Bastian was miserable

Bastian tapped on his keyboard. He needed to complete this assignment quickly to get to work on his next project.

The University he attended was prestigious, and his coursework load was hard, but he really didn't mind, he had nothing else.

He had no real friends and paid attention to nothing but his studies. That attitude had won him a full academic scholarship.

He had always envisioned he would study creative writing, but instead he had decided to get his Masters in Business.

After his father's Bastian had lost the will to continue writing.

His father had been killed a few years ago suddenly, hit by a drunk driver on his way home from work.

It had hit Bastian hard, so hard it caused him to revert to the way he was many years ago, quiet, unsociable.

He had no time for silly dreams of fantasy worlds anymore; he had to look out for himself from that moment on.

It was lonely, but he learned to accept it as life. He buried himself in his school work and ignored the world around him. It was the only way for him to remain sane.

He rarely thought of that odd childhood fantasy he had called Fantasia, and as time passed he forget about it entirely.

What had seemed real as a child he had written off as a dumb dream. He had to focus on reality, and reality was harsh.

The Empress liked to believe she had an exceptional control over her emotions, but she didn't even attempt to hold back her tears as she took a look into Bastian's life.