Prologue
In the bustling city of New York, James Simmons was your average teenager, navigating the labyrinth of high school with a love for video games and a quick wit that often took his peers by surprise. He spent his days immersed in virtual worlds, where magic existed only in pixels and polygons, a far cry from the fantastical realms of old tales.
Yet, unbeknownst to James, destiny had other plans in store. As he lay in bed one night, controller in hand, a peculiar sensation washed over him, like a whisper of wind from another realm. His vision blurred, and the lines between reality and dreams began to blur.
When James opened his eyes, he was still in bed, however, it wasn't the same bed and the room around him was different too. A large ornate window to his left gave him a view of a world unlike anything he had ever known. Gone were the towering skyscrapers and flashing screens of New York; in their place stood towering castles and winding cobblestone streets, illuminated by the soft glow of mystical orbs.
Confusion gripped James as he struggled to make sense of his surroundings. He glanced down at his hands, expecting to see the familiar sight of a game controller, but instead found delicate fingers. Fingers, that at a closer look, seemed to be tween like. Around the age of 10, to be precise.
"I must be dreaming," he muttered to himself, though the weight of his new reality told him otherwise.
In the corner of his eye, a flash of movement caught his attention. From the shadows emerged a sleek tabby cat, her fur shimmering with hints of gold in the dim light. With a playful twinkle in her eyes, she sauntered over to James, her tail swishing back and forth in excitement.
"Well, well, well, look what the magic dragged in," she purred, her voice tinged with amusement. "A lost soul in need of a guide, perhaps?"
James blinked in astonishment, hardly believing his ears. "Who... who are you?" he stammered, his mind reeling with questions.
The cat arched her back, stretching lazily before sitting down with an air of regal poise. "You may call me Bella," she declared, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "And as for you, well, let's just say you're in for quite the adventure."