Valenius woke up suddenly, finding himself in his own familiar bedroom.
Sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting light across the room.
The TV was off.
Valenius throat felt dry, and he gasped for air, quickly glancing down to see that he was wearing the tunic Slanitus had given him.
Panic surged as he slowly lifted the tunic, revealing wounds from his recent fall.
Frantically scanning the room, his heart pounded as he realised, he was indeed back in his bedroom.
Relief washed over him momentarily when he did spot The Swords of the Unforgotten Memories fantasy novel on the ground where he'd thrown it previously, amidst the clutter of his desk strewn with games.
His room looked unchanged; he knew this because his mother would always slightly tidy the room when he wasn't in it—a habit that usually drove him nuts.
Valenius briefly considered if it had all been a dream, but the reality of his wounds contradicted that thought.
Outside his room, he heard shuffling footsteps, causing his eyes to widen and his stomach to knot.
Reacting swiftly, he grabbed a black hoodie and grey jogger pants, listening intently at the door for any sign of movement.
The footsteps faded, and he cautiously peeked into the hallway, confirming it was clear before darting into bathroom.
Once there, he hurriedly looked in the mirror, his mind racing.
His face was heavily soiled, mud mildly scattered across it, while his tunic felt rough, and his hair appeared extremely greasy, as though he had slathered melted butter all over it.
Scratches marked his face, but inspecting his gums to check his teeth reassured him that they were intact, providing some relief as they were the only parts of his body unaffected by the accident.
It dawned on him that everything that transpired in the gaming world seemingly carried over to his real life, just as Eleantra had warned.
Valenius thoughts then shifted to Eleantra, pondering her true motives. Why did she supposedly save him, almost leading to his demise if not for the intervention of the mist dragon? And why had she appeared in the forest?
Valenius's thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a knock on the door, and Avelin shouting, "Valenius, can I please use the toilet?"
Valenius responded with a shaky voice, hastily heading for the shower and turning it on, "Mom, I am in the shower. I will only be a minute."
Valenius quickly shed his clothes and stepped under the cascading hot water.
As the warmth enveloped him, his body began to relax, shedding the stress and worries of the moment.
Valenius's mind fell into a serene silence, focused solely on the comforting sensation of the water as his body unwound.
Exiting the shower, he noticed there were no towels, and he sighed, using his hoodie to dry his hair before dressing.
Making his way to the sitting area, he spotted his mom standing there.
Losing control, he rushed over, hugged her tightly and whispered, "I love you, Mom."
Feeling her faint breath, he let go, stepped back, and gazed at her with a broad smile.
Avelin's expression changed, her head tilting slightly as she brushed her faded black hair aside, asking Valenius in a puzzled tone, "Is everything okay?"
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Worlds Beneath the Shadows
الخيال (فانتازيا)We follow the compelling journey of Valenus, a person burdened by the weight of personal challenges, most notably the illness of their father. At home, Valenus is engulfed in a sea of guilt and responsibility, constantly struggling to find a balance...
