The next morning, Alex dragged himself out of bed, his eyes heavy with fatigue. His mother, Sarah, greeted him in the kitchen with a warm smile.
"Morning, sweetie. Did you sleep okay?" she asked as she flipped pancakes on the stove.
Alex rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Yeah, Mom, I'm fine," he mumbled, though it couldn't have been farther from the truth.
His little sister, Lily, bounced into the kitchen, full of energy as always. "Guess what, Alex? I had the coolest dream last night! I was a superhero and saved the whole town from zombies!"
Alex's heart skipped a beat at Lily's words. His own dream had been anything but heroic. He forced a smile for his sister's sake. "That sounds awesome, Lily."
As he sat down at the breakfast table, he couldn't help but wonder if his dreams were somehow connected to Lily's. He had to find out more, but he didn't want to alarm his family. For now, he decided to keep his worries to himself, but he knew that something strange was happening, and it was only the beginning.