"

"So Mister Francis! I would like to ask seeing as it's what everyone and News channel seems to be talking about at this time," a female reporter sitting next to a learned middle-aged man questioned during an on-going life board cast.

Why is it that even after making so much success with your book, reaching up to number 1 Best Selling Book worldwide, you suddenly started rushing the book, changing the story line and not giving the readers what they ask for?

"Well Mary, I have only one thing to say and it is what I've been saying for the past one week. I am really sorry to my readers and everyone out there, I also regret doing this but I have no choice," Mister Francis added. "I am doing this for the good of everyone, my book 'Kingdoms of Desire' is dangerous and I just have to end it before it becomes too late."

Mr. Francis is among the successful authors in the world, one of his latest bestsellers has had some quality problems hence complaints from the readers.

"Alright! I have one more question, news has it that you would be releasing the very last chapters of the Kingdom of Desire tonight. Is this True? And should the readers be expecting at least a good ending?"

"I think the answer to that should be yes, it is definitely going to be an epic ending. Though not exactly what the readers might be expecting, but it is going to be nice.".

With his last words, the broadcast came to an immediate end and some other advert took over the big display billboard by the road side.

"What a lousy excuse to use, saying the book was hazardous," Alex Thompson fumed to himself, listening to the broadcast grinning in his face. "Were we the readers complaining? Just don't start reading a book if you know you won't be able to finish it."

Alex Thompson was a normal young man living an uneventful life. At 25 years of age, he had a small apartment in town and went to his ordinary office job day after day. Most of the rest of his free time was spent consuming his one true passion: fantasy stories.

He was one of those men with a routine that was no less than dragging monotony in the opinion of the world, but for him, these tales were his be-all and end-all: his escape, his refuge from this drabness day in and day out.

"Ooh! Home at last after a long tiring day at work!" Alex murmured to himself.

The apartment was small and a mess, but to him, it was his haven. There were posters of knights and dragons, mighty mages, and pretty girl characters. Bookshelves lined with books and manga filled the walls.

Most importantly, his collection of harem fantasy novels was aligned according to his preference in perfect order.

"Gosh, if only life were like these stories," Alex said, sitting in his beat-up couch with a book in his hand, with his mind elsewhere. Always so caught up with the stories, he could not remember the time many times. And he stays up late night even past midnight just to see what happens next.

His favourite series was a harem fantasy so hot it had set the internet on fire: 'Kingdoms of Desire'. It was about a young hero who had been whisked away to some magical world, there to gather a coterie of very powerful, very beautiful women as his companions.

The two of them together, fighting dark forces, and the hero would just keep getting stronger after every fight. Action, romance, and-most importantly, insofar as Alex was concerned-wish-fulfillment out the wazoo.

*

*nod! Nod!*

*

The loud knocks on his door reverberated.

Who could that be now?" He said as he walked to the door and opened it.

It was Dave, a childhood friend of his, who stood right at the door with a box of pizza and two bottles of bears.

"It's boys night out.! Tell me you never forgot," Dave said to Alex immediately he opened the door.

Alex was stuck with words, a bit lost and confused for some moments before he finally spoke.

"Hey! Wassup Dave? How would you say such a thing? I could never forget about the boys night," Alex added as he drew Dave inside. "Come on inside then! You just standing out there like a stranger."

"Guess what man! The very last episode of kingdom of desires is dropping just a few minutes from now, can I please read it first before we start the boys night?" Alex asked.

"Wait isn't it that one with some beautiful fantasy ladies?" Dave asked.

"Yes! Yes! It's that one."

"Wouldn't it be amazing to live in a world like that?" Alex said to his best friend, Dave, as they sat in on a couch in the living room.

This fascination of Alex with fantasy novels could only be understood by Dave, as he had known Alex since his childhood. Though he was never hooked to the genre, he always listened patiently to Alex whenever he went on one of his passionate rants.

"You know, Alex," Dave said one morning over coffee, "you're always telling me how wonderful it would be to live in one of those worlds, but don't you think that would be sort of. dangerous?