[This episode serves as a compendium of the world's laws. These truths are known to every Candidate who dares step into the Castle, though few live long enough to understand them fully.]
Perfect. Here's the refined full Chapter 0 with everything included in the correct order, clear formatting, and your missing status screen line properly added:
Chapter 0: The Nightmare Castle
The Nightmare Castle stands as a realm holder between Heaven and Hell.
Inside its black walls lie 10 Realms, each one vast enough to hold planets, solar systems, and entire galaxies. Every Realm contains dangers and trials that must be conquered for a Candidate to step upward toward the next Realm.
The Inhabitants
Inside these Realms, there are two kinds of people:
1. The Natives – Those born in a Realm. They live their lives normally, unaffected by the Castle's call. Some may attempt the Castle's trials, but they do so without Shades.
2. The Candidates – Chosen directly by the Castle from countless worlds. Unlike Natives, Candidates awaken with a Shade, a mark carved into their soul that manifests in their body.
Shades
Shades are fragments of gods, and they are the source of every Candidate's Origin.
No Shade is ever the same, even if two people awaken the same type.
Example: Two Candidates with the Shade of Flame will both wield fire, but their abilities, Aspects, and growth will differ completely.
Shades are not blessings—they come with whispers, risks, and curses.
•Origin:
In simple words origin means with god's fragments do you hold.
Names
In the Castle, Names hold power and can define one's destiny.
Fake Names – Names someone gives themselves. They start meaningless but can evolve into Titles if enough influence is earned. Power comes with flaws and curses.
Nicknames – Names given by comrades or enemies. They grant strength and shape growth but always carry flaws.
True Names – Rare and sacred. A True Name is granted only by the Castle itself at the Saint stage or higher. It cannot be stolen or revoked, not even by gods or demons.
Even the name given by one's parents can be stolen within the Castle.
Titles
Titles are reflections of recognition. They represent how others and the Castle itself view you.
Some are weak, some legendary, but all Titles influence one's growth.
Veins
Invisible spiritual routes that connect the Ring to body and soul.
Conduct Aura throughout the body.
Strength depends on training, potions, and vein stability.
Damaged veins = crippling weakness.
The Ring (Core)
The Ring is the heart of one's power, unseen but deeply felt.
A Candidate's Ring fuels their Veins and Shade.
Rings evolve with trials and Essence gained in the Castle.
Stages of Ring Evolution
Drifter – First branded by a Shade, untrained.
Stalker – Gains instinctive control, glimpses of their Aspect.
Devourer – Can absorb Echoes and wield them.
Warden – Commands fragments of the Castle's influence.
Harbinger – Their name resonates, shaping reality.
Saint – Recognized by the Castle; may awaken a True Name.
Scion – Near-myth, capable of bending entire Realms.
Divine – No longer mortal, but extensions of the Castle itself.
•Beasts:
Beasts are primal entities born from corrupted Essence. They are instinct-driven creatures and the lowest tier of dangers.
Beast Ranks:
Feral – Base beasts, animalistic, swarm-like.
Dire – Larger, cunning, hardened by corruption.
Titanic – City-destroying threats, space-warping.
Primordial – Ancient, rare beasts embodying concepts like famine, storm, or plague.
•Horrors:
Horrors are not Beasts. They are intelligent, twisted denizens tied directly to the Castle itself. They embody its will, enforce its laws, and cannot be tamed.
Spawned from fear, fallen souls, or the Castle's own judgment.
Horror Ranks:
Wraith – Lesser horrors, distorted humanoids.
Tormentor – Feed on fear and memories, curse Candidates.
Harvester – Steal Names and Shades, growing more human-like.
Overseer – Guardians of each Realm's path.
Herald – Chosen servants of the Castle, leading armies.
Monarch – Rule entire Realms; living embodiments of terror.
Void – The highest class, nameless, beyond comprehension.
Beasts vs Horrors
Beasts → Instinct and destruction.
Horrors → Will and corruption.
Many Beasts evolve into Horrors when steeped long enough in the Castle's influence.
Whispers
Beast Whispers – Grant raw strength, weaponized traits.
Horror Whispers – Unstable, cursed, but powerful.
The Hodlums (Arbiters)
Mysterious wardens of the Castle. Neither friend nor foe.
Trials begin under their watch.
Embody the Laws of Silence, Blood, Chains, Exchange, and Time.
Can kill instantly if rules are broken.
Sometimes bargain—trading humanity for shortcuts to strength.
Potions
Nightmare Alchemy, scattered like temptations:
Enhancers – Boost Ring or Veins.
Healers – Restore flesh or mend veins.
Awakening Brews – Force dormant Marks alive.
Forbidden Draughts – Burst of godlike power, cost soul fragments.
Soul Elixirs – Guard against illusions but risk memory loss.
Overuse warps the body—corrupted veins, bone spurs, or full transformation into Nightmare creatures.
Resonance & Augmentation
When two or more Candidates fight side by side, their Veins, Shades, and Rings may align.
Resonance – A state where their powers amplify one another, creating combined techniques or awakening hidden potentials.
Augmentation – Candidates may directly channel Essence into a comrade, temporarily boosting their abilities.
⚠ Danger: If the Shades or Veins are incompatible, resonance collapses into Backlash, damaging both souls.
System Notifications
The Nightmare System delivers its will through cryptic phrases:
Trial entry and conditions.
Rewards for completion (Whispers, Relics, Marks).
Penalties for failure.
Rank confirmations.
Status Screen – Every Candidate can view their own status.
This shows: Shade details, Ring stage, Vein condition, Titles, Echoes, and sometimes hidden notes from the Castle itself.
Example:
[You have survived the Trial of Frost.]
[Core attunement increased. Veins strengthened.]
[Shade of Flame resonates → Ability unlocked: Ember Fang.]
[Status Updated.]
⚠ Warning:
The deeper one climbs, the thinner the line between Candidate and prey. The Nightmare Castle remembers every fear.