Rex is a first year high-schooler with apparent eighth grade syndrome, always dreaming of a world with sword and magic. Actually he isn't delusional. He knows well that the modern world he lives in doesn't have such thing, but it doesn't stop him from dreaming. Still, because of how he acts, he has never has an actual friend. His classmates are always laughing at him, but he know some of them actually has the same wish as him: Being transported to another world like those web novels on the internet. Still, they hide that from people, keeping it as their little secret. Meanwhile, Rex shows his dream all the time, from custom printed T-shirt to full-blown costume, giving the class a good laugh every now and then by yelling non-sense.

His teacher has tried contacting his parents about this problem. His mother has disappeared since he was very young. He doesn't remember much about her. His father, Zet, a small grocery store owner, doesn't seem to care about his delusion. The birthday present Zet gives him every year are always one of those JRPG set in a sword and magic world.

"Everyone has their liking, one have the right to live their life however their want." Rex's father usually said. That might apply to himself too. Other than his friendly attire, Zet doesn't have any talent in running a store. Even though the business has been falling due to a Supermarket opened on the same street, he still desperately clings to his store, running it like a hobby.

Today is like any other day, I was walking home from school after giving the classmates a good laugh by attempting to Teleport out of the class. I know it's not possible, but it's still a fun thing to do. Just watch, if one days we get mass-summoned to another world, I'm going to be the strongest of the bunch due to sheer 'experience'!

I could now see dad's store from afar. However, it's not openning like usual. He finally has to close the store, I guess. The neighbor has been suspecting him of doing shady business since he isn't bothered by the negative income of the store.

Walking to behind the store where we live, I find a truck is waiting there. Dad is probably selling everything. I hope we could get through this dark time… with magic is the best. I know it's selfish of me to wish myself transported to another world when dad is having a bad time. But, if I really disappeared, would dad's burden lessen with one fewer mouth to feed?

"Yo Rex! You return in the right time. I could use some help." Dad appears from the back door used to transfer goods in and out. He is carrying a cardboard box used to pack bags of snacks.

"Aw, I like that brand." I jest. It's not like I'm a fatty who lives off high calorie food like that.

"Oh, it's not the grocery that I'm moving. I'm sorry to tell you a bit late, Rex, but we are moving."

I'm currently sitting on the passenger seat of the truck. It seems dad will drive it himself. I didn't ask for details about the moving as it might be a sensitive topic. Bankrupt? Or the pressure from running a failing business? Even though those might be the case, dad's face always has a constant smile like everything is okay.

On my side, everything is okay. I don't have friend, inside or outside school. All of my contacts are online, which I could access easily as long as I have internet. I pull out my smart phone to check for time. It's 2PM. We just had a light lunch, the last meal in this house. I don't have any sentiment for this place, so I don't think about it too much. Dad has sold the store/house along with all the grocery. Anything we could bring, we stacked them in the cargo of the truck. It's not like we have that many belongings. My stuffs are a game console along with some game CDs, some clothes, the hard drive that contains my stuffs (I use dad's laptop) and anything school-related.

During my high-school day, dad once told me that I didn't need to go to school if I didn't want to, dad would find me a job. I believed it's just dad worrying about me not having friends at school, though I don't think I could have a good life in this world without finishing college. I'm not a pessimist but whenever I think about the bleak future I might have, I escape reality by playing games. This time, without the console, I decide to 'escape reality' by playing game on my phone.

Dad enters the truck and sits on the driver seat. I have seen him driving, so I don't have to worry about that. What I'm worrying about is the constant smile on his face. He just lost his house, his store, his job/hobby but he acts like it's nothing. If I was more talkative, I'd console dad with a few words. But I know it'd make things more awkward.

"Rex, fasten your seatbelt. It's going to be a bumpy ride." Dad's smile makes his words sound like a joke. He could do that at this time, he is such an optimist. I guess my personality was inherited from my mother, though I don't remember anything about her.

"Dad, I'm sorry…" I apologize for nothing as I fasten my seatbelt. However, dad doesn't hear it.

"Rex…" He calls my name then pause for a moment. "We are going to meet your mom."

"Dad, things aren't that bad." I take dad's words as a 'we are going to die' joke.

"Huh? What are you saying?" Dad says confusedly. "Ah? You thought she was dead? I'm sorry for not often talking about her to you, but she is alive and well. She had a… circumstance, so she had to go when you were young."

"When I was a kid and said I wanted to meet mom, you said she had gone to a place I could not reach! Isn't that a way of saying she was dead?" I start freaking out at dad's unusual joke.

"I'm sorry for not telling you earlier, but… I have secret to keep." Dad says as he looks around the truck from his seat. Front, back, two sides, even on the sky.

"Dad, what… secret?" I start feeling my chunni-blood boiling. Although I prefer Fantasy genre, 'my dad is a secret agent' is not a bad premise. Am I going to be a super spy with cool gadget? I almost could not keep my excitement, but I try to. The higher the hope, the bigger the disappointment…

"You will see…" After saying with a hint of mystery, dad hits the gas pedal.

I brace myself as the truck starts moving forward, or so I thought. I feel no movement at all, however, the scenery around the truck drastically changes like an illusion. I rub my eyes, pinch my cheeks, trying to make sure it's not my delusion going out of control. Everything seems real and surreal at the same time. I was too shocked to say a single word.

My old house along with the surrounding building meltdown. The blue sky turns into a purple shade, then red, then violet, then yellow in quick succession. The cement road turns rocky, soon turn into a hill but I don't feel any change in gravity. Then everything slowly distort. The molten building are stretched into a long shape. The flat sky bends and intersects with itself.

At this point, my head starts hurting as all knowledge of geometry in my brain become distorted. Parallel lines intersect. Total angle of triangle on flat surface is no longer 180 degree. Sphere is… Argghhhh!

Before I go crazy, I feel a hand on my shoulder. Suddenly all pain in my head disappears. I feel like I could see all creation at the same time, but I'm too afraid to look at it. Dad's gentle voice bring me back to my new reality which is quickly reconstruct itself. Soon, in front of me, the world is no longer distorted. The sky returns into a blue shade. The ground become grassy plain. Far away, I could see mountain and river, though the horizon looks closer than I thought. Other than that, everything looks so calm. When I turn to look at dad, he has already opened the truck's door and climb outside. My omniscient earlier now feels like an illusion, but I still feel regret for not peeking at everything.

Dad's next words snap me out of thinking and turning my mouth into an O-shape.

"Welcome to your mother's world. A world of sword and magic, Orbis."