An anime-style digital illustration of two sisters in a grand castle bedroom, one excitedly bouncing on the bed in a pink dress while the other sits up in a blue gown.

A soft thump jolted her from sleep, followed by another, then a whole flurry of bouncing that made the mattress wobble beneath her. “Wake up! Wake up!” her little sister squealed, each hop punctuated with pure, unfiltered joy. The teen girl groaned, dragging an arm over her eyes. “Maddie… it’s too early…” Her voice was thick with sleep, the kind that clings stubbornly even when someone is using your bed like a trampoline. But then she noticed something—sunlight streamed in from a direction her window didn’t exist. And it wasn’t the pale, familiar morning light of home. It was golden, warm, almost shimmering. She blinked hard, pushing herself upright. This wasn’t her room. This wasn’t her house. Her bed—massive, canopied, draped in silks—sat in the center of a chamber big enough to fit her entire living room twice over. The walls were carved stone, veined with silver. Banners embroidered with swirling crests hung from the ceiling. A chandelier glittered overhead like a cluster of stars caught in crystal. She stared, mouth open. “What… where are we?” Maddie plopped down beside her, grinning so wide it looked like her face might split. Her tiny hands grabbed her sister’s shoulders and shook with excitement. “We’re princesses!” she declared, as if this were the most obvious thing in the world. “Look! Look at our room! Look at your dress!” The teen girl looked down. Gone were her pajamas—replaced by a flowing gown of deep blue velvet, embroidered with silver thread that shimmered Ver mais