The morning sun barely peeked through the curtains, but Kristina was already up, sitting on her bed with that determined look she always wore when she had a plan—or when she was about to boss me around.
"Morning, little brother," she said, smirking. "You sleep okay?"
I rubbed my eyes and yawned. "I think so… though my pillow feels heavier than usual."
"Probably last night's shadows clinging to you," she said, laughing. "Or maybe it's the memory of me winning the fort-building contest."
I shot her a look. "You cheated."
She laughed even harder. "I didn't cheat! I just… got creative. Totally fair."
Before I could respond, Grandma appeared in the doorway, holding two smooth stones. "Breakfast first," she said. "Then we train. Today, you fight your imagination."
Kristina's eyes sparkled like a flame. "Finally! The real test!"
I groaned. "Fighting? I thought training was making forts."
Grandma ignored me. "Your world isn't pretend. You will create it—and defend it."
We held the stones tightly. I closed my eyes and imagined a forest, dark and thick, shadows hiding behind the trees, leaves brushing the ground. Kristina imagined a glowing castle in the center, towers and walls so high they almost touched the ceiling.
When we opened our eyes… the room had transformed. The bedroom walls faded, replaced by towering trees. The mossy floor seemed soft under our feet. And in the center, Kristina's castle rose, glowing faintly. Shadows moved at the edges of the forest, flickering like smoke.
"Here comes the first wave," Kristina whispered.
I swallowed. "Wave?"
Shadows lunged, twisting toward us like living nightmares. One brushed against my leg, and I jumped back. Kristina raised her hands, and barriers of glowing light shot from the castle walls. The shadows shrieked—or maybe it was my imagination making the sound—and recoiled.
Grandma sat back, watching. Mom hovered nearby. "Remember," Mom said softly, "this isn't about destroying them. Control your fear. Direct your power. If you panic, the shadows win."
Kristina leaned toward me. "Push the trees forward, little brother!"
I focused, and the forest obeyed. Trees bent, their thick branches forming cages, pinning the shadows. One shadow hissed and twisted, caught between Kristina's castle and the forest walls.
"Now the floor!" she shouted.
I imagined the moss turning into quicksand just beneath the shadows' feet. They screamed—or again, maybe that was just me—and flailed helplessly.
Kristina ran along her castle walls, extending the towers and sending glowing spikes toward the shadows. "Take that, you creepy things!"
I laughed, half terrified, half amazed. "You're insane, Kris! That's amazing!"
She rolled her eyes. "Focus, Knight Kristopher, or the next spike hits you."
One shadow lunged too quickly, and I stumbled, landing face-first in the moss. Kristina paused, hands on her hips, laughing.
"You okay, Knight Kristopher?" she teased.
I groaned. "Yep. Just… making sure the shadows know I'm human, not snack."
Grandma chuckled softly. "Even in battle, laughter is a weapon. It keeps the mind sharp."
Kristina grinned at me. "See? I told you imagination can be fun and dangerous."
We moved in sync. Kristina's defensive barriers and glowing towers combined with my environmental control—trees, moss, and paths. Sometimes we argued over tactics, usually me whining about following her orders, but mostly we were unstoppable.
At one point, I imagined a giant hand to grab a shadow and fling it back. Kristina shouted, "That's cheating!"
I laughed. "Testing physics!"
She shook her head, laughing despite herself. "Whatever keeps you alive, little brother."
After what felt like hours, the shadows began retreating. We collapsed onto the mossy forest floor, panting and laughing, covered in sweat and imaginary dirt.
Grandma approached, placing her hands on our shoulders. "Today you learned two things," she said. "One: imagination is your greatest weapon. Two: power without control is dangerous. You can create wonders—but if you lose yourself, the world loses balance."
Kristina nodded. "Got it. Together."
I hugged her tightly. "Together. Nothing's going to scare us, right?"
Grandma smiled, her eyes glimmering. "For now. But the world watches, and someday, you'll face shadows that can't be imagined away."
Kristina squeezed my hand. "Then we fight together, like always."
I nodded. "Like always."