Bari's POV
At first, I didn't notice it.
It was subtle — the sighs, the sluggishness, the dull weight hanging behind every blink. I woke with the uneasy sense that the world had tilted slightly to the left, not enough to throw me off balance… just enough to make everything feel off.
My limbs dragged through the day like they were resisting movement. My usual morning workout felt heavier, my breathing more labored. I yawned nonstop, no matter how much water or caffeine I pushed into my system.
But that wasn't what tipped me off.
No — it was when I laid down for bed. That's when I knew.
A crawling sensation whispered across my spine, not quite fear… not quite instinct. Just a certainty. Something had arrived. Something final.
I bolted upright on my futon like a man drowning in cold water. My chest rose and fell with shallow, rapid breaths. I was covered in sweat. My room — tiny and dimly lit above the café — looked like a cage now.
It was here.
The Nightmare Spell.
I didn't know what I expected — some great calling, a divine whisper, a magical pull. What I got was dread. Real, quiet dread.
I moved quickly, almost mechanically. Hoodie. Jeans. A black backpack already packed with the essentials. I was never going to be caught off guard.
At the door, I paused, glancing once toward the café's back room. Toward the counter.
Toward the gift.
Wrapped in clean cloth and tied with thread, the package sat neatly on a stool. Inside: letters I'd written over the past year. A bracelet I crafted from scavenged metals. The credits I'd been quietly saving.
On the top, a note written in careful handwriting.
"I will come back stronger."
A half-smile broke my face. Toma would understand.
Without another glance, I slipped into the night.
***
The walk to the precinct felt unreal.
New Sun Quarter always had that late-night quiet to it, but tonight the silence had weight. Like the city itself knew something was happening. The streetlights flickered. The air was dry.
I passed an empty tram station and caught a glimpse of myself in the tall mirror beside the platform.
And paused.
Black Hair with a front undercut of white — tousled, streaked with darker roots. Crimson eyes, narrow and clear, reflecting back a sharp awareness I hadn't always possessed. My face… it was leaner now. Less boyish. Still young, but etched with something older.
Quiet strength. A storm held still behind glass.
I adjusted my collar and moved on.
***
The reinforced doors of the police station loomed ahead, flanked by thin, twitching towers designed to house defensive turrets. They weren't even hidden — just bolted to the walls like threats waiting to be fulfilled.
I stepped through the sliding doors, greeted not by warmth, but by blinding white lights and the sterile smell of reinforced concrete.
A man sat behind the counter. Balding. Civilian-grade uniform. A receptionist pretending not to be afraid.
I met his eyes."As demanded by the Third Special Directive," I said clearly, "I am here to surrender myself as a carrier of the Nightmare Spell."
His face drained of color.
After a heartbeat, he slammed his hand on the console."Attention! Code Black in the lobby. I repeat, Code Black!"
***
The Nightmare Spell first appeared in the wolrd a few decades ago. Back then, the planet was just starting to recover from a series of devastating natural disasters and subsequent resource wars.
At first, the emergence of a new disease that caused millions of people to complain about fatigue and sleepiness did not attract a lot of attention. But when they started to fall into an unnatural slumber, with no sighs of waking up even days later, the government finally panicked. Of course, by then it was already too late - not that an early response could have made a difference.
When infected started dying in their sleep, their dead bodies turning into monsters, no one was ready. Nightmare Creatures quickly overwhelmed national militaries, plunging the world into complete chaos.
No one knew what the spell was, what powers it possessed, and how to fight it.
In the end, it was the awakened - those who survived the first trials of the Spell and came back alive - who put a stop to its rampage. Armed with miraculous abilities earned in their nightmares, they restored peace and created a semblance of a new order.
Of course, it was only the first of the catastrophes brought upon by the spell. But as far as Bari was concerned, none of it mattered really, its in the past.
For an average Joe, being chosen by the Spell was as much of a risk as an opportunity. Kids learned survival skills and fighting techniques in school, on the off chance of being infected. Well-to-do families hired private tutors to train their children in all sorts of martial arts. Those from awakened clans even had access to powerful legacies, wielding inherited memories and echoes in their first visit to the Dream Realm.
The richer your family was, the better chances of surviving and becoming an Awakened were.
For Bari, his chances were no where as good as a legacy, but not far off either, his knowledge and past life experience will prove invaluable towards success.
***
Minutes passed.
I sat in a thick steel chair bolted to the floor, wrists and ankles restrained by magnetic cuffs.
It looked like a hybrid between a hospital gurney and a torture device — because that's what it was. The First Nightmare wasn't a private affair. You didn't just drift into it in your sleep. You were locked up. Watched. Contained.
I yawned.
Two officers stood with rifles against the far wall. Their faces were stony. Afraid, maybe. Or just numb.
I didn't care.
All I could think about was the straps. Were they tight enough? Could I hurt someone if I woke up wrong, not myself but a monster?
The reinforced door hissed open.
A man entered — tall, lean, black-haired with a scar under one eye. Plainclothes, but the kind of plain that screamed experience.
He looked me over like I was a grenade with no pin.
"What's your name, son?" he asked.
"Bari."
He raised a brow. "Bari? That's a strange name."
I tried to shrug — couldn't."Most people don't have names," I said dryly. "Back where I'm from, having one was a luxury."
The man's face tightened. He walked closer, checked the restraints again.
"Want me to contact your family?"
"Don't have any."
Silence. His eyes searched mine for a moment, then settled.
"Alright, Bari. How long can you stay awake?"
"A day or two, if I try. But don't get your hopes up. I find sleeping… enjoyable."
That got a ghost of a smirk from him. "A day is more than enough. Just hold on as long as you can."
He paused, his voice turning serious. "Tell me — how much do you know about the Nightmare Spell?"
"Enough."
"I'm not talking about the stuff they pipe through the speakers," he said, tone sharpening. "How much do you really know?"
I didn't blink. "As much as anyone. Maybe more."
His lips thinned. "Good. Then you know what's waiting. Once the Spell takes you, it'll throw you into a trial. A test. People say it's random. I don't believe that. You'll see monsters. You'll see people. Friends, enemies… all of them illusions. Don't get attached. They're not real."
"How do you know?" I asked.
He didn't hesitate. "Because they die. And they don't come back. Its usually taken place in the past, yet, The world doesn't change. The future doesn't shift. If they were real, things would unravel."
I said nothing.
The man stepped closer, lowering his voice.
"Sometimes, you'll have to kill them. You understand?"
I nodded slowly.
He exhaled through his nose. "A lot of what happens in the First Nightmare depends on luck. Most of the time, it's survivable. The terrain, the tools, the threats — they're usually manageable, so long as you think clearly. Use what you're given."
He looked me over again.
"If you're lucky, you'll get a combat-based Aspect. Swordsman. Archer. Something physical. Makes things easier. They're common."
"And if I don't?"
"Then you improvise. Sorcery, utility — those Aspects are rare for a reason. The Spell rewards creativity. You survive by being clever."
He turned, walking toward the vault door."I've said my part. An Awakened or a Master will be here soon. Stay awake as long as you can."
The door closed with a hiss.
The room was silent again.
I leaned my head back against the chair, closed my eyes, and smiled faintly.
"Come on, then.""Let's see what kind of hell you have waiting for me."