Lucid Dream

Knock-knock-knock

"Big brother! Wake up! Mom said breakfast is ready!"

"Ugh."

I was jolted awake by the sound of knocking on the door, accompanied by a voice calling out clearly. Though my body still felt heavy, I quickly got up from the bed. But my first thought left me puzzled.

(Weird... Why is there a girl calling me?)

I glanced around the room, and immediately, an unsettling feeling washed over me. This wasn't my room.

"Anime posters?" I muttered under my breath. My eyes locked onto a large poster of a female anime character I didn't recognize—something that shouldn't be possible for an otaku with over 20 years of experience like me.

As I became more aware, I started scanning the rest of the room. It was filled with unfamiliar items: a large wooden wardrobe, a tall mirror, a simple wall clock, a study desk cluttered with books, and a neatly organized bookshelf. The only thing that felt vaguely familiar was the collection of novels and comics on the shelf. But even then, the titles were ones I had never seen before.

(Whose room is this? And how did I end up here?) My mind raced with questions.

Knock-knock-knock

"Big brother!" the voice called again, this time with a hint of impatience.

(It's definitely a girl's voice. It sounds like a young girl, maybe in elementary or middle school? But I don't have a younger sister. A cousin? No, that's impossible—they're all adults, like me. Should I just open the door?) My thoughts spiraled as I tried to make sense of the situation.

Hesitantly, I stepped toward the door and opened it. Standing on the other side was... a young girl. A loli, to be exact. She had her hair styled in twin buns and looked to be around 12 or 14 years old. She wore casual, comfy clothes typical for a girl her age at home.

What caught my attention the most? She looked like an anime character! Her big, expressive eyes, slightly flushed cheeks, and lively demeanor—it was as if she had stepped straight out of a TV screen or the pages of a manga.

"Why are you just standing there? Come on, Mom's waiting," she said nonchalantly, turning and walking off toward what I assumed was the dining room.

I stood frozen for a moment, disbelief and confusion swirling in my head. Somehow, though, my feet moved, and I found myself following her almost instinctively.

The dining room was just a few steps away from the kitchen. There, I saw a young woman with her back to me, busy with something at the counter. Her long black hair was tied up in a ponytail, and her slender figure gave her an air of elegance.

"Geez, you're finally up. Wait, you haven't even changed out of your school uniform?" she said, glancing at me briefly before turning back to the task at hand.

The woman was stunning. Her eyes, her hair, even the way she spoke—it all felt like something out of an anime. Like the young girl earlier, she seemed far too flawless to be real.

"S-sorry, Sis. I just woke up," I replied automatically, glancing down at my clothes. Sure enough, I was still wearing a school uniform I didn't recognize.

"Sis? Since when did you start calling your mom 'Sis'? Hmm... but honestly, I don't hate it. It makes me feel younger. How about you also keep calling me 'Sis' from now on, Carla?"

"No way," Carla—the loli, I mean—interjected, sticking out her tongue playfully. How cute.

Wait... Mom? This beautiful woman is a mother of two? That's insane! But on second thought, anime moms are often portrayed as gorgeous women. Maybe this isn't so unusual.

"Come on, sit down! Breakfast is ready!" she said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I moved toward the dining table, still swimming in confusion.

(What is going on here? I woke up in an unfamiliar room, met people who look straight out of an anime, and now this? Is this what people call lucid dreaming?)

"Food's ready!" Mom announced, bringing the dishes to the table and setting them down with practiced ease.

The dining table was an absolute feast, a spread straight out of a Western cooking show. At the center was a perfectly roasted chicken, golden and glistening with herbs and spices. Surrounding it were creamy mashed potatoes, whipped with butter and milk until velvety smooth, and a mix of sautéed vegetables—vivid orange carrots, vibrant green beans, and tender slices of bell pepper.

On the side sat a loaf of warm, freshly baked garlic bread, its inviting aroma wafting through the room. A simple green salad, garnished with juicy cherry tomatoes and crunchy croutons, added a refreshing touch to the rich meal.

(This is incredible! Is this Western cuisine? I rarely get to eat food like this.)

As I began eating, Mom looked at me with a gentle smile and spoke.

"Ah, Carlo, don't forget to take a shower after breakfast. I know you're tired after your final exam, but that doesn't mean you should just collapse into bed without cleaning up."

"Okay, Mom," I replied instinctively.

(Ah, so that's why I'm still in this uniform. My character in this world must be a student. This lucid dream is amazing! Oh, this food is delicious. Wait, I can actually taste food in a dream? Best lucid dream ever!)

"Where's Dad, Mom?" I asked. It felt natural to wonder. After all, I'd already encountered a little sister and a mother who practically radiated anime energy in this lucid dream. Why not throw a father figure into the mix, too?

"Brother," Carla sighed, glancing at me with a faintly irritated expression, as if to say I shouldn't have asked that question.

(Huh? Why is she looking at me like that? Did I bring up something I shouldn't have? Could it be… Dad's no longer around?)

"That idiot!" Mom exclaimed suddenly, her cheerful demeanor giving way to frustration. "I told him to come home early today, considering it's our son's final day in middle school. And what does he say? 'Sorry, honey, something urgent came up at work, so I have to stay late.' Is he an idiot or what? We've been planning this day for a whole week! Is work more important than family? He's probably being his usual pushover self, taking on his coworkers' tasks like an idiot. I've told him to start saying no, but apparently, that lesson never stuck. Ugh, idiot!"

Mom's face darkened as she vented her frustrations about Dad. Her words cast a gloomy shadow over the dining table.

(Idiot Dad!) I thought immediately, siding with Mom without hesitation. Not that I fully understood the situation or had even met this so-called "Dad" yet, but Mom's frustration was enough to sway me.

...And no, this wasn't 100% because I was afraid of Mom. Absolutely not.

"Thank you for the meal," I said as I stood up from the dining table.

After finishing dinner, I hurried to the bathroom—not because I was trying to escape Mom, of course. Absolutely not.

Once inside, I paused to take in the layout and design of the family's bathroom, curious about how this surreal dream world constructed such details.

The bathroom was cozy yet functional, with a simple, clean aesthetic. The walls were painted a soft white, and the floor was lined with durable, easy-to-clean tiles. A compact shower stall occupied one corner, and a pedestal sink provided a touch of minimalist charm. A small linen closet nearby was stocked with neatly folded towels and toiletries.

Adjacent to the bathroom was a modest walk-in closet, serving as a space for dressing and storing clothes. It was equipped with standard shelves and a hanging rod, offering plenty of storage for a family's wardrobe. A small mirror was affixed to the back of the door, perfect for a quick appearance check before stepping out.

I quickly undressed, removing the unfamiliar school uniform I was still wearing, and stepped into the shower.

"Ugh, cold," I muttered as the initial spray of water hit me. I hurriedly adjusted the settings until warm water cascaded over me, the soothing heat calming my nerves.

As I washed up, my thoughts wandered back to the events so far.

(First of all, this lucid dream takes place in a world where everyone looks like anime characters. Then there's this family of four: me, apparently named Carlo—a middle school graduate; Carla, my younger sister, who's likely still in middle school given that the dinner celebration was solely for my graduation. That would make us about 1–2 years apart in age. Then there's Mom, an incredibly youthful and beautiful woman who looks like she's in her early twenties. Finally, there's Dad, who remains unseen but is apparently a corporate drone who's always working overtime, causing some tension with Mom.)

"Isn't this lucid dream a little too realistic?" I mused aloud, letting the warm water wash over me.

"Could it be… I'm not dreaming at all but have somehow been transported to an alternate world where everyone is an anime character?"

(Ha, I must be losing it. But how do I leave this lucid dream? Oh, right. I just need to wake up... but how? Maybe if I go to sleep here, I'll wake up back in my own world?)

For now, I decided that falling asleep and waking up might be the simplest way to leave this bizarre world. Yet, as the thought crossed my mind, I felt a pang of regret for not fully exploring the potential of this lucid dream.

A small part of me hoped that, like in ordinary dreams, time would skip unpredictably, and I'd suddenly find myself in other settings—perhaps a school or a bustling city filled with anime-style characters. That would certainly be a sight to remember.

"Ahh, what am I even thinking?" I muttered to myself, reluctantly drying off with a towel before heading back to the bedroom where I had woken up earlier.

Wrapped in the towel, I made my way through the house, passing the dining area where we'd eaten earlier. There, I came across my younger sister, Carla, engrossed in her phone.

"Done with your shower, big brother?" she asked, briefly glancing up from her screen.

"Yup, just finished," I replied casually.

"Well, then it's my turn now," she announced, raising her voice slightly toward the kitchen where Mom was busy washing the dinner dishes. "Mom, I'm going to use the bathroom now!"

"Okay," came Mom's confirmation, her tone calm but focused on her task.

"Be careful in the bathroom," I said reflexively.

"Bleh, I don't need that," Carla quipped, sticking her tongue out at me playfully before heading toward the bathroom. Cute.

They didn't know it, but this was the last time I'd see them. After tonight, I would leave this world of dreams behind.

Goodbye, temporary family. Goodbye, my adorable little sister. Goodbye, my kind and beautiful mother, even if you're—uh—just a tiny bit scary when angry. Goodbye to the father I never got to meet.

Goodbye, anime world!

A bittersweet farewell played out in my mind as I walked back to the bedroom, trying to process the fleeting connection I had formed with this strange yet endearing family.

Once in the bedroom, I changed into something more comfortable and collapsed onto the bed, pulling the soft pillow close. I closed my eyes, ready to surrender to sleep and return to the harsh reality of the real world.

"Zzz…"

And sure enough, when I opened my eyes, I found myself still in the same room from earlier, the one I woke up in within the lucid dream world.

"Shit!"

That was about the only word I could utter to describe the terrifying realization that I had actually woken up in a body and world completely different from the reality I usually knew.

(I'm trapped in an anime world)

"Why the long face, my friend?" came a curious voice from someone in the room.

"You wouldn't understand," I replied.

(Wait, who asked that? I'm alone in the room, right? Is it the father I haven't seen yet?)

I immediately turned toward the voice that had inquired about my well-being, and there I saw... I saw the figure of a ghostly man floating in the room, defying gravity. 

"Ghost!!!!" i screamed and pray in my mind to whoever creature that can protect me like god or Mr. F**l or anything