Sunny was lost, he supposed he had been lost in a way his whole life. But this time, it was much different, and for the first time, it was a type of lost that didn't leave him confused, sad, angered, and a jumble of other things. Taking a glance to see the sign, he notices something—finally, the thing he was looking for: "Going left, School for the Mundane." While this was an odd name for a school, it served its purpose as it trained those able to afford such luxuries for the emergency, a.k.a. if they get infected by the spell. Some may be wondering why he is heading to this school—well, to sum it up, he got a call to be a speaker about the horrors of the Dream Realm. While he would've taken it no matter what since he had enough time to spare, there was one thing that cemented his decision. This being the fact that this school happens to be Rain's school.
The auditorium was bustling with idle chatter, not something you would so much expect from such a prestigious school. Nonetheless, before he took his spot on the stage, he was looking for a certain face in those seats, and that he found. Seeing Rain, who seemed to be the only one not talking, he supposed the lessons he drove into her are taking fruit. With a smile, he sat down in one of the guest seats, still making sure to keep her in his vision to see her reaction.
Just last week, my school announced a few guest speakers to all come give their experiences facing the horrors in the Dream Realm. Though she had her master for that, who happened to be a true master now, she still decided more perspectives would be better than just his, especially with how morbid he could be at times. Right now, everyone is waiting for the last guest speaker, who seems to be running slightly late. The rest of the guest speakers seemed to all be older veterans—well, old for those infected by the spell's standards, as most die fairly young. Seeing how the staff started talking, it seems the final speaker arrived. Rain could almost feel her eyes pop out of her head as she somehow managed to stop herself from jumping up and screaming. What she didn't manage to do is stop her mouth from going agape, which she didn't fail to notice brought a smile to his face.
Currently, the first of the speakers—him being the last—is going. He was a man who was probably much older than his only slightly wrinkled and peppered beard made him out to be. Though he couldn't be too old, as many of the first generation had died, so possibly a 2nd generation? Clearing his thoughts as he heard the man clear his throat, he let his thoughts disperse, giving him his full attention.
"My name is of no importance, as when you become someone infected by the spell, something like that becomes unnecessary."
What a terrible mindset, he couldn't help but think. Though maybe he thought that because a certain name is what bounded him to his sense of self on multiple occasions. Once again clearing his thoughts, he began to listen again.
"In that realm, the thing that should replace your name being your aspect, flaw, and capabilities to use and negate the both. My aspect being the ability to simply create cocoons of dirt and other earthly materials around what is needed to be contained. My flaw being me needing to keep a long distance in combat due to me having brittle bones."
Sunny couldn't help but think how dumb one could be. After all, the first thing they learned was to not go spouting out your aspect and especially your flaw to those you can't trust your life with. Though the audience is teenagers who probably have no reason to hold ill will, it still caused Sunny to steel himself for the others. That was the right option because after the man with a peppered beard gave his recounts of his trials and tribulations, the rest of the batch, excluding him, gave advice that was either common sense or utterly baseless.
Finally, it was his turn to take the microphone, and since his most diligent student is watching, he should make sure this is worth her while.
Rain was already preparing herself to face a tidal wave of embarrassment. With her master patiently waiting for everyone to quiet down after what she thought to be lackluster presentations, a smile adorned his—what she knows as—wicked face.
Finally speaking, the first words that he spoke already made her want to put her face in her hands and run away.
"Tell me, what is the essence of survival? All of you will give vastly different answers, as everyone has different experiences, lessons engraved into their very bone, or even their own belief system that fuels that meaning of survival for them."
Without waiting for the crowd to even muster a response, he continued,
"But in the end, you should loosen your grip on all those things. I'm not saying to let go of them—oh gods no. What I am saying is to use those things only as a foundation. By abandoning one's sense of survival, one's sense of purpose, that is when you truly have no chance of surviving in the Dream Realm. To survive the horrors, you must adapt—change your thinking as if leading it down a dark tunnel you both don't know will end. To survive, you must have a reason to survive, even if it's something as pitiful as spite."
Taking a breath after his small speech he gave without pause, his expression changed—going from the slightly serious face to a completely serious face.
"This being said, you should all realize that some want to survive more than others. Which is why, even more than nightmare creatures, you should be wary of other humans the most. Even so, you can't survive alone in either world. It has never been possible and never will. Even the dead gods weren't alone."
Rain could see the confusion in the entire auditorium by his last statement, and she was just as bewildered as them. After all, this is something her master has never said to her either.
"The gods had each other, just like all of you. Though we don't know if the gods started as powerful as they were originally, if we say they hypothetically weren't, that would mean even the gods would have to rely on each other. But you all, unlike them, have an opportunity to make connections before going into the horrors. While of course many would be split up, even the possibility of someone to trust—someone with your back turned—is a rarity in both worlds."
He paused for a second before beginning again,
"Sometimes you can't even trust yourself, but still, even when those times come, you need someone to help pull yourself up from those depths."
Concluding his speech, surprising herself, Rain was the first one to clap. With that began a chain effect with the rest of the student body. She couldn't help but swell with pride in her master—and in herself for being his student. Seeing everyone clap for him, weren't they essentially clapping for her as well?
Putting that thought behind her for now, she saw as the guest speakers left one by one. The day only continued on for the last class before they finally left.
As soon as she exited the school doors, she immediately wanted to run away and cry. She could already feel her face heating up in embarrassment. She saw her master waiting for her on the front of a black motorcycle that for some reason had the engravings Jet on it. As if not caring for the eyes and whispers of the other students and classmates, he called out to her,
"What are you doing! Come on!"
Deciding to try to limit the embarrassment as much as possible, she went to hop on as fast as possible, getting on the back. But it seems her brother didn't care for his efforts, as he spoke once more.
"You were so diligent during the presentations—as expected of my one and only student."
His smile already told her he was doing this on purpose, as she closed her eyes, letting a singular tear adorn her face as he drove off with her, leaving the eyes of everyone on her and the fact she will never live this down.
Still, even then, smiling as she leaned her head onto her master's back, she couldn't help but play back him saying "one and only student" in her head.
She supposed that she could live with the shame...
until tomorrow.