What If

Chapter 2

And to think that the next day may not be the same… As no one is actually sure that the next time you woke up from a dream, it would be the same reality as it is yesterday.

"Ahhh..." I moaned as I stretched out of bed. I’ve slept so well last night! I had no dream! Nothing at all! Just a peaceful sleep I took for a whole night. No stories for me to worry about as it goes along inside those dreams. It was a very peaceful sleep as I have not entered any world for the night. Worlds that an author and a reader could only hope to visit in real time.

Or am I sure I had no dreams at all? I think I do? But if that’s the case, how can I not remember even having them?

I smiled, took a deep breath, and climbed out of my blanket. And since I somehow loved just sliding out of bed instead of standing up and processing things up, I found myself on the floor. Well, that is fun.

I stood up with a yawn and another stretch before completely opening my eyes.

That is when it hit me.

Something’s wrong. Something feels different.

I took the liberty to roam my sight around whichever place I am in right now. This is not my room. I have no concrete walls that looked like they have been sanded down to perfect smoothness. Nor do I have a very high ceiling I could actually hang a mini chandelier. Nor do I have a large bed in the middle of the room. Not do I have a blanket this dark shade of the red. Neither do I have a table this large, nor a lamp beside my bed. My room ain’t even painted as it is rather covered with curtains to hide the walls! And most of all, I do not remember owning a bookshelf, let alone more than one!

The moment realizations sink in, I felt my heart beat faster and faster behind my chest. A feeling that somehow bought me to be a bit too dizzy to register some more information.

Where the heavens am I?!

I am pretty sure I am not in my own room, let alone in my house! But I do remember going home yesterday. Or did I? Did I? What the heavens is happening here?!

With heart beating a little more than normal and head almost spinning, I took my best to look around once more, sitting tensely on the bed as I try to analyze whatever the heck is happening here. Looking for something that might hint me where the heavens am I.

First, I am not in my room, nor my house.

Second, I woke up wearing a different clothing I am pretty sure I never own.

Third, I woke up alone and signs of ever being with someone.

So, this might be a innocent encounter. Maybe someone just found me out from somewhere and brought me here in hopes that I am still alive? But if that is the case, then wouldn't that also mean that whoever that someone is, they are not cleaver enough to look at whether I was wearing an identification card or not?

And what could have been the reason of my loosing consciousness anyway? This is weird. This is very very weird.

Once again, I took a deep breath and stood up. I noticed a large window on my side, one that is covered with a floor length curtain that I did not saw it right away. I parted the curtains and pushed the glass windows open.

Wind came rushing in, one too fresh to hint even a single scent of smoke. We certainly is not in Baguio right now. But where the heck am I? And I have been asking myself that for one too may times already.

No words left my mouth until I noticed another thing. I’ve mentioned a table inside the room. But that’s not just it. There was a box lying on top of it, and a white envelope on top of the box. Once too seemingly bright to be left unnoticed.

I took a wary step towards it. But what could a paper do, anyway? It is not as if one could actually hurt my body real time that I need to avoid touching it.

So, I’ve decided to take it on my hands and carefully open it, careful enough not to break the seal of wherever place it came from. There lies another piece of paper, one thing that look like it came from a very very old time considering the color as it is yellowish, almost brown, folded into fours crosswise.

And curiosity is a piece of s**t.

I’ve already opened it, what’s so bad about peaking and reading what is actually written in it?

And that is exactly what I did.

World of Agewertia

Kingdom of Aquariah

Xyntilliet Academy

To our new student,

WELCOME! We are hoping that you are having a very great morning!

This letter is to inform you, Miss Mika Ellah, that you are now an official student of Xyntilliet University. In here, you are expected to learn different things and experience a lot of fun! After all, you do not know when life actually began.

Since this is going to be your first year, we also included a set of rules that is a must to follow when inside the school campus. They will be written in a separate sheet of paper that will be inside the box that came along with this letter. The box would also contain your set of uniforms as they are already provided, a set of keys for the dormitory and your room, an identification card, the map of the school, and also the student handbook. Along with all of those mentioned, you will also find a set of your scheduled class printed inside, and also a list of people you are staying with for the rest of your stay here in the university. You're room will be on building 2, door 315, and on room 4. It has your name on the front door, also with your dorm mates.

We want you to feel at home, and welcomed.

Valerie Prenas,

School Head

Sounds like a dream.

Did I woke up from reality and somehow happened to be transported to something a crazy as this one? Or, maybe, this one of my brain’s crazy schemes? Making me believe it is real and then somehow waking up remembering close to nothing about the events of that beautiful thing I just had but couldn't grasp?

No wonder I'm in a room as big as this one. If this is true then I will gladly accept the offer. But, since we all know dreams are nothing but just dreams, I’d rather lie low. Maybe, on whichever part am I right now, I could witness the story unfold behind my eyes. Not just because I was imagining nor writing it, but actually because I was there and I don’t even need to think. The thing is tiring, I’d say. You know, thinking.

I took the paper again to reread the name of the school. Xyntilliet Academy. A school of magic I came up with. Xyntilliet’s etymology is the English word ‘scintillate’. It means flashes of light, or sparkles according to the oxford dictionary, and so I made use of it and just changed the spelling. Xyntilliet Academy is a prestigious school. It houses all types of students from peasants to royalties as long as they were able to reach the required strength of magic, or even if it is just pure strength and tactics. The Academy also houses all types of magic, like literally all. If you have it and you are sure you can pass whichever exam they have, you can enter and have your education here. But, Xyntilliet, as the name implies, is an Academy who’s main type of magical element is light.

The letter says to open the box. And so I did. I know what it contains since I’ve been here before but to actually see what are those is something more. The letter says that a uniform designed for me will be inside, along with all the other mentioned; and yes, they indeed are.

I did not bother reading the rules and regulations nor the handbook they included because why would I? I’d only stay here for about a day, give or take. The scheduled classes, I’ve just scanned and, well, did not actually care. I’d rather go and explore this school than go to a class when I know I am not staying that long.

That is why my only interest came down to the uniform and the map of the school.

The map showed every building, labeled. I opened it more and as expected, it expanded to a wide one. The front page being the landscaping of the whole entire area whilst as the next pictures are those of each building’s navigation. And for the same reason, it also includes my coordinates. There is a red dot here somewhere, that is me. That means I am either in that place or inside that place. I know because I am the one who designed it. For easier way of location the first time considering how wide this school really is.

“There you are.” I whispered to my self as I found the dot. That is before I saw where the heavens I actually am. “The dormitories for royalties, really? What the f**k am I doing here?”

If you are wondering, the school is made to house every type of students, right? But since there is still a huge f****d up difference when it comes to money and that type of resources, the school built three dormitories that are still aligned to each other.

There is one for the regular students, the ones from the lower spectrum of the triangle. They are still paying students though so that still implies that they can manage the expenses of the school.

And then we have the scholars. I mean, of course! There are also some students who are unfortunate enough and yet the school really wanted them in. They’re looked up to, since they are one of the strongest almost amongst all.

Then there comes the royalties. Well, they are strong alright. It is not all about money when you are in the higher spectrum of the triangle. You also need to learn how to defend and fight for yourself to survive as long as they have.

And I am inside one of the rooms of those from that class.

What the heck am I doing here?