Sometimes, I feel like I'm living two lives. In one, I'm Seun Adebayo, a quiet Nigerian university student shuffling between lectures, assignments, and exams.
In the other, I'm... something more, someone bigger than this routine existence. I'm a dreamer-lost in thoughts of alien worlds, epic battles, and adventures that defy the laws of physics.
Maybe that's why I spend hours scrolling through forums, chatting with my "friends" online-people who, like me, seem to exist more in their heads than in their real lives.Let me clarify: my grades are okay. Not bad, but not great either. In my first year, I was solid-Bs and occasional As, the kind that earned me my parents' proud, approving smiles.But now? Each semester, it feels like I'm slipping. My Bs are turning into Cs, and the As? Rare as rain during the Harmattan season.
The frustrating part? I know I can do better. I want to do better. But I can't seem to focus anymore. Every time I sit down to study, my mind drifts. It's not laziness-I know what laziness looks like, and it's not me.It's just that the worlds in my head are so much more vibrant than the equations and theories in my textbooks.
I've tried to fix it, too. Timetables, study groups (okay, I joined one on Zoom-baby steps, right?), even motivational videos on YouTube. They work for a while, but then I catch myself staring out the window, wondering what it would be like to step into a portal and leave all of this behind.And friends? That's another thing. I don't have any-not in the "let's hang out this weekend" way. Sure, I talk to people online. Some of them feel like kindred spirits, even though I've never seen their faces. We chat about books, movies, theories about alternate dimensions, and everything in between. They don't know the real me, though.Not the Seun who feels like he's running in place, or the Seun who's slowly watching his grades slip through his fingers like grains of sand.
Sometimes, I wonder if my life is stuck on pause, like I'm waiting for something-or someone-to press play.What if my dreams mean something? What if the reason I can't focus is that I'm not supposed to be here? What if there's a world out there where I truly belong?
Crazy thoughts, right? But that's me: Seun Adebayo, the introverted dreamer who wants to pull his grades up, even if a small part of him whispers, What's the point?I moved to the table, where my laptop and some scattered papers sat. Turning on the laptop, I input my password.The ping of an email notification snapped me out of my thoughts just as the desktop loaded. Probably another spam message.
Lately, my inbox had been a mess-promos, random newsletters I didn't remember signing up for, and course rep emails I barely read. I almost ignored it, but something about the subject line caught my attention:"Seun Adebayo, Are You Ready to Become a Hero?"I stared at the screen, my fingers frozen above the keyboard. Was this a prank? My online "friends" were jokesters, but this felt... different.The email's body was surprisingly short:"The time has come. Your unique traits in the whole of the dimension have been noticed, and we need someone like you to save a dimension. Who knows-it might even be your current dimension.If you accept, click the link below. This is not a scam. This is your destiny."At the bottom of the email sat a glowing link. No sender name, no fancy signature. Just those words.Before I could process it, my bedroom door burst open, nearly giving me a heart attack."Seun! You promised I could use your computer!" my younger sister, Ayomide, announced, stomping into the room with her hands on her hips.
Her school uniform was rumpled, her tie half undone, and her face set in that infuriating I'm-the-boss-here expression she'd perfected over the years."Relax, Ayo," I muttered, minimizing the email window. "I'm in the middle of something.""Middle of what? Daydreaming again?" she teased, plopping onto my bed. "You've been glued to that laptop all day. What are you even doing? Watching another one of those sci-fi movies?""I'm not watching anything," I said, trying to keep the defensiveness out of my tone."Yeah, right. You're probably chatting with your imaginary friends. By the way, when are you moving out? You said you were planning to get that private hostel, abi? Good riddance, honestly. Maybe I'll finally get some peace in this house.""Very funny," I said, rolling my eyes. "And yes, I'm working on it. I just need to finalize a few things with the landlord."Moving out was something I'd been thinking about for months. Don't get me wrong-I loved my parents and Ayomide, but living under the same roof as two university lecturers was... intense.Dad's lectures about punctuality and Mom's obsession with making sure I "maximize my potential" were suffocating. Plus, living so close to FUTA meant I had zero excuses for being late to class.
"You promised I could use your laptop today! My friend is here, and we need it for our project," Ayomide said, smiling sweetly-too sweetly."So, she's here now? Great. Double the trouble," I muttered under my breath."What was that? I'll tell Dad you didn't give me the laptop if I fail!"I sighed, leaning back in my chair and rubbing my temple. Ayomide was relentless when she wanted something. "Fine, fine. You can use it, but just for an hour."Her grin was triumphant. "An hour and a half.""One hour, Ayo. Take it or leave it.""Deal," she said, then smirked mischievously. My introvert senses detected incoming danger."When you move, will you finally get a girlfriend? Or will you still be too busy talking to your invisible ones?"I glared at her. "Ayo, get out.""Ooooh, touched a nerve, did I?" She laughed, standing up. "Seriously, Seun, you're twenty-one! No girlfriend, no social life. It's embarrassing. Even I have more game than you."This from the girl who had just turned sixteen a few weeks ago. Infuriating."Out!" I snapped, feeling heat rise in my face. She laughed harder but finally left, pausing at the door."I'll be back in five minutes for the laptop! No excuses this time!"
Her words stung more than I wanted to admit. Not because they were wrong. I hadn't dated anyone-not seriously, anyway. I'd had crushes, sure, but they never went beyond that. Speaking to girls I liked? Impossible.Relationships are just distractions, I reminded myself. And distractions are the last thing I need.Still, Ayomide's teasing had a way of making me feel like a loser. I sighed and turned back to my laptop, reopening the email."Are You Ready to Become a Hero?"I stared at the glowing link. Ayomide's mocking voice echoed in my head. Maybe I wasn't ready for a girlfriend or anything resembling a social life. But this? This felt different. It wasn't real life-or at least, it didn't feel like it.The cursor hovered over the link. My finger twitched, tempted to click. A hero. Someone important. Someone needed. Maybe this was more interesting than my current reality.The idea was ridiculous, but wasn't that what I wanted deep down? To matter? To escape this monotonous, half-lived life?I glanced at the door, half-expecting Ayomide to burst in again. The house was quiet. My parents were probably in their study, preparing for Monday's lectures.I glanced at the time on my taskbar: 10:04 a.m.
Without thinking too hard, I clicked the link and hit "Accept."The screen went dark for a moment. Then it shimmered, like ripples spreading across the surface of a still pond.The glow from the email surged outward, expanding until it filled the entire room. It wasn't just light-it felt alive, humming with an energy that made my skin tingle.I pushed back in my chair, heart pounding as a golden ring began to form in the air in front of me. The edges crackled with energy, sparks flying like a thousand tiny fireworks. At the center of the ring was a swirling vortex, shimmering with colors I couldn't name-like oil on water, but far more vivid."What the..." I whispered, frozen in place.The portal pulsed, as though responding to my voice, and a strange wind erupted from it, tugging at my clothes and the papers on my desk. The pull intensified, and I grabbed the edge of my desk, panic rising."Seun!" Ayomide's voice cut through the chaos as she burst back into the room. "What's going on in here?!""Stay back!" I shouted, my grip slipping. The force of the wind was too strong.Before I could react, the portal expanded, engulfing me completely. The sensation was indescribable-like being stretched and compressed at the same time, while a surge of warmth flooded through me. For a moment, I was weightless, and then everything shifted.The last thing I heard was Ayomide's scream.⃝⃝⃝⃝[System Log: Dimension #44567782][Detection of a special dimension.][Dimension #44567782 contains only one planet with significant life forms.][Dimension cannot be integrated as life forms evolved differently from predetermined rules.][Proceeding to search for individuals with special qualities.][10 individuals with transcendent souls detected.][System initiating summoning in 3... 2... 1.][Error!][Error!][Error!][Causality level too high for this universe. Direct interference will result in total extinction of life forms.][This violates rules set by ********.][System will employ alternative methods.][Approaching individuals in unique ways to obtain permission for summoning.][Permission received: 2/10... 5/10... 6/10... 9/10... 10/10.][10 transcendent souls successfully summoned.][To increase chances of success, expanding summoning to 100 individuals.][Permission received: 90/90.][System has enlisted challengers from Dimension #44567782.][Dimension successfully integrated.]