The Truth.

Panting, I regained my balance as I faced my opponent. The air around me seemed suddenly warm and my hands were uncomfortably clammy. I watched my opponent as he moved his right foot forward. I readied myself for the impending clash of swords. After all that was his tell. Just as I thought, the man lunged at me with his large sword and I parried quickly. A sickening sound made itself known as iron met iron.

I jumped back.This guy was strong alright and his sword was much larger than my own. This was no easy fight. Or was it...?

I looked around at my surroundings. A river ran across the meadow we stood upon but other than that there was nothing special and no was around for miles ( Well, at least as far as I could see.)

Of course, I wouldn't want help yet. Not until I haven't tried first.

A familiar euphoria rushed over me as a small smile almost crept across my features. I had a plan.

'Ring!'

Then, I came back to planet earth.

'Haven't you finished your sum yet?'

'Huh?'

I blinked as I tried to regain my bearings. I was a swordsman. No, I was apparently just a 2nd year junior high student. Though, I must say, I thought I knew better.

'You're going to get into trouble if you keep laying off your work y'know?'

I looked up into the eyes of my friend, Akio Shinguchi. He stared at me in mock scorn. I smiled and glanced at the maths sum in question. It was too easy.

'Oh, I'll manage to wriggle away.'

Akio gave me a knowing smile.

'Well, pack your bag fast, or I'll have to go home without you.'

'Heh, in a minute!'

Home. I had to go home. I shivered inwardly with a certain kind of anticipation. I desperately wanted to go home yet I was also afraid. The new chapter will be released. How will the battle go...?

Suddenly sombre, I hopped out of my seat in an attempt to hide my changed mood. Plastering a big smile on my face, I rushed out of school alongside Akio.

'Hey, did you read 'Psychopath' yet?' asked Akio as we walked down a lane.

I grimaced inwardly. Unfortunately for me, my friend was obsessed with morbid...well, everything. Unless it involved cute animals.

'No, it sounds so...weird.'

He turned around to face me, eyes wide.

'You should read it! It's very bloody! I love blood! Uh, noh noh noh noh...'

I stared at him, amused.

'What?! Well, I still didn't master that way of laughing, but still!'

Laughing, I thumped my bag against Akio.

'Sadist!' I called him.

After a split second of shock, he retaliated.

'Jerk!' He said as he pushed me away with his own bag.

We started running, hitting our bags against each other until we reached the end of the lane.

Blue eyes glinting, he waved me good bye.

'Adiós!'

'Bye!' I replied back as I thought of how our eye colours were nearly the same. The only difference was that mine was dark blue as opposed to a sky blue.

It was lucky that my house was only four blocks away from the end of that lane. Alone, my mind had already begun to venture into the fears I held.

'Mum, I'm back!' I called out as I walked into my home. I could hear the sounds of television and saw a glimpse of tell-tale golden curls.

'How was school?' she asked, turning around.

'Good!'

I did not know whether I looked too much like my mother. Well, I certainly looked more like her than I did of my father.

Like her I had yellow blond hair and generally Caucasian features while my dad looked completely Japanese.

My maternal grandparents were from the USA after all.

I sighed, glancing at the clock. Still a little less than an hour to go.

...

Finally! I sat down, giddy with excitement. The chapter I had been wanting to read. I switched on my computer as my fingers waited readily to type in the manga's name 'Blade Fables '. It was time! I would finally know what will happen. Or would I?

For when I opened the web browser and typed in what I wanted, the following message popped up.

'Unable to connect to the internet.'

I groaned.

'Mum!'

'Yes?'

'The internet's not connected!'

'I know.'

'Huh?'

'No more internet for you until the exams are over.'

'But-'

'No buts, you need to study.'

A certain kind of warmth rushed over me as I registered what she said. It was not the kind of warmth that made you feel all fuzzy inside. No, it was the kind of warmth that made you want to lash out. I threw back my chair and stood up.

How could she do that?! Why would she do that?!

The week before's chapter showed one of the main characters, Ahio Sora, locked in a dangerous battle. That day's chapter should show the conclusion of that battle.

What if Ahio died? What if I need to form a plan to save him in case he really was destined to die? What if there was something I needed to know before then?! What if..? What if..?

Why was I so worried?

I believed I was a swordsman. A swordsman from the world of 'Blade Fables '.

At this point you might be wondering. What did I mean when I said 'believed '? Simple. I had no proof. Then how had I known what I believed was real? Even simpler. Intuition.

Now that may seem like I was delusional. How could I believe in something without proof? Then it was obviously not real.

For me, believing in that was like my brain believing that a leaf was green. It was obvious. What I felt, was that it was true. The same as the brain somehow interprets electromagnetic waves of a certain frequency as green.

I could have been wrong. But what you believe makes you who you are. And if you, in turn, become someone you would have wanted to have become, wouldn't it have been worth it? Wouldn't it have, technically, made you right?

Dejected I sighed and sat on my bed. I felt helpless, useless, and frantically tried to think of an idea. Suddenly, I had an 'aha' moment.

Quickly I stood up and dialled Akio's number. I could get him to narrate that week's chapter. Yes! I felt like patting myself on the back!

Then I realised that the phone was cut off.

'Mom! Can I use your phone?'

'I won't allow you to use the phone or visit your friends 'till the exams are over.'

'What?! Why?'

'Well, you're obviously going to waste your time chatting about nothing much, so...'

That was it! I sat on his bed again, trying to clear my mind as I tried to think of a way to negotiate with my mother. Taking deep breathes, I thought.

When everything suddenly went dark.

...

Slowly, I opened my eyes. When did I close them? What I saw in front of me took my breath away.

Along my peripheral vision, I caught glimpses of a wooden floor and beige walls. There was a desk and a chair to my left and a peach sheeted bed on my right. I was standing on a blue carpet.

The sight in front of me pulled me as though it was basking for my attention.

There was an open window framed by short, billowy curtains. The view they framed told me something.

I was a boy who believed he lived in two worlds. I had no proof.

Yet I was right.

I was in my room. My room... in the world of 'Blade Fables '.