"I'm really tired. You might ask why. Well, it's simple. During the COVID-19 period on Earth when everyone was asked to stay at home, I was bored. I mean, really bored. It's not that I don't work online; I do some freelancing and promote ads. But still, I was just bored, maybe it's something in my mind, I can't figure it out. I need to find balance. Maybe it's my work, I thought, until I saw my friend's message: "Read this novel; it's about an extra blah blah blah." To me, novels are bridges between the reader and an imaginary realm. It's not that I don't like novels; I love reading them, but I didn't have the time. Who knows, maybe this is the novel that will clear my mind.
I haven't introduced myself, have I? Well, I'm just a normal university student trying to earn a degree and make ends meet. My name is Femi. Yeah, that's right, I'm African, specifically from the Yoruba tribe. My name literally means "love me." Do people love me? That I can't answer. Oh, I forgot, I'm a short guy. During my childhood, I dreamed of being the tallest in my family. Well, as soon as I reached 1.63 meters in secondary school, I stopped growing. Too bad.
Back to my story, I researched to learn more about the novel my friend recommended: "The Heroes Age." I found it on Light Reader, though not the complete version. I later found the complete version on Webnovel and read it as far as the privilege section. It was interesting and intriguing. The MC, his rival, the main antagonist, and the character development made me fall in love with the novel. I bet they had fun. Even though they almost died, to me, they had fun. At least they aren't as bored as I am. "I wish I was in this novel", I said, truly believing my words, even though it was unrealistic to move from the real world into a novel. No sense in that, you might say. "I wish I weren't so bored". Closing my phone as it was late, I lay down, thinking about the job I had to complete tomorrow. Before I knew it, sleep crept into my eyes, and I fell asleep.
As soon as Femi drifted off to sleep, the air in his room distorted, and some words materialized out of nowhere: "YOUR WISH HAS BEEN GRANTED." "Wake up, wake up, you scum." Those were the words that jolted me awake. "Huh, who are you?" Femi asked, startled. "This isn't my room, and this is not my bed."
"Hey hey,"the fellow shouted, snapping his fingers. "You really do know how to make an entrance, don't you? I've been sent to fetch you for your class. Imagine me, a third year, being a babysitter. Tch." "Class, fetch? I don't quite understand," Femi mumbled as he rose from the bed. "Are you still sleepy?" the fellow said, scoffing. "I don't have time. Get dressed and let's go. I'll be waiting outside." With that, he left me. I guess he didn't realize that I was dazed and confused.