"WINTER, is Julian your father's child with another woman?" his mother asked, obviously fuming. "Did he secretly introduce his illegitimate child to you?" Her mother, on the verge of crying, bit her lower lip. "Is that the reason why your father often comes home late?"

Now it was Winter's turn to be confused.

​​

All of a sudden, the strange world that he was thrown into faded in the background. His priority now was to comfort his crying mother. Moreover, he didn't want his father (in this world) to get into trouble.

"Mom, it's not like that," he said, then he put his hands on her shoulders. "Dad doesn't have an illegitimate child."

After all, Julian was his full-blooded brother.

"You're right," his mother said while wiping the tears off her face with her hands. "Kiho is not that kind of man."

He was relieved that his father in that world was still his dad.

But maybe Dad doesn't remember Julian as well.

It seemed like her parents in this world weren't the same ones from the world that he came from. Now that he had calmed down, he remembered what his mother used to call the second life that she had.

A modern world without magic.

An alternate world.

"But Winter, who is this Julian that you're talking about?" his mother asked curiously. "Why do you insist that he's your brother?"

It was no use explaining the truth to his mother in this world.

Whatever he'd say, she'd never get it. After all, this wasn't his real mother. And if he was wrong and it turned out that this wasn't an alternate world, then it could mean one thing.

I'm trapped in a world created by someone.

"It's nothing, Mom," he said, then he smiled innocently. "I just had a very realistic dream that I thought happened in real life. But now that I'm fully awake, I realized that I'm being silly. I'm sorry for making you worry, Mom."

Her mother laughed softly. "Oh, Winter. This is why you'll always be our baby," she said, then she gently patted his cheek. "What do you want for dinner, son?"

Winter smiled awkwardly, then he answered his mother's question while hoping that the dish in his mind also existed in this world. "I'm in the mood for some crabs and lobsters, Mom."

***

WINTER was more than relieved that crabs and lobsters were normal dishes in this world.

And for some reason, even though he was certain that this was the first time he saw the things around them, his body knew how to use them.

This is strange, he thought to himself while lying down on his huge bed and watching a 'film' in a huge, flat box called 'television.' He was even eating the 'popcorn' that his mother made for him. I shouldn't be relaxing this way but I can't help it.

"Winter, may I come in?"

He flinched when he heard the familiar voice of his father accompanied by a firm knock.

"Please come in, Dad," he said as he got up.

A few moments later and his father entered his room.

He was a little surprised to see that his dad wore clothes almost similar to the ones that he always wears in their world. But his father's navy blue three-piece suit right now was a lot simpler since it didn't come with a mantle or a cape.

Fortunately, his father, just like his mother, looked the same.

"I heard from your mother that you had a "realistic dream" where you have a brother called 'Julian,'" his father said, then he sat beside him and ruffled his hair. "You little rascal. I almost got into trouble with your mom because of your silly dream."

His father's tone wasn't accusatory. It was light and playful. Well, he was a little different from his father in his real world. But he could tell that he was a good father, too.

"Sorry, Dad," he said sheepishly. "I didn't mean to do that."

"It's okay, son," his father assured him. "Thankfully, your mother trusts me a lot."

"Dad?"

"Hmm?"

He bit his lower lip.

To be honest, he wanted to ask about Julian again. But he realized that it would be silly. After all, if his father in this world knew who Julian was, he would have mentioned it already.

"Nothing, Dad," he said.

"You need fresh air, son," his father said, then he smiled and extended his hand to him. "Shall we go for a ride?"

Winter didn't know what it means but he accepted his father's hand. "As you wish, Dad."

***

JULIAN never got over his shock as soon as he and Solenn got out of "school."

First, the moving vehicle called 'car' almost made him throw up. If it wasn't for his pride, he would have puked his guts out.

Thankfully, he was distracted by the sight that he saw on the road.

Apparently, the second thing that shocked him was called 'skyscraper.' And there were a lot of them. He also noticed that there were different types of moving vehicles. Moreover, the people that he saw outside wore strange clothes. He couldn't even look at the ladies whose legs were exposed.

I am really in a different world now.

But what shocked him the most was the people who greeted him when he and Solenn got to the mansion that was apparently his home.

"Julian, why do you look so pale?" his mother asked worriedly.

Yes, the lady looked like his mother in the world that she came from.

"Are you sick, son?" his father asked worriedly. "Do you want to go to the hospital?"

Yes, the man beside his mother also looked like his father.

Of course, their clothes looked strange to him.

Moreover, both his parents (in this world) had a normal eye and hair color: black. He noticed that most people in this world, or in that country at least, had dark eye and hair color. It was so different from the world that he came from.

"Julian was carsick, Aunt Tilly and Uncle Kiho," Solenn said when he was unable to give a response to his parents. "And he's been acting strange since we got out of school."

"Strange?" his parents asked Solenn at the same time.

Solenn nodded before she responded. "Julian thinks he has a younger brother named 'Winter.'"

The confusion on his parents' faces told him that they didn't have the memories that he had.

Both his mother and father didn't react when Solenn mentioned Winter's name. It was as if his younger brother didn't really exist in that world.

"Julian, perhaps…"

They all turned to his father when he spoke.

"Son," his father said, then he put his hands on his shoulders. "Is that your way of asking me and your mother to give you a younger brother?"

He was too embarrassed by what his father said that he couldn't give him a response.

On the other hand, her mother's face turned red.

Even Solenn felt second-hand embarrassment because she turned red and covered her face with her hands.

"Kiho," his mother called his father threateningly. "What are you saying in front of the children?"

His father just laughed it off. "Kids, please pretend that you didn't hear anything or else, my lovely wife will scold me later."

Solenn immediately covered her ears with her hands. "I didn't hear anything, future parents-in-law."

He blushed when he heard that from Solenn.

Lady Solenn is brazen even in this world.

On the other hand, his parents teased him as if they were already used to that kind of declaration from Solenn.

Julian, ever since he woke up from that world, finally smiled and relaxed.

In fact, even though it was a strange world for him, he somehow felt like that was where he truly belonged.

I wish this is reality.

***

"MOTHER, FATHER, you don't have to tuck me in bed," Julian said, embarrassed now that he was lying down between her mother and father. "I'm too old for this."

He spent almost three hours in the 'shower room' while trying to figure out how the stuff in there worked.

When he got out of the bathroom, his parents were already waiting for him in his room.

"You will always be a baby to us," his mother said gently while looking at him warmly. "Julian, are you really okay?"

"Solenn said that you were out of it the whole day," his father said. "If there's something bothering you, your mother and I are here to listen to you."

He was touched.

To be honest, he was exhausted.

After Solenn accompanied him home, she politely said goodbye to his family. Fortunately, her house was just next to theirs. He was relieved to know that he could come to her easily. After all, it was hard to navigate that world all by himself.

"I'm fine," he assured his parents. "Solenn is just a little worrywart."

I'm sorry, Lady Solenn.

"That's exactly why Solenn is going to be a good wife to you, son," her mother said teasingly. "She knows you like the back of her hand."

He blushed at that.

"Oho," his father said in an unusually cheerful voice. His father from another world wasn't as cheerful as his father here. He didn't dislike it though. "Do you finally accept your engagement with Solenn?"

"Engagement?" he asked, surprised. "I'm engaged with Lady– I mean, with Solenn?"

"Yes," his parents answered at the same time.

"But it's not official yet since both you and Solenn are still in high school," her mother said. "Plus, your engagement with Solenn is only decided by my father and Solenn's grandpa for the sake of our family business."

"You don't have to force yourself to marry a girl you don't love for the sake of our business though," his father said. "Your grandfather will hand the company to me and your mother. Once that time comes, we will take care of the problem. Your mom and I will make sure that you can break off your engagement with Solenn with no consequences."

He didn't really understand but he got the gist of it.

In this world, I'm engaged with Lady Solenn. But my parents aren't forcing me to marry her. And they don't need to anyway.

"I don't mind marrying Solenn."

He realized he said it out loud when both his parents gasped aloud.

Oh.

"It looks like our baby has grown up, huh?" his father said cheerfully. "Well, your mother and I will support your decision, son. Solenn is a good girl anyway."

"But don't be too serious with your relationship with Solenn yet," his mother pleaded with puppy dog eyes. "Julian, I'm not yet ready to see you getting married. I still want to dote on you. After all, you're our one and only child in this world."

He hated to admit this but he liked the sound of that.

To be his parents' one and only child…

"It's a dream come true," Julian whispered to himself, then he closed his eyes. "And I don't want to wake up from this dream anymore."

***

"JULIAN, WINTER, no!" Solenn yelled while banging on the wall with her tiny fists. "Don't get lured by that illusion!"

Right now, she was inside one of the many white and empty rooms on the Plane.

The wall in front of her was split into two screens.

On the left side, Winter's 'life' was being shown. On the right side, it was Julian's. And the more she sees how happy the two brothers were in their new lives, the more she worries.

"Wake up!" she yelled again, ignoring the pain in her throat after screaming for god knows how long. "We're still on the Plane! Don't you forget that!"

"There's only one way for them to "wake up" from that beautiful dream, young lady."

She froze when she heard the unfamiliar voice of a woman.

When she turned around, she was greeted by a beautiful lady. The stranger had long, golden hair and a pair of literally shining green eyes. She wore a simple yet elegant white robe with gold accents. That was considered as a normal outfit of gods.

A god, huh?

It made sense since they were on the Plane.

"Welcome back to the Plane, Solenn," the strange woman said cheerfully. "It seems like your companions are in trouble, huh?"

"Bring them back," she said firmly. She had many questions for the strange lady but she knew that she needed to bring Winter and Julian back to their senses. "Now!"

"Young lady, did the Supreme Fire Mage tell you about her second life in a world where Winter and Julian are currently in?"

"What about it?"

The strange woman smiled in amusement. "If the Supreme Fire Mage told you how she ended up back in this timeline, then you'd know how to bring your friends back to this world."

Her brows furrowed, then she gasped.

After all, she remembered how the Supreme's second life ended.

"Lady Soleil died in an accident in her second life," Solenn said softly. "Does it mean Winter and Julian have to die to wake up from their dream?"

"The Supreme didn't return because she died in her second life," the strange woman said seriously this time. "She was able to return because she sacrificed the most important thing to her in that 'lifetime.'"

***

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