There were several things Kimani noticed before he fully woke up.

  First, he was well rested. This was very strange, considering he had spent his night glued to his desk studying until very late.

  Second, he lay on a pillow that was so soft his head sank in and on a strangely comfortable bed, far more comfortable than he was accustomed to. He did not remember falling asleep or going to his bed.

  Third, this was not his bed.

  He heard the knocking of a door originating from his left.

  He heard a voice that he presumed to be a girl’s beyond the door.

  “Master Lucien, are you awake?”

  …Master Lucien?

  Upon opening his eyes, he confirmed that it was, in fact, not his bed. It wasn’t even his room. The room was much larger than his usual studio apartment

  Knock. Knock.

  “Lady Selene requests your audience.” The feminine voice spoke once more.

  Who the hell is Lady Selene?

  As he sat up fully on the bed that definitely was not his, he tried to make sense of his situation.

  He could only make one conclusion.

  The large European-style bedroom that could only belong to a noble, the extremely comfortable bed, and the voice outside that called out a name that wasn’t his: it must have been a dream.

  He swung his legs off the comically large bed that looked like it should fit at least nine people when the pain hit him.

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  “Agh! Ah!” he cried out instinctively.

  An aching exploded within his skull.

  Then, two more knocks.

  “Master Lucien, are you okay?”

  It took a second for the pain to mellow down, but eventually he replied.

  “Yes, give me a second,” he replied hesitantly.

  Kimani thought that since it was just a dream, he should go along with it. He’d read somewhere that one should go as along with lucid dreams. Otherwise, they may turn into lucid nightmares.

  With that in mind, he made his way towards the source of the knocks.

  An extravagant wooden door with engravings that once again reminded him that he was not in any place he was familiar with stood before him.

  He twisted the doorknob.

  “Good afternoon, Master Lucien.”

  In front of him stood a small girl. She donned a tuxedo-like outfit, complete with a long, pearly white coat and pants. Enveloped by the coat was a neatly buttoned shirt.

  She stood out to him.

  Not because of her short silver hair, nor her eyes covered by a red blindfold accented with sweeping gold designs.

  She stood out because of her pale skin.

  Kimani himself was used to the darker tones of the people of his home country.

  “G-good morning.”

  “It is the afternoon, Master Lucien,” she corrected, maintaining her flat tone of voice.

  He let out a self-deprecating chuckle.

  Ouch, I didn’t know dreams were this strict.

  Kimani assumed she was a maid of some sort. Her outfit gave it away. Well, minus the strange blindfold.

  The silver-haired maid then opened her mouth to speak.

  “As you instructed, I’m here to inform you that Lady Selene is approaching. In fact, she should be here right about now.”

  “As I instru-?”

  Before he could finish his question, what could only be described as the sharp shrill of a dying animal boomed through the hallways.

  “LUCIIEEEENNNNN!!!!!!”

  The blindfolded maid put her hands to her ears casually, as if she had done so many times before. The sound of many footsteps, like a large crowd, could then be heard coming from the left direction of the hallway.

  I see now why I must have instructed her to tell me that…

  A red-haired girl was now running towards them at full speed.

  “LUCIEENNNNN! YOU DUMBASSSSS!!”

  She twisted her body as she ran, her arm in the position of a baseball pitcher.

  What the—

  Then, a sharp burning on his cheek.

  His head turned, forced by the hand that slapped him.

  The silver-haired maid had ducked forward, almost in a bow, as if anticipating the sudden attack.

  “Good afternoon Lady Se—”

  “LUCIENNN YOU, IDIOT! YOU BUFFOON! YOU BASTARD!” the red-haired girl cried out, seemingly ignoring the maid’s greetings.

  She stood there looking at him angrily, baring her teeth at him like a rabid animal.

  The heat on Kimani’s cheek, the strange situation, and the headache that banged on in his head left him doubting his earlier assumption.

  Is this really a dream?