Ren woke up, still wrapped in a heavy fatigue that clung to his body. It was a feeling both foreign and familiar.
He wasn't someone who enjoyed sleeping in, but no matter what he did, he couldn't shake off the exhaustion.
His eyelids felt as heavy as steel doors hanging over his weary face.
Refusing to be defeated by it, Ren flung off the warm blanket and sat up. He had grown used to this never-ending fatigue.
Just like those first days… when he was cursed by the very first nightmare.
He wanted to lie back down and sleep, but today was his last day...the winter solstice.
By nightfall, the spell would drag him into the vast Dream Realm...a deadly trial.
Ren wondered why so many in his family were so fascinated by something so cruel.
He forced his eyes open. The first thing he saw was the humble academy dorm room. It was simple to the point of being bare.
Nothing like his old private room… the one he once had.
With a sigh, he stepped into the bathroom. Ren often took cold showers to keep his mind alert.
And today was no exception.
The cafeteria was packed with Sleepers, just like any other day.
But… something was different today. Everything felt heavier. There was no laughter, no casual chatter.
Only the Legacies stayed composed.
Including him…
But did that even count?
Even so, they still kept their distance from him. No surprise there.
He was a failure, after all.
Legacies...children taught to kill before they could crawl, selected from birth…
When the First Nightmare ended, the chosen ones would be filtered again.
Unfortunately, Ren was one of those filtered out.
Among all his siblings… he was the one cast aside.
Other than the title of Legacy, he had nothing.
No resources, no Memories, no Echoes…
Nothing at all.
He grabbed a cup of coffee. He hated the stuff.
But today was an exception. It would help keep him awake.
No one wanted to be thrown into the Dream Realm while still dreaming.
He took his usual lone seat. A blind girl sat one row away, as always.
He often wondered, was her body capable of echolocation? Or was it just some strange coincidence…
She always sat in the exact same spot. Was she really blind…?
Ren shrugged off the thought and sipped the bitter drink.
Not long after, a boy walked in.
And, well… he looked awful.
Short, scrawny, like a bruised thumb. Completely different from the other trainees.
What was his name again?
Sun… Sunshine?
Sun… Sunless.
Right...Sunless.
As if sensing Ren's gaze, the boy shot him a veiled glare.
Ren frowned slightly. He didn't know much about this guy, they were in the same Wilderness Survival class.
Ren had signed up for it because he had nothing else to do. One month wasn't enough to significantly improve his combat skills, so he chose wilderness survival instead.
Most of the material, he had already been trained in since childhood.
Still, there were many new things in the course.
Ren was especially impressed by Instructor Julius, an old man with vast knowledge of the Dream Realm...far more than anyone Ren had ever met.
It was the only reason he still bothered to attend the class.
But he didn't recall having any conflict with Sunless.
Turning his gaze elsewhere, Ren shrugged again. Maybe the rumors he'd heard about that boy weren't entirely baseless.
Standing up, he tossed the paper cup into the bin. There weren't any classes today,
but he planned to say goodbye to Instructor Julius...the one person who had spoken to him the most in the past month.
Only to realize he was slowly drowning in the old man's "final advice."
All this time…
As the sun began to sink, Instructor Rock gathered them in the Sleepers Center lobby and led them outside.
Ren already knew where they were headed..and what the "opening act" would be.
It was the Academy Medical Center. More like a shrine than a hospital. Home to the most advanced equipment and the finest Healers among the Awakened.
For their first journey into the Dream Realm, Sleepers like them would be placed in special pods,
monitored and maintained by the unique healing arts of the Healers...in case something went terribly wrong.
Of course, whether or not they'd ever wake up…that depended on each of them.
Now came the opening act. Instructor Rock led them to a quieter floor and opened the door to a gallery that looked more like a specimen storage room.
There… they saw rows of wheelchairs. Each one occupied by a person, with a blank, eerily peaceful expression…No. They were Hollow.
Instructor Rock stared at them grimly."There's a reason I brought you here. Look closely and remember this. Some of you… may end up like them.
For those who don't know, these are called Hollow."
He clenched his jaw.
"All of these people… they were once Sleepers or Awakened.
Some were weak, others incredibly strong. But they all share one thing...They died in the Dream Realm."
Ren said nothing. He wasn't even thinking. His mind felt just as hollow as the ones in front of him.
He had survived once...the first nightmare...but what about next time?
What guaranteed that he'd spawn near a human stronghold again?
What guaranteed that he wouldn't land in some uncharted wasteland? What kind of luck could save him from falling straight into the maw of an Unholy Titan?
Instructor Rock glanced at the two strongest among the Sleepers: The caster from Clan Han-li…And Nephis of the Immortal Flame.
"So… don't die in there."
…
Thirty minutes later, the Sleepers were guided to their individual pods.
Ren began to tremble,
his hands shaking with each slow heartbeat.
Until a voice echoed through the darkness:
[Welcome to the Dream Realm, Ren!]