《Blessed of the Sea | A Shadow Slave What if》


 First Nightmare

    Kallen of House Night yawned as he held his pencil in his hand, twirling it absentmindedly. He felt his eyes slowly close, and his head slipped from its spot in his palm. The loud smack of his forehead hitting the desk snapped him back awake. Several students all looked at him quizzically, but he took several hard blinks, ignoring them best he could. It was easy, he couldn''t focus on anything.


    All day, Kallen had felt the unnatural need to simply lie down and fall asleep. He¡¯d had an important calculus exam that day¡ªit was nothing more than pre-test jitters he had figured. It wasn¡¯t until he stared at the integral in front of him, reading it over and over again, had he realized what was actually happening. What was about to happen.


    I need to get out of here¡­ he thought, mind hazy. It¡¯d been a split-second realization, and one that came with a second of doubt. But ultimately, instinct took over.


    His chair clattered to the ground, and panic rose from his chest to his forehead as the idea that he might die settled in a pit inside his stomach. He¡¯d been a generation removed from the spell¡­ he was going to be an engineer when he grew up¡­ he wasn¡¯t supposed to fight. Kallen wasn¡¯t a fighter.


    The teacher in front of the room drew his brows in anger. ¡°Kallenir, what are you¡ª¡±


    Kallen didn¡¯t hear what the rest of Professor Guile was saying as he hurried out of the room, throwing the door open. It slammed into the wall behind him, but he was already a dozen steps removed from the classroom.


    Kallen sprinted through the halls in search of the nearest vending machine. He flew around the corner, leaping down several stairs at a time and using the railing as an anchor to propel himself faster.


    I need to get out of here!


    He¡¯d been stupid not to realize it sooner. The description of what it felt like to be infected was something even young children knew at heart¡­ he¡¯d been stupid. He was thankful he had caught himself reading the question over and over again, instead of just nodding off again.


    A vending machine came into Kallen¡¯s view. He skidded to a stop, hurriedly slamming his phone to the payment screen.


    A popular brand of energy drink was his target. It''s label ranged from beast and monster, all the way up to titan. Kallen had always thought it was a tad tasteless to name a line of beverages after nightmare creature classes¡ªgiven that the beasts had killed so many people and whatnot. Nevertheless, he punched in the number for the titan drink¡ªthough he preferred monster usually¡ªbecause of the titan¡¯s high caffeine content.


    He watched as the drink was picked up by the robotic arm and placed into a cylinder, which retracted with a ding. Kallen snatched it and darted off to the nearest awakened instructor, downing the carbonated liquid with as much haste as possible.


    Buying the drink had been a slight gamble, but he assumed it would do more to keep him awake than it would cost him.


    Kallen then burst through the double doors of a gymnasium/training facility. The school he went to could have been considered elite¡ªbut it was more academically-focused than anything. While it had awakened instructors, they weren¡¯t exactly top of the line.


    Still, it was better than nothing.


    ¡°Awakened Danerey¡­¡± Kallen huffed, skidding to a stop, feeling his tiredness overpowering the nearly thousand milligrams of caffeine in his system. He was supposed to have longer to prepare than this. It didn''t make sense.


    ¡°Third¡­ directive¡­ nightmare¡­¡±


    His instructor paled. He shouted various things to the students who had all stopped what they were doing, and were now looking at Kallen, eyes wide and panicked.


    Without hearing a word, the last thing Kallen saw was the evacuation of the gymnasium; the last thing he thought about were his parents, his little sisters before he blacked out.


    In the darkness, a disembodied voice spoke out:


    [Aspirant! Welcome to the Nightmare Spell. Prepare for your First Trial¡­]


    ~~~


    Kallen dreamed of the ruins of a desolate castle.


    The colossal keep seemed shattered by an unknown force, its stone toppled and even the moss decrepit and withered. The ruins were situated just next to a mass of water, so large that he couldn''t see its end.


    Then time rewound. Instantly, the decimated castle was rebuilt, snow and rain flowed upwards and seasons passed in the blink of an eye. Kallen didn¡¯t catch sight of the being that had laid waste to everything, but he suspected he was going to soon.


    Years passed by in the blink of an eye. Then, time slowed, stopped, and resumed its usual pace.


    [Aspirant! Welcome to the Nightmare Spell. Prepare for your First Trial¡­]


    The cold touch of stone graced his knees. Kallen¡¯s eyes shot open and the first thing he saw was a wall of metal bars blocking him from a narrow corridor.


    A slight itch came from his nose, and when he moved to scratch it, he found his wrists bound, chained to each side of the small cell. A groan came from him as he yanked on the shackles with both arms.


    No use.


    He had been expecting a little more agency in his first nightmare. Typically, aspirants were given access to a lot more than... well nothing.


    The itch persisted.


    Kallen scrunched his nose every which way, but nothing worked. He shook against the chains. A growl escaped him and he shook once more, finally letting his shoulders sag when he realized they wouldn''t budge.


    I probably need to get out of here before this castle comes crumbling down, huh?


    He had only just glanced at his runes when a voice called out, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you.¡±


    Kallen¡¯s immediate thought was that the random person was referring to him checking his runes. But that wasn¡¯t possible¡­ he¡¯d been referring to fighting against the chains.


    Kallen glanced around, but it was dark and he couldn¡¯t see much. Who had spoken?


    ¡°And by that you mean¡­ what exactly?¡±


    A man bent over, pressing his forehead against the bars of his cell from the other side. He was quite ugly, a nasty scar deforming the left side of his face, rendering certain parts of his scalp unable to grow hair. ¡°Quit struggling. He needs you in good condition, obviously.¡±


    Good condition? Kallen had never felt worse. He was missing a shirt, his pants were tattered and pocked with splotched, dried patches of blood. It was cold.


    ¡°How did I get here?¡±


    The man cocked his head, a brow rose. He gave an odd look but didn¡¯t say much, only mumbling something under his breath.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Not big on answering questions?¡± Kallen said, the words slipping from his mouth before he could stop himself. It¡¯d been a momentary lapse in judgment¡­ he¡¯d acted on impulse.


    His jailor¡ªpresumably¡ªpulled a pair of keys from his pocket, they jingled around as he tried the lock. When it opened, Kallen earned a fist to the stomach for his remark.


    A certain strength filled him as pain pulsed from his abdomen.


    The man shook his hand, leaving the prisoner coughing in his cell, unable to cradle the bruise that would form. ¡°In my experience, the talkative ones always die quickest.¡± The man began to walk away, but he threw a look over his shoulder. ¡°Your execution has just been expedited.¡±


    Kallen let out a ragged breath, pain flaring in his midsection. He could just see his black hair dangling in front of his eyes, his shoulders rose and fell in an unsteady rhythm. It¡¯d be a lot better, he reasoned, if his hands weren¡¯t bound to the sides of the walls, it left his shoulder blades in an uncomfortable position.


    ¡°Execution?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I was told you were conscious when you were captured¡­¡± the man turned around completely, eyes curious. ¡°You really are clueless?¡±


    ¡°As clueless as you are hard to look at.¡±


    Kallen took the blow across the chin, his mind momentarily leaving him. Ugly-the-jailor jerked him up by the hair and another punch landed on his mouth. Kallen smiled at the man, when he recovered himself, blood trickling down his split lip. ¡°You¡¯re rather quick to anger... Mr..."


    Expecting the man to at least give him a name, Kallen trailed off, but ugly didn''t say anything.


    "Well then... how about ugly? Mind if I call you that?"


    Another fist struck him, and his head snapped back. More blood fell, this time from a broken nose. A wonderfully masochistic idea formed in his head as he felt his muscles rejoice by virtue of the pain radiating so incessantly. He recalled the description of the one attribute he¡¯d had time to read: [Revenge].


    "I''ll just call you ugly in my head, then."


    The man punched him. His blood splattered on the side wall of the cell.


    "... and maybe... behind your back."


    Ugly struck him once more.


    ¡°You know¡ª¡±


    The jailor punched him again. And again. And again. Kallen sagged, his shoulders and face groaning in protest. He probably needed to keep his mouth shut before the man in front of him made sure it stayed permanently closed. But he couldn''t stop now.


    ¡°You know¡­¡± he choked out.


    The jailor raised his fist.


    Kallen opened his hands as if to placate the man. ¡°If you¡¯ll let me talk¡­¡± he gave a bloody smile. ¡°You know, instead of executing me¡­ why don¡¯t you just let me go?¡± He tried to shrug, but it looked more like a turtle trying to retract its head into its shell.


    Ugly tightened his fist, leaning in. ¡°And why would I do that?¡±


    ¡°Is my winning personality not motivation enough?¡±


    Expecting another blow, Kallen closed his eyes and clenched his jaw in preparation, but the punch never came. The jailor had frozen, his fist still clenched and hovering in the air. Then, he let out a laugh¡ªa dry, humorless sound that bounced off the walls of the dark corridor. It didn¡¯t last long. His grin twisted into something sharper, more menacing, and he leaned closer.


    ¡°Are you stupid?¡± The man asked, his breath hot against the cold chill of the dungeon. ¡°Or is this some desperate ploy?¡±


    Kallen blinked at him. ¡°A little bit of both, I¡¯d say. Ah, however, I would prefer if you called it¡­ ah¡­ creative problem-solving.¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes, desperation doesn¡¯t quite fit the image of arrogant and sarcastic and attractive prisoner who definitely and totally doesn¡¯t have a plan to¡ª¡±


    Another strike hit him. Kallen''s already broken nose leaked puddles of blood, his head was dangling. He shut his eyelids tighter, trying to force the pain away. ¡°You should be nicer¡­you won''t... make any friends like this...¡±


    Ugly studied his battered form. It was as if he were some sort of puzzle the man just couldn¡¯t figure out. He shook his head slowly. ¡°You should be more afraid to die.¡±


    Kallen looked up, trying his best to appear nonchalant, despite the ceaseless throbbing. ¡°Ah, of course I am. I¡¯m terrified. You, my friend¡­ judging by your clothes, you don¡¯t seem like the type to get his hands bloody, though.¡± He glanced at the man¡¯s knuckles. ¡°Well, bloodier.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to wish you kept that mouth shut.¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Kallen laughed, his vocal cords straining from the lack of water. ¡°I get the sense that your boss¡ªwhoever he is¡ªwouldn¡¯t appreciate you roughing me up too much more than this. Remember the whole ''good condition'' thing? Not that I know why I¡¯d need to be in good condition for an execution.¡±


    It was a guess on Kallen¡¯s part, but the man froze, his expression darkening. It told him he¡¯d struck true with his prediction. That was good. If he could goad the man into hitting him more, then maybe [Revenge] would power him up enough to¡ª


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a clever mouth, huh?¡± The jailor growled, grabbing him by the jaw and forcing him to look up. ¡°You have your fun¡­ you have your fun, but I swear to you that you¡¯ll regret being born. You don¡¯t get to walk your way out of this one.¡±


    Kallen tried to pull away, but the man¡¯s grip was stone. ¡°I mean¡­" his voice came out muffled, "could you at least let me try? I''m pretty good at walking... if I do¡­ say so myself.¡±


    Ugly''s murderous gleam deepened, but he let go and shoved, barely restraining himself.


    "Back in middle school..." Kallen coughed. "I actually won the superlative for best walker in my¡ª"


    "Enough!" Ugly shouted, his boot driving into Kallen''s stomach. He coughed more as the man spun on his heels, shaking his head and barking orders to someone off in the distance.


    As he ascended the stairs down the long hallway, two guards turned to face Kallen¡¯s cell which sat opposite to the staircase. They were both adorned in full plate, spears decorating their hands.


    The guards approached him, one speaking up.


    "You look like hell."


    "I do," Kallen said. He tried for his best amicable smile, but it probably didn¡¯t look that way with the blood staining his teeth. "You should have seen the other guy. Not that he''s injured or anything... he''s just not exactly pleasant to look at if you get what I mean."


    The guard who had spoken actually gave a slight chuckle, before his partner looked at him, likely glaring from under his helmet.


    "Angry-guard and guard-who-appreciates-good-humor, where exactly is my execution being held? I''d prefer to keep my head if at all possible."


    Angry-guard took a step into the cell. Kallen tried to resist as he unshackled him, but the man jammed the butt of his spear into his stomach.


    I''ve changed my mind, he thought, his head pounding. You''re dickhead-guard... regardless¡­ That should be enough. He willed his runes to appear as the two spearmen led him out of the cell and up the staircase.


    Name: Kallenir


    True Name: None


    Rank: Aspirant


    Soul Core: Dormant


    Attributes: [Revenge], [Voice of the Sea], [Amplifier]


    Quickly, he scanned the description of his attributes.


    [Revenge] Attribute Description: ¡°With every drop spilled, a storm brews within you. Pain becomes power. Wounds are but the herald of your vengeance.¡±


    [Voice of the Sea] Attribute Description: ¡°Your voice ebbs and flows with the resonance of the tides, a melody born of deep currents. The denizens of the depths feel its pull, drawn to your call. Beware, however, for the sea listens as intently as it speaks.


    Interesting. He had read the description of [Revenge] earlier¡­ it was why he had been such an ass to the jailor¡ªnot that he didn¡¯t enjoy it. Even without the attribute incentivising him, he probably couldn¡¯t have helped himself from one or two insults. It was just his winning personality.


    Thankfully, though, [Revenge] had made things less and less painful with each subsequent strike. Relatively speaking. Of course, it still hurt like hell. The throbbing of his decimated nose was nothing to scoff at, and there was surely a few internal organs roughed up and all. But he reasoned it was worth it.


    With that, he read the description of the last attribute.


    [Amplifier] Attribute Description: ¡°You are the resonance in the void, a force that turns whispers to screams. Sparks to bolts.¡±


    Hmm, Kallen thought to himself. Dickhead guard shoved him from behind, but he kept his eyes on the runes even as he stumbled forward. [Voice of the Sea] pretty obviously meant he could talk to fish. And the other ¡®denizens¡¯ of the sea of course. But the whole ¡®beware¡¯ bit left him more than a tad reluctant to go strike up a conversation with the nearest ocean.


    And this [Amplifier] attribute¡­ it almost seemed as though he could wield sound to a certain degree¡­ but he couldn¡¯t be sure.


    Nevertheless, he kept reading. Since he was just a sleeper, he wouldn¡¯t receive any aspect abilities, only his attributes, but it didn¡¯t hurt to at least check.


    Aspect: [Seafarer]


    [Seafarer] Aspect Description: ¡°Your specialty lies with all things aquatic. You recognize the sea as your home, but within it, you hold no authority.¡±


    He stared blankly at the runes.


    He was to be a scion of House Night, so a water-related aspect was nothing out of the ordinary. He¡¯d expected as such. This seemed¡­ weak¡­ in line with what he thought a sleeper would be capable of. Especially since he was a branch member.


    Kallen of House Night, was actually more like Kallen of the Black Water clan. He was a just a vassal. He suspected, however, if he received too powerful of an aspect upgrade after this first nightmare, his status as a vassal might just change.


    If I make it out.

 Sensible and Honorable King

    Kallen let the runes fade away, knowing that he didn¡¯t have any memories or echoes. He¡¯d been woefully underprepared in assuming he¡¯d notice the signs of the nightmare spell quicker. Even more-so, he didn¡¯t suspect he¡¯d ever be infected.


    He stumbled forward with the shove of a guard. Eyes on the present.


    When they emerged, a grand hall was not what he¡¯d been expecting. The gallows, or a guillotine, or whatever the people of the dream realm fancied¡­ sure, but not a grand hall. A powerfully crafted man wearing fine silk sat on the throne at the end of it, there were two separate crowds of people, filing down the edges. It was hard not to notice the heavy pressure of whom he presumed to be king of the castle.


    No insulting the king, he decided.


    One of the guards strode forward to face the king, while the other shoved Kallen into the middle. He was barefoot, missing a shirt, and drenched in blood¡­ it was hard not to feel entirely out of place. Every one present¡ªother than him¡ªwas either obviously nobility or a soldier of sorts.


    The spearman in front of the king whispered something before turning to face Kallen. The king rustled from his spot on the throne, shifting from one side to the other. His chin rested in the palm of his hand, while the other held a goblet that was gingerly placed to his lips.


    When he was finished with his drink, he spoke. His words began as a whispered breath against Kallen¡¯s ears, as if he weren¡¯t allowed to hear what the man began his sentence with.


    ¡°... are sentenced to execution. Effective immediately.¡±


    Kallen nearly sputtered when a dulled sword was tossed to his feet. He looked to the king. Then to the two guards who were moving to flank him. Wasn¡¯t this supposed to be an execution. Where was the torture weapon? The execution device? The theatrics? He would have been disappointed if the situation didn¡¯t benefit him.


    A warrior style execution, then.


    Kallen dug his foot under the blade of the weapon, a sharp edge nowhere to be found. He kicked it up, catching it in his right hand. The blade was short¡ªa one handed sword.


    A man adorned in golden plated armor stepped from the crowd, his beautiful spear and shield pair a testament to his apparent wealth. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t appear to be awakened. There was no otherworldly power emanating from him.


    ¡°Full plate and a shield against a man with no armor and a faulty weapon? A tad cowardly, no?¡± Kallen took measured steps as the two circled each other.


    ¡°If it were a duel,¡± was all he said, voice muffled by his helmet.


    The golden knight then lunged forward striking with his spear from behind the towering shield.


    Kallen was surprised by how sluggish the attack seemed; he dodged, his [Revenge] attribute surely playing no small part.


    The knight retracted his spear and thrust it again. Again it missed his mark. Kallen dashed to the side at the onset of another thrust, batting it to the ground with his blunt blade.


    Eyes screaming with delight, Kallen swung his blade as the thread of opportunity arose. His blade hurled through the air, a whistle barely audible. He felt a connection with that whistle¡­ the vibrations called to him, but when his sword connected with the armored breastplate of his opponent, a much harsher vibration nearly made him drop his weapon.


    A brief moment of hesitation was enough to grant him a metallic fist to his face. Kallen¡¯s nose may have shattered, but truthfully in the moment he had no clue.


    He fell back, mind blank as his head rebounded on the stone. His consciousness came to him a few moments later, and he could barely recognize the golden plated man standing above him, spear poised.


    Kallen smiled a mad, bloody grin. As the spear descended in slow motion, the pain from his face, from his stomach, and his muscles, it all culminated so beautifully with his [Revenge] ability.


    Kallen reached out and took the spear through his hand. Its blade parted his flesh, but he gripped down on the the shaft as it was inches from his heart. He yanked his arm to the side and the knight,still holding the weapon, stumbled.


    Sweeping his opponent off his feet, Kallen hastened upright, stumbling back a few steps as he allowed his balance to come back to him slowly. Strength flowing through him, he felt like a true awakened warrior¡ªdespite him only being an aspirant.


    A mere yard away, the knight slowly rose to his feet. Kallen ripped the spear from his hand, snapping its metal shaft and tossing it behind him where it clamored against the ground. He once again felt a connection to the vibrations that were born from the spear.


    Eyes still trained on the knight, he reached out for that sensation, and tugged.


    A deafening ring assaulted the keep. The knight fell to a knee, gauntleted hands shooting to cover ears that were beneath his helmet. Kallen rushed forth, a front kick snapping forward with force befitting someone who had an enhancement-esque attribute.


    The knight had brought his shield to defend the blow, but he¡¯d still been sent sprawling¡ªa sizable dent in the exquisite tower shield.


    Kallen began to stride forward, to rip the knights helmet off and declare himself the winner, but then the king blurred¡­ he literally blurred and placed a finger to his chest.


    A sharp pain flared in Kallens chest, then he felt something overwhelm his mental defenses. He crumpled, consciousness leaving him instantly.


    ~~~


    A few ribs were definitely broken. Somehow. Kallen tried to move his hands, but he was bound again, back in that damn cell. He could only vaguely remember the king attacking him.


    What a coward.


    It hadn¡¯t taken long before said coward was standing in front of him, two guards flanking each side as they stood away from the cell¡¯s bars.


    Kallen glanced around at the guards. ¡°There are too many of you to keep track of¡­ how am I supposed to name you all when I can¡¯t tell who is who?¡± He then looked at the king. ¡°Seeing as how i¡¯m once again chained up¡ªbeautiful cell by the way¡ªI take it I¡¯m hopefully not being executed anymore?¡±


    The king raised a brow. ¡°That unfortunate looking jailor mentioned you had quite the mouth on you.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunate looking¡­ that¡¯s what I thought.¡± Kallen smiled at the man. ¡°You sir, seem like a sensible and honorable man. What can I do for you?¡±


    The sensible and honorable king studied him. He looked him up and down, as if finding something valuable on his person. ¡°My eyes have never led me astray¡­ but I find myself doubting them today. What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Kallenir.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Kallenir¡­ you do not belong here¡­ do you?¡±


    The smile left Kallen¡¯s face immediately. A similar panic he¡¯d felt when he¡¯d noticed he was infected spread like wildfire. ¡°Don¡¯t belong, how?¡±


    He reasoned he would already be dead if the king still wanted him executed. Even though these guys seemed to take a more ¡®let the prisoner die fighting¡¯ approach to execution, he was sure they¡¯d have no difficulty finishing him off after he displayed his ability to take out the golden knight. Thus, since he hadn¡¯t been killed already, he probably wasn¡¯t in too much danger. Probably.


    ¡°I can sense when others are¡­ special.¡± The king narrowed his eyes and began to say something but a low rumbling forced his attention elsewhere. He looked over his shoulder, glancing at the guards and then turning from the cell. ¡°I¡¯ll be back¡­ stay put. I¡¯d like for us to come to an amicable solution.¡±


    Kallen waved as best he could. ¡°Until next time sensible and honorable king.¡±


    One of the guards looked back at him as they walked away. He recognized that emotionless glare. It was dickhead-guard. Kallen gave him the middle finger, but the man didn¡¯t show any expression. Of course, he had a helmet on. Dickhead-guard, though, had a certain air about him, it was easy to tell him apart from the others.


    I hope you die slowest.


    ~~~


    Kallen waited for a while. There wasn¡¯t much to do other than listen to the screams of men dying and stone crumbling. The echoing cacophony of distant explosions occasionally made dust drift down from the ceiling. Tremors shook the dungeon making his chains rattle against the walls. Obviously, the nightmare creature up there seemed pretty powerful, which meant he would have to fight it at some point.


    Though it would be a little difficult if he were still chained to the wall.


    I need to pee, he thought. Then, the itch came back. That was probably the worst part.


    Scrunching his nose once again, Kallen opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again, situating his lips every which way in order to scratch his nose. It didn¡¯t work. He yanked on the chains, feeling a dull ache from his shoulder blades from the effort. A discontented huff escaped him.


    Left with time alone to think, he studied his runes once more.


    They all seemed pretty useful, and two of the three were likely to be invaluable in his inevitable battle with the nightmare creature up there. From the sounds of it, it was at the very least a demon or a devil. Which was¡­ well it wasn¡¯t ideal.


    He found himself wishing there were another prisoner down here. Though he could imagine the fear that would probably emerge from someone who didn¡¯t realize they were in a nightmare.


    ¡°Quit screaming. What is there to even be scared of?¡± Kallen would ask.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know.¡± Mystery Person would probably reply. ¡°Could it be the ominous shaking? Or the screaming? Or maybe it¡¯s the whole imminent-death thing I¡¯m sensing. Hard to say.¡±


    Hmm, Kallen thought. Maybe I¡¯m better off on my own.


    Was it weird he was making up scenarios in his head? Most likely. That bastard Mystery Person would probably make fun of him for it too.


    What an ass.


    A louder explosion rocked the dungeon. This one was close enough to make the torches flicker. If he had been on his feet, he might have stumbled.


    Kallen¡¯s eyes narrowed, he calculated the odds; how much more could he wring out of [Revenge?] The attribute, he¡¯d found, didn¡¯t exactly work as a steady multiplier. When he was struck, he had felt himself grow a bit stronger, but it was more like he was storing pain for a short burst of excellence rather than accumulating it and distributing it for a steadier, but more modest power-up.


    Perhaps he could make modifications with practice or testing, but that would have to wait. He needed the strength to escape his bonds. Soon, before something unsavory came for him.


    As if on cue, he heard several metallic dings sound in the distance. They were footsteps, but not the same as any of the knights. The gait was more unsteady. Sporadic. It was as if a nightmare creature were wearing metal boots.


    Sure enough¡­ a creature came into view. It stood maybe a few inches taller than him, with a hunched back, tucked in bat wings, and a pair of asynchronous horns¡ªone sticking up straight and the other curling back like a goat¡¯s. It regarded Kallen with glowing red eyes beneath a perfectly fitted helmet that covered the top of its head, leaving room for its spiraling horns.


    The creature walked toward him slowly, head cocking from side to side as it studied the threat. Though, it only appeared to be mimicking intelligence. There wasn¡¯t a thought behind those eyes other than murder.


    A louder explosion rocked the dungeon, the torches briefly went out before lighting themselves again. The gargoyle stumbled, but caught itself on the ground.


    Kallen dug his knees into the ground and pulled on the chains in an attempt to build up as much pain as he could: his teeth gnashed and he felt lightheaded when he finally relented.


    ¡°Hey gargoyle¡­¡± he caught his breath for a moment. ¡°Sir, Would you care to leave me alone?¡± He showed his palms, as if to prove he didn¡¯t have a weapon and wasn¡¯t a threat. ¡°Or, at least let me out of these chains so we can do glorious battle in a more¡­ proper fashion? I promise I will not run away.¡±


    The gargoyle huffed, shaking its head as a ram would before it charged something.


    All things considered, Kallen found that he was in a pretty good position. The gargoyle couldn¡¯t have been anything more than a dormant beast at most. Since first nightmares only had one nightmare creature tailored for its aspirant¡­ it would explain why the spell had deemed it sufficient to bind him and place him in a dungeon. The setting was offset by such a weak nightmare creature being the final boss. The explosions up top were probably just an invading force of other humans, and this gargoyle, likely, was another prisoner of sorts.


    Well¡­ maybe. It was the best explanation Kallen could come up with.


    I accept your benevolence, oh great spell. I will fight spectacularly¡­ though the lack of weapon is a little concerning.


    When the gargoyle finally made its way to the metal bars of his cell, Kallen reasoned it was better to strike now than ever.


    Feeling [Revenge] settle in his gut, he yanked hard against the chains binding his wrists. The raw fury from his attribute amplified him to a staggering degree and the metal groaned under the strain before finally snapping. The sudden release sent him lurching forward on his hands, but he caught himself and crawled for half a step before rising to a sprint¡ªall in the same breath.


    The gargoyle let out a grunt in surprise.


    Kallen¡¯s hands slammed into the bars to stop his momentum. He grinned, bloodied and wild-eyed as he slipped an arm through the bar and grabbed the beast by its spiraled horn.


    A growl escaped him as he pulled the nightmare creature. Its helmeted head smashed off of the iron bars. The gargoyle stumbled backward, dazed and swinging its sharp claws every which way.


    Kallen backed up. He¡¯d expected the head trauma to do a little more than knock the helmet off the creature. But it was still stumbling around from the force of the collision.


    With [Revenge] seeping away, it left him with a startling feeling of weakness. It was like lactic acid buildup, but multiplied by a thousand and drenched in liquid flame. His muscles and tendons screamed. And to top it off, the nightmare creature was slowly bringing itself together.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said.


    In response, the gargoyle screeched, claws reaching through the bars in an attempt to tear him to shreds. Seemingly noticing the barrier, it took a step back and grasped the metal, shearing it with astounding strength.


    Shit¡­


    Kallen hadn¡¯t done much martial training in his life. He was a studier. A test taker. He was something of a bookworm, even despite the fact that he didn¡¯t exactly look or act like one. Thankfully, his body in this nightmare was a tad more robust than he was in real life. It would help with his next maneuver.


    As the outstretched claws swiped at him, Kallen dropped low, grasping the legs of the nightmare creature and thanking the heavens it was humanoid. Then, before it could claw his back, he lunged backward, slamming himself and the creature into the wall behind them.


    It crumbled off of his shoulders as he rose to his feet, panting. That little move of his had¡ªthankfully¡ªcaught the gargoyle at just the right trajectory, shoving its own horn into its skull.


    [You have slain a dormant beast, Elder Gargoyle¡¯s Follower.]


    Kallen would have shouted in excitement, but as he waited for the spell to congratulate him, tell him his nightmare was over, and prepare him for his appraisal, nothing happened. He didn¡¯t even receive a memory.


    He bent over and studied the gargoyle¡¯s corpse. He would have kicked it to make sure it was dead if not for the spell telling him he¡¯d slain it.


    Suddenly¡­ a wretched thought formed in his mind. If I just killed that thing¡­ and the nightmare isn¡¯t over¡­


    His eyes widened. It meant that the nightmare creature for him¡­ the one the spell created just for him was at the very least a tyrant¡ªsomething capable of creating its own minions.


    Then the explosions¡­


    The chaos outside the dungeon grew louder and louder, until suddenly, it stopped.

 Not so Sensible and Honorable King

    Kallen looked to his left, his heart leaping into his throat as another gargoyle was mere inches away from tearing him apart.


    However¡­


    Reaching out a hand, he delicately poked the gargoyle¡¯s stone covered eye. In fact, the entire creature was covered in stone, frozen with an arm outstretched and ready to take his head off.


    He lowered himself to the ground, supporting his body with his hands which were bound by shackles missing their chains.


    Gods¡­


    The silence of the dungeon was more unnerving than the chaos had been. Kallen scooted backward and sat with his back against the stone wall. His breathing steadily evened out, but each and every muscle fiber ached with how drained [Revenge] had left him.


    The stone gargoyle loomed above him, a cruel reminder of how close he¡¯d been to death. He shuffled over and tapped its leg with his boot, almost expecting it to come back to life, but it remained frozen.


    Kallen released a heavy sigh before spinning around and crawling up to the dead gargoyle. He pulled on the corpse a little, situating its head towards himself. Grabbing a metal shard from the broken chains, he cut the gargoyle¡¯s straight¡ªwell, straighter¡ªhorn and wiped the blood and brain matter from it.


    ¡°Thank you for the weapon, Elder Gargoyle¡¯s Follower.¡±


    He forced himself to his feet, fighting through the protest of his body. ¡°I need a plan,¡± he muttered, wiping the horn off once more. ¡°Preferably one that doesn¡¯t involve me dying horribly.¡±


    Kallen paced the cell. There wasn¡¯t much to go off of. Apparently, the castle had already collapsed, and the act hadn¡¯t killed him, so he was out of the woods with that, however, the creature that caused the collapse¡ªlikely the Elder Gargoyle¡ªwas an unknown threat.


    He took a few steps over to the stone gargoyle in order to inspect the creature. He could expect to fight more of them, so he¡¯d do well to learn the ins and outs of its physiology. Both stone and not stone.


    Kallen tapped the stone Gargoyle¡¯s eye. Again nothing happened.


    He placed his hands on the creature, feeling its body for any weak points. There didn¡¯t appear to be any. The gargoyle was just a humanoid nightmare creature with sharp claws and sharp teeth, its only defensive items were a pair of greaves, sabatons, and a helmet. That was all.


    Though he didn¡¯t expect much from a dormant beast, he was at least a little disappointed. It would be helpful if he could get something other than a horn as a weapon.


    Kallen looked the creature up and down. Judging by all he knew about gargoyles¡ªwhich wasn¡¯t much¡ªthe nightmare creature was probably in its stone form because the sun had risen. In some myths, he knew that direct sunlight had to be achieved for the transformation process, but thankfully, that didn¡¯t appear to be the case here.


    Aiming to leave the hallway and his cell behind, Kallen grabbed the metal helmet off of the stone gargoyle and slipped it on his head. It didn¡¯t fit perfectly, but it would hopefully keep his brain intact if something tried to crack his skull open.


    I wish it were louder.


    It was eerily quiet aside from the constant dripping of water¡­ somewhere. He couldn¡¯t find it, and he reasoned there probably wasn¡¯t any need to go do so. His aspect was tied to water, but none of his current attributes could utilize a droplet of water at all.


    Regardless, his eyes moved to the door of his cell. The bars to the side were bent from the where the dormant beast had ripped its way in. Kallen stuck a foot in the gap and squeezed through, but as he appeared on the other side, another faint sound of footsteps came from the stair-case. These steps weren¡¯t the clank of armored boots, but the irregular, dragging sound of something¡­ inhuman.


    Kallen slipped back into the cell and pressed himself against the stone, trying to blend into the shadows of the dungeon. He watched the corridor, anxiously waiting for whatever was coming to show itself, each of its steps were punctuated by a low, almost human groan. His grip on the horn tightened.


    He held his breath as the figure emerged from the stairs¡ªa humanoid silhouette cloaked in ragged robes, its nearly human face partially obscured by a tattered hood. Its movements were erratic, as though it were fighting for control over itself¡ªcontrolled like a marionette with tangled strings.


    Blood crusted its features, dark rivulets trailing down from ragged claw marks. Glowing red eyes, a similar shade as the gargoyle¡¯s, burned with malevolent light.


    Kallen¡¯s breath caught.


    The sensible and honorable king from before didn¡¯t quite look so¡­ sensible anymore. He¡ªit stopped just outside Kallen¡¯s cell, tilting its head as if sensing something.


    Its lips parted in an unnerving smile, revealing jagged teeth set in a mouth only slightly too wide to be natural. A faint hiss escaped, then it spoke, ¡°Stay¡­ put¡­¡±


    The voice was warped and unnatural, like nails dragging against broken glass. Kallen froze, heart hammering. It was like the man had partially transformed or something.


    The Elder Gargoyle was able to turn humans into minions, of course¡ªKallen had suspected as much. Perhaps the king had been too powerful to fully turn, but not powerful enough to completely resist the transformation.


    Kallen glanced at its claws. He swallowed as quietly as he could when the creature reached out a hand, fingers curling around the bent bars. He felt his pulse quicken as the king pulled. The metal moved as if it were malleable as butter.


    ¡°Stay¡­ put¡­ Kallenir¡­¡±


    With a sudden burst of energy, Kallen dashed forward, driving the gargoyle¡¯s horn into the corrupted king¡¯s neck. The thing recoiled, hissing with guttural rage.


    Kallen didn¡¯t wait for it to recover. He dove, passing cleanly through the larger gap in the cell. Scrambling to his feet, he ran as fast as his battered body allowed, his mind solely focused on getting the hell away from the awakened monster.


    The words: Come back came from behind him in a perfect rendition of his own voice. It was as if the creature were trying to mimic humanity, but it had no clue how to do so.


    Kallen decided not to dwell on it as climbed the stairs, but when he emerged, the pathway ahead forked¡ªleft or right. He chose left without thinking. He didn¡¯t slow, nearly tripping over himself to get away as far as possible.


    He lunged around the wall, shaking his head and turning the corner, but his path ended abruptly. The corridor ahead was blocked by a pile of rubble. Kallen cursed under his breath, glancing over his shoulder to see that the king hadn¡¯t quite caught up.


    His eyes landed on a small gap between the rubble and the wall¡ªjust wide enough to squeeze through. Without hesitating, he forced himself through the gap. Jagged edges of the stone sliced his skin as he emerged on the other side, gasping for air.


    The corridor he found himself in was darker, the torches all extinguished. Kallen leaned against the wall, chest heaving.


    The path looped around, seemingly sharing a wall with the corridor he had just come from. On both ends, however, the exit was blocked, the only way out being the hole through which he¡¯d come in.


    Kallen would have found the pathing of the corridors odd, if it weren¡¯t built to resemble a maze of sorts. It made sense¡ªwith technology so limited, it was a good way to catch escaping prisoners. Only if you knew the way, however.


    Hopefully, it didn¡¯t see me come through here.


    Kallen once more held his breath as the sound of footsteps drew near. He felt the vibrations of the sound, his stomach knotting with anticipation. He knew he could amplify those vibrations, but there wasn¡¯t much they would do for him now. For now, stealth was key.


    ¡°Kallenir¡­¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    The voice echoed again, closer now, reverberating through the stone like a predator¡¯s growl. It didn¡¯t just reach his ears¡ªit pressed against him, vibrating through him.


    ¡°Kallen?¡±


    His blood turned to ice. That voice¡­ it was the voice of Seren¡­


    She isn¡¯t here. She¡¯s safe at home¡­ this is just the spell playing a trick¡­


    ¡°Kallen?¡± The voice came again, softer, trembling, just like when she was afraid of the dark. ¡°Where are you? I¡¯m scared.


    His breath caught in his throat. Rationally, he knew she wasn¡¯t here. Seren wasn¡¯t here. Kallen kept his back against the wall, steadying himself.


    ¡°Kallen, please. It¡¯s me. Don¡¯t leave me here! It¡¯s dark¡­¡± the voice broke out into a sob. He felt his chest tighten. The king¡­ it was using her voice¡ªher exact voice¡ªbut something was wrong.


    Maybe it was the cadence¡­ or the inflection¡­ but it just wasn¡¯t right.


    ¡°Come find me. Come find Seren.¡±


    Kallen grit his teeth, but he kept quiet. Following, this was a long period of relative silence. Maybe the creature realized that its mimicry didn¡¯t work. Maybe it wasn¡¯t intentionally mimicking anything. Maybe¡­


    Kallen just didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Prisoner¡­¡± The voice was back, closer this time. It seemed to have regained its normal, grating tone. ¡°Stay¡­ put¡­ Kallenir¡­¡± There was a low scrape against the wall from the other side. ¡°Stay¡­ put¡­¡±


    The king had told him to stay put before he had left to fight the Elder Gargoyle. The corrupted version of him was probably just repeating it since it was the last thing he had told him.


    Kallen clenched his jaw. He was a good ways away from the pile of rubble, and though there was only a single wall separating him and the king, there should have been any way to sense him.


    ¡°Stay¡­ put¡­¡±


    Although¡­ hadn¡¯t the king said something about his eyes being able to sense special people? Wouldn¡¯t there probably be other things those eyes could see¡­ perhaps a tasty human hiding behind the wall?


    In that case, wouldn¡¯t the phrase: ¡°Stay put.¡± mean¡­


    Before he could act, the wall behind him exploded inward, showering him with jagged stone. Kallen twisted to the side, narrowly avoiding the creature¡¯s outstretched claws. The king stepped into the breach, its silhouette horrifying in the shadow.


    ¡°Stay¡­ put¡­ Kallenir.¡±


    The sound of his name, warped and terrifying sent fresh panic through Kallen. He felt his own temperature drop when he watched the kings claws gouge into the walls, dragging long trails of ruined stone behind them.


    His mind called back to when he had thanked the spell for its benevolence. What a joke!


    The king stepped closer, its body moving with an unsettling mix of grace and feral disjointedness. A horn was stuck in its neck, jutted at an awkward angle. Red blood seeped from the wound, dripping to the floor, but the creature didn¡¯t seem to care.


    Kallen backed away. His breath quickened as he retreated further and further into the corridor. Each step he took in retreat only brought him closer to more rubble.


    The king tilted its head as it stalked toward him. Its voice, so guttural and strained, came again. ¡°Kallenir¡­¡±


    Kallen¡¯s eyes darted around, searching for something useful. The broken sconces lining the walls gave him a slight idea. He reached for one as he backed away, yanking it free with a grunt. The sconce had a jagged edge, rusted but sharp enough to serve as a makeshift weapon. It wasn¡¯t ideal, but then, neither was Mr Elder Gargoyle¡¯s follower¡¯s horn.


    He stood straighter, despite the ache.


    ¡°Alright your majesty¡­¡± Kallen tried for something smart to say, but for once, his situation got the better of him. He couldn¡¯t think of anything. The best he could do was reuse an old joke, which wasn¡¯t clever at all. ¡°Let¡¯s do glorious battle¡­ or something¡­ however I put it before.¡± He bit his lip, shaking his head in dejected disapproval. ¡°Damn, that one sucked!¡±


    The king lunged forward with sudden, unnatural speed. Kallen barely sidestepped in time, driving the sconce forward as he moved. The rusted metal drove into the king¡¯s face, tearing through its flesh and eliciting an inhuman roar.


    Kallen didn¡¯t wait for it to recover. He dashed past, adrenaline the only thing working in his body. The sound of scraping claws echoed behind as the king gave chase once more.


    The hole in the rubble scraped his limbs and side once more as he dove through. He scrambled to his feet and sprinted in the direction he came. The corridors finally opened into the familiar branching paths.


    Kallen chose the other one this time. Hastening through, the path opened up into a larger chamber, its walls adorned with actually lit torches. He did his best to ignore the several torture devices around, and instead focused on the wall of weapons.


    Now we¡¯re getting somewhere¡­


    Kallen picked up a one handed sword, hefting it to get a feel for his weight. He eyed a small shield on the wall, but reasoned it wouldn¡¯t do much good against the king who could rip metal with ease.


    It was good to have a weapon, though. At the very least, if he made it out of here alive and received a true name¡ªas improbable as it was¡ªwith a weapon now, he could avoid an unsavory name like [Master of Sconces.] Or others along the same line.


    He eyed the staircase at the other end of the torture chamber. He could probably escape now since the nightmare creature pursuing him only seemed capable of short bursts of speed and not an extended sprint.


    It could, however, sense him¡­ somehow. It was best to get rid of the powerful king before he went up to fight Mr. Elder Gargoyle¡ªwho was probably just a block of stone for the time being.


    The king stumbled into the room moments later, eyes narrowing at the sight of the weapon. It hesitated, a guttural hiss grating.


    ¡°Kallenir¡­¡±


    Kallen smiled, his confidence half-feigned.


    Then the battle commenced. The king charged, its claws outstretched. Kallen met the attack head-on, blade slicing through the air with a faint hum. Their clash sent sparks flying, the force of the impact reverberating through the chamber.


    Kallen seized that reverberation, enhancing it, intensifying it. The creature hissed in pain, and he amplified that too. Kallen seemed to be immune to the vibrations as they shook the walls, deafening and powerful.


    Using the opportunity, Kallen discarded his mangled sword, throwing it at the king before dashing back and grabbing another weapon off the wall.


    This time he wielded a spear. Then he charged.


    The ensuing fight was brutal, each strike pushing him closer to his limits. With [Revenge] unable to be used and a strange energy circulating the king¡¯s ears now rendering [Amplifier] useless, he was left with just his wits and human strength to defeat the king.


    Thankfully, his opponent was almost mindless.


    Kallen ducked under the sweep of the monster¡¯s claws. Still ducking, he weaved to the left, then back, then left again, before rising with an upward jab of his spear, the blade peeling through the flesh of its chest.


    He knew his thrust had struck through its heart, but the king would still have a few moments of lucidity before death. It¡¯s eyes grew wide and red and it lunged for Kallen, claws sinking a full inch into his dominant side¡¯s shoulder.


    Kallen shouted in pain, trying to wrench the claw from his shoulder. The creature was stronger.


    The beating of the king¡¯s heart sputtered, winking out like a dying star. But the half-nightmare creature persisted, forcing him to his knees.


    Kallen let go of the spear, both hands now on the king¡¯s claw, trying to stop it from driving deeper, but the devious bastard raked the other one across Kallen¡¯s stomach. Blood spilled to the floor, but the wound was shallow.


    Finally, with yet another hiss, sounding more like a pained wheeze than anything, the king faltered. It stumbled, red eyes flickering back to green, revealing a fragment of the man it had once been. For a moment, their gazes met¡ªhuman and lucid¡ªbut it was fleeting. The sensible and honorable king fell to the ground, dead.


    Kallen remained on his knees, breathing heavy and covering the hole in his shoulder. He would have loved to cover the gash on his stomach as well,


    [You have slain an awakened human, King Jaire.]


    [You have received a memory: Legacy of the Fallen.]


    Kallen froze, eyes wide.


    He allowed himself to fall on his back, staring at the ceiling of the torture chamber. He summoned the memory¡¯s runes, hoping to the gods above that it could heal his wounded shoulder. Or at least close the gash on his stomach.


    Name: Kallenir.


    True Name: None.


    Rank: Aspirant.


    Soul Core: Dormant.


    Attributes: [Revenge], [Voice of the Sea], [Amplifier.]


    Aspect: [Seafarer.]


    Aspect Description: ¡°Your specialty lies with all things aquatic. You recognize the sea as your home, but within it, you hold no authority.¡±


    Memories: [Legacy of the Fallen.]


    Echoes:


    Kallen focused on the new memory.


    Memory: [Legacy of the Fallen.]


    Memory Rank: Awakened.


    Memory Tier: I


    Memory Type: Weapon.


    Memory Description: ¡°This blade once ruled the battlefield as its master ruled the land. It now bears the weight of the king¡¯s demise. The crimson stains along its edge whisper of reign, betrayal, and legacy, while the cold steel only hums with the echoes of unfinished conquest.¡±


    Kallen summoned the blade in his left hand, its description replaying in his head a few times over. It didn¡¯t quite tell him much, but the memory was only of the first tier, and only had one ability¡ªwhatever that was.


    Dismissing the runes, he studied the weapon. It was a one-handed short sword, straight as an arrow. Blood stained its sharp edges, and the silver metal did indeed whisper to him.


    Lying on his back, he swung it a few times to get a feel for the balance, before letting it disappear into a flash of white sparks.


    He rested for a moment, feeling his eyelids grow heavy. He wasn¡¯t sure whether he was truly tired, or it was the blood-loss getting to him.


    ¡°Alright, spell,¡± he muttered, letting his arms fall to the stone. ¡°I get a break now, right? This isn¡¯t just some false sense of security? Because if you¡¯re aiming for suspense, you¡¯re nailing it.¡±


    He waited for something to happen, but when nothing did, only then did he close his eyes.

 There is No Way Plan A Wont Work

    Kallen dragged himself up the spiraling staircase, staggered steps leading him to a grand chamber. Blood seeped from his shoulder and stomach, trailing a path crimson behind.


    He had been confused to find the castle still standing when he made it up there. He could have sworn he¡¯d seen it crumbled before time had rewound at the start of his nightmare. Perhaps it would happen by father-time''s hand and not the ensuing battle before him.


    No chance.


    At the center of the vast chamber, stood what he assumed to be the Elder Gargoyle, its mass encased by hard stone. The monstrous thing, vast and powerful, was frozen mid-snarl, wings outstretched and ready to strike.


    Kallen assumed that was because of its battle with the king. Nevertheless, his breath caught at the sheer size of it: four meters tall and rippling with power, even in its seemingly dormant state.


    Plated armor covered the creature from head to toe, even forming spiked ridges along its spine that came to a sharp point at the end of its tail. It had a silver helmet as well, and a massive halberd rested in its hands.


    Grasping the hilt of Legacy of the Fallen, Kallen approached it cautiously. There was a certain primal fear that he felt grow with every step he took. It was enough to keep him wary, despite him knowing that there was no way the beast could hurt him for now.


    The Elder Gargoyle was at least a tyrant by its ability to create minions alone, but Kallen suspected that the fear he felt was actually a subdued form of an influence ability, commonly seen by terrors or titans.


    Though, he severely doubted that it was a titan. The Elder Gargoyle didn¡¯t seem¡­ calamitous enough. It was still dreadful, however.


    Kallen moved within striking distance of the terror. He felt a strong urge to turn tail and run, but fought it back, grasping his weapon tighter. With all of his mortal strength, he struck forth, driving the weapon into the creature¡¯s knee.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± Kallen hissed, stepping back. He tried again, and once more, but no such luck. Frustration simmered in his gut, but he forced himself into a few more tries. Expectedly, none yielded results.


    He retreated away from the Elder Gargoyle¡ªout of its range of fear¡ªand focused on the dozens of dormant beasts, all frozen and encased in stone. The chamber was lined with the things, petrified and awaiting orders.


    ¡°Well if I can¡¯t get the big one, yet¡ª¡± he trailed off, stepping to the nearest stone figure.


    The first kill was almost laughable. His awakened blade tore through the frozen gargoyle with ease, its head falling to the floor. The whole thing shattered a moment later, followed by¡­


    [You have slain a dormant beast, Elder Gargoyle¡¯s Follower.]


    Kallen moved through the chamber, taking note of the twenty or so stone columns that held up the second floor of the grand chamber.


    The repetitive act of slaughtering the dormant creatures became mechanical. It was as if he were farming low level creatures in some video game. Each fell without resistance, the silence of the castle broken only by the sharp crack of stone and the crunch of debris underfoot.


    [You have slain a dormant beast, Elder Gargoyle¡¯s Follower.]


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Another.


    [You have slain a dormant beast, Elder Gargoyle¡¯s Follower.]


    Three more.


    [You have slain a dormant beast, Elder Gargoyle¡¯s Follower.]


    [You have slain a dormant beast¡­ ]


    [You have¡­ ]


    By the time he finished, something over forty gargoyles had been killed, and two memories had been gained. He dismissed Legacy of the Fallen with a grimace, his left arm weirdly strained from the effort. He would''ve loved to use his right, but with it incapacitated and all¡­


    Damn king.


    A new memory materialized around Kallen¡ªa suit of stone armor, sturdy and doubtlessly imposing. It took only seconds for him to dismiss it. ¡°Too bulky,¡± he said, watching it disappear in a flash of white sparks. He examined its runes.


    A blow from the terror back there would flatten it anyway. Mobility is of more use to me for now.


    The second and final memory he had received from his killing spree coalesced into a small, glowing charm. It was a tiny little rock with bat wings on the end of a chain. Kallen let it hang from his neck as he checked its runes.


    It was a dormant charm of the first tier, with its only ability being: [Fear is the mind killer.]


    His brows rose in surprise. Charms were exceedingly rare, and to get one so early was nothing short of surprising. He brushed its cold surface with a hand, a tad uncomfortable with the way it sat against his bare chest.


    ¡°Well aren¡¯t you a topical little charm,¡± Kallen mumbled. He guessed based on the name, that the amulet would work to counteract the corruption process of the Elder Gargoyle. Assumedly, the fear the beast radiated ate away at the minds of whatever was in its presence. Whenever the target gave in¡ªmost likely¡ªthe transformation would occur, turning whatever it was into a gargoyle of sorts.


    Or at least that was his best guess.


    A hint of a smile tugged at Kallen¡¯s lips from the stroke of good luck, though it faded rapidly. He couldn¡¯t shake the image of the king¡ªhalf-human, half-monster. Would the amulet be enough to protect him from a fate like that? He shook his head as if to dispel the thoughts.


    Kallen backed off and examined his handy work, searching the piles of rubble. He had taken a few laps of the eerie castle in search for any stragglers, but couldn¡¯t find any.


    ¡°Slaughterer of dormant beasts that can¡¯t fight back because they¡¯ve been encased in stone,¡± Kallen said. He let a dry laugh escape him. ¡°Bit long for a true name. But it beats Master of Sconces, doesn¡¯t it.¡±


    Slowly, he made his way back to the Elder Gargoyle. ¡°Petrifier¡¯s Bane, maybe?¡± Kallen made an odd face. ¡°No¡­ that¡¯s even worse¡­¡±


    He decided he would leave the naming up to the spell. Not that he expected to actually receive a true name after the first nightmare. Not that he had a plan to beat ¡®Big-and-Ugly,¡¯ over there either.


    Well, he had the concepts of a plan. At its core, it was simple. Plan A was to gather up [Revenge], which had been recharged slightly after his nap. Since there wasn¡¯t much more he could gather¡ªby virtue of the two gaping wounds from the king¡ªit wouldn¡¯t take long. Once revenge was built up, he would wait for nightfall when the stone would crumble away, and strike at the neck of the Elder Gargoyle while it was still disoriented. It would be a quick plan. And if it failed, he would have no choice but to move on to plan B: bring the whole castle crashing down on the damn thing.


    As Kallen climbed the creature, coming to a stop just on its shoulders, he propped himself against its wing and formulated plan C.


    Put simply, it was to run away.


    Hit and run tactics were highly unlike to work against the nightmare creature, but that was why it was plan C.


    Please don¡¯t make me use plan C.


    Kallen tried his hardest to believe that plan A would work without a hitch. It had to, really. Plans B, and C were pretty terrible all things considered. It his surprise attack failed, he was a dead man.


    Didn¡¯t some famous ancient philosopher say something about everyone having a plan until they got punched in the mouth? That kind of applied here, he assumed.


    Any further plan he had would probably fly out the window once things truly went down.


    I need to stop thinking that way. There¡¯s no way plan A won¡¯t work.

 Plan A Did Not Work

    A few hours of waiting had passed by when the sun finally began to set. In preparation for the final battle, Kallen had wrapped his wounds and summoned Legacy of the Fallen. Fearing losing too much blood, he decided to power up [Revenge] by bashing the weapon¡¯s hilt into his offhand, instead of cutting himself anywhere. The attribute was almost full anyways.


    Kallen sat atop the Elder Gargoyle, his nerves forming a pit in his stomach as he waited. When the sun fully set and night had fallen, the stone casing around the terror began to crack.


    An eerie feeling filled the chamber as shards of stone fell away, revealing the Terror¡¯s flesh. They smashed into the ground, thunderous crashes reverberating off the walls.


    Without wasting a second, he surged forward, [Revenge] pumping through him as he drove his blade into the Gargoyle¡¯s exposed neck.


    The weapon connected, tearing through the tough hide¡ªbut the aura of fear slammed into Kallen only a moment later, flooding him with the intent to flee. The aura of fear was now unbidden by the encasing of stone¡­ his muscles locked and his thrust faltered. The next moment, the Elder Gargoyle roared and thrashed, hurling him across the room.


    He hit the ground hard. The wind was knocked out of him and he was left gasping, forcing himself to roll as the creature¡¯s massive halberd came plummeting down. It crashed through one of the stone columns, missing him and hitting the ground, sending gashes of stone flying in its wake.


    Kallen had just been there. It was sobering to know that if he hadn¡¯t moved, he would have been reduced to nothing but a puddle of bloody pulp.


    Shit¡­


    Shit¡­


    Shit¡­ the word repeated in his head like a mantra as he moved to plan B. He regretted ever thinking that his first plan was infallible¡­ that was like the first rule of plan making: never assume it will absolutely work.


    Kallen darted to the side. The mighty halberd swung again, missing him by inches and driving a deep trench into the chamber floor. Another column came crashing down.


    The Gargoyle followed, wrenching its weapon free and swinging it in a wide arc. Kallen dropped to the floor, then scrambled to his feet, moving for the next column. There were about two dozen of them, which meant that he¡¯d need a little more than a fourth of them to be destroyed for the type of structural failure he was looking for.


    Another column came crashing down. Kallen kept moving, throwing rocks and fallen gargoyle helmets at the beast.


    The Elder Gargoyle had a twisted sort of intelligence to it, but it was also enraged from the wound in its neck. This left its attacks mostly mindless. It didn¡¯t seem to have a clue that it was aiding in its own defeat.


    Kallen dismissed Legacy of the Fallen, he knew crossing blades with the monster was pointless.


    The sixth column shattered.


    He cursed, having not prepared himself properly for when the ceiling began to cave in. He¡¯d expected it to take at least eight.


    Shit!


    The ceiling buckled. Kallen dove out of the way, activating the dredges of [Revenge] to allow him a burst of speed. A deafening roar came from behind him, and he shielded his head, chaos engulfing the chamber.


    A billowing cloud of dust filled the air, obscuring his vision, but he didn¡¯t need to see to know that the terror had been buried beneath the destruction. For now.


    Kallen staggered to his feet, coughing to clear the dust from his aching lungs. His opponent wasn¡¯t finished¡ªfar from it actually. But he¡¯d bought himself time for round two.


    ~~~


    The dust had only just begun to settle when Kallen began to pick his way through the rubble, scanning for any sign of movement. He had since summoned his awakened weapon, the knuckles on his left hand white as he prepared himself. He was aiming for another strike to the neck, this time hopefully, he wouldn¡¯t falter.


    But then he felt it. A massive claw broke free from the rubble, followed by the glint of piercing red eyes. Kallen froze again. He was a deer in the headlights. There was no way he could fight that thing head on, the castle crashing down on it had barely done anything¡­ it wasn¡¯t even bleeding, just more pissed off.


    I¡­ I can¡¯t¡­


    Escape wasn¡¯t an option, the Elder Gargoyle was just that much faster and with its wings, it could spot him from the skies. He realized, there just wasn¡¯t anything that could be done. There was no way to beat that thing with just a first tier sword, even if it was awakened.


    Kallen stood still, hands slack and fresh rain falling from his face. With [Amplifier,] he felt the vibration of the liquid bouncing off of the stone, torrents of water coming down in sheets. Beyond, he could hear the faint echo of waves crashing on a beach.


    The ocean¡­


    A glimmer of desperation ignited in his chest. Giving the menacing terror one last glance, Kallen turned and ran once more.


    He burst through the outer gates, tripping over himself in a mad dash to get away. The castle sat on a small hill, its walls just edging the perimeter. Kallen slipped at the beginning of his descent, falling rather ungracefully before he scrambled to his feet and kept moving.


    ¡°Help!¡± He rasped, voice raw. He ran harder, feeling for the connection of [Voice of the Sea.] There was a faint ripple on the water¡¯s surface, but he needed to be closer.


    ¡°Help me!¡± Kallen tugged on the vibrations of his own voice, [Amplifier] alerting everything within a mile¡¯s radius. He came to a running stop just yards away from the shoreline, the rock beach rough on his bare feet.


    ¡°Help¡­¡±


    The waves wrinkled in response and then a burst of sonic energy spread outward, resonating through the ocean like a rhythmic wave. Kallen waited an anxious minute, but there was nothing. No response. The ocean raged on, uncaring.


    A roar boomed from behind pierced his ears; he cursed, rain lashed his face as he turned, whipping around to see the Elder Gargoyle airborne, hurtling down as a gargantuan missile of armor and horror.


    ¡°Dead gods!¡±


    The Terror crashed down only a dozen yards ahead. It approached Kallen slow, deliberately dragging its hulking weapon as if savoring the end of a short lived hunt.


    Kallen eyes landed on the weapon.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    A new plan, plan D shimmered to life, pressing forth with hope and the faint idea that he just may survive.


    [Amplifier], as it turned out, was an attribute surely gifted from heaven itself. With it, his attunement to vibrations and energy was heightened. He could feel the shifting electric charge in the atmosphere¡­ in the Elder Gargoyle¡¯s halberd.


    ¡°Come on¡­¡±


    A low rumble roiled above. Dark clouds churned with unbridled wrath, lightning leapt across the sky, vengeful tendrils arcing every which way. The Terror roared once more as it moved in close, raising its weapon high.


    Kallen¡¯s eyes widened, a grin breaking on his face. ¡°You dumbass.¡±


    A flash descended from the sky, arcing bolts of plasmatic destruction tearing down like a spiderweb from hell. A thunderclap followed and Kallen tugged once more, [Amplifier] multiplying the force of both the lightning, and the thunder. What resulted was chaos.


    When vision returned to him, the Elder Gargoyle had staggered. Its armor was smoking and there were faint burning scars seared across its silver plating¡­ but Kallen¡¯s heart sank. The lightning had wounded it, but not nearly enough.


    He was a dead man.


    Plan D was a spectacular bust.


    It was plan E¡¯s time to shine. Kallen grimaced, holding Legacy of the Fallen out in front of him. He recalled its description, remembering the sole enhancement it possessed.


    Memory Description: ¡°This blade once ruled the battlefield as its master ruled the land. It now bears the weight of the king¡¯s demise. The crimson stains along its edge whisper of reign, betrayal, and legacy, while the cold steel only hums with the echoes of unfinished conquest.¡±


    Its only enchantment was, [Fallen Soldier.]


    Kallen didn¡¯t quite know what that entailed, but as he reached for something, he felt the shadows around him begin to stir. Tendrils of shade pooled on the ground before him, and from the darkness, three spectral warriors emerged, charging forward with weapons raised.


    The first soldier was immediately decimated. The second was immune to the Gargoyle¡¯s flame and struck forth, its weapon sinking into the flesh of its leg. The dormant terror¡¯s mighty halberd raised and then fell again.


    Then there was one.


    The crushing fear compounded into Kallen. He would have loved to join his soldiers in the rush on the creature, but he couldn¡¯t. The aura of fear was too great. His limbs would just lock up again, it was useless, he¡­ he couldn¡¯t do it.


    Kallen was only an aspirant. He was a regular person with a few parlor tricks, that was it, there wasn¡¯t any powerful aspect backing him. A dormant terror was a threat for a real battle hardened awakened, maybe a master, not a 17 year old student like him.


    He had talked big at the beginning of his nightmare. He had taunted the jailor and insulted the king in his mind. He had belittled the gargoyles¡­ and he had cracked jokes the whole time.


    But it was because he was afraid. He had been ever since his arrival¡­ from the very beginning.


    He needed to make light of the nightmare, almost to show that he had agency of his own. To prove that he had control over the tone of the situation, even if the outcome was unclear.


    But the king¡­


    That mouth that was too wide. Jagged teeth mimicking the voice of his sister¡­ telling him to stay put as it ruthlessly hunted him down.


    It was terrifying.


    Impulse alone fueling him, Kallen turned and ran.


    He splashed into the water. The salty cold blazed over the wound on stomach like fire. Kallen stumbled forward, tripping against the push of the tide, falling into the sea and letting it swallow him whole.


    Underwater, the world went almost silent. There was a muffled, bubbling noise, and the sound of his heart slamming against his chest, but that was about it.


    He called for help once more, [Amplifier] working to its maximum. His voice was a distorted cry beneath the waves, reverberating outwards, but the depths remained still. They wouldn¡¯t yield. Wouldn¡¯t aid.


    Kallen pushed himself up, breaking the surface of the water. He swam seaward¡­ anything to get away from the Elder Gargoyle, despite how treacherous the ocean may have been. It didn¡¯t matter.


    He blinked hard, the salt from the ocean stinging his eyes. Rain poured down relentlessly and he was forced to brush his hair from his face, slick and drenched.


    Behind, the sound of the terror taking flight sent a shiver of panic through him. Glancing back, he watched a dreadful flame come spilling from its mouth.


    Left with no choice, Kallen dove under the water, taking a deep breath before doing so.


    The world around went silent once again, and he descended, diving down as quickly as his mortal body could go. The Gargoyle had been high above, but it wouldn¡¯t stay there for long.


    Kallen pushed. He tried for [Revenge], but it was empty. He tried to call for help again, but none came.


    Would it simply hover above the water and wait for him to drown or resurface? Would it dive in after him?


    He had his answer only a few minutes later. He heard the creature plunge into the water, but he didn¡¯t look back. Black spots had crept into his vision. Kallen couldn¡¯t hold on much longer¡­ he didn¡¯t want to drown, but he also couldn¡¯t let the terror kill him.


    He was stuck.


    But as despair gripped him¡­ as Kallen slowly stopped fighting, the tip of something coiled around his leg. He barely registered it at first, but when he felt a sudden pull and then the rush of movement, he gasped involuntarily.


    But strangely, no water drew into his lungs. He wasn¡¯t choking. Oxygen flooded his airway, so sweet, so wondrous he would have cried if it were at all possible.


    Water split and flowed through his opened mouth and nostrils, the brine dissolving into oxygen within him. His vision suddenly sharpened, more clear than it had ever been.


    Kallen swiveled his head, eyes tracking the tentacle wrapping around him, stretching off impossibly far into the distance. ¡°What¡ª¡±


    In that moment, the Elder Gargoyle reached him, its clawed hand wrapping around his midsection with an iron wrenching grip. But only a moment later, a new tentacle¡ªthis one wider but just as ancient¡ªshot through the murky depths, wrapping around the gargoyle and squeezing.


    The terror thrashed, but it was no match, it only let out a horrified screech in defiance before going still, its hateful red eyes locked onto Kallen. Even still, all it cared about was killing him.


    As the tentacle surged, the iron grip around him loosened.


    And that was when he heard it¡­


    It was a voice. One unlike anything he¡¯d heard¡­ unexplainable, alien, regal, it was impossible for him to describe. He could use a thousand adjectives, gather a thousand poets, but never begin to scratch the surface of explaining what he¡¯d heard.


    But somehow¡­ he understood it.


    Its intent was clear. Finish off the Elder Gargoyle.


    With a final burst of speed, Kallen exploded forward, Legacy of the Fallen in his hand. When the creature¡¯s tentacle loosened around his foot, he felt his vision wane once more, and somehow, he no longer felt like breathing underwater was possible.


    But still, he didn¡¯t need to.


    It only took one strike. Kallen drove the blade into the dormant terror¡¯s neck. His weapon struck true and deep, seemingly drinking the blood of the Elder Gargoyle.


    With a final flash of motion, he slashed outward, cutting the nightmare creature¡¯s throat, ending it like the plague it was.


    Shortly after, the spell echoed in his mind.


    [You have slain a dormant terror, Elder Gargoyle.]


    Kallen would have laughed at the incredulousness, but he didn¡¯t have it in him. That and he would¡¯ve taken in an absurd amount of water.


    It wouldn¡¯t do good to get himself killed so shortly after the mysterious kraken monster had saved him. But then, wasn¡¯t it not a monster? It certainly wasn¡¯t a nightmare creature, but if that was the case¡­


    Kallen simply didn¡¯t know.


    Without ruminating, he thrust himself upward, breaking the surface with a delighted gasp. The moist air, the scent of petrichor¡­ he never thought he would be so delighted to feel the touch of the rain.


    Though he couldn¡¯t see, he could feel the tentacle retract. The alien presence retreated away into the depths, possibly never to be seen again.


    Then the spell chimed¡­


    [You have battled to your last breath.]


    [The denizens of the depths have heard your pleas.]


    [You have been judged.]


    [You are their blessed champion.]


    Kallen floated above the water, mouth agape and staring into the distance.


    [Wake up, Kallenir! Your nightmare is over.]


    [Prepare for appraisal¡­]

 Sea King

    Kallen found himself in an endless black void, countless stars sparkling and shimmering. Between them were countless strings of silver light, woven in a complex net with various constellations and nexuses. Unwittingly, he gaped at the sight.


    He was inside the spell. He hadn¡¯t expected it to look so¡­ mechanical. Deliberate. Almost as if it had some architect¡­ some creator.


    Obviously something had to make the spell.


    Though, no one really knew. Of course skeptics and researchers alike had been trying to figure it out since the spell had popped up, but Kallen didn¡¯t much care right now.


    [You have received an echo: Elder Gargoyle.]


    Kallen gaped once again.


    [Aspirant! Your trial is over.]


    [A wretched prisoner, sentenced to execution, escaped his bonds and doomed a famed king¡ªalong with his residents¡ªto death at the hands of darkness. Churning forward, he fought gloriously. Bloodied and broken, he whispered to the depths as danger loomed above. Through storm and sea, he received his answer, in the heart of the abyss, the prisoner struck true, he had spoken to the sea and the leviathan answered.]


    [You have defeated forty-six dormant beasts, Elder Gargoyle¡¯s Follower.]


    [You have defeated an awakened human, King Jaire.]


    [You have defeated a dormant terror, Elder Gargoyle.]


    [You have won the Storm God¡¯s favor.]


    [Final appraisal: glorious. Your courage is limitless!]


    Kallen felt as if the spell was mocking him. The whole, ¡®churning forward, he fought gloriously¡¯ bit was obviously a dig at his joke when he met the first gargoyle.


    And what was that about him dooming the king and the residents of the castle? Would they have survived if he had simply let himself be executed? Was that why he had received a glorious appraisal?


    He certainly hadn¡¯t killed the terror on his own merit¡­


    Somehow he felt that the powerful king would have survived if he hadn¡¯t been caught off guard, talking to a prisoner in the dungeons. Perhaps he could have attacked with his soldiers. Perhaps his abilities were tied to supporting his fellow knights.


    Kallen glared at the empty expanse. He¡¯d done nothing but run and kill creatures that couldn¡¯t fight back. There wasn''t anything courageous or glorious about it. Although, the spell probably didn¡¯t care about such things. Likely, it only cared that he had survived.


    [Dreamer Kallenir, receive your boon!]


    Kallen stared intently. Eager not to miss a thing¡­ hadn¡¯t he been just a student? Before the nightmare, he¡¯d wanted nothing to do with owning an aspect¡­ but now he was a kid before christmas.


    Maybe he just wanted to be rewarded for all of his hard work.


    [You have been bestowed a True Name: Blessed of the Sea.]


    He nearly fainted. A true name¡­


    He¡¯d made a few jokes about getting one¡­ but never did he actually think it was possible. Only a chosen few of humanity had received a true name to begin with.


    [Your aspect is ready to evolve. Evolve Aspect?]


    Kallen didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Yes.¡±


    [Dormant Aspect Seafarer is evolving¡­]


    [New Aspect acquired.]


    [Aspect Rank: Divine.]


    [Aspect Name: Sea King.]


    Kallen didn¡¯t have it in him to be surprised anymore. So much had happened¡­


    But a divine aspect? People tended to keep the class of their aspect a secret¡­ but he hadn¡¯t ever heard of anyone possessing a divine aspect. Was he being pranked? Was he secretly being corrupted by the Elder Gargoyle and just living out some sort of fantasy?


    He decided he wouldn¡¯t dwell on that. The possibility¡ªit was scary.


    Kallen summoned the the runes of his aspect.


    Aspect: [Sea King.]


    Aspect Rank: Divine.


    Aspect Description: [You reign in the deep, ruling over all that lies beneath the waves. The seas recognize your authority, their currents bending to your will, their creatures heeding your call. You are one with the tides, a force of nature, a lord without equal in the wretched depths.]


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Innate Ability: [Tideform.]


    Ability Description: [Imbued with the essence of the sea, different forms bring different boons.]


    Kallen ruminated over both his aspect and his innate ability. It was almost too much to take in with such a short time frame. What would the House of Night do if they found out he had a divine aspect?


    He didn¡¯t want to be whisked away to the stormsea the second he came back from the dream realm as an awakened. Even transcendent aspects were heavily sought after by great clans.


    A slightly conceited smile found its way on Kallen¡¯s face. Even without the divine aspect¡­ he already had a true name. He was part of an elite few spell carriers that even possessed a true name, even if he was doubtlessly the weakest.


    Though, he also couldn¡¯t start looking that far into the future either. That was a recipe for disaster no matter how you spun it.


    [The First Seal is broken.]


    [Awakening dormant powers¡­]


    Kallen felt a slumbering beast begin to awaken. A painful spike of pain drove through his chest, then settled into something vaguely neutral.


    A certain¡­ energy filled him. Everything that made him had enhanced so suddenly that it left him reeling and slightly disoriented. There seemed a shimmering star burning within him, radiating heat in swathes of latent power, reaching every fiber of his being.


    It was as if his body were tempering itself.


    And then he was underwater¡­


    Such a sudden change startled Kallen, but it had not affected him much physically. There was an endless body of water above and below him, with beams of sunlight shining through unaffected by the unfathomable depth.


    He would have felt terror unlike any before if he didn¡¯t know he was currently in his soul sea.


    I thought it was supposed to look different¡­ is it a byproduct of a divine aspect?


    He swam forward, unstirred by the lack of footing for miles. There was a strange calming feeling washing over his senses, even despite the endless depths. The only tangible object in the strange, calming sea appeared to be a dense star of water, both slightly darker and lighter in hue than the waters around it.


    Kallen couldn¡¯t properly explain the sight¡­ but such was the spell he presumed.


    He was dispelled from the soul sea just a moment later.


    [Awakening Aspect Ability.]


    He waited intently.


    [Aspect Ability acquired.]


    [Aspect Ability Name: Ocean¡¯s Wrath.]


    Eager to check out the description, he pulled up the runes, eyes looking for the description, but something caught his eye on the way down.


    Name: Kallenir


    True Name: Blessed of the Sea


    Rank: Dreamer


    Leviathan Core: Dormant


    Scales: [0/1000.]


    Tideforms: 1/7 - [Oceanic Knight.]


    Leviathan Core? Scales?


    Kallen stared blankly at his runes. Leviathan core was seemingly tied to the fact that his soul sea was submerged in endless calming ocean¡­


    So it makes sense¡­ I think. He stared a little longer at the word scales. No. It actually doesn¡¯t; nothing here makes sense.


    What were these scales? How did he get them? What would he do with them when he got them? Was he to go to the nearest beach and start hijacking some poor fish¡¯s skin? That seemed rather macabre, but then again, the nightmare spell wasn¡¯t exactly all suns and rainbows either.


    Better yet, what were these tideforms? His innate ability had been called just that, but all it had said was: ¡°Imbued with the essence of the sea, different forms bring different boons.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t entirely too descriptive, but from what he figured, it was possible to gain these different boons. It was also¡ªlikely directly tied to his scales. Of course, that wasn¡¯t guaranteed.


    The first of these tideforms is called Oceanic Knight?


    Kallen had several guesses, but they were all baseless, and so he decided he would focus on his aspect and its description in the meantime.


    Attributes: [Revenge], [Voice of the Sea], [Amplifier], [Mark of Divinity].


    Kallen paused. There was a new attribute. He examined its runes, reading: ¡°You bear a faint scent of divinity, as though someone briefly touched by it once, a long time ago.¡±


    He waited a moment, sighed deeply and then moved on to his aspect.


    Aspect: [Sea King.]


    Aspect Rank: Divine


    Aspect Abilities: [Ocean¡¯s Wrath.]


    Aspect Ability Description: [Water bends to your will.]


    Kallen stared at the description for a moment before nodding to himself. It was short but sweet, he felt as though that lined up with his perception of what a divine aspect might grant to a mere sleeper.


    However, ¡°Water bends to your will,¡± was a description highly susceptible to variability. How much water would bend to his will?


    It certainly sounds like only water that exists is under my control¡­ I probably won¡¯t be in the desert shooting jets of water out of my hands.


    [All power has a price.]


    Kallen¡¯s heart sank.


    [You have received a Flaw.]


    [Your Flaw is: Fish out of Water]


    Even quicker than he had with his aspect, Kallen summoned the runes for his flaws description.


    Flaw Description: [Your aspect abilities are inaccessible when you are out of water.]


    A groan left his lips as he read the description. Then he read it again and again and then a couple of more times for good measure.


    With a discontented sigh, he waved the description away and already began to run through scenarios.


    It never mentioned submerged in water specifically. Does that mean I just have to be wet in some sort, or do I have to be inside water¡­ as in encased. But if so how far? And if not, how much water needs to be present¡­


    It was pointless to speculate without testing.


    Still, all things considered, while it was a limiting flaw and potentially extremely dangerous¡­ at least it wasn¡¯t something that directly hurt him or affected his body physically.


    And since it only mentioned his aspect abilities, did that mean that his attributes were fair game?


    Kallen shook his head. Again, it was pointless.


    Also¡­ he was waking up.


    [Wake up, Blessed of the Sea!]


    The black void of the spell trembled before it disappeared.

 Sleeper Kallenir

    Kallen awoke to the sight of a ceiling of plate slid over the rafters of a gymnasium. It was an almost euphoric thing to see modern technology, it meant he was in the waking world.


    Sweet, sweet steel.


    Still, there was a slight itch that persisted. Kallen reached a hand to scratch it, but it seemed that his arms and legs were bound.


    On the ground of the gymnasium, were several straps that each connected to several sturdy objects, including a pilar that was structurally integral to the roof of the building.


    Since Kallen was strapped to the ground and looking up at the lights, he couldn¡¯t help the feeling of needing to sneeze. He tried to stop it, but he knew that holding it in was bad for the sinuses. So he sneezed.


    Without his arm to cover, it traveled up, and then directly back down on his face.


    His disgusted hack, as well as the struggle that came with trying to wipe his face clean, alerted the attention of a man, who in turn alerted the attention of another man. They were both apparently awakened.


    He could hardly see them, only able to out of his peripherals when he looked as far down as possible. The damn straps kept his head in place.


    The two men were wearing dark blue uniforms with silver epaulets and black leather boots, except the one in the back was sharpening a sword, despite the obvious fact that it was a memory.


    Noticing that Kallen was awake, the sword sharpener¡¯s partner patted him on the shoulder and began to head off somewhere after they exchanged a few words. It was apparent that he was to inform the school¡¯s headmaster since Kallen hadn¡¯t been moved from where he passed out.


    Kallen thought It made sense to keep him there since transporting a ticking time bomb wasn¡¯t the smartest thing to do. It did, however, mean that the school was in shutdown mode once it had been evacuated.


    The man with the sword stood up and dismissed it. There were two stars on his uniform, signaling his awakened status.


    ¡°I¡¯m Awakened Belle, I¡¯ve been one of the two awakened assigned to watch over your nightmare. Welcome to the waking world, Sleeper Kallenir.¡±


    Kallen studied him for a moment. Whether it was his charming charisma, beautiful blond hair, or the casually attractive look he gave off¡­ he was the shining example of what an awakened looked like.


    ¡°Ah, please just call me Kallen¡­¡± he thought back to the corrupted king and the way it would tell him to stay put. ¡°I¡¯m not overly fond of my government name.¡±


    Awakened Belle smiled and nodded. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Also,¡± Kallen said, nodding his head to the straps. ¡°Can I please be released from my¡­ ah, shackles. My nose itches.¡±


    The awakened man in front of him gave a blank look before laughing. ¡°My apologies, Sleeper Kallen, but I don¡¯t have the equipment the remove you from them safely. Of course, I could cut them for you, but I¡¯d rather not be billed for expensive nightmare creature binding material, as well as that medical apparatus that kept your sleeping body alive.¡±


    Kallen furrowed his brows. ¡°Would the answer change if I played the Great Clan of Night card?¡±


    ¡°I read your file,¡± Belle said. ¡°You¡¯re just a distant branch member.¡±


    ¡°How about bribery?¡±


    ¡°Not a chance.¡±


    ¡°Can you itch it for me?¡±


    The swordsman laughed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡±


    ¡°What is there to be afraid of?¡±


    Awakened Belle raised his brows, shaking his head and laughing. ¡°Sit tight, sleeper.¡±


    At least he didn¡¯t say the words: stay put.


    ~~~


    Kallen was delighted to finally scratch his nose and wipe his face. It hadn¡¯t taken long for the government workers to get him out of his bonds, and he might have jumped the jolly awakened, Belle when he was released. Well, if he was confident he could take the man in a fight.


    Which he decidedly was not. Divine aspect or not, he was a brand-new sleeper.


    Finally standing and stretching his aching bones, Kallen asked the man what the proper order of operations was from here on out.


    Awakened Belle had told him that he was probably eager to learn about his aspect, explore the soul sea, and take a break since there was a great deal of mental strain both during the nightmare and just waking up.


    Kallen hadn¡¯t refuted the man, and went to go wash up in the school showers. He would have preferred a bath, but of course, his high school did not have a bathhouse.


    He had been left alone in the training facility¡¯s locker room, the academy was still on lockdown, and it probably still would be until he got fully situated. And so, he stood under a scalding stream of water, savoring the simple luxury of warmth against his skin. Luxury seemed so foreign to him.


    It feels like I was stuck in that nightmare for months.


    As the shower washed off the stench of his nightmare, it couldn¡¯t drown out his questions. Like what was a Leviathan core? Why did his soul sea look like something dredged from an eldritch fever dream? He flexed his fingers.


    Kallen¡¯s mind wandered to the person he¡¯d seen looking back at him in the mirror. His formerly blue eyes had deepened to a dark indigo. His beach blond hair had been dyed black, just as it had been in his nightmare.


    Additionally, his tan skin had smoothed, and it seemed numerous imperfections he¡¯d always struggled with had diminished. Straighter nose, slightly tightened eyelids, and his hair fell messily, but not in its usual insolent disarray¡­ it almost felt deliberately messy.


    While subtle, he couldn¡¯t help but notice these changes as if there were a glowing neon sign pointing them out.


    But those eyes¡­


    He looked like a true scion of the House of Night.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Tilting his head back, Kallen let the din of the shower¡¯s spray mask his groan. Divine aspect, true name, leviathan core, scales, it felt like someone else¡¯s story, an absurd tale. It was hard to grasp the reality of it.


    ¡°Speaking of my aspect¡­¡±


    He waved a hand to test if anything happened. His flaw [Fish out of Water] told him that his aspect abilities were inaccessible when he was out of water. Kallen didn¡¯t know how to read runes translated by the spell, so the words ''out of water'' could have meant several things.


    And so when he had waved his hand, he wasn¡¯t too surprised to see water bending to his will. As the shower continued to spray him, he moved his arm as if he were controlling the liquid telepathically.


    Next, he stepped out away from the shower¡¯s line of fire. He tried to manipulate the water again, but his control over it lessened significantly. Then, he dried himself off with a towel and tried once more. Nothing.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    The semantics of the description was vague, it meant something slightly different than what it said. Which wasn¡¯t surprising. Language and direct translation was a messy business.


    ''Out of water'' in runic language might not imply full immersion but instead suggests being surrounded or touched by water in a meaningful way. A steady flow from the shower seemed to fit the requirements, but just being wet after I stepped away diminished the effectiveness of my aspect ability.


    Then would it not be more appropriate to say my aspect abilities do not work unless embraced by water? Does being wet after a shower really count as being in water? Or more appropriately, ''not out of water''.


    It didn¡¯t really matter what he called it, however. The flaw would work the same way regardless.


    In any case, Kallen decided it was time he dive into the soul sea.


    It was a little jarring to go from standing to suddenly submerged¡­ but it also simultaneously felt nothing like being truly underwater. There was no weight to the countless tons of ocean above him, and there was no fear of horrors from the depths. He was strangely calm.


    ¡°Fish out of Water huh?¡±


    He floated silently in his soul sea, a frown on his face as he focused. When I¡¯m completely submerged, do I consciously have to focus on the water¡­ or can I just¡­ Kallen waved a hand, launching himself several feet to the side while a mass of water stirred in the opposite direction.


    It was immediately obvious to him that the first and third of Newton¡¯s laws of motion applied to, [Ocean¡¯s Wrath].


    Most importantly, Newton¡¯s third law would be a pain to deal with. Any force that he applied¡ªespecially underwater where he wouldn¡¯t have footing to ground himself¡ªwould be applied right back to him.


    Thus when he had tried to force the water to the left, he had been shot to the right at the same time.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll need to stabilize myself by pushing the opposite way any time I¡¯m trying to manipulate the water while floating freely.¡±


    Kallen let out a sharp breath, ignoring the bubbles floating endlessly upward.


    ¡°If, ¡®water bends to my will,¡¯ means that I can apply force supernaturally to the water around me, then can I create a faux ground beneath my feet by¡­¡±


    His train of thought immediately shifted.


    ¡°If I could change the pressure, then I could increase it opposite to where I¡¯m applying force to mimic an anchor of sorts that would hold me in place¡­¡±


    ¡°I could create a whirlpool with push and pull in all directions to stabilize¡­


    ¡°What if I could take advantage of the buoyant force acting upon me while I¡¯m submerged¡­


    ¡°Of course, I could simply push or pull simultaneously in the opposite direction¡­ it would be the simplest solution in terms of¡­


    ¡°Oh! If I can affect the pressure, then I could make a barrier or shield of¡­¡±


    ¡°Since water is generally incompressible¡­ but what if I applied force to it on a molecular level and packed them closer together, theoretically I could increase the pressure by way of condensing the surrounding¡­


    ¡°But then¡­ when you compress something like water, you force its molecules closer together, which would push them into a smaller space, thus causing frequent collisions which may have unintended heating effects¡­


    ¡°But what if I could draw that heat away into the surrounding water and¡­


    ¡°And then what about [Amplifier]? There¡¯s probably thousands of things I can do with [Amplifier] underwater¡­¡±


    Kallen recognized that he was slowly spiraling into the theory of how his aspect worked, without actually trying it. Who was to say he could even manipulate the pressure? Who was to say he could affect the heat?


    He¡¯d have quite a while for theory¡­ but he had things to do.


    ~~~


    The academy gymnasium was quiet, save for the faint hum of emergency sirens and the soft tread of his new shoes on polished wood. Kallen had changed clothes, dressed in sweats and a hoodie he¡¯d kept in his locker.


    Awakened Belle was sitting against the wall, sharpening that sword of his, blond hair catching a beam of sunlight through the window¡ªnow that the plating had retracted.


    ¡°Feel better?¡± He said with a knowing smile.


    Kallen smiled. ¡°Better. Not great.¡±


    Belle laughed, the kind of easy, practiced laugh of a veteran who¡¯d seen it all. Lived it all. ¡°You¡¯ve just woken up from your first. No one¡¯s expecting too much.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Kallen said, coming to a stop. ¡°Cause I don''t know what I''m doing.¡±


    ¡°Start by learning to survive at the academy. The rest? I''m sure you¡¯ll figure it out¡­ you legacies have it better than most.¡±


    Awakened Belle didn¡¯t seem to know that Kallen didn¡¯t have some of the luxuries most legacies did. Though education and knowledge of the spell and how to survive were the most prominent advantages¡­ he didn¡¯t get to enjoy the memories and funding that came with it.


    ¡°Of course, according to government protocol, I¡¯m required to let you in on a few things as a formality.¡±


    Kallen nodded.


    ¡°You are entitled to free psychological counseling¡­¡±


    Kallen cut him off with a wave. ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡±


    Awakened Belle smiled. ¡°So bad you don¡¯t want to talk about it? Too easy that you¡¯re ashamed¡­ or guilty that you survived when others didn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°It sucked.¡±


    The government awakened in front of him laughed. ¡°That seems to be the consensus, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine why.¡±


    The man proceeded to divulge several bits of information, most of which Kallen was already privy to thanks to an educated upbringing. It was late February, meaning that he wouldn''t have to wait too long for the awakened academy¡¯s opening ceremony on the first of March.


    But there was one thing burning on his mind when the man was done with his spiel.


    ¡°And so¡­ my family,¡± Kallen finally said, feeling a little guilty that he¡¯d been so distracted that he hadn¡¯t thought to see them. They must have been worried sick. ¡°Do you have any information on where they might be?¡±


    The man¡¯s expression suddenly darkened. It was as if he had just remembered a piece of bad news that he had been supposed to deliver.


    ¡°That uh¡­¡±


    Kallen¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Are they¡­¡±


    Belle shook his head. ¡°Your parents are fine¡­ they¡¯ve been notified that you¡¯re alright. But, ah¡­ they¡¯re a little busy at the moment. One of your siblings fell asleep¡­ she¡¯s infected.¡±


    What.


    ¡°Where¡­ which¡­¡± Kallen shook his head, slowly, feeling his heart thump rhythmically in his ears. What did the man mean¡­ his sisters were both far too young. There wasn¡¯t any way¡­


    ¡°The older of the two,¡± Belle said. ¡°Your sister Sera fell asleep only moments after you did. She, however, still appears to be under.


    Kallen was moving in an instant, but Belle was faster. The awakened had dismissed his sword and appeared in front of him quicker than he could make it a few steps.


    ¡°She¡¯s at a secure police precinct.¡± The man applied a small amount of force against Kallen, keeping him securely in place. He wasn¡¯t overtly trapped, but it was obvious Awakened Belle could stop him with ease. ¡°It is unwise to go rushing in there. It''s locked down. I¡¯m sure you were pretty impressive in your nightmare, but you¡¯re just a sleeper. It¡¯s not safe.¡±


    Kallen grimaced but nodded reluctantly. ¡°I¡¯m still going.¡±


    ¡°Of course. But if I may, a piece of advice from a senior can¡¯t hurt?¡± Noticing that the sleeper in front of him wasn¡¯t going to rush out, Belle continued. ¡°If she makes it out of the first nightmare¡­ well I¡¯ve never seen someone so young carry the spell. Take good care of her.¡±


    ¡°I plan to.¡±

 Chapter 8 - North Star

    Kallen found himself alone on a bench outside the police station. His parents weren''t here for their own safety. They had probably stuck around for hours, but one couldn''t exactly wait outside a police station for three and a half days waiting for someone to finish their first nightmare.


    But he would sit there for as long as they would let him.


    A steady mist of rain fell from the sky. The events of his nightmare still flickered through him, vivid. It was a brand that would forever be etched into his soul. The gargoyle, the creature from the depths, the king.


    He''d been afraid of the Elder Gargoyle. He''d been afraid of drowning and being crushed and smashed to a bloody pulp¡ªof course, who wouldn''t be afraid of dying a terrible death? But it was the king that had struck true fear into his heart.


    The way it had hunted him. The way it had said his name and mimicked his sister¡­ and that mouth. It was all too uncanny¡­ Kallen didn''t deal well with uncanny.


    But through it, he had become the sea''s blessed. Chosen by something far older and greater than he could comprehend, the spell had called him the champion of the depths. He had won the storm god''s favor.


    He couldn''t understand quite how he had won anyone''s favor. And he certainly didn''t feel like a king or a champion.


    Kallen clenched his fists, water dripping from his hair to mingle with the rain pooled at his feet. He tipped his head back and closed his eyes, knowing that somewhere beneath the surface, in the depths of his soul sea, a strange leviathan stirred, its slumbering power echoing faintly through his veins.


    ~~~


    Half a day later, a young black haired girl, eleven years of age descended the steps of the police station. Kallen locked eyes with the girl and was out of his seat before she had made it to the ground level.


    The moment she saw him, her face seemed to brighten. She rushed forward, enveloping him in a tight hug. Tears fell from Seren''s face as she let down her defenses for the first time since¡ªlikely¡ªher nightmare had begun.


    Kallen felt an overwhelming wave of relief flood over him, even despite the fact that he''d learned she''d woken up over an hour ago.


    "It''s okay," he whispered, pulling tighter. "I''m here. Mom and dad are on their way."


    She cried harder, mumbling something unintelligible as she gripped the back of his hoodie.


    Kallen couldn''t blame her. Not one bit. He thought of the horrors he faced down in his own nightmare. And she was still so young¡­


    "We''re in the same boat now," he said.


    It took a moment for her to calm down and when she did, Kalen pointed to his hair. She frowned, tear stricken lines down her face as she looked at him. It took a few seconds for her to realize that he hadn''t suddenly died his hair. He''d gone through a nightmare of his own.


    "You too?" She asked.


    Kallen nodded. "Only just a little while before you went under."


    Her expression lifted, if only just a little, knowing that in her misery, she at least had a little company.


    "While we wait for mom and dad, would you like to hear about my nightmare?"


    Seren nodded, her face stricken with rain and tears alike. Kallen had debated whether or not to tell her about his nightmare while he had been waiting for her to come out of the station. Of course, he didn''t want to relive the experience, but more than that, he wasn''t sure the effect it would have.


    If he boasted about it being easy, even though it wasn''t, he ran the risk of making her feel lesser, especially if hers had been difficult. However, on the other hand, it could reassure her and give her someone to trust in¡ªeven if he didn''t quite trust in himself.


    Perhaps he should trust in the version of her that trusts in him.


    "Well first, I started off chained in a dungeon." Kallen gave her a warm smile. "The worst part was this ugly guy''s face. Oh, and they wouldn''t let me scratch my nose!"


    Seren listened intently. Almost like she could glean valuable secrets about how to survive her subsequent adventure in the dream realm simply by listening to his nightmare.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    "I fought a knight and a king and even a gargoyle. And, since we awakened in the same year, there''s a chance we might get sent to the same place in the dream realm. But even if we don''t, I got you some pretty powerful stuff: an awakened sword, and even a powerful echo."


    Her eyes widened.


    "How did you get an awakened sword from your first nightmare?"


    "I didn''t just get an awakened sword, either," he said, deliberately avoiding how he killed a man to get the sword. "I also got a pretty powerful aspect, innate ability, and good attributes."


    He saw a spark of hope in her eyes, but he knew it was still a long shot. She likely knew as well that they were unlikely to end up in the same area of the dream realm.


    Eventually, their parents arrived. After hugs and relief and more than a few tears from both parties were exchanged, they headed back to their house in the NQSC.


    And so Kallen watched the city lights blur through the car window, their warm glow stretched by the astigmatism of his eyes. The rain had picked up, lathering the streets in a slick glaze. Awakened Belle''s words lingered in his mind, the weight of what was to come pressing heavier and heavier upon his shoulders.


    Seren was curled up beside him in the backseat, and Maia¡ªhis youngest sister¡ªwas on his right, having been picked up from school early. Despite their exhaustion, they both clung to him, as though they might lose him to the same nightmare he''d just escaped. He sat as straight as he could.


    His dad was driving a PTV which was a rare and expensive vehicle that he owned only because of his powerful connections. Kallen wasn''t sure how he''d managed to get the license to drive one, but alas.


    As if on cue, his father''s voice broke through the sound of cars honking and engines humming alike. "Kallen." He lowered the rearview mirror, glancing at him, his eyes hard but kind. "Until you''ve got your head straight, its best to keep it low, son. Keep a tight seal over your aspect. Other than yourselves, don''t tell anyone anything unless you know you can trust them with your life."


    "I know, dad."


    "I got ahold of some of your grandfather''s contacts. A few people will come check up on you while you''re at the academy. They might take you away for private training¡­ I''m not too sure how it all works."


    Kallen nodded. He felt the truth of his fathers words settle uneasily in his chest. His sister, for all her bravery, was still just a kid, and his father was relying on him to keep her safe. But how could he shield her from the horrors of the dream realm? He wasn''t entirely sure, but he''d be damned if he didn''t try his hardest.


    His mother, sitting in the passenger seat turned to face them. "The academy, and your extended family will do everything they can to prepare you, but the most important thing is that you look out for each other."


    Glancing down at Seren, Kallen allowed her even breathing to calm him. His parents were right. It was just the two of them now¡­ but if he could make powerful allies¡­ maybe they''d make it after all.


    ~~~


    Later that night, Kallen found himself standing in front of a mirror in the bathroom. The changes in his appearance had still caught him off guard. The dark indigo of his eyes, the black hair that now seemed to move with an almost liquid grace¡ªit was foreign, but yet undeniably him.


    Upon closer inspection, he found that both his eyes and his hair had small hints of deep blue. There was a mystifying feeling hidden within his eyes¡­ but he couldn''t put his finger on what it quite was.


    He wanted nothing more than to visit his soul sea and practice with whatever the hell his innate ability was, but for now, his sister took priority.


    Leaving the bathroom behind, he knocked on Seren''s door and walked through when he got confirmation. It was time to learn what aspect she''d gotten¡­ and what her flaw was.


    Kallen started out with making her swear secrecy on everything he was about to divulge. When she did, he began with his aspect. He went over what it did, what he assumed the limitations were, and what his attributes could accomplish. His sister had been starry eyed and slack jawed by the end of it, and he hadn''t even revealed that he''d received a divine aspect.


    When he finished up, ending with his flaw and how it restricted him, it was finally Seren''s turn to reveal as much as she felt comfortable.


    "My aspect is a supreme aspect called North Star. It''s description¡­" she waited a moment for the runes describing it to appear. "It says: You are the North Star, a beacon for the lost and a br¡ªbringer of change. Your steps guide others through darkness, yet your presence stirs the winds of upheaval. In your wake lies both salvation and ruin, as night conceals the path to destiny."


    Kallen deliberated over this aspect description as well as it being a supreme aspect for a moment before asking her to read it again. When she did, he figured the whole winds of upheaval was related to her flaw.


    As well as that, the fact that her aspect was supreme and his divine¡­ well he knew it meant something. Probably something not good.


    Nervously, she continued. "My aspect ability is called, [Starlight''s Tether]. It''s description says: Glowing threads of night weave through the air, enhancing your allies and diminishing your enemies."


    Kallen nodded. That was obviously a support ability. It was especially useful since it appeared to connect to both allies and enemies and without a mentioned cap on the number of threads. Likely, she could create more the further she developed her soul core.


    "And your attributes?"


    "The first is Thread of Connection. It allows me to, um, I can tether myself to someone and always know how to find them¡­ instinctively..."


    That''s a reassuring attribute.


    "I also have Vigilance, which sharpens my senses and says I know the safest path forward in unfamiliar territory. It also says I can perceive hidden dangers, faint trails of past travelers.


    "My last is Adaptability, which only says that I can adapt to my surroundings."


    While not overtly combat oriented, Kallen realized just how useful all three of those attributes could be. Especially in the dream realm where being adaptable and knowledgeable was key¡­ they were solid abilities all things considered.


    Though everything came down to what she said next.


    "My flaw¡­" Seren looked at him with a guilty expression. "It''s called [Calamity.] Wherever I go, I invite catastrophe."

 Chapter 9 - Awakened Academy

    Kallen drifted afloat in his soul sea. He read the description of his innate ability: [Tideform.]


    Ability Description: "Imbued with the essence of the sea, different forms bring different boons."


    He then checked his runes once more.


    Name: Kallenir.


    True Name: Blessed of the Sea.


    Rank: Dreamer.


    Leviathan Core: Dormant.


    Scales: [0/1000.]


    Tideforms: 1/7 - [Oceanic Knight.]


    Oceanic Knight is my first Tideform of the seven. I assume it lets me summon an ''oceanic knight,'' to help me do glorious¡ªah, nevermind. That joke is old now.


    Kallen waved his hand and uttered the the name of his only tideform, but nothing happened. He did, however, feel a slight disturbance in his core. Almost like he''d come close to getting the ability right, but not quite.


    This time, instead, he focused harder inward, mumbling the name again.


    Suddenly, an energy rushed through his veins, as thick, plated armor formed around him, seemingly made of water itself. It covered him head to toe, while a towering shield and a sword of swirling water shimmered into his hands.


    Kallen felt immensely powerful¡ªlike a divine aspect holder should¡ªbut the strain of the strange ability nearly doubled him over. This form¡­ it was simultaneously dangerous and transient. He was forced to dismiss this oceanic knight form only a few seconds after he had summoned it.


    It was definitely something he wouldn''t be using too often until he was at least a true awakened and not a sleeper.


    As he faded out of the soul sea, he stretched his arms and leaned his head against the window. Today was the day of his entrance into the awakened academy.


    Kallen had spent quite a while debating with himself on how much of himself he would divulge to the academy''s interview that would take place after the entrance ceremony. He reasoned that he should obviously keep his aspect''s divine ranking, the truth behind his soul sea, as well as his flaw a tightly guarded secret.


    His true name, however, was an easy way to gain prestige in the House of Night without letting on too much.


    It was highly likely that the house of night would send a representative to speak with him, offering memories as well as training under the clan once they found out he had a true name.


    He also figured it would be a good idea to surround himself with powerful people because of Seren''s flaw. Something as ominous as that would be a lightning rod for potential nightmare gate openings.


    These days, his sister''s flaw was all he could even think about. While his was difficult to work around and extremely restrictive, hers was risky. Dangerous. Potential catastrophic.


    Flaws often were, but he hadn''t heard of any as bad as hers.


    I guess that''s because the bad ones are kept secret?


    ~~~


    Left with nothing but his thoughts and the breathing of his little sister beside of him, Kallen dozed off as the high speed train carried him to his destination. The journey had been a quick one. They''d spent more time waiting and boarding than actually on the tram itself.


    Morning light filtered through the streets as he and Seren stepped off of the platform. She hadn''t wanted to hold his hand in front of all of the sleepers at the academy, but he could feel her lightly holding on to the back of his coat as they walked. Her eyes darted to the towering walls before them.


    The awakened academy stood like a fortress, its massive outer walls gleaming with a metallic sheen. It looked more like a military stronghold than an institution of learning.


    He''d seen it in webtoons, and movies, and from afar, but Kallen hadn''t ever been this close. He hadn''t been prepared for just how gargantuan it was, both inside and out.


    Despite this, the two of them crossed the bridge without any hesitation. It was time now, no turning back.


    Turning his head to his sister, Kallen said, "Keep your Aspect, your Flaw, and your Attributes a secret. Stay cordial, don''t fall for any tricks during the interview."


    ~~~


    In reference to everything else, the sleeper part of the academy was small. It was positioned to the south and was surrounded on all sides by training fields and parks. He had seen numerous awakened out and about on his way to the sleeper compound.


    It was mostly underground, with a few floors above, and like all others, it was adorned in white, pristine alloy walls, and wide windows.


    The two of them had been led to a hall, spacious with about two dozen other sleepers in it. Kallen had been expecting quite a few more, but it was apparent that more and more people were infected with the spell as the winter solstice neared. There probably weren''t even fifty sleepers enrolled at the moment since they were such a rare occurrence this early in the year.


    I suppose that''s beneficial for me then.


    He could pick out about five kids that were easily placeable as legacies. They stood out not only because of their well-to-do outfits and extravagant suitcases, but because of their confidence. As opposed to everyone else who at least looked nervous or a little scared, they were easy to spot.


    With Seren trailing behind him, Kallen made his way to the far wall of hall. There were several of these students conversing, but it was too small of a sample size for much to go on. Humans were curious, yes, but also prone to following status quo when in an unfamiliar environment.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Still, he could hear hushed whispers.


    "It''s not fair that those damn legacies get to waltz in with memories already¡­"


    "Do you think the instructors are really as ruthless as they say¡­"


    "I can''t believe I''ll be here for the next nine months¡­"


    Seren tugged on his sleeve. He looked over to her, practically feeling her unease.


    It didn''t take long for someone to approach the two of them. A tall boy with fiery red hair and a jagged scar across his cheek slid over. His uniform was immaculate, and there was a crest on the shoulder.


    The Aegis Rose Clan?


    There was an air of practiced authority about the boy, his eyes briefly flicked to Seren who seemed to diminish a little under his gaze, before they settled on Kallen.


    "I think I''ve seen you before," the boy said. "Your clothes don''t strike me as the usual legacy type¡­ but you''re Kallenir, right?"


    Kallen cocked his head. "You know me?"


    "I know of you. Your parents are pretty famous for¡­ you know¡­ being non Awakened Legacies and all."


    Taking the insult to his family in stride, he shrugged. "At least mine are alive."


    The kid¡ªwho he recognized as Cale of the Aegis Rose clan¡ªreddened with rage and moved to shove Kallen into the wall, but Kallen grasped the boy''s wrists as he tried to.


    "Maybe don''t insult my parents next time?" He clamped down on Cale''s hands. "Got it?"


    He could see the proud legacy''s expression grow angrier, but by now, everyone in the room was staring.


    Cale snatched his hands out of Kallen''s grip, scowling. "I better see you in combat class."


    Without so much as a glance back, the boy walked off, ignoring the looks the both of them were getting.


    Noticing Seren''s questioning gaze, Kallen gave her a shy smile and shrugged. He couldn''t just let someone insult his family in front of his little sister, could he? Much less the entire academy.


    Soon, the room fell into a hush as heavy footsteps cascaded down the hall. A figure took its place in front of the assembly, his presence commanding immediate attention.


    "I am Awakened Rock," the man began, his voice deep and unwavering. His towering frame matched his name. "Sleepers, welcome to the academy."


    The silence that followed was deafening. Then he began continued:


    "In less than a month, you will be summoned to the Dream Realm. Some of you might think you''re well-prepared. You''re wrong. The spell is merciless and cunning. The moment Awakened begin to think too much of themselves, they die. I''ve seen countless Sleepers like you lose their lives. I''ve also seen experienced Masters lose theirs. Even Saints are not assured to survive."


    Awakened Rock''s words were practiced and delivered with obvious emotion. He had given this speech dozens of times, likely.


    "For the next four weeks, we will do everything in our power to increase your chances of survival. You will receive training from the best instructors in the world. However, don''t be misled by their fame: in the end, whether you return from the Dream Realm alive depends only on one person¡ªyou. The responsibility to survive is yours, and yours alone."


    Seren''s grip tightened on his coat.


    "You are not children anymore. It''s a shame because you ought to be. But the Spell has decided otherwise. You have been to the First Nightmare, so you already know what it''s like. Your parents, your teachers, and your friends can''t help you anymore¡­"


    Awakened Rock''s voice softened slightly, though his tone remained solemn.


    "Most people are aware of what Nightmares are ¡ª because they have an impact on the real world and their lives. All of you have been warned before entering the First Nightmare that, should you perish there, a Nightmare Creature would be allowed to cross the threshold and enter reality."


    "First Nightmares are unique, because each of them is individual. That''s why only a single Creature can appear. However, starting from the Second Nightmare, things become much more dangerous. These Nightmares are not tied to an infected person. Instead, they are born in the Dream Realm. While the Seed of the Nightmare is growing, any number of Awakened can attempt to conquer it."


    "Should they all die or fail to find the Seed before it matures, a Gate will open in the real world, letting through countless monsters. You all know the consequences. Other Awakened will be forced to withstand the onslaught on this side, but then there can be massive destruction or losses among the civilian population."


    Awakened Rock''s voice grew solemn.


    "So it is not wrong to say that the purpose of the Awakened is to enter the Dream Realm, seek out maturing Nightmares and close them before any harm could befall the real world. From this, you can see that the Dream Realm and the Nightmares are connected, but are not one and the same. If Nightmares are the destination, then the Dream Realm is the road. But it is also so much more."


    "Simply put, the Dream Realm is a world. It is vast, mysterious and mostly unexplored. It is also dead. There is no life out there except for the Nightmare Creatures, corrupted ecosystems¡­ and now us. But it wasn''t always dead. We can tell that once, a long time ago, the Dream Realm was home to several primitive civilizations. There are a lot of ruins buried in its soil."


    "We don''t know if the Dream Realm exists inside the Spell as one of its illusions, just on an unimaginably larger scale, or if it''s real, with the Spell only serving as a pathway between two realities. However, we do suspect that the illusions conjured up inside the Nightmares are based on its history. They are replicas of past events, somehow reconstructed from the depths of time."


    "Secondly, as I have already mentioned, there are no people in the Dream Realm except for those who came from the real world. There are only monsters. Some of them can mimic human appearance, though, so be mindful of that."


    "Thirdly, unlike the First Nightmare, no Nightmare Creatures will appear in the real world if you die in the Dream Realm. It may sound cruel, but that''s a good thing. Awakened forces are already spread thin. If we had to monitor every Sleeper, we wouldn''t have resources to handle more important matters."


    Kallen knew most of this, but he reasoned it was best to pay close attention, if not only for review.


    "And lastly, and most importantly. Unlike Nightmares, which are bound by the rules of fairness, there is no limit to what kind of Creature you can meet in the Dream Realm. During its trials, the Spell won''t pit a dormant human against an opponent many ranks above them¡­"


    Kallen almost laughed.


    "¡­ But in the Dream Realm, no such restrictions exist. Theoretically, you can stumble upon an Unholy Titan and die before even realizing what happened. So be careful and stick to the regions with enemies on par with your own rank. It''s not an ironclad guarantee, but at least there will be less of a chance of you biting off more than you can chew."


    "When the solstice comes, you will be drawn into the Dream Realm. The exact location of where you will appear can''t be predicted in advance, but there is a high chance that many of you will find yourselves in close proximity to each other. Band together and proceed to the nearest human Citadel. Each Citadel is built around a Gateway. Once you reach it, you will be able to return."


    "If you can''t locate or are unable to reach the nearest human Citadel, search for an unclaimed Gateway. It will usually be inside or near the most prominent landmark of the region. Work together to defeat its guardians and come back alive."


    "That is all for today. Next, follow the instructions sent to your communicators to find your assigned dormitory. Once settled, you may proceed to the cafeteria for some late supper. There will be a round of interviews after that, to prepare your suggested curriculums. Get a good night''s rest. Your training starts tomorrow."


    With that, he gave them a short nod and left.


    Kallen tightened his grip on his Seren''s hand. He''d known the dangers of the dream realm. He''d learned of them, studied them in school, read books, and papers, and articles¡­ but he knew nothing could prepare him for the reality of it. Awakened Rock''s words were sobering.


    In the dream realm, the Elder Gargoyle, which had taken a miracle to defeat, would be nothing but a bottom feeder all things considered.


    The only thing that gave him solace, was the link he could feel through Seren''s, [Thread of Connection]. So long as that connection was present, though he couldn''t locate her like she could him, he would know that she was alive.