Eyes open. The world is bright. Adjustment to the light slowly takes place. The environment looks different than waking life; the picture becomes clearer.

  Sel notices his vision is clear without wearing glasses.

  This is odd.

  What is going on here? Is my eyesight actually normal now? I can see the world?

  The thought of this being a dream does not immediately come to mind. Most people do not think critically while dreaming. We take what the brain shows us for granted.

  There is no second thought. No third. No fourth.

  But lucid dreaming is a thing… right?

  Sel slowly begins to think this might be a dream, but the thought slips away as he continues to experience this new reality. Gradually, the idea disappears. His focus shifts to something else — something that catches his attention.

  He tries to walk toward the thing his eyes caught a glimpse of.

  What is it?

  It looks like a living creature. An animal of some sort. It seems to have wings, but he cannot pinpoint exactly what it is.

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  He reaches out to touch it —

  Abruptly, the unknown creature takes flight.

  Sel’s vision follows the path it takes. A window is slightly open, just enough for the creature to slip through and disappear into the distance.

  Amazed by what he just witnessed, Sel finds himself looking outside.

  The place is different. The usual view is not there.

  He takes a few steps back and realizes that where he woke up is not a place he has ever slept before. The panning continues; his eyes scan the room. White walls reflect the morning sunlight. Objects he has never seen in his waking life pique his interest.

  He cannot fully understand what he is seeing. He can see, yet at the same time he cannot — as if everything is some kind of illusion.

  Is he having some kind of episode?

  Then the thought suddenly returns.

  Is this a dream?

  The question creates a domino effect.

  He knows he needs to stabilize the world if he does not want to lose it.

  His hands press against the walls. He focuses on sensations — the warmth of sunlight, the faint smell of grass, the texture beneath his fingertips, the hardness of the wooden floor.

  But in vain.

  The dream is slipping away from him.

  The moment he realizes it is a dream, a surge of excitement fills his mind. That excitement makes everything unstable. No matter how hard he tries to use his senses, his ability to regain control fades.

  Knowing this is a dream opens doors to fulfill his deepest desires and wishes — things he could never reach in his waking life.

  “Can you even call that a life?” Sel mumbles.

  “That’s not a life. It’s a curse that haunts me.”

  The dream dissolves.

  His eyes slowly open.

  Not fully calm.

  He realizes the chance he wasted.