Time seems to fly by. The day became a harsh battle ground for Dein. Each day, he wakes up, cleans, eats, warm himself up before once again challenging Changing Star.
He refused to fight anyone else other than her. And everyone except Caster from time to time, refused to spar with Changing Star. And so, the two of them basically stuck with each other. They don't talk much, in fact, Dein don't even have to speak anymore when challenging Nephis.
He'll just walk up to her and then she'll understand already. Meanwhile, since Dein never asked for it, Changing Star did not give him any pointers. She just fought as she usually do, however, Dein also noticed that she would change her way of fighting from time to time. From adaptive to brute, grounded, and sometimes she would stick to defensive and nothing at all.
At first Dein thought she's playing with him, mocking him. But soon, he understood that Changing Star is also practicing her swordsmanship on her own. Meanwhile, Dein kept changing weapons. From sword one day, to spear, daggers. Every melee available.
It wasn't because he's undecided—well, he is, but the real reason is because he doesn't know what weapon he will get in the future, so he believe learning the basics of everything would be good to prepare him.
Still, each battle they fought, Dein always came out as the loser.
It doesn't matter what weapons you use against Changing Star, maybe even if you're a giant Nightmare Creature with pincers for a hand and mandibles, she'll still defeat you. Nephis really felt so far in power compared to him.
And due to his now countless loses, the nickname "Changing Star's Punching Bag" became something everyone from the Introductory Combat class calls him by. He hated it really that he would snapped at anyone who calls him that. And yet he still kept fighting Changing Star.
On the other hand, at night.
Dein was often left all alone eating on the Cafeteria after cleaning duties. He used that time to talk to his "Ghosts" as he now calls them, The Ghost's now we're Happy, Scaredy, and Serious, same as before. Of course they hated it, but they can't really do anything about it as Dein forbidden them from influencing his emotions.
Anyway, through them, he learned a lot about the Dream Realm. After all, as it turns out, after separating from him, they found a class that only has one student. Wilderness Survival, it was a very interesting class.
They talked about how to survive in the Dream Realm. Teaches Celestial Navigation, how to disinfect wounds, various types of plants to avoid. How to know if the monster you killed can be eaten or not. Even how to swim! It was a really great class really.
Dein almost wished he could enroll to it himself. After all, there's even virtual simulations for the Dream Realm being conducted. And all of that were just for one single student.
The student in question. His name turns out to be Sunless, or Sunny, as the called called him. He was the short guy Dein noticed sitting on the same bench with Cassie at the induction and sometimes at the cafeteria. The three said Sunny is an interesting character, short, funny, and rude as hell.
"Sounds like a trouble child…"
Those were Dein's real opinion of him. As it turns out, he's also kinda smart as he learned very quickly from the teacher named Julius. And truth be told, the trio even said that whenever they didn't understand something, they'd just wait for Sunny to explain it in his own simple words.
And just like that, unbeknownst to Sunny or even the professor Julius, they gained three ghost classmates.
His Ghosts, on the other hand, were expanding their knowledge quite well. They even teached Dein how to patch up his own bruises caused by Changing Star. They were learning quite a lot, even dead language from the Dream Realm that were being teached in Wilderness Survival became easy for them, especially for Scaredy. It turns out he has a nack for reading ancient language.
Meanwhile, Happy, the little girl, focused on learning navigating while Serious became in charge of general survival knowledge.
Of course, it goes without saying that Dein is in charge of fighting.
This way, the four souls living together in one body managed to increase their chances of survival by splitting the task among their four minds. Not just that, through this constant learning, they even found out that they could transfer information to each other without needing conversation. It's like sending a data file from one mind to another just by thinking about it.
This way, they made sure that everyone knows at least the basics of each other's specialties.
Dein sighed as he finally finished eating.
Tomorrow… the Winter Solstice will start…
"Ha… I wonder how everyone is doing?"
He couldn't help but think back to his family back at their home. Are they okay? Comfortable? It's starting to get cold so are they warm tonight? Well, to be honest, they probably are. Father and Freya, along with the caretakers of the house of the Hearth will not allow any of them to be in any danger after all.
Dein knew that well. He understands and accepts that, and yet… he couldn't help but feel worried.
He sighed again, thick air coming out of his mouth.
"Please be fine everyone… tomorrow, I'll do my best and come back as quickly as I can."
And then, he would return and become a proper awakened. He would protect his family and bring his clan back to it's former glory. Still, he can't believe it has already been four weeks.
Even now, he's tired, in pain, full of bruises, it was proof of how difficult the last four weeks were. And tomorrow, Dein would go into an experience more difficult than he had ever encountered before. And yet… face with all that, he couldn't think of anything else but his family.
And for a moment, he remembered the voice of the young, blind woman reminding him that night.
"Stay strong… huh?"
He wondered if he could actually do that. Speaking of that young woman, Cassie, Dein barely spoke to her after what happened that night. It's not because he didn't want to. It's just that they weren't able to meet each other frequently. Dein is busy with his training after all, and Cassie sure is too with hers.
In fact, the only time Cassie shows herself is when she needs to eat. Meanwhile, Dein can't eat together with people as he has to find a way to earn his food first because of his flaw. And so, the two of them didn't manage to have some time to speak. If he could, Dein wants to talk to her again.
Once again, Dein sighed.
This time, he stood up. Glancing at the Ghosts before stretching his body. Tomorrow… tomorrow will be a very busy day.
And so, Dein left the cafeteria and walked towards his dorm and to his room. The moment he entered and lay on his bed, he immediately fell asleep.
*****
Dein woke up a bit later than usual. And yet, the moment he did, he still felt rather sleepy. It's probably the work of the pull of the nightmare spell of course, but Dein hated it.
He doesn't feel fully rested at all. Instead he felt tired.
He yawned loudly and prepared to leave his room. When he left, he noticed there were fewer people than usual. They probably have a hard time waking up as well, or perhaps they're somewhere, enjoying their last stay in the real world.
There's a gloomy atmosphere permeating the air when Dein entered the cafeteria. Few people in there, eating their breakfast. He even saw Cassie again, after a while. She's sitting on the same table as that guy; Sunless. The two of them are in silence.
Meanwhile, dozen tables away from them. Changing Star, Nephis, is eating her own fill. She's silent as ever and an even more unreadable expression marks her beautiful face. For some reason, she's also wearing a headphone. Probably listening to her favorite music for the last time.
Caster could be found not far as well. Drinking coffee only with his eyes closed as if meditating. And not far, few more people recognizable people showed themselves. Meeka is on the counter, getting her second serving of breakfast. Shawn is as usual, talking to some woman.
At the same time, on a single table, the trio ate silently. Nervig showing complete nervousness as his hand shakes everytime he tries to take a bite of his food. Grob seems excited but not so that it's dangerous. He only seem to be looking forward to it. Likewise, Arthe has a neutral expression, like he already accepted what's going to happen next.
Seeing them, Dein didn't hesitate to approach.
"Hey, why is this table so gloomy?"
He called to them as he sat down. Unexpectedly, he became quite close to this three people over the past four weeks. Even he is surprised, when the legacy mocked him for taking two years to come out of his nightmare, he was sure he would never get a friend in this academy.
And yet…
"Well, we sure are. It's our last day on earth after all."
When Arthe replied like that with a shrugged, Nervig turned to him shaking. Grabbing him all of the sudden and shaking him violently.
"NOO!! Don't say that Arthe!!! What if that comes true and we never returned?! Take that back, take that back!"
He screamed, crying his soul out as Arthe laugh at him. Meanwhile, Grob turned to Dein with a smile.
"Haha, fearless as ever huh? I must say, even I am quite nervous for what going to happen today!"
Dein turned to Grob seriously when he heard that. He haven't seen him get nervous yet after all. And so, it's quite shocking, but understandable.
"Yeah, I'm a bit afraid really. It'll be better if we all would be sent to the same place but… it'll be difficult if we all got separated."
Arthe added. Furthering Nervig's fear. To he honest, even Dein is afraid. Maybe much more than Arthe and Grob combined, especially because there's three more souls feeling the same emotions inside of him. However, Dein still managed to keep the facade.
"Hey, I'm scared too y'know? That said, if we all got separated then we'll just have to do our best on our own. Find other sleepers to help us and survive. But, to make sure if we are all on the place or got separated, we should go to the highest structure we could see and meet up there."
It was a plan Dein had already come up with since yesterday. He made it because he needs trustworthy people to increase in chances of surviving the winter solstice. Of course, he also doesn't want to get separated from his friends.
Hearing his plan. Arthe nodded.
"That's a fine plan. After we got to the tallest structure we could see, we'll wait for a days before moving on to the next tallest one. It may not guarantee that we'll find each other, but at the very least, we should be able to find other sleepers."
Nervig finally stopped crying when he heard that. It's like he saw his saving grace. Even Grob, who's not too intelligent, understood the plan and agreed.
Then, with Dein suddenly stealing Arthe's food, the time went by.
****
Soon, every sleepers in the academy found themselves being lead by their own Awakened Instructors. The snowy parks and the cold sky blanketed the whole academy in white. It's quite calming in its own strange way. But at the same time, also a bit scary.
They were all walking towards the academy's medical center. A hospital that resembled more of a Shrine that a hospital. Awakened healers and mundane doctors met the sleepers the moment they entered the center.
Some of them looked at the batch of sleepers with hope on their eyes. The others, just tired, resigned sigh, as if saying "there we go again". Of course, Dein knew why they look at them like that.
And soon enough, the others found out why as well.
It was because before going to the room storing the sleeping pods, Instructor Rock lead them on one of the rooms close to the rooftop first. There, when he opened the door, a bunch of still, silent people sat on their own wheelchairs.
None of them were moving, their eyes drained of all its light. Immediately, Dein know the reason.
[They're dead…no, they're bodies are still functioning but they no longer have a soul to actually live]
Serious explained to no one in particular.
Meanwhile, Instructor Rock begun speaking to Dein and the others. He looked at the empty people with solemn eyes.
"There is a reason why I brought you all here. Look well and remember. Some of you may know who these people are… for those who don't, they are called Hollow."
He gritted his teeth.
"Each one of them was once either a sleeper or an Awakened. Some of them are weak, some of them are strong. Some were incredibly powerful. All of them had perished in the Dream Realm."
The atmosphere turned gloomy and dark the moment he said that. Everyone had an unreadable expression on their faces as they stared at these hollows. Some of them are probably wondering who'll be the next to join them, at least, the nurses and doctors here definitely wonders that.
As for the sleepers. They reluctantly listened as Instructor Rock spoke again.
"If you're lucky, once your spirit is destroyed, your body dies with it. But if not, you'll become just like them. Hollow."
For a moment, Instructor Rock's eyes wanders towards the direction where Caster and Nephis stood.
"So don't die out there."
Then it was over.
*****
Exactly half an hour later, sleepers were led to their personal rooms. Preparing to enter their own sleeping pods.
Dein had time to ponder about the others. In fact, he's worried about some of them. His friends, Cassie, even Nephis. Meanwhile, the trio in Dein's mind who spent four weeks being the invisible classmates of Sunny were worried about him too.
As for Caster… well, who cares about him?
Anyway, as much as he wants to. Dein chose not to send his Ghosts to check on the others even though he easily could. Instead, he gulped and steeled his resolved.
The pull of the nightmare, the unbearable drowsiness he's feeling right now became more and more intolerable. And so, Dein begun climbing inside her sleeping pod.
When he did, it suddenly closed automatically.
Dein closed his eyes and opened it inside his soul sea, turning to his companions first.
"Hope you guys are ready?"
"Hehe, we've been prepared for a long time Mister!"
Happy boasted confidently.
"T-this… i-it can't be help. I-im prepared as well!"
Scaredy summoned his courage.
"Let's do this!"
And Serious prepared to face anything.
Hearing all of their answer. Dein opened his eyes in the real world again. Inside the sleeping pod. He smiled.
"Right. Let's go…"
Just like that, darkness swallowed them as they welcomed themselves to their slumber.
The darkness stirred and then it spoke.
[Welcome to the Dream Realm, Dein of Hearth]
[Welcome to the Dream Realm, Fragment of an unnamed Individual!]
[Welcome to the Dream Realm, Fragment of Sorvetes!]
[Welcome to the Dream Realm, Fragment of Hearth!]
End of Volume 1. Dein of Hearth