The sun's rays streamed through the window, shining on his forehead. He realized it was time to get up, but lazily rolled over onto his other side. The dream adventure was exhausting for him. The fight for the necklace, the pink-haired girl, and the fiery wolf were abstractions even to him. He opened his normal eyes. Only in his dreams did he not wear contact lenses, so they lay on the nightstand, ready for use. Finally, he got up with a smile on his face. He was glad to return to his normal life.

  He stretched and then did a dozen jumping jacks. That way, he woke up completely. He poured food into his pet's bowl, who was clearly surprised by the early breakfast. The sun had just risen, and there were three hours until his first class. He decided to leave now and think about what to do with his free time later. He put on his mandatory black cloak. Before he left, he glanced at the drawer. For some reason, he didn't want to wear his necklace.

  He left the house. His first stop was the candy store. After a fifteen-minute walk, he found himself in an alley full of trees. He frowned, realizing that his worst fears had been confirmed. Next to the building was a truck that had brought in the entire renovation crew. Business must have been booming, though his belongings had been destroyed. This was typical of Albert, as the man always tried to think clearly. The Apostle of Destruction looked at the work in progress. They were just installing a new window that overlooked the display. They were working quickly, and the entire renovation could be completed within two days. Standing next to the shopkeeper, he immediately made eye contact. He approached the man, sweat streaming down his face. He knew that now he would have to explain the abstract fight.

  "Well..." He tried to think of something to say, but the man beat him to it.

  "I'm sorry!"Albert held out his hand. Seeing the disbelief in his eyes, he decided to elaborate. "I didn't believe your... stories... But I saw with my own eyes what enemies you're fighting and...

  "If you didn't believe me, then don't believe me. The apostle shook his head. "I have no idea what happened yesterday either."

  "Right." Albert scratched his chin. "You looked pretty confused."

  "That's right." He laughed grimly. "Apparently, they think I'm what I pretend to be."

  "Didn't you want that?" Shopkeeper asked soberly. "It's the first time anyone has taken you seriously."

  "That's what worries me. I never wanted it to go beyond just fun and talk." Being a great warrior was always supposed to be just in his head. Now he had to deal with his lies, which were connected to an abstract reality. He sincerely hoped that he would never meet anyone from another world again. Still, deep down, he knew there was no turning back and he had to face the unknown.

  "But now here you are" Albert lit a cigarette. "Not only my son and his friends think you're a hero. I'll try to be a good informant too!" He laughed loudly.

  "You're joking!" Apostole clenched his teeth."You almost died because of me... Your store."He kicked a piece of debris.

  "I was going to renovate anyway." He lied. "The insurance covered everything, so don't worry." Seeing the uncertainty on the boy's face, he patted him on the shoulder. "I know it's hard to keep up appearances, but you've always done it. I understand that you're worried about us, but the real danger will be if you abandon the act." Albert was absolutely right. Currently, the absurd authority of the destroyer of worlds was able to protect everyone. All he had to do was be confident. For the first time in his life, he had to become the Apostle of Destruction.

  "Yes. I won't let you down." He nodded.

  "And that's the Apostle of Destruction I know!" Albert smiled.

  He waved to him as he walked away toward the school. A huge weight fell from his shoulders. It was wonderful to tell someone the truth. He knew that the shopkeeper would be the only person who would know it.

  He took his time, as he had plenty of it. He savored every second of the walk. He was just passing the square where Lesteria had given a concert. He remembered how much he liked her music. Maybe she would play for him again someday. He also wondered if the Swarm had left town after yesterday's incident. Maybe someone was even hunting him now. The thought gave him goosebumps.

  Who would be crazy enough to attack the Destroyer of Worlds?

  That's how he calmed himself down. The argument was spot on. He was significantly higher in imaginary power scaling than the others here. The situation would change if someone learned the truth. Albert had reason to worry. One break in the illusion meant certain death.

  There wasn't a single person standing in front of the school. Quite an unusual sight, considering that it was so early for the first day. He had an idea that he wanted to implement as soon as possible. He walked silently along the sidewalk surrounded by greenery, quickly reaching the glass door. He grabbed the handle and, to his delight, found that it was open. He breathed a sigh of relief as he took off his shoes. He closed the locker and then headed down the hallway. He had to think for a moment about where to find the place he was looking for, as he had never been there before. After a moment's walk, Apostole stood in front of a strangely old-fashioned door that did not fit in with the futuristic school at all. He pushed the oak door slightly, and a huge room appeared before his eyes. The library had several floors and looked impressive. The sheer number of different books brought to mind the most epic fantasy scenes.

  I'm sure I'll find something here... He smiled to himself.

  "Apostle of Destruction here? That is quite rare sight, is it not? " He jumped when he heard the low voice. His peer appeared as if out of nowhere. The dark-haired boy wore a gray sweater and had round reading glasses on his nose. He was wiping them with a red cloth. In his other hand, he held a comically large volume in an unknown language.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  "Do you know who I am?" He took a step back. Boy did not take his eyes off his potential enemy. "Are you from the Swarm?"

  "The Swarm?"he asked thoughtfully. The bespectacled man's dark eyes calmly examined the newcomer.

  "What do you mean? Everyone at this school knows who you are. You don't often see weirdos like you." There was no hostility in his words. He was simply saying what he thought.

  That makes sense. The Apostle was used to being treated this way. He glanced once more at the cabinets full of books, reaching up to the ceiling.

  "Do you live here?" Apostole sat down at the librarian's desk.

  "Because I'm here often. I see. Funny..." His expression and tone didn't match what he was saying. "Did you know that comedy didn't exist in ancient China?"

  "Really?" The boy frowned.

  "No. It was a joke."He replied with a straight face.

  I don't think we're going to like each other...

  Nice... He didn't get to finish because the boy interrupted him.

  "I spend every free moment here,"he replied to the previous question."I want to be a lawyer, and for that I need to study a lot."

  "Don't you prefer spending time with your friends?" asked the Apostle.

  "Pointing out the irony in what you're saying would be too obvious, so I'll refrain from commenting." The pot calling the kettle black. They were both outcasts and they knew it.

  "Lois." He introduced himself briefly. In the meantime, he was moving a small ladder because he had to put away a stack of books.

  "Nice to meet you..." He remembered why he had come here. Scratching his head, he scanned the nearest volumes. "Is there a book here about... mythology?" He didn't know exactly what he was looking for, so he gave a vague term that might fit.

  "Greek, Norse, Aztec..." He began to list them, pointing to random shelves.

  "No... I mean something like there are heroes and some..." He sounded like a child trying to explain his dream to an adult. Librarian raised an eyebrow, and the Apostle surrendered to his critical gaze.

  "Fantasy?" He asked.

  "No! ...I mean, yes."After a moment, however, he realized that theoretically, he was right. Lois silently moved deeper into the maze of books. Leading him to his destination, he became a little lost in thought.

  "People are quite boring. That's one of the reasons I hang out here. I don't look down on them, but I can't identify with them..." He confided."You, however, are quite interesting. People look at you like you're crazy, but you stick to your guns. I can't figure out your motivation." The Apostle of Destruction didn't like talking about it, so he didn't answer.

  "Thanks." He accepted the bizarre out of pocket compliment nonetheless. To think that just yesterday he was ready to abandon his alter ego. It turns out that some people respect him for his unyielding attitude. He was glad about that, because now, even if he wanted to, he couldn't change.

  The librarian pointed to the nearest bookshelf and then walked away without a word toward the center of the room. Without hesitation, Apostle pulled out the first book he saw. It was a work of prose about the fate of a hero. Classic, but he had to look through everything.

  He wondered if any author had dealt with other worlds and perhaps described their experience. Such a vision filled him with optimism, which unfortunately had no basis in reality. After a long search, he realized that fiction novels were not the answer. He needed something like an encyclopedia. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Louis walking by.

  "Are you familiar with the term'Destroyer of Worlds'"? He asked.

  "That's what you call yourself, isn't it?," he remarked. "Why are you looking for something you made up? Copyright?" He approached to clear away the pile of books.

  "It's a little more complicated than that" Apostole explained, impatiently turning the pages.

  Then maybe check the internet. he suggested, grabbing the last book. Redhaired boy rolled his eyes. Of course, he had already tried to find the information he needed that way, but his efforts had been unsuccessful. In truth, he doubted that someone with extensive knowledge of other worlds would decide to share it on an internet forum. He sighed, closing the voluminous tome.

  Maybe another time.

  The first class was approaching, and he was already sitting in his seat. He stared blankly at the empty blackboard. He could hear the voices of his amused peers all around him. He became sad as he turned toward the nearby empty desk. He sincerely believed that Jase's arrival would mean the end of his loneliness. He tapped impatiently on the glass window next to which he was sitting. Surely, a true friend would appear someday. Someone with whom he could be himself.

  The teacher entered the classroom. The woman looked agitated, and the Apostle knew exactly why. She kept looking away, trying to figure out how to put it into words. She placed the journal on the desk.

  "I have two pieces of news for you. First, Jase has been arrested on charges of terrorism." Seeing the shocked faces of her students, she just shrugged. She herself had no idea how this had happened. "Second... We have a new student."

  The Apostle of Destruction covered his face with his hands. He knew exactly where this was going. He hated this trope. A familiar face entered the classroom. She was wearing the same short jeans. This time, however, she had a school uniform white shirt, which did not match her chaotic appearance at all. She bowed low to her peers.

  "My name is Lesteria De Feen." She wrote with a marker on the board.

  "She's from abroad... I think." The teacher had never heard that name before. The girl skipped over to a nearby desk that had belonged to Jase just yesterday. The boy looked away.

  "Well then..." The lesson began, and he could still feel his neighbor's piercing gaze. The break began, and he could no longer ignore her. He returned her gaze and saw her sparkling eyes. She lay with her head on the bench, sweetly staring at him.

  "How can I help you, assistant?" He forced himself to

  "So you remember me!" She clapped her hands.

  "Of course I do..."

  "You didn't look at me, and I thought you had forgotten..." She lowered her gaze. "I thought I wasn't important to you..."

  There it is, her deadly self-esteem.

  "I've never had such a good assistant." He wasn't lying. The girl perked up and, with a smile on her face, moved her desk closer to his. Seeing her enthusiasm, he decided to continue the conversation. However, he felt the students' strange glances. It was as if they were already judging Lester. Surely, because of this conversation, they were beginning to label her as one of the weirdos.

  "Maybe it's better if we don't talk," he advised from the heart. "You see... I'm not the most popular guy."

  "Are you kidding me!?" She moved closer, crossing the comfort zone. "I came here for you, not for them!" He struggled to suppress a blush. "You gave up a peaceful life to fight evil. Those mortals don't realize how much you've done for them! I'm here to help you in this fight. After all, that Jase guy just infiltrated this place."

  The flood of emotions won the battle against common sense. Apostole didn't expect to hear something like that. The girl believed in him wholeheartedly, not realizing how pathetic he really was. Fortunately, his quick reflexes prevented her from noticing this moment of weakness.

  "Thanks." That was all he could say. Lesteria, however, did not realize the significance of those words.