Wiping the sleep from my eyes, I rolled out of bed. Arfred, my dog, was sitting up next to my bed looking at me the way I looked at him whenever he’d leap out of bed and sprint into a wall.

“It was an intense dream,” I said, realizing that I was completely drenched in sweat. Then smiling at the mutt, I sneered, “At least I didn’t go banging into walls.”

He yipped, but I knew he didn’t understand me.

Today was a school day, and my alarm was going off. It should’ve woke me at six thirty, but it was nearly seven already, so I hurried to shower and get ready then made my way down the stairs for breakfast.

Mom, dad, and my little sister Mirina were already sitting at the table.

“Sam, honey… is something wrong?” Mom asked.

I did feel a bit dizzy, but I shook my head no. My plate was already set so I joined them and hurriedly scarfed down my food. I was starving despite having had a large dinner and several snacks before bed. It felt like I hadn’t eaten in weeks.

“Excited for your tournament tomorrow?” Dad asked between bites.

I nodded even though I really wasn’t. Training was fine, it helped me blow off steam and gave me confidence that I’d never be in a situation I couldn’t get out of. The tournaments were just a hassle though. It seemed like everyone was slower and weaker than me; I could beat most of them blindfolded.

One year I had even asked to fight blindfolded, but was told that would violate the rules. The referee even made some snarky comment about overconfidence then said something about me probably going down in the first round. I won every match without letting my opponents touch me once.

After that year, I started deliberately slowing down and trying to match my opponents pace. I still won every match but it fueled suspicions that I had somehow cheated in previous tournaments.

At this point I wanted to drop fighting all together, but Dad refused to allow it.

“I can’t hold it anymore!” Mirina shouted. “Mom and dad wanted it to be a surprise, but I just have to tell you. The tournament got canceled, but there’s a new fair in town called fantasy land, it’s all VR but they have the place set up so you can walk around a mythical village and it’s like you’re really there.”

“Really where?” I asked.

“In the fantasy world!”

“Oh, that’s cool. So what’s the surprise?”

Mom sighed then went and pulled something out of a drawer.

“Happy birthday, Sam.” She smiled as she slid four tickets across the table. “I know how much you like those east sock eye—”

“Isekai,” I corrected with a chortle. 

“Whatever, you know what I mean.”

“Yea mom. Thanks, and you too dad. It sounds like it’ll be fun.”

Mirina bounced in her seat. “I told you he’d love it! How could he not!” She declared.

I was beginning to think she might be more excited about it than I was.

After finishing the last of my breakfast, I headed out the door. It wasn’t until I got to school and saw Clair at her desk that I realized what had been bothering me all morning. It was my dream. Vorlin, the top combat instructor in Faerelle, looked exactly like my dad—if he was an elf with pointy ears, brown hair, and green eyes. In the dream, Clair had white hair, but aside from that and being an elf, the dream version of her was nearly identical to how she really looked, but younger.

It was unsettling given how real the dream felt, but it was just a dream. Reasoning that most dreams mix reality and fiction, I pushed the thoughts aside and tried to focus.

Most of the school day went as usual. I listened to the teacher’s lectures, did my classwork, and tried to pay attention. I tried, but instead I found myself doodling mindlessly as I daydreamed about a magical forest city.

Just then, a tap on the shoulder jolted me out of my seat. I hit my knee on my desk as I jumped up.

“Shi—mmm.” I stopped short of cursing. 

As I rubbed my sore knee, Clair giggled beside me.

My heart skipped a beat when I realized it was Clair trying to get my attention. 

“Hey, do you want to hang out after school today?” she asked, giving a smile that dazzled me into a stupor.

She shifted her weight from foot to foot and turned her face slightly away from me, but not enough to break eye contact. “So…do you want to chill or what?”

My face felt hot with the realization I was taking too long to answer. I probably looked goofy staring at her while I tried to process what was happening. I tried to play it off with a casual, “Yeah, sure.” But the words came out too eager. 

“Great, we can leave together after the final bell,” she said before going back to her desk.

I tried to focus on my studies for the rest of the period, but I had a new distraction to deal with. I’d had a crush on Clair for years. I had fantasized about being alone with her, and on three separate occasions, I even convinced myself I’d ask her out. I never dreamed she’d eventually be the one to approach me and I couldn’t help but wonder what she had in mind. 

Was this going to be like a date, or was she just wanting to copy my notes?

When the final bell rang, my heart raced with anticipation. My palms were sweaty, and sore from gripping the edges of my desk. My stomach started flipping like an Olympic diver as it fell like a rock through the floor and all the way down to the planet's core. 

Why was I so nervous about hanging out with Clair? She was beautiful, but she was only one girl, and this wasn’t even a date…or was it?