Realm of Redemption: The Hidden World

Sarutobi, Sarutobi, Sarutobi. I woke up to the sound of my mother calling me for breakfast. I quickly got up, headed to the bathroom, washed my face, and then joined my mom and dad. We are a small family of three, living happily. My dad runs a ramen shop, and my mom manages the household and helps my dad in the shop.

This is my small world, and I don't want it to change. I went to school with excitement to see my friend Loki. We've been friends since kindergarten because our mothers made us friends, and we've been close ever since. Loki has long black hair and delicate features; she can be compared to a sunflower at sunset. Despite her delicacy and beauty, she is strong. People often wondered about our friendship, thinking I was friends with her only for protection since I was often bullied and had a frail build.

Class began after Loki sat beside me, telling me about her weekend adventures in the Andes Mountains. She was full of enthusiasm and even brought me a squirrel tooth that she and her father had killed, tied to a necklace. It was strange, but Loki is charming. The lesson ended, and suddenly we heard loud, blaring sirens throughout the city, followed by this announcement: "The Earth's core temperature has risen significantly. In one year, it will explode, leading to the extinction of all living beings on the planet." I stood in shock, with many memories rushing through my mind, especially the day I discovered my secret. I didn't know why I remembered it then, but I felt the danger and knew in that moment that everything had collapsed and I was in a different predicament than everyone else. Many questions, which only I could answer, came to mind. Would I let everyone perish—Loki, my mom, my dad, everyone?

The announcement ended, and silence enveloped the surroundings until it was broken by the principal, who told us not to panic and to go home. I entered the house to find my mom sitting motionless, staring at the TV as if frozen by the shock. I called her name, and she started to cry, hugging me tightly. I couldn't grasp the severity of the announcement until I saw my mom so frightened. I stood frozen for a moment before rushing to my room, looking at my secret, my world, and recalling the first day I discovered it two years ago. Time had flown by since that day .

I was sleeping, and it was midnight when I started feeling a breeze on my face. I thought I had left the window open, so I got up and closed it. Despite that, I still felt the breeze, which annoyed me. I got up and began searching for the source, spending an hour looking around my room until I found a small hole, just big enough to fit my finger. I stared at it, wondering why there was a hole in my room and how I hadn't noticed it before. On impulse, I decided to stick my finger in it, and to my surprise, the hole widened and sucked me in. 

There I was, falling through the air. The shock was so overwhelming that I couldn't even scream. I never imagined my end would come like this; I hadn't said goodbye to my mom, dad, or Loki. As I kept falling, I grew bored and fell asleep during the fall. This surprised me—facing my death, and I ended up sleeping in my final moments.

I woke up screaming, only to find myself in a lake, but it wasn't water; it was a gelatinous substance. Half of my body was submerged in it, and the other half was on top. I tried to get up but couldn't. The thought crossed my mind that this was just a dream and that my mom would call me for breakfast any moment now.

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