Prologue - A Boring Afternoon

The day before, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Ethan Blackwell sat in his bedroom, hunched over his desk, a half-finished math assignment in front of him, while his phone buzzed idly with notifications he was ignoring. Outside, the sky was beginning to dim, the warm hues of sunset casting shadows across the room. His mind, however, wasn't on math or even school. It was elsewhere, lost in the world of a game he'd just finished playing-Kingdom of Mana, an RPG that had consumed the past few weeks of his life.

He stared at the wall, absentmindedly twirling a pencil between his fingers, thinking about how much simpler things were in games. In that world, everything had a clear goal. You leveled up, learned magic, fought monsters, and eventually became the hero. Here? Reality was murkier. School, friends, family, expectations-it all felt like a slow grind with no level-up in sight.

His mom called from downstairs, reminding him it was time for dinner. "I'll be right down," he yelled back, even though he hadn't moved an inch. His thoughts drifted to Sarah. She had texted earlier, something about meeting up to study for the history exam, but he hadn't answered yet. She'd probably scold him for ignoring her again, but then they'd laugh it off, like always.

Ethan sighed, pushing the textbook aside and grabbing his phone to reply to Sarah. Yeah, let's meet tomorrow after school.

That evening passed in a blur of mundane activities. Dinner with his family, scrolling through his phone, playing another game before bed. His mind was always somewhere else-wandering through fantasies of magical realms, ancient battles, and hidden powers waiting to be discovered. His history teacher, Mr. Reynolds, had been talking about ancient civilizations in class earlier that day, and Ethan found himself daydreaming about how cool it would be to stumble upon some forgotten relic or magical artifact that would change his life.

He eventually collapsed into bed, staring up at the ceiling. Tomorrow would be another day, just like today. Another walk to school, another round of assignments, another few hours lost in the fantasy worlds he adored.

But as he drifted off to sleep, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was... different. Like a quiet whisper in the back of his mind, telling him that everything was about to change.

The morning light streamed through Ethan's window, dragging him out of sleep. He groaned and reached for his phone, squinting at the bright screen. 7:15 AM. He was already running late. Tossing the blanket aside, he jumped out of bed, hurriedly pulling on his school uniform and grabbing his backpack.

Downstairs, his mom was sipping coffee, barely glancing up as he rushed through the kitchen.

"Running late again?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'll grab something on the way," he muttered, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "See you later."

As he stepped outside, the cool air hit him, a sharp contrast to the warm sun already starting to rise above the rooftops. The familiar rhythm of his morning routine settled in as he plugged in his earbuds and started walking the same path he took every day. He liked this part of the day-the time to himself, listening to music, letting his thoughts wander. The walk wasn't long, about 15 minutes to school, but it always felt like an escape from everything else, a quiet before the storm of classes and assignments.

His mind drifted. He thought about the plans he had with Sarah after school, the history exam they were supposed to study for. Maybe they'd hit the coffee shop by the park, like they always did. He could use a break-he'd been feeling off lately, restless, like he was waiting for something to happen but had no idea what. The games and books he loved were starting to feel like they weren't enough.

As he crossed the street near the corner, he glanced around, not really paying attention. The cars moved as usual, the distant hum of the city blending into the music in his ears. His thoughts shifted to the fantasy worlds he loved so much. What would it be like to have real magic? To feel the power of mana in your veins, to be a part of something bigger than the mundane?

Could his life change?