The savior of the fantasy world

I snapped my eyes open, gasping for air as my chest rose and fell with unsteady breaths. My alarm blared insistently, a harsh reminder that I was already late for school. With a groan, I reached over and shut it off. Dragging myself out of bed, I shuffled to the bathroom for a quick shower. My thoughts kept circling the bizarre nightmare I’d had—it was unsettling, though the details were already slipping away. "Ellie, breakfast is ready!" my mom’s voice cut through my haze. Sighing, I stepped out of the shower and wrapped myself in a bathrobe. After rummaging through piles of clothes in my closet, I finally settled on ankle-length jeans and an off-shoulder top. I grabbed my backpack and headed downstairs for breakfast. In the dining room, my dad greeted me with a warm smile. I returned it and took a seat across from Julia, my foster sister. She didn’t bother glancing up from her phone. Shrugging, I took a sip of coffee. “Good morning, Mom. Morning, Dad,” I greeted. “You look pale. Are you feeling alright?” my mom asked, her voice tinged with worry. I offered a faint smile and nodded. “I’m fine,” I said, quietly picking at my food. “Joyce,” Mom called for the house help. Within moments, Joyce appeared beside me, placing a glass of milk on the table. “Drink this. It’ll help calm you down,” she said softly. I glanced at her, then took the glass. “Thanks, Joyce,” I murmured after gulping it down. She nodded and disappeared back into the kitchen. “Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson,” Jake’s familiar voice greeted from the doorway. My boyfriend. I looked up and smiled at him. “The nerd is here,” Julia muttered, just loud enough for me to hear. I shot her a glare but decided to ignore her. Julia had despised me since I first came into her family. She treated me like an intruder who had stolen her parents' attention. I never felt like her sister and tried to avoid her, but she always found ways to antagonize me. Jake, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. He wasn’t a nerd like Julia called him—she was just jealous. Jake and I had been dating for a year, and he had been taking me to school ever since. He said he loved me, and I liked him too, though I’d never fully returned his feelings. I hoped I could, one day. Apart from Jake, I had two close friends, Molly and Tyson. They made school life bearable, and our friendship had always been solid. After finishing my breakfast, I wiped my mouth, kissed my foster parents goodbye, and left with Jake. We climbed into his car, and he started the engine. “Are you okay, babe?” he asked, glancing at me with concern. I smiled faintly. “I’m fine, Jake.” Turning my gaze to the window, I let the silence between us stretch. The rest of the drive was awkwardly quiet—but I didn’t mind. Jake and I stepped out of the car and walked into the school building together. As we entered, I headed straight for my locker to check my timetable for the day. Physics was first. Grabbing my textbook, I closed the locker door and turned around, only to gasp when I saw Tyson and Molly standing there instead of Jake. I glanced over my shoulder and spotted Jake leaning against his own locker, scrolling through his phone. He looked up and gave me a small smile. “I’ve got English first. I’ll see you later,” he said, walking over to me. He pressed a quick kiss to my cheek before heading off. I smiled to myself as he walked away but quickly turned back to Tyson and Molly, whose expectant gazes were practically boring into me. “That’s gross,” Tyson declared. “Not even on the lips?” I scoffed. “You know what, Tyson? We’re just taking it one step at a time.” I started walking toward my class, and they trailed after me like always. “Come on, Ellie. You’ve been dating him since last year. Are you even serious about him?” Molly asked, her tone slightly teasing. “Don’t ask stupid questions, Molly,” I said, halting abruptly and turning to face her. “You know how hard this is for me. Don’t act like you’ve forgotten.” She looked away for a moment, clearly remembering, before nodding silently. Satisfied, I resumed my walk to physics class. “Anyway,” Molly chimed in after a moment, “I heard we’ve got two new hot guys in school!” I stopped in my tracks and turned to her. “Really?” “They’re smoking hot,” she squealed, grinning. “You have to see them.” Here we go again. Molly always had a thing for handsome guys. Me? Not so much. After being stood up by a guy in middle school, I’d learned to guard my heart. “That’s cool, but it’s not my concern right now. I’ve got other things to focus on,” I said, turning back toward my class. “Don’t be such a killjoy, Ellie! Swear you don’t find them attractive,” Molly teased, exasperated. I rolled my eyes but relented. “Fine, I do. But I’m not about to obsess over them like you are. Besides, they probably aren’t even hotter than Tyson.” I shot Tyson a playful grin, knowing his response would be immediate. “Exactly!” he said, puffing up dramatically. “Finally, someone who can see what the blind refuse to.” Molly spun on him. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, dude. You’re a nerd—nobody finds you hot.” And just like that, they started bickering behind me. I sighed, knowing I’d accidentally ignited their usual back-and-forth. When we reached the door to my physics class, I stopped and turned to them. “Alright, guys, this is where I leave you. Feel free to keep arguing on your way to your classes.” If you’re wondering why I didn’t stop them, let me clarify—I gave up on that a long time ago. Their debates never ended, so I’d learned to let them sort it out themselves. Waving them goodbye, I stepped into the classroom and scanned the room. I found an empty seat by the window and settled in, ready to start the day. --- A few minutes later, the physics teacher, Mrs. Addison, walked in and began her lecture. I jotted down notes diligently as she spoke. “Newton’s laws of dynamics indicate that the time derivative of the amount of motion is equal to the sum of the forces acting on the system,” she said. Then, she paused, her gaze shifting to the door. I followed her line of sight and saw a guy standing there, looking slightly disheveled. “Sorry, teacher. I had a hard time finding the physics class,” he said, his voice deep but calm. “I’m Mrs. Addison. You must be the new student?” “Yeah, I’m Stefan Brown,” he replied. “Aww, he’s so cute,” a blonde girl behind me whispered, not so quietly. I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help sneaking a glance at him.