"Aaaaahhh!!"
A young man shouted as his body sat up on the bed with a jerk, his icy blue eyes wide open, showing intense emotions.
"Haah… Haahh… Haahh…"
His skin was covered with sweat, damp strands of hair clinging to his forehead. His chest rose and fell rapidly, each breath coming out in jagged gasps.
Ba-dump Ba-dump Ba-dump
His own heartbeat echoed in his ears, the remnants of the dream still clinging to him.
"Haaaaahhh…"
Taking a deep breath, he rubbed his hands over his face, trying to calm himself down and steady his breathing.
The room around him, though ordinary, seemed alien for a moment. The walls were a dull beige, the faint scent of cheap air freshener lingered in the air. A small desk sat against one wall, cluttered with textbooks, papers, and an empty coffee cup. The bed he lay in was unkempt, the sheets twisted around his legs in a haphazard mess.
A small window above the desk allowed some sunlight in, signaling that the sun had risen. To his left, a small kitchen nook was visible, with a tiny fridge and a worn-out stove. The bathroom door was half-open, the faint sound of dripping water could be heard from within.
"Kael…?"
Suddenly, the young man, Kael, heard a muffled, unclear voice.
It was his roommate, Mark, who had been sleeping next to him. Mark's hair was a mess, his eyes half-open, his voice carrying slight hints of annoyance.
"Same dream again…?"
Kael didn't respond right away. His breath was still ragged, his hands shaking slightly as he ran them through his black hair again, trying to clear his mind.
"Yeah," he finally muttered, his voice hoarse. "Same o-"
Before he could complete the sentence, a pillow was thrown right at his face.
"You fucker! I told you to stop watching anime for a while! It's affecting you, and now it's affecting my sleep as well!"
Mark shouted, and in an instant, Kael, whose head was still hazy, woke up.
"Fuck you! What has that got to do with this!?"
He shouted back, throwing the pillow back at him.
"Oh yeah!?
Magic Gates all over the sky!
Monsters pouring out of those Gates!
Some Half-Dragon Half-Human looking dude fighting against those monsters together with his army of Dragons!
A woman smirking disdainfully as that Dragon Man is killed by the monsters!
Out of all of this, what does NOT have a relation with anime or all those comics and novels you read!? Haah!?"
Mark snapped. He, however, wasn't done yet.
"I only introduced the Weeb World to you because I wanted you to chill the fuck out and stop being so try-hard! How in the hell have you fallen so deep into it that you are now dreaming about it!?
And to think you are dreaming about Demi-Humans already!
Fuck it, even if you are dreaming, why are you dreaming of a Dragon Man!? Why not a strong and sexy Dragon Woman!? Or better, a Foxkin with fluffy ears and tails! A Catwoman would be great as well!
Why are you dreaming of a fucking man!?
Who in the hell likes men!?!"
Mark spoke with absolute disgust. Then, suddenly, his expression changed as he remembered something.
"Wait…
Are those girls actually right!?
Are you gay or something?"
At this revelation, Mark crawled away from Kael, looking at him with fear evident in his eyes.
Soon, however, as if not wanting to get canceled, he slowly approached Kael and said,
"Look, dude…
Even if that is the case, I, uhh, will accept you as you are.
We live in an independent country, you can like anyone you wish, that is completely normal and I will support your decision…
…from a distance."
Mark spoke, and Kael, who heard his words, felt his mouth twitching.
"I see you no longer wish to pass your final semester exams."
Kael spoke, and in an instant, Mark's expression changed as he rushed towards Kael and grabbed his arm with a pitiful look on his face.
"C'mon man, you know I'm joking, don't you? You won't do something so petty for a simple joke, now will you? Hahaha~"
Mark laughed.
"…"
Kael, however, continued to stare at Mark, not saying anything.
"Kael! You cannot do this to me! You are the only one I have!"
For someone who wanted to support Kael's decision 'from a distance,' Mark's words were… quite suspicious.
However, no matter what Mark said, Kael stayed silent, continuing to observe him. Then, a wicked smile appeared on his face, and,
"You know what to do, no?"
"You…"
Mark widened his eyes in disbelief.
Kael's smile widened even further.
"You! I can't do it! Anything but this!"
"Oh well, if it's 'anything but this,' I guess you will be saving some money this time, after all, you won't need to buy the next semester's books, not that you buy any anyways."
Kael shrugged, and Mark's face paled.
"Dude, my mother will kill me! You know how she is!"
"I gave you the option, my friend." Kael shrugged, turning away.
Mark gritted his teeth and,
"Please help me, father!"
He shouted, his eyes closed because of how humiliated he felt.
Kael's smile widened,
"Of course I will, my dear son."
Mark clenched his fists in frustration, and Kael just laughed,
"Alright, sleep for 30 more minutes if you want, I'll go get freshened up."
Kael spoke as he stood up and walked into the bathroom.
…
An hour later, Kael and Mark were walking to the University. It was only a kilometer away from their room, so they usually chose to walk.
On their way, Kael was unusually silent, and Mark, who noticed that, turned to him.
"Thinking about that dream again?"
He questioned, this time, his face showed concern.
"This is the fourth time this week," Kael replied, turning towards him.
"It used to be a blurry, hazy vision that I'd dream about once every couple of months,
But now… now it's so vivid. I can see every face, remember every detail.
It doesn't even feel like a dream anymore.
It feels so… real."