Trapped in a Dream World

The night felt unusually long for Kaito. Sitting in front of his laptop, he was busy with his freelancing job as a back-end programmer. The monotonous work was often broken up by moments spent watching his favorite anime, What is love, a fantasy romance filled with court intrigue and magic. In this world, Rena a kind-hearted and pure village girl constantly faced dangers set up by Livia, a cunning noblewoman who detested Rena’s relationship with Prince Alex.
Sipping his coffee, Kaito recalled the scenes where Rena was nearly caught in one of Livia’s traps. “If only I were there, I’d definitely stop all of Livia’s schemes,” he muttered, annoyed. Time and again, he’d watched Livia attempt to harm Rena to win over Prince Alex’s attention. Kaito often wished he could protect Rena himself.
He clicked “Next Episode” even though fatigue had already begun to tug at him. However, it didn’t take long before his head slumped forward, and he drifted into sleep at his desk. In his dreams, he felt his body falling into an endless darkness.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a place he could never have imagined. A clear blue sky stretched above him, and the fresh scent of flowers and grass was too vivid to be anything but real. Around him were trees and classic architecture that seemed both grand and familiar.
“Is this... the royal gardens from What is love?” Kaito thought, his heart racing. "No way... I can't actually be inside the anime!"
But everything around him felt intensely real. He could feel the breeze on his face, the soft ground underfoot not just some animated scenery. Kaito looked at his own hands, trying to make sense of this. Then, he heard a soft, familiar voice from behind him.
“Are you alright?”
He turned and found himself face-to-face with a girl he recognized immediately: Rena, with her gentle smile. She looked exactly like she did in the anime, with a kind expression and an innocent gaze. Kaito froze, overwhelmed that he was meeting his favorite character in person. Right then and there, he felt an overwhelming urge to protect her the same feeling he had often experienced watching her from the real world.
“My name is Rena,” she said softly.
“Oh... I’m... Kaito,” he stammered, still stunned.
As Kaito and Rena exchanged a few words, the sound of approaching footsteps caught their attention. A few palace guards were heading their way, greeting Rena respectfully. However, one of them shot a suspicious look in Kaito’s direction.
“Who is this man?” one of the guards asked sternly. The tension in the air was unmistakable. Kaito felt nervous, not wanting to cause any trouble.
But as he felt the scrutiny of the guards, a strange power suddenly surged within him. He felt a cool energy pulsing in his hands, and a bright light one black and one white began swirling around his fingers. The intensity was astonishing, and the guards took a step back, startled.
“What... what is this?” Kaito whispered, his gaze locked on the black and white orbs hovering above his hands.
Rena looked at him, amazed. “Kaito... are you a mage?”
Kaito fell silent, both confused and shocked by this newfound power. But that feeling was soon replaced by a new sense of purpose. He realized that these elements black and white were magical abilities that might help him protect Rena.
Just as he was processing this discovery, another set of footsteps approached. Emerging from behind a tree was a girl in a red dress with a haughty expression. With wavy blonde hair and a cold stare, she was unmistakable to Kaito. It was Livia, the noblewoman who constantly schemed to harm Rena.
Livia glanced at Kaito, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. “Who is this man, Rena?” she asked icily.
“Oh, he’s... he’s new to the village,” Rena replied innocently, unaware of the malice in Livia’s eyes.
Kaito could feel Livia evaluating him with distrust. Although it was his first time seeing her in person, her presence filled him with an unease that was hard to ignore. "Could she already be plotting something against Rena?" he thought, instinctively clenching his fists.
Livia stepped closer, her gaze sharpening. “You look... different. Don’t even think you can get close to Rena so easily,” she said with a threatening tone.
Kaito restrained himself, deciding not to reveal his magical powers just yet. He knew this wasn’t the time to draw too much attention. But inwardly, he vowed to protect Rena from any threat including Livia. This might be his favorite anime’s world, but his feelings were real, and he wouldn’t allow anyone to harm Rena.
After Livia left, Kaito let out a sigh of relief. He realized that this first encounter might just be the beginning of the conflicts he would face. The magical powers he had discovered within himself filled him with newfound confidence. The white element felt calm and protective, while the black element held a fierce, destructive force.
“Is this a dream or reality?” he whispered, clenching his hand.
But Rena’s gentle and trusting smile filled him with determination. “Thank you for keeping me company, Kaito. It’s so nice to have a new friend,” she said warmly.
Kaito returned her smile. In his heart, he silently made a promise to protect this girl no matter what happened. “I don’t know how I got here, but I’ll make sure Rena never has to suffer again.”