11 Percy's First Dream

Percy's mind was reeling. He wanted to scream out from the force that was ripping him apart from the inside. He opened his eyes and he expected to see the nurse and Mitchell in front of him, but instead, all he saw was dazzling lights around him. Even though he had never experienced this before, his mind told him what was happening.

He was inside his brain...and was slowly entering the Dream System.

His feet landed on the same spot Tiara's had landed the first time she came. His eyes widened as the Intro video stopped playing and a luminous screen opened up in front of him.

"So many options…" he sighed as his eyes skimmed over Sword, Flower and...Pillow?

"Why all these weird options? Let me look at some real Races."

His lips curled up in a smile as he saw his favorite option glitter on the screen. It was the Deluxe version of the game and all Races, even the most attractive ones were open. Without hesitation, Percy chose his Race.

"Congratulations, you are now Royalty!" the system spoke inside his head.

"Awesome."

The next time he felt the ground underneath him, he was in the biggest palace he had ever seen. It was a shining morning and golden stallions trotted over to the side mounted by the most beautiful princes of the kingdom. Princesses with their elegant gowns, strode like feathers across the marbles tiles chatting with their servants or other princesses themselves. Guards, maids, and other errand boys filled the area.

Percy took in a breath at the sight. He walked across the lush gardens to stand in front of the main door of the ornate palace. He placed a hand on it and somehow, felt a weird connection.

"Prince Hao!"

Percy's head whipped around to meet with a beautiful girl running up to him. Her dress billowed around her in cloudy locks that would mesmerise any boy that laid eyes on her. Her eyes were wide and the blues in her irises became bluer as she smiled, dimples on her soft cheeks.

But Percy was oblivious to all that. Instead the first thing he said was, "What the…"

His hands flew to his hair and stroked it in a weird manner. He had had short hair that was recently cut. It wasn't military style but short enough to be comfortable to walk around in.

Now he saw huge locks of his hair flying around him and he pulled it, thinking it was just a wig. But it stuck on his head and gasped, "Oh God. I'm a girl?!"

The young girl stopped in her tracks and looked him once over, "Prince Hao, what are you saying?"

Percy looked up at her, then behind him to see if anyone was there, then back at her again, "Who's Prince Hao?"

She laughed, the most beautiful laugh he had ever heard and patted his shoulder, "You are Prince Hao! Are you playing pranks right now?"

Percy narrowed his eyes and stiffened before raising a finger, "Give me a minute!"

She was confused but nodded, deciding to give him the space.

Percy looked left and right, his long black hair following his head in waves, and then dashed for what looked like a public restroom. Inside, he locked himself and sat upon the wooden bench which acted as a closet seat.

"System," he whispered, "Open Character profile."

The system laughed inside his head, a more robotic laugh this time, "No need to be so formal, your highness. Alright, you have finally asked me to show you. Here it is."

A long panel opened up in front of his eyes and the small words hurt his eyes. Moreover he was too impatient to read the whole thing with all the newness of it buzzing inside his head.

"Read it out."

A minute later, Percy straightened out his black locks of hair and took in a breath before opening the toilet door. He stepped outside in grace and met the waiting girl outside.

"Greetings, m'lady. What brings you here, today?" he asked, now perfectly in character. The girl before him was the youngest daughter of Lord Wu Fai, the Elder of the Majestic Rose Sect.

"Prince Hao, I thought you got the Old Man's disease for a second!" she joked and came back to seriousness immediately, "The Royal Court needs your presence, your highness. An unexpected execution is about to take place. There are some elders, including my own father, who oppose this and need you to convince the Emperor to take back his words."

The Emperor, Percy remembered from the System. He was the Elder of the Eternal Golden Phoenix Sect and has been ruling Zirlock for the past 40 years. He was an old stick, but his brain was as big as Russia.

A beep sounded inside his head, "Player, I suggest you don't think of the real world right now. The more you do it, the more your HP drops."

Percy gritted his teeth and brought himself back to Zirlock.

"And why should I be the one to do it?"

The Lady took in a breath, "You really did get the Old Man's disease."

What? Percy was lost. What piece of information had he missed?

Seeing that Prince Hao had no clue, the Lady spoke, "Why, it's because you are the Emperor's son! The Crown Prince of Zirlock."

Percy felt like an arrow had stabbed his chest. "Oh."