours passed uneventfully—until the soda ran out.
"Let's go get more," Maddie said.
Kai nodded. They were just stepping out the door when Mike's voice called from behind:
"Don't take too long, lovebirds."
Silence. Immediate. Awkward. Mike regretted it before he even finished the sentence.
"My taste isn't that bad, Mike," Kai said dryly, breaking the tension.
Without a word, Maddie kicked him lightly in the calf. He pretended it hurt, she pretended innocence, and the air became breathable again. They left the house hiding poorly contained smiles.
Despite the cold, Kai was strangely happy. His birthday usually got pushed aside to be celebrated together with the holidays. For his parents, it was always a "two-for-one." But this time… it was about him. Just for one day. And it felt good.
As they crossed the street, the sun began setting too early, even for December. A cold breeze hit their faces. Kai zipped his jacket up to his chin. His pale skin looked almost translucent.
Maddie eyed him sideways.
"You should see a doctor," she said.
"What?" Kai muttered, discreetly blowing his nose.
"I mean…" Maddie took a deep breath, choosing her words like someone defusing a bomb. "You've always been kind of sickly. And since I've known you basically since we were born, I think I've earned the right to say that."
"It's not that bad," he grumbled.
"You caught a cold once because we played with water guns."
"It was cold!"
"It was July!" she shot back, crossing her arms.
Kai narrowed his eyes but had no comeback.
"The point," Maddie continued, more serious now, "is that you're getting worse."
Kai looked down. He avoided that topic—even with himself. Part of him knew something might really be wrong. He remembered the pediatrician from ten years ago who had simply said he needed more vitamins.
Useless bastard, he thought, recalling the disgusting pile of medicine he'd been forced to take because of that.
"I know…" he finally admitted. "I'll see a doctor. But I can't ask my parents to pay for an appointment right now. Without insurance, even a stupid cold costs as much as surgery."
He said it with annoyance, but underneath it was something darker. Fear, maybe. Or resignation. Maddie's voice softened.
"Just promise me you won't ignore it."
Kai sighed, staring at the ground while fidgeting with his sleeve.
"I promise," he said at last, with a hint of irritation.
The rest of the walk was quiet — but it was a comfortable silence, without pressure. When they reached the store, Kai grabbed his favorite drink — the most sugary and artificial one in the fridge — and, without thinking too much, picked up a chocolate bar for Maddie.
"I don't want it," she protested.
"You're eating it anyway."
Maddie smiled, though this time without mockery. She just slipped it into her pocket, and they kept walking together down the narrow aisle, with the ease of two people who've long since become part of each other's lives — whether they like it or not.
Normally, Kai ignored the news. It was always the same tragedies, the same useless gossip. But this time, something made him stop.
"The city born from the bowels of the world."
"Can you turn it up?" Maddie asked. The clerk did so without hesitation.
"In an event that has stirred great excitement among archaeologists," announced the news anchor in a grave tone, "an earthquake near Iraq has opened a massive geological fault several kilometers wide..."
The screen showed an enormous crater surrounded by tents, spotlights, and military vehicles. From the rubble, an ancient structure emerged under harsh lights.
"It appears to be a Mesopotamian temple. Its purpose and contents remain unknown, but experts believe it could reshape our understanding of ancient civilizations. Some symbols discovered at the site do not belong to any known language..."
The camera zoomed in on a colossal stone gate, tangled in roots and carved with incomprehensible shapes.
Kai felt a shiver crawl up his spine. There was something about that place... something familiar. His knuckles burned, as if he'd just punched a wall, and a cold unease climbed up his back. Déjà vu?
They paid and left. The road home was silent. Too silent. No cars. No voices. No footsteps. Only the wind sweeping over asphalt. He swallowed hard, uneasy, but tried to shake it off.
Kai thought about what he'd do after graduation. He wanted to work on his body — he hated depending on others. It made him feel pathetic.
"Alright," said Maddie, more cheerful now. "How does it feel to be eighteen? You're practically ancient."
"You're only six months younger," he muttered.
Then it happened. A pulse — invisible, yet felt. Like a wave of air passing through him from the inside out. Kai clutched his chest, turning instinctively. For a split second, he saw a golden thread fade into nothing.
"Kai?" Maddie's voice trembled.
He shook his head, trying to dismiss it. Maddie fumbled through her bag and pulled out a small box, running her fingers over it, visibly nervous.
That's strange, Kai thought.
"Hey, I know this might be kinda cheesy..." she said, looking down. "But I wanted to give you something... and, well, I couldn't really afford much. So..."
She turned toward him — and before he could respond, her face twisted in horror. Her hand rose, trembling.
"Kai..." she whispered.
Kai blinked. His vision burned — and then he saw it again. The symbol. This time clearer: a circular seal with spikes pointing in the cardinal directions. In its center stood the golden, humanoid figure from his dream — smiling directly at him, mocking, arrogant.
He felt warm liquid trickle from his nose. Then from his ears. His vision blurred, tinted red. His legs gave out. The snow beneath him turned scarlet — drop after drop, until all was red.
And something behind him... smiled.