It isn't clear to her if she's awake or asleep.  Her room is dark.  She's sure she's gone to bed just a moment ago, but now, she's wide awake.

It doesn't seem as if she'll go to sleep again anytime soon, so she gets up to go get a glass of milk.  Glancing around the room, she makes sure to pick her way quietly, avoiding the floorboards that might make creaking noises.  If her parents found that she was still awake, they might let her sleep in their bed, but she felt that she was old enough to sleep by herself.

Something catches her attention out of the corner of her eyes.  It's a door, in the middle of her bedroom.

This is a dream.  She's sure of it, but she can't shake off the feeling that she was still in reality.

Since it's a dream, I might as well open this door...

Hesitantly, she places her hand on the doorknob, and opens the mysterious door.

It's so bright inside the room, she squints to see what's inside, but it's not that bright after all.  The inside of the room is pure white, making an illusion of blinding light.

She doesn't know what to think, or say, until she sees a boy standing across from her, holding open another door.

His appearance is startling, with his black hair and his dark violet eyes.  She's never seen anyone quite like him before, but doesn't question anything because it's supposed to be a dream.

Her gaze slides from his face to the opening of the other door and she can't help but gape in amazement.

The world inside it resembles the ones her mother's read to her in dusty storybooks, but the illustrations in the storybooks pales in comparison to this new, vivid world, in which every detail is something wonderful to behold.

The boy holds out his free hand, a small encouraging smile on his face.

With confidence, she takes the hand and smiles back, as if this is the most natural thing in the world.  At her acceptance, his smile grows and he steps into the doorway, her own movements following his.

A rushing feeling overtakes her, and it feels like she's falling, with only the boy's hold on her small hand to guide her.

And suddenly, it stops.  Taking a small breath, she looks up and finds herself in the world of that other doorway.  Fairies play with pale blonde strands of her hair and pluck at her white nightgown.

It takes her a moment to really comprehend what has happened, and when she does, she giggles happily.  She's in the world of her dreams, and it feels amazing to breathe in the fresh air of this world.

The boy, who has been watching her this whole time with a constant smile, opens his mouth.

"Shall we go, Seria?"  Hearing the sound of his voice for the first time startles her to the point where she doesn't question why he knows her name.

She nods eagerly in answer and knows that she'd willingly follow him anywhere.

Before they go, she has to remind herself of one thing, to make sure she doesn't forget herself in all of this.

It's only a dream...

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Author guidance for This story

To dream of another world isn't so strange for Seria Azu, though she doesn't know exactly why she's being sent there...

Seria Azu: The main character. She starts dreaming of another world as a little child, and they continue to influence her in real life.

The Boy: Little is known about him, but he seems friendly. He also seems to be the one sent to lead her around this fantasy world.

Byron: A prince from some unknown kingdom. Specializes in dragon-slaying, and being a bit...unreliable.

updated Jan 7 '11 by Signusorion