It wasn't a dream.

It was all real.

Or so it seemed.

"An army? To take down the king? Why would you want to do that?" Reina was as confused as ever, trying to make sense of the puzzle pieces unravelling in front of her. 

She was so focused on the magic, that she couldn't remember reading anything about their political system. In fact, she knew very little about that place, the people and their cultures.

"I think we should head over inside and explain there," Montgomery looked over at Gloria and Arthur.

"No. I want to know right here and now. I'm tired of being lied to," Reina replied.

"We didn't lie to you," Gloria told her.

"But you kept things hidden from me. Things that I should've known before you convinced me to stay here," Reina responded in frustration, "It's not fair that you don't even bother explaining all the important things. You all do whatever you want without telling me and I'm always stressed and anxious, it's like I can't trust anyone. You've all been leaving me out since I came here!"

Before Reina realised, tears filled her eyes. Angry at herself, she quickly wiped them away. It wasn't like her to become emotional so easily. There was just so much she wanted to say but she couldn't explain them without sounding pathetic. 

Everyone already knew each other but she really thought she finally found a place she could fit in. But every time, she was proven otherwise.

Everyone looked at her with guilt in their eyes.

"I'm sorry. I should've told you, really," Gloria said quietly.

"I apologise, my dear," even Aldric had an apologetic face.

"Sorry," Montgomery muttered, looking down on the floor.

Reina felt a hand on her shoulder, Amyra wrapped her arms around her, "I'm sorry for making you feel left out."

Everyone looked towards Arthur's direction who stared at them blankly, "What?"

Montgomery rolled his eyes and kicked his back with one of his hooves.

"Ouch!"

Suddenly, Reina regretted making such a big scene. Everyone had been really kind to her, and she started to wish she hadn't been so hard on them.

"You guys don't have to apologise..." Reina blushed.

"Okay enough of this nonsense, let's get some food," Arthur clapped his hands and Pretty flew around his head, "Come, let's get you some Cat-Cats."

"I'm actually going to take Reina to get her wand," Montgomery smiled.

And so Reina found herself following Montgomery down the forest who also started explaining everything she had missed, "the reason why we are planning an uprising is because our people have been oppressed by this new king for a long time."

Reina merely nodded.

"Every month, the king takes a child from the poorest areas of our country. Some people are tricked into sending their children for work, some are forced."

"Why does he do that?"

"Well, they used to say they were taking them for labour. But none of these children ever come back. Everyone started to realise it was all a trick."

"That's not good, what happens to the children?"

"They're...Sacrificed," he paused for a brief moment, debating on whether he should be telling her all this information, "our theory is that the king in the throne right now isn't human at all."

"He...Kills them? But why?"

"We have no idea. Everything is done in secret and it's very difficult to find out what's happening in the palace."

"But how is he getting away with all this?"

The reality of the situation started hitting her. People have been dying. And she had no idea about it. She had been sitting in the library, mesmerised by this whole new world and she was starting to become so obsessed with it that she forgot the people living there were humans too. 

And that this place was not so much different from Earth. No matter how much she wished it to be otherwise.

"They have the biggest weapon we no longer have. Magic," Montgomery replied.

Reina couldn't tell the facial expression from his face. He had a straight look of seriousness which didn't suit him at all. He was usually much friendlier and his tone was making her realise there was so much more that she didn't know.

"Who were those children that turned into toys?" Reina asked.

Montgomery stopped walking for a second, taken slightly aback by her question.

"Well, the place did used to be an orphanage, but all those children were killed many years ago. By the king."

Reina stared at his face and wondered whether he was going to cry. His voice had a hint of grief but he didn't break his strong exterior.

"Gloria lost her daughter to the king, she suffered a lot and found it hard to cope. Sometimes she used shapeshifting magic on the toys, and it brought back the illusion of children so..."

"They were never real," Reina whispered.

"Everyone of us has lost someone dear to us. We vowed to bring justice together."

"If you don't mind me asking," Reina took a deep breath, almost dreading the answer, "what made you join them as well?"

"Me?"

"Yes. I mean, you always seem so happy, I can't imagine..."

"The king's guards killed my whole family and my people. As far as I know, I am the last one alive from my species."

Reina gasped, speechless. She wasn't expecting that at all. Montgomery laughed in response. It wasn't a happy laugh at all. It was more of a I-don't-know-what-to-do-with-my-face type of laugh and she could clearly see the sadness in his eyes. She was definitely making him uncomfortable and started to wish she hadn't asked at all, guilt in her eyes.

"No it's alright. But enough with this depressing talk. Let me show you your wand!" Montgomery laughed again, clearly wanting to change the subject which Reina happily obliged.

"The wand? You already have it with you? I thought we were going to get it."

"Ah my apologies, I should've clarified," Montgomery took out the wand from a little rucksack, a long stick about the twice the size of her hand, smooth and shining. Little patterns carved at the bottom and some letters. Her name? She smiled.

"What I meant was," he continues, "the wand is mostly ready. But in order to get it to work we need to heat it in fire."

"Oh. Why couldn't we have done that back in the kitchen?"

Both of them stopped at what looked like a dark cave filled with little rocks and the sound of flowing water coming from it.

"Because it needs fire to be blown into it," a loud sound of a strange creature echoed through the cave, "blown by a dragon's flame."

The sound just got louder and with the sound of stomping of rocks, a large creature, almost the size of the trees and with wings spread out, flew out above their heads. Reina stared above in shock, completely in awe. Montgomery looking pleased by her reaction, finally brought back his smile.

"I can't believe this," Reina said quietly, her eyes so wide open that she nearly forgot to blink.

The beautiful creature, blue and green skin flashing bright and when it flew, swimming in the sunlight. She had never seen anything like it before. Long, sharp teeth, the scaly skin she really wanted to touch, the long tail and the wings that moved so elegantly. It finally flew down on them and lowered itself, trying to match their height.

"Reina, this is Eve. Eve, this is Reina."

"Nice to meet you Reina," the dragon gave her a little bow.

"You are beautiful," Reina blurted out, her cheeks reddening.

Eve responded with a laugh, "Why, thank you."

Reina could only stare at her, her eyes wouldn't move an inch towards anything else.

"Well Montgomery, what have you got for me?" Eve asked and Montgomery gave her the wand.

"Hm. Perfect, I'll get that ready right now."

Reina watched curiously as he placed the wand between some rocks. Eve stood up and let out her wings. With a roaring, almost like a tiger, she breathed out large yellow and orange flames, flowing through her mouth. Reina could feel the warmth and the bright colour of the fire almost blinded her. 

And there it was, her wand sitting by the rocks. Nothing obvious seemed to have changed. They waited for a few minutes to cool it down before Montgomery picked it up and handed it over to Reina.

"There you go. Your first wand."

Reina held it in her hands, staring at it, memorising the little patterns and every little detail of it. It felt as light as a feather, "My first ever wand," she repeated.

There it was again.

Another crack in the wall. This time, a thin shadow of a tree stood above her, and the branches cut deep through it. The crack just got wider and despite the rain that decided to come down that moment, a little ray of light shone through the wall. A small ray of hope. And she thought it was all a dream. It was so easy to just think of it as just that. Something too good to be true.

But she held onto the wand tightly. She could never give it up. She found something beautiful, something that she truly cherished in that empty world of hers. So when she went back to the Gremlin's Toyshop that day, she held onto it with all her might as she sat in her bed. Lying down, Reina started thinking about everything that had just happened.

About the king. About the poor children. Gloria. Montgomery. She started to realise that she had been too busy in her own world and didn't take into consideration about anyone else. This wasn't just some magical place. 

The people here were real, and they had suffered just as much as she had. She was too focused on herself. So much so that she didn't take a moment to think about how anyone else must have been feeling. 

It was a strange feeling of realisation that maybe she wasn't so special in that regard. She wasn't the only one who felt alone or helpless sometimes. And although she felt a little selfish for thinking so, she felt somewhat relieved.

Maybe she wasn't so strange after all.

Before Reina could delve into her thoughts further, there was a knock on the door which soon opened itself before she could say a word.

"You do realise you have a habit of entering this room without my permission."

"Hey, at least I knocked," he smirked.

It was Arthur.