Exams were over, the fun with friends had ended, and now boredom began to creep in. And so began Ali’s dull little life. His boredom often led to all kinds of mischief. Like many kids, when boredom hit, Ali found himself trying strange and often troublesome things that would surely upset his parents.

A few days into the vacation, one of his friends called and told him about a game called Minecraft. Ali had never heard of it before, which made him all the more excited and curious. So without wasting any time, he installed the game and started playing.

He first chose the respawn mode, where a player comes back to life after dying. However, after his character died twice, Ali began to lose interest. Seeking more of a challenge, he created a new world in Hardcore mode, where one can only live once and there’s no respawning.

Once the world was created, the screen suddenly turned red. Ali began to worry. Within seconds, everything on the screen turned completely crimson. Ali became scared while his parents remained unaware of what was happening. Then, in the blink of an eye, Ali disappeared — he had been teleported into the game he was playing.

As soon as he arrived in the game world, a large sign floated down from the sky.

It read: “Beat the game to return to the real world. But if you die here… you die in real life.”

This made Ali panic. He screamed, cried and begged for help, desperate to return to his world. In those moments of utter desperation, he even remembered how wonderful the feeling of boredom was. Everything seemed to turn against him — the silence was deafening, the world felt cold and endless — but there was no one around, he was alone in this cruel, pixelated world.

After a while, Ali began to calm down. He realised he had no choice but to survive and find a way to beat the game. He started by crafting useful tools, then searched for food. Just as he was getting the hang of things, another sign came flying down.

It read: “You must defeat the Ender Dragon to escape.”

Ali felt scared and stressed, as Ender Dragon was the most powerful and terrifying boss in the game. He remembered how the last time he fought it, Ali had died ten times. But this time, things were different. This time, there were no second chances.

It was the moment when Ali remembered all his family members, and how he would play with his siblings and the lovely moments he had spent with his friends in school. And just when he was drowning in his own sadness, he suddenly felt a strange mix of courage and determination. He pledged to himself that he won’t let the game take over him, instead, he will fight and return to his own world. And that thought filled him with strength.

Ali prepared for the battle ahead with careful focus. He gathered his strongest weapons and armour, stocked up on healing potions and built a safe base near the dragon’s lair. When Ender Dragon finally appeared, Ali stayed calm despite the terrifying roar and powerful attacks.

He dodged the dragon’s fireballs and flew attacks, patiently destroying the healing crystals that kept it strong. Using all his skill and courage, Ali landed the final blow with his enchanted sword. As the dragon fell, the sky cleared and a brilliant light surrounded him.

Victory was his. Ali had beaten the Ender Dragon and a portal opened, glowing softly, inviting him back to the real world.

Published in Dawn, Young World, July 12th, 2025