On a bright day while I was reading a book as usual, I saw a masked person in neat clothing whom I didn't recognize, talking to the orphanage head in front of the door. They seemed very suspicious, and I felt very worried. "Who is that person? What if they are a bad person? What should I do? Should I just hide?" Those were my thoughts.

"Attention, children! Can you all please gather in front of the entrance?" called the orphanage head.

We quickly gathered in front of the entrance. Upon reaching the entrance, the other children were curious about the masked stranger. They all immediately crowded around to ask the masked stranger various questions. Some asked for their name, why they were wearing a mask, and even if they were from an evil organization.

"Attention, can you please give a little space to that person?" asked the orphanage head.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you. First of all, can you all please introduce yourselves?"

"Yes, ma'am."

We immediately introduced ourselves one by one. Many children had already introduced themselves. When it was my turn to introduce myself, I felt nervous and ended up misspeaking. As a result, the other children laughed at me, and I felt very embarrassed. However, the stranger gently patted my head and told me that there was nothing to worry about. Hearing those words calmed my heart.

"All right, children, has everyone introduced themselves?" asked the orphanage head.

"Yes, ma'am."

"In that case, can you please show this person around the orphanage?"

"We will do it," they answered loudly while saluting.

After that, we invited the person to take a tour around the orphanage. It turned out that what they had said was true. Whenever I was with them, my heart felt calm and peaceful. It was so comfortable to be near them, as if all my worries and concerns vanished. When the other children invited the person to play together, I went to sit on a bench nearby to watch them play while reading a book alone. They were extremely skilled in any game they played. The other children never won against them, perhaps because they were playing against an adult. But their faces looked so happy. When they took a break, the person suddenly approached me, who was sitting and reading.

"Don't you want to join them in playing?" the person asked.

"Well, actually, I also want to join them. But I'm afraid I might just be a bother to them," I replied.

When the other children returned to invite the person to play again after their rest, the person simply sat next to me and said, "I still want to rest a little longer. Instead, they will take my place and play." I was instantly surprised to hear that. But the person told me not to worry. The other children seemed fine with it too. So, I mustered the courage to accept the offer.

"Hey, do you have any specific hobbies? Do you like playing this? Or how about this?" asked an enthusiastic girl.

"Well, I'll do my best, so please help me," I answered.

Then he suddenly held my hand and smiled, pulling me here and there. Together with all of them, we played various games, thanks to which I gained many valuable lessons. "Fun. It turns out playing with friends is very enjoyable." That's how I felt. While we were drawing together, a sudden question crossed my mind. I tried asking it to my friends.

"Why do you want to play with me, even though I've never interacted with you before?"

"I don't know, maybe because you look sad."

"Yes, poor thing, always alone."

"He probably doesn't have any friends."

Upon hearing those words, my heart instantly felt sad, and I almost cried. "I knew they saw me like that, well, it's understandable, and it's my fault for never interacting with them." That's what I thought.

"Sorry, sorry, we went too far, we were just joking, so please don't cry."

"Oh, yeah, earlier you asked why we wanted to play with you, right?"

"The reason is simple, because playing with friends is more enjoyable than playing alone. That's what that person said," pointing towards that person.

After hearing those words, I grew even fonder of him. Suddenly, a bell rang, indicating that evening was approaching. We quickly went inside and headed for the shower. After showering, we continued the unfinished drawing inside the orphanage. Suddenly, a delicious aroma wafted from the kitchen. We all immediately tidied up all the toys and went to approach the source of the tantalizing scent. As we approached the source of the delicious aroma, we saw that person cooking something that looked incredibly delicious. That person told us to wash our hands and set the dining table while waiting for the food to cook. We quickly went to wash our hands and set the table. After finishing setting the table, the cooked food was ready as well. Its delicious aroma filled the entire room. We sat down and said a prayer, then enjoyed the meal that was prepared.

"Delicious."

"What is this food? It tastes so good."

"I've never had such a delicious meal before."

"Same here, I've never had such a tasty meal." Those were our opinions on the taste of the food.

"Just eat slowly, no need to rush. There's still plenty of food, so you can have as much as you want." That person said. The dining room was filled with cheerful noise and liveliness. Laughter, conversations, and joyful jokes accompanied the clattering of spoons and forks meeting the plates. The children raced to finish the delicious food. Despite that, the dining room felt warm and filled with love.

"Um, if I may know, what's the name of this delicious food?" I asked that person.

"It's called special complete meatball soup." That person answered.

"Oh, so this is what they call meatball soup. I've never tasted such delicious meatballs soup before."

"If you want, I can teach you how to make it, you know."

"Really? Thank you so much."

After finishing the meal, we all gathered in the playroom because one of my friends said that person would tell an interesting story there. When everyone had gathered, that person began to tell a story titled "The Dreamer."

"One day, there lived a simple child in the city. This child was cheerful and innocent. He said that someday he would make all his dreams come true. However, the reality was not as easy as he thought. Realizing this, the child began to give up on his dreams..."

"Then, what happened to the child?" one of the children asked.

"To find out the continuation of the story, you have to find out for yourselves. You are the ones who determine the continuation of the

story. How do you think the story will continue?" That person replied.

"According to me, the child will rise again and successfully fulfill his dreams," I answered.

"According to me, after that, the child will become stronger and overcome all the obstacles that stand in his way, achieving his dreams," one of the children answered.

"According to me, maybe the child will become even more desperate and spend the rest of his life locked up in his room," one of the children answered.

"The last one seems a bit extreme. But whatever it is, you are the ones who determine the continuation of the story," that person said.

Now it's late at night, which means it's time for us to sleep, or in other words, it's time for that person to leave. We all know that sooner or later, that person will leave. But at least we had a great time together all day long. That person said goodbye to everyone. We accompanied that person to the front door.

"Thank you all for accepting my presence during my stay at the orphanage," that person said.

"No, we should be the ones thanking you for spending time playing with these children, right, children?" the head of the orphanage said.

In the silent night, that person's figure was graceful and beautiful, bathed in the moonlight. All the children shed tears at their departure, afraid of losing them. For us, that person was considered as our own parent. Many children held onto that person's leg and asked them to stay here so that they could have fun all day long. But no matter what, that person had their own life as well. Before leaving, we gave that person a souvenir gift consisting of a bouquet of origami flowers and the drawings we made together earlier.

"Thank you for all the gifts. I will treasure them," that person said.

"Will you come and visit again?" I asked.

"I already consider you all as my own children, so of course, I will come again," that person replied.

"At least, can you tell me your name?" I asked.

"My name... is a secret. But don't worry, I'm sure one day you will find out on your own. Well then, I'll go now," they answered while patting my head.

Seeing that, the other children felt envious and started crowding around that person to have their heads patted. And those were the last words before that person left. We were then told to go inside the orphanage and go to sleep. "A delightful day. Today, I spent a lot of time with my new friends and learned many new things. All thanks to that person. I should go to sleep now so I can play together again tomorrow." That's what I thought.

--------------------The Next Day--------------------

Suddenly, there were many black cars, usually used to escort important people, gathering around the orphanage. What is really happening here? Who are they all? What are they going to do? And who is that person really?

To be continued...

Early the next morning, we were instructed to quickly shower and pack our belongings for the trip. According to the orphanage head, we were going on a faraway excursion. We became extremely excited because it was our first time going on an outing outside. We promptly packed all the things we wanted to bring and went outside to wait for the transportation. Most of the impatient children asked the headmistress where we were going. But she smiled happily and told us to be patient a little longer. It seemed like it would be a special surprise.

When the door opened, there were suddenly many black cars gathered around the orphanage. One person got out of the car and came over. "What is actually happening here? Who are all these people? What are they going to do?" I wondered while hiding behind the headmistress.

The headmistress tried to talk to the person. She introduced herself as the Commander of the Presidential Security Detail. I didn't quite understand what that meant, but I thought it was impressive judging by the surprised expression on the headmistress's face. The commander said he came to pick us up. After confirming everything, we were told to get into the designated cars. Each car had two people in it. Finally, we set off. From here, our cars scattered in all directions.

"Well, what a coincidence. It turns out we're in the same car," greeted a girl sitting next to me. She was the girl from yesterday. We spent the time in the car chatting to get to know each other better. After driving for about an hour, our car finally stopped in a narrow alley that seemed rarely traversed. We were told to wait there, and a kind of invitation letter would appear. We were then instructed to follow what was written in the letter.

"So, what are we going to do now?" the girl asked.

"I don't know. Is this some kind of game prepared by the headmistress?" I replied.

"Maybe. By the way, what's that object in your hand?" the girl asked.

"What object? A letter? Since when?" I answered, surprised.

"Try opening the letter! Maybe it's the invitation letter we were talking about earlier," the girl exclaimed.

I tried to open the letter. As we attempted to read its contents, there was only one phrase written: "Game Start." Suddenly, time around us stopped, and a red-colored line appeared, forming a cube-shaped framework. Then, the cube began to open and tear through reality. In an instant, we found ourselves in a very unfamiliar place. More precisely, in front of the gate of a school. There, we saw other friends who had also arrived. We immediately went to join them.

"How did you all end up here?" I asked.

"We all arrived here in the same way. By reading a sudden invitation letter that appeared out of nowhere," one of them said.

Suddenly, the sound of a bell rang from inside the school. And right at that moment, the school gate started to open. Then, three figures wearing masks emerged from behind the gate. Among them, there was someone who made my heart feel at ease. That person was none other than "him."

"Hello, children. Thank you for coming all the way here," he said.

"Wow. What kind of place is this? Who are you, really? Do you live here?" they asked with awe.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is DREAMER, and welcome to Dreamer's Magic Academy. Starting today, you will live and study here," he replied.

"A magic academy? Does that mean we'll learn how to use magic?" I asked.

"Of course. Do you remember how you got here? That was one of my spells. And there are many other interesting things you can do with magic," the masked woman beside him answered.

"Since we'll be living here from now on, does it mean we'll all be adopted?" I asked.

"Correct. Didn't I say before? I already consider all of you my own children. As a sign of a new life, I will give each of you a new name," Father replied.

After we all received our new names, we were taken to our respective rooms to put away our belongings. There were two dormitory buildings here, one for boys on the right and one for girls on the left. The masked woman took us on a tour of the girls' dormitory. Each room had two beds, so it accommodated two people. We were told to quickly put away our belongings in our rooms. Once done, we were instructed to gather in front of the girls' dormitory building. Oh, by the way, my name is now Shealy Sylvianti, and my roommate is Coronea Iris.

"By the way, this room is so spacious, isn't it?" said Iris.

"Yes, and the beds are also huge, the facilities are complete, and everything feels luxurious. It's like living in a fairy tale castle," I continued.

"True. In that case, from now on, call me Princess Iris," said Iris.

"Then, call me Princess Shealy too," I replied.

"Alright, let's quickly tidy up our belongings and join the others," said Iris.

"Okay, let's go," I answered.

After that, Iris and I quickly organized our belongings and joined the others in front of the girls' dormitory building. When we arrived, the masked woman, along with the other friends, had already gathered there. Once everyone was present, we were taken on a tour of the school by the masked woman. There were various facilities, such as a shopping and entertainment center, a sports building that could transform according to needs, practice labs and workshops, a luxurious dining hall in Western aristocratic style, and much more. While we were looking at the classrooms where we would study, we encountered a group of boys led by the masked man. We all gathered in the school auditorium to listen to an announcement from the masked woman.

"Alright, children, that's all for today. You must be very tired by now, right? Now, return to your respective rooms to rest. Tomorrow morning, you need to wake up early to go to school. Your uniforms and other school supplies are already prepared in your rooms. Is there anything you'd like to ask?" said the masked woman.

"If not, please return to your rooms immediately," continued the masked woman.

We promptly returned to our respective rooms and went to sleep. I will never forget every moment of today. It has truly been the best day of my life. And I'm sure, I'm absolutely certain that the days to come will always be the best in my life.

To be continued...

Hi, my name is Shealy, Shealy Sylvianti. I'm 6 years old. I live and grew up in an orphanage called "Harapan Kasih." Most of us have been here since we were babies, including me. So, I have no memories of when I was younger, neither my parents nor my background. Usually, every day, I spend my time reading books. I love reading books because they contain various information about different perspectives from various worlds, especially fantasy books. However, my daily life feels empty and void. But it doesn't mean I feel lonely or sad because now I'm not alone anymore.

"Hey Shealy, hurry up, or we'll be late on the first day of school!" A voice from outside while knocking on the door.

"All right, I'm coming," I replied in a hurry.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting, Iris, let's go now!" I said.

"Okay, let's go quickly! By the way, what were you doing earlier?" Iris asked.

"Oh, nothing much, I was just writing in my diary," I replied.

"Oh. Never mind, the school bell will ring in a moment. Let's run faster before we're late!" Iris said, panicking after seeing the clock tower in the schoolyard.

Fortunately, we made it to class on time, a few minutes before the bell rang. Right at 07:00, the school bell rang, and then came the masked woman. She introduced herself as GAMER, she was the teacher for theoretical subjects. She also introduced the other teacher, MANIPULATOR, who taught practical subjects.

"Oh yes, today is a special day, and there won't be any lessons because it will be used for getting to know each other," the teacher said.

"Yay!" The joyful shouts of the students echoed.

"So, today we will have an impromptu test, yay!" the teacher continued.

And just like that, in the confusing silence, all the shouts of joy turned into shouts of despair. It was a quite normal reaction to have a test on the first day of school. The teacher tried to reassure us, saying not to worry because this test was to assess our thinking abilities and physical endurance. The purpose of this test was to determine the methods of teaching and learning in the future. So, we just needed to answer honestly. The first test was a written one, supervised by the teacher, while the second test was a physical one, supervised by the other teacher. As I started working on the questions, there was one that I found quite interesting: "Do you feel free?" Something like that.

After finishing the test, we immediately got ready to move to the next testing location. But before that, the teacher had a few things to say. First, the curriculum here followed a six-year acceleration program with a standard score of ninety. Second, anyone who couldn't meet the requirements would be expelled from this school, and because time was limited, there were no holidays. And finally, the teacher said not to worry because she believed that we could do it. We became enthusiastic again and got ready for the next test. Nothing too special was tested this time.

During those six years, we spent our time studying without any breaks. Initially, we thought it would be exhausting, but in reality, it was quite different. The subjects taught were very interesting and relevant, making them easy to understand. Year after year passed, and without realizing it, the eagerly awaited night finally arrived.

"Thank you to all the children who have fought as hard as possible to be here. Without further ado, I will announce who passed the international final exam!" said the school principal (DREAMER).

"With this, I declare that all the children here have passed," continued the school principal (DREAMER).

"Hooray, finally, we all passed!" Shouts of joy from the students filled the air.

"Starting tomorrow, you will begin learning about magic for the next three months. But before that, as a form of appreciation, please enjoy all the dishes that have been prepared!" the teacher said.

In the blink of an eye, all kinds of dishes appeared, looking so luxurious as if by magic. We spent that night celebrating. Finally, after six long years, we would start learning magic. What kind of wonders and excitement could I create? I couldn't wait for tomorrow. The atmosphere here was truly lively and vibrant. I went to the balcony to take a breath, and at that moment, someone approached me.

"Want a glass of juice?" Iris asked, smiling.

"Sure," I replied.

"Tomorrow, we'll finally start learning magic. Are you nervous?" Iris asked.

"Nervous? Isn't learning magic something extraordinary? Do you feel the same way?" I asked.

"You're really enthusiastic. Of course, I feel the same way," Iris replied.

The next day, we gathered in class to start learning about magic, but before that, we were asked to wear robes and hats like wizards. I didn't quite understand why we had to wear them, but according to the teacher, it was just for fun. We also received a brief explanation about magic. Since the magic department was something new, not much was explained. Afterward, we went to the field to practice.

But before that, we were asked to measure our mana capacity and determine our basic magic element. As you already know, mana is the energy that comes from the soul. The better you can control it, the more mana capacity you have. For now, only four basic elements are known: fire, water, earth, and air. I myself have a considerable amount of mana capacity, and my dominant element is fire. Iris, on the other hand, is more dominant in the wind element. For now, we were ranked based on our mana capacities. I never expected to get second place.

"You're really amazing. I only got an average rank," Iris lamented with a sigh.

"Don't worry, besides, this is just the beginning. Things will change over time," I replied, patting her on the head.

"By the way, do you know who got the first rank?" Iris asked.

"I don't know. But I'm sure they have an extraordinary mana capacity," I replied.

"All the students here are supposed to come from the same orphanage as us. But I don't remember anything about it," Iris said, looking confused.

Who could be the student ranked first? What connection does it have with Shealy? What destiny awaits her in the future?

To be continued...