I’m having that dream again. The same one. I’m a child, standing frozen as my father looms before me, his back turned. There’s a massive hole in his chest, revealing the silhouette of a woman—she’s the one responsible for all of this. Me? I’m drenched in blood. My legs refuse to move.

My father starts to speak:

“Don’t cause trouble. Live a quiet life, alright?”

I want to talk to him, to ask about the woman. Who is she? But I can’t. The only words I manage to say are:

“Alright, father. I promise.”

Then, his voice turns to incomprehensible murmurs, and something else cuts through the noise.

The sound of my third alarm clock.

Once again, it pulls me back right before the nightmare’s climax. I wake up with tears in my eyes. Once again, I’ve learned nothing. Why does this dream keep haunting me? Why did my father have to die? Thinking about it won’t change anything now.

Wait. What was that noise? Oh, right. My alarm clock!

I spring out of bed with a single goal: don’t be late.

Poland, Rzeszow, June 8th, 2137

But of course, I’m going to be late for history class. Classic me.

My computer? Still on. My game? Leveling itself. Breakfast? Not happening—my history teacher would straight-up murder me if I showed up late again.

“Shit! I’m gonna be late!” I yell to no one in particular.

My name’s Izak Pilsudski. I’m 17 years old, a first-year high school student, and—yeah—descendant of that Jozef Pilsudski (a national hero who played a key role in Poland’s independence after World War I). But right now, none of that matters. What matters is that I’m sprinting like my life depends on it, trying to catch a train that’s already pulling out of the station.

I start running, but, as usual, this godforsaken city has me jumping through hoops—detours, construction sites, bridges. Rzeszów is a maze of obstacles.

That’s why I always take the rooftops.

One jump. Another jump. And one more.

This is my thing—I’m damn good at it.

I spot the train I missed earlier. My last chance. If I don’t catch it, I’m dead meat.

As usual, I ask myself two questions:

Why do I always have history first period?

And why do I sleep so damn much?

I manage to catch the train at the last second, leaping onto its roof.

“Phew… Made it,” I mutter, collapsing onto the metal surface.

Unfortunately, my problems don’t end there. The train is heading straight for a tunnel. I need to jump!

I leap into the air. Good! That part was easy.

Now comes the hard part: don’t die.

This tunnel runs directly beneath a GODDAMN HIGHWAY.

I dodge once. Then again. A lady in an SUV nearly runs me over. Two bikers zip past so close I can feel the rush of air. Everyone here is driving at 200 kilometers per hour!

But somehow, I survive.

One last jump, and I’m back on the train. Everything’s fine now.

From up here, the city looks like something out of a futuristic dream. On one side, there’s a skyscraper wrapped in massive tree roots, its bioluminescent canopy casting a soft glow. Neon holograms dance across building facades, advertising everything from food to gadgets to some kind of magic elixir therapy.

In the distance, I can see the skeleton of a massive dragon-like beast, incorporated into a colossal building. Its ribcage juts out like monumental arches.

The streets below are alive with movement. Magnetic taxis glide along their designated paths, while multi-level highways buzz with endless traffic. Horns blare, music blasts, and snippets of conversation in different languages fill the air. The city’s chaos is a symphony that never sleeps.

Ah… Rzeszow. It never changes.

But I don’t have time to admire the view.

That’s when a flock of pigeons—or, more accurately, pigeon-mutants—decides to fly directly above me. Of course, I start dodging their massive droppings.

But my luck runs out. One of those feathered bastards nails me right in the back.

Cursing under my breath, I yank off my hoodie and scrub at the mess with tissues. It doesn’t all come off, so I tie the hoodie around my waist and make a mad dash for school.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

When I finally get there, the halls are deserted. I didn’t even check the time in my rush.

I sprint to my classroom, but, of course, I trip and fall flat on my face as I burst through the door. Fantastic. The entire class gets a good laugh at my expense.

The teacher glares at me, clearly pissed, but, surprisingly, she lets me off with nothing more than a verbal lashing. After her rant, I finally take my seat.

Marcin, my best friend, leans over and whispers:

“Dude, why are you late again? I called you like four times.”

I glance at my phone. Sure enough—four missed calls.

“Shit, sorry. I was out cold.”

“Of course you were,” he chuckles. “You’ve got a real talent for sleeping through life. Good thing you only got chewed out this time.”

I’m about to respond, but the teacher shoots me a death glare that could freeze hell itself. I shut up immediately.

After my spectacular entrance, the lesson drags on. The teacher, who seems more excited than a bride at her wedding, continues her lecture:

“You’re almost done with your first year, and these topics will be on the final test, so I suggest you pay attention. Especially you, Izak! So, who are the Awakened? They’re individuals who have unlocked the potential of their souls, gaining supernatural abilities. In the past, such miracle-workers were rare, appearing only in legends. But everything changed in 1918. The Great Explosion…”

Oh, great. The Great Explosion again. I know this story by heart, yet she speaks like she’s recounting her personal memoirs.

“...caused the first space-time rift to open, releasing creatures from other dimensions. It marked the end of the old world. More rifts followed, and now we have three hovering over Poland. To this day, the cause of that explosion remains a mystery, but many believe it was triggered by an Awakened who couldn’t control their powers. That’s why all Awakened are now registered—to prevent such disasters. These rifts opened the door to new technologies, thanks to the discovery of elements that don’t exist on Earth.”

A girl raises her hand.

“Miss, why do the Awakened have glowing eyes?”

The teacher looks at her like she just asked why water is wet.

“My dear, an Awakened’s eyes glow because they reflect the color of their soul. When someone awakens, their irises take on a hue that represents the true nature of their soul.”

Another hand shoots up. Seriously, can’t these people keep quiet? This time, it’s a boy sitting near the edge of the room.

“Miss, if everything is so advanced now, why did we go back to a monarchy?”

The teacher straightens up with pride, clearly thrilled by the question.

“That’s thanks to the Awakened Revolution! They sought to overthrow democracy and reinstate monarchy. That’s how noble families, like the Pilsudskis, were established…”

Oh, fantastic. Back to the Middle Ages. Next, they’ll be asking us to pay taxes in grain.

Of course, she had to mention the noble families, and naturally, my surname came up. Like clockwork, they lump me in with all the other “great Pilsudskis.”

Too bad I didn’t inherit the famous mustache (his mustache is practically a national treasure, as iconic as his role in history), I think, suppressing a smirk.

“...and now, King Jozef sits on the throne...”

She drones on so long that she’s already eaten into our break time. I can’t take it anymore.

“Miss, break’s already started. Can we leave?”

She glares at me like I just insulted her entire family.

“You, Piłsudski, are the last person who should be reminding me! But fine. Go.”

Not waiting for her to change her mind, I bolt out of the classroom. Marcin’s already waiting in the hall.

“You’ve got some guts, man,” he says with a grin.

“That old hag really gets on my nerves,” I reply, still fuming.

Marcin smirks.

“So, do you know what today is?”

I pause to think.

“Uh… Friday?”

He sighs dramatically, like he’s talking to a toddler.

“Anniversary, genius. Six years ago, we met Nadzieja for the first time.”

Oh, right. I glance at him with a teasing grin.

“So, are you finally going to tell her you’ve been crushing on her since that day?”

Marcin turns as red as a tomato.

“Come on, man. You know I’m scared of the friend zone.”

I let out an exaggerated sigh and slap him on the back.

“Dude, how long are you gonna keep chickening out? Six years! She’s gonna find someone else if you don’t grow a pair.”

Before Marcin can retort, Nadzieja rounds the corner. She’s her usual radiant self, smiling brightly. Of course, we’re being loud as hell, so she hears us right away.

“What are you two so excited about?” she asks, stepping closer.

I seize the moment and grin.

“Perfect timing, Nadzieja! Marcin has something he wants to tell you.”

“Me?” Marcin looks at me like I’ve just signed his death warrant.

“Yeah, you. Isn’t that right? After all, it’s the anniversary of when we first met her. He wanted to ask you out after school.”

Nadzieja raises an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.

“Oh, really?”

Marcin, now crimson, stammers:

“Y-yeah… Uh, would you like to go to the mall?”

“Of course!” she replies enthusiastically, her smile lighting up the hallway.

She glances at me with mock reproach.

“And you, Izak? It’s your anniversary too—our anniversary,” she emphasizes with a playful tone.

I roll my eyes but offer a small smile.

“Seriously? I’m not about to third-wheel your date—I mean, your anniversary outing.”

Nadzieja blushes, while Marcin looks like he’s about to faint.

“Don’t worry about me. I’ve had six great years with you guys, but tonight is your night. You both deserve it,” I add theatrically, feigning sorrow.

“Izak…” Marcin looks at me with a mix of gratitude and panic.

“Relax, man. You’ve got this,” I murmur just loud enough for him to hear.

As Nadzieja heads off to her class, Marcin shoots me a death glare.

“You really threw me into the deep end…”

The rest of the school day flies by. Marcin spends it on cloud nine, clearly thrilled. After classes, we part ways—they go off together, and I head back to my dorm.

Good luck, lovebirds, I think with a grin as I walk away.

I didn’t know it would be the last time I’d ever see them.