Bastian's substitute teacher L.C. Blank replaces the homeroom teacher Mrs. Finnegan, and Bastian recognizes him as a man who had sat next to him on a park bench and noticed the book. Bastian turns in his assignment, but Mr. Blank says he never got it, and makes Bastian do it again during the lunch break. The next day, he hides from Mr. Blank in the attic and continues reading. In the story, Atreyu begins his quest, aided by his best friend, and has to deal with Xayide enslaving his entire woodland village.

Based on Michael Ende's 1979 novel The NeverEnding Story – a classic tale of one boy and an old book that sweeps him into the enchanted world of Fantastica, which he has been chosen to save.