Welcome to the start of a journey that blends the extraordinary with the everyday. Five Ordinary Teens and the Monarchs of the Ten Dimensions is a story filled with wonder, mystery, and a touch of magic—one I can’t wait to share with my own children when they’re a little older.

The prologue plunges you into a world brimming with intrigue and adventure, where the stakes are high and secrets are buried deep. But this isn’t just a story about fantastical dimensions and powerful Monarchs. It’s also about the real, grounded experiences of five ordinary teens, each with their own chapters, perspectives, and challenges to overcome.

In the first chapter, you’ll meet Matt, one of the five protagonists, as he navigates the ups and downs of school life—until an unexpected turn pulls him into something far beyond the ordinary. Matt’s journey is just the beginning, and the bonds between these five teens will be tested as they face dangers and wonders they never imagined.

So, without further ado, here’s the prologue and the first chapter of Five Ordinary Teens and the Monarchs of the Ten Dimensions. I hope you enjoy the adventure as much as I enjoyed writing it. I can’t wait to hear what you think!

Prologue: Quintal

Quintal closed the door as softly as possible, wincing as hinges creaked and metal rattled against stone. If there was ever a time for silence, this was it.

He slunk through the dungeon carefully, sticking closely to the wall. The stone was slimy from years of neglect, and water dripped from the ceiling, splashing coldly on the hard ground below. It was dark, but the jailers would be able to see him. Not much further now, he thought, edging forward.

Quintal heard footsteps. He turned around slowly. The dungeon guard was making her rounds. She posed no physical threat to the Prince of the Dark Dimension, but she could not be allowed to report back to the others.

The Dark Prince stepped out from the shadows. “Prince Quintal,” the guard gulped. She sounded nervous. “The king has summoned you. I will escort you to him.” She motioned awkwardly.

Quintal frowned. “We both know I am not going to see the king.” The guard’s eyes widened, and she turned to run.

Quintal’s hands shot forward. Two dark vines sprouted from his palms and quickly entangled the fleeing guard. “Help!” she began to shout, but the darkness slithered across her mouth, choking out her words. Quintal turned the guard around and held her before him.

Her eyes were filled with terror. “Do not worry,” Quintal said. “You’ve done nothing wrong. The others will find you here, unharmed.” As he spoke, the tendrils squirmed and crawled across the guard’s body, wrapping her up tightly. He placed her gently on the ground, and the vines disconnected from his hands. She was left wriggling like an insect caught in a web.

The cell Quintal needed was close, and he did not take long to get there. Soon he stood before a gigantic stone door that hadn’t been moved in months. The only opening to the other side was a crack in the wall from which the prisoner’s food was given. “Brass, can you hear me?” Quintal whispered.

“Who is that?” asked a tired voice from inside the cell.

“It’s Quintal.”

“Quintal!” the voice answered, jumping to life. “What are you doing here?”

“The king intends to do it tomorrow.”

Brass took a deep breath. “Then free me now. Let us escape.”

“I cannot move this door, as you well know. I cannot save you.”

There was a pause. Quintal knew that Brass understood what he was asking. The Dark Prince let the silence draw on for a moment before he continued. “You are the Prince of the Light Dimension, Brass. We cannot allow the Dark King to gain your powers, or he will be unstoppable. The dimensions must remain in balance.”

“I understand, Quintal. I understand.”

“Let it be done quickly, then. You are the last, and I have little time to escape.”

There was silence for another moment, but the creature behind the stone door soon began panting. “Goodbye, old friend,” Quintal whispered as a white sphere hovered through the opening.

“Keep it safe,” Brass answered, “old friend.” And then he went silent, and Quintal knew the other was in a better place. A tear dripped down Quintal’s cheek, but he quickly swept it away. There was no time for mourning.

Stashing the orb in his pocket, Quintal peered over his shoulder. If the Dark King caught him now, all he had done would be for naught, and the other dimensions would fall. He began walking briskly down the hall. He just had to reach the swamp. From there, he would be safe, at least for a little while.

“Quintal!” a voice snarled from down the hallway. “Quintal, get back here!”

Quintal knew that voice. He broke into a sprint. The exit was near, but his pursuer was fast. Quintal could not outrun the wolf. He quickly wrapped himself in darkness, becoming invisible. It would not cover his scent, but at least it would slow the Farren’s hunt.

The exit to the swamp was closer than he had expected. Quintal tore the trap door open and burst into twilight. The brightness stung his eyes. He turned around, squinting, and saw the Prince of the Wild Dimension barreling towards him.

Two dark vines burst from Quintal’s palms, and he whipped them at a nearby branch. The strands looped around their target, and Quintal was pulled through the air. He quickly found his footing in the treetops. Somewhere in these branches, he had hidden the Edge – the one artifact that could help him escape. He scrambled around. The canopy would not be safe for long.

Felron burst from the dungeons and began sniffing the air, searching for his prey. “You can’t escape,” the wolf growled as Quintal’s hand found the Edge.

He raised it into the air, but there was a flash, and Quintal doubled over in pain. He felt like he was burning, that his whole body was torn. Malgthor was standing beside him, the Dark King scowling, eyes full of malice. Quintal’s blood dripped from his razor-sharp claws. “What are you doing, Quintal? You would betray your own people?”

He was bleeding from his right shoulder down to his left thigh, but Quintal had to escape. The king could not get the powers. “It is you who betrays them,” Quintal uttered, and he let himself fall from the tree. Tumbling, he thrust his arm forward and felt the Edge catch.

The Tenth Dimension! Quintal thought desperately. Take me to the Tenth Dimension!

Chapter 1: Matt

Another school day. Matt groaned and pulled the covers over his head. The week had just begun, but already he was anxious for the weekend.

His bedroom door swung open. “Get up, get up! You’re going to be late!” his mom ordered.

“I’m sick,” Matt murmured from under the blankets, feigning a cough.

“No, you’re not. Get up.”

“It’s a snow day,” Matt grumbled.

“It’s a beautiful spring morning, Matt,” his mom said. “Come on, rise and shine!”

“You didn’t see the news? There was an earthquake – the school was reduced to rubble. No class today,” Matt said, smiling beneath the blankets.

His mom laughed and tore the blinds open. The light stung his eyes. “Get up, Matt. I can’t be late for work today, so you can’t miss the bus.”

“Alright, alright,” Matt mumbled as he dragged himself out of bed. He clumsily got dressed and stumbled down the stairs.

“Here’s your lunch, honey. Have a good day,” his mom said as she whisked him out the door.

Stepping onto his quiet suburban street, the warmth of early May greeted him. The cloudless sky and budding trees heralded the rapid approach of summer. Mornings were always difficult, but Matt couldn’t help feeling refreshed and ready for what the day might bring.

Five houses down from his own, Adam stepped outside. “About time you got here. Let’s go.”

Matt and Adam had been best friends for as long as Matt could remember. They were inseparable. People often commented that they were dissimilar – Adam was shy, and Matt was outgoing. Adam excelled in school; Matt was more likely to get detention than a good grade. Adam was calm and contemplative, and Matt could be rash and hotheaded. But none of this mattered. As far as Matt was concerned, they were perfectly complementary.

“Did you do anything exciting last night?” Adam asked nonchalantly as they walked beneath the old oak trees that lined the sidewalk.

“Nah,” Matt answered. “There’s nothing exciting to do around here.”

Adam smiled quietly and pushed his thick-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose. He opened his mouth to respond, but as he did, their bus pulled around the corner. The two friends had to run to catch it. As usual, Matt arrived several steps ahead of his friend. “Beat you again,” Matt gloated as he climbed the steps onto the packed bus.

“Whatever, I’m still taller than you,” Adam retorted, softly enough that no one else would hear. Matt grunted and took the last free seat in the back of the bus, leaving Adam to fend for himself. He would never admit it, but Matt hated that he was the shorter of the two.

It was not long before the bus arrived at their school. Matt felt a surge of disappointment when it came into view. His mom was correct – the building had not been reduced to rubble. He smiled with a sigh as he got off the bus. Maybe tomorrow.

Matt and Adam made a quick goodbye as they parted for their lockers, which were on opposite sides of the school. Matt walked disinterestedly, a cocktail of voices echoing down the brown and white hallways. Only a few short months ago, the school had seemed new and exciting, but now that his freshman year was almost over, these hallways were old news. Familiar. Boring. Just like school always was.

Matt reached his locker and began fiddling with the lock when Jess, whose locker was directly next to his, arrived. She greeted him cheerfully, a smile lighting up her face. It seemed to Matt that Jess was always smiling, which he genuinely appreciated about her.

“Good morning,” she chirped.

“Hey, Jess,” Matt replied with a smile of his own.

“Did you finish your paper? Who did you write about?”

Matt knew exactly what Jess was referring to. They had been tasked with writing a paper on someone who inspired them. Of course, he hadn’t completed it. “What paper?” he teased, grinning wickedly.

Jess giggled. “You didn’t do it? Again?” Matt shook his head. “I don’t understand how you don’t care about grades! It would drive me crazy!”

“It just doesn’t matter to me,” he confessed. Knowing it was important to her, though, Matt asked, “Who did you write your paper on?”

Jess’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. “Kyung-won Park! She was the first female lawyer in South Korea.”

“I guess you want to be a lawyer, too?”

“I do!” Jess replied with determination.

“Why?” he asked. “A lawyer is maybe the last thing I want to be!”

Jess laughed. “I want to help people,” she said.

“Speaking of helping people,” interrupted another voice from behind Matt. “I need your input on my part of our project, Jess.”

Matt turned around, his heart skipping a beat at the sound of Liz’s voice. He would recognize it anywhere. A lump caught in his throat as their eyes met. He tried to speak, but, as always, words eluded him. His mouth hung open and his mind raced. Liz’s perfectly maintained eyebrows furrowed as she turned to Jess and stepped in front of Matt, effectively cutting him out of the conversation. Her wavy blonde hair brushed against his face, leaving his heart thumping.

“Why don’t we work on it over lunch?” Jess asked as Matt shut his locker and briskly walked away.

For months, Matt had harbored a crush on Liz, but he had never mustered the courage, or ability, to talk to her. This was unusual for Matt; he was never uncomfortable speaking to anyone else. He groaned, frustrated with himself for once again becoming tongue-tied. As he entered his first-period classroom, he dared to take one last glance over his shoulder and caught a final, dashing glimpse of Liz. God, she’s beautiful.

The day passed like any other as the first and second periods ended. Matt met up with Adam for lunch, like they always did. “How was class?” asked Adam.

“Who cares?” Matt answered dismissively. He did not like school and was not interested in talking about it.

He sighed as he unwrapped his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Matt’s father had passed away years ago and although his mother worked hard to make ends meet, money was always tight. He looked over at Adam’s enormous lunch jealously. Fortunately, Adam was happy to share.

As the friends ate, Matt noticed Jess and Liz sitting down at the table across from them. Adam noticed as well. “Strange that those two are sitting together,” commented Adam. “I didn’t think they were friends.”

“I guess,” answered Matt, shrugging. “Let’s head to class?” he asked, changing the topic. Adam was very perceptive, and Matt didn’t want him to notice his feelings for Liz. Matt preferred to keep them a secret.

“Sure,” said Adam. They packed their things and headed to their third-period class, the only one they had together. They arrived late, but still ahead of Carl, who bustled in looking disheveled and scraggly as ever. His greasy, dark hair hung down to his shoulders, and his black t-shirt and torn jeans were much too large for him.

“Hey, Crazy Carl, do you know how to read a clock?” one of the classmates mocked. Carl ignored the comment and went to his seat. He didn’t say a word for the entire class and left quietly once it ended.

Matt and Adam were about to part ways for their final class of the day when the fire alarm rang. Yes! Matt thought. He knew it was a drill and was thrilled to miss class. He and Adam made their way with the other students to the far side of the soccer field and lined up along the forest edge. They were happily discussing their plans for the evening when Matt heard a rumbling from the forest behind him.

Matt turned around and almost fell backward. Down the path in the forest, only meters away from him, was a lion! The gigantic cat was perfectly still, except for its lazily waving tail. It rumbled again. This time it sounded much more menacing.

It can’t be, Matt thought. But it was. The lion was unmistakable. It had golden fur and a thick brown mane surrounding its enormous head. Its piercing yellow eyes were locked onto Matt. Muscles rippled beneath its fur as it shifted its weight.

Matt was terrified. He couldn’t move. The colossal predator was dangerously close, and all Matt could do was stare. The lion shook its mighty head and turned to the forest, almost as if inviting Matt to follow.

Matt grabbed Adam, but his friend was already staring in the same direction. “You see the lion, too?” Matt squeaked.

Adam didn’t turn his gaze for a moment. “Lion? What are you talking about? That’s an owl.”

“What?” Matt gulped.

“I see an owl, Matt. I think it wants me to follow it.”

Matt was about to seek a second opinion when another student walked down the forest path. She passed by the lion, coming within inches of it, and didn’t even notice. The lion didn’t react to her, either.

I must be seeing things, Matt thought. But then, what is Adam staring at?

The lion motioned its head again and turned down the trail. It looked back at Matt patiently.

Abandoning logic, Matt said, “I see a lion, and I think it wants me to follow it.”

The friends exchanged a look, and Adam nodded. They glanced around to ensure no one was watching before sneaking off into the forest.