The alarm went off right at 06:00.
Jay groaned as he got up reluctantly. He rubbed his eyes as he took a glance at the clock. After sitting in his bed for a few minutes, while doing absolutely nothing, he finally dragged himself up when his mother yelled at him.
"JAYDEN! UP!"
Jay finally headed to the washroom and after taking a shower and a good piss, he descended to the living room.
His mother was making breakfast for Jay and his sister. She threw a plate of synthetic sausages for him onto the table and continued cooking.
Jay let out a few yawns as he started eating at a leisurely pace. His sister gave him a sideways glance as she ate her synthetic eggs.
"Did your dumbass get infected?"
Jay blinked. His mother turned around.
"Alyssa! Don't jinx people!"
Jay looked at his mother slowly.
"It might be true. I have been feeling sleepier recently. Slept through all of Further Maths."
His mother gasped.
"Jay!... Did the teacher notice?"
"Nope. He wouldn't notice if I were to pass out dead if front of him."
"JAY!"
"Sorry, sorry. But I think I should go get myself tested for the Spell?"
His sister looked at him, unamused.
"Anything to skip school."
"Oh, shut up."
——————————
Jay looked at his mother, sipping some synthetic grape juice.
"So.... I'm infected."
His mother stared at him.
"And that's all you have to say? Not scared?"
"Of course I am. I'm terrified that I might just die in the First Nightmare. But.. what if I survive? What I become a Master? Or maybe even a Saint? We'd all be living the good life, right? We wouldn't be poor nobodies that attend public schools and eat cheap food everyday."
His mother just sighed and hugged him.
"Don't die."
"Mmmkay. No need to act like I'm gonna die now. I still have 3 or 4 days before the First Nightmare."
Jay watched her walk out. Of course, he knew. He knew his mother was internally weeping and terrified, even if she did appear composed outside. And he couldn't blame her. After all, he might die. But what he said earlier wasn't false. He genuinely believed that he could try become a Master if he survived this First Nightmare.
——————————
The next three to four days, he spent trying to stay awake. He read what he could about First Nightmares. He didn't try prepare physically and become a swordmaster or anything. It was too late for any of that.
And finally, he felt himself to sleepy to stay awake. His sister squeezed him goodbye, and his mother drove him to the station.
Five minutes later, and he was locked onto a bed with multiple metallic chains. The guard decided to give him a lecture on morality.
"Remember, the people in the Nightmare aren't real. And they might be a bigger threat than the Nightmare Creatures. So if it comes down to it, pick yourself over them."
Jay just nodded, trying his hardest to keep his eyes open. He'd heard all of this before anyway. He knew most stuff he needed since he read a decent amount of stuff related to First Nightmares.
"Good luck."
And those words from the guard were the last thing he heard before he was plunged into a boundless darkness.
[Aspirant! Welcome to the Nightmare Spell. Prepare for your First Trial...]
——————————
Jay dreamt of a giant island floating in the sky.
It's size was so large that it dwarfed NQSC. He witnessed the island start ascending higher and higher, until it was covered in clouds. The sun and moon made infinitely many rotations.
"Huh? They're moving in the wrong order?"
In an instant, a grand city appeared on the island. Jay realised that he was witnessing the flow of time in reverse.
And finally, the flow of time slowed, halted and then resumed its normal flow.
Jay finally looked around himself.
He was in a garden at the very edge of the island. A garden filled with the most beautiful flowers and fruits he had ever seen. Pomegranates that glistened like jewels and hibiscuses that were truly radiant.
Jay, on assessing the situation, and realising that that there were no immediate threats, allowed himself to relax a little.
"Hmmm... this is.. actually not as bad as I expected."
He wandered to the edge of the garden and glanced downwards. He immediately recoiled in shock.
"...Damn. We're like 2 kilometers high.... Well, whatever. I don't need to look down anyway. I should just focus on staying alive and clearing this nightmare."
He started thinking about what his first course of action should be, when it struck him like a jolt.
"Ah, my runes!.. Kinda embarrassing that it took me that long to realise, but no one knows, so it's all good."
He concentrated and the runes were miraculously brought up in front of him.
Name: Jayden
True Name: —
Rank: Aspirant
Soul Core: Dormant
Memories: —
Echoes: —
Attributes: [Blessed by Fortune], [Mark of Terror], [Cursed by Misfortune]
Aspect: [Terror-touched]
Aspect Description: [A once deeply wronged child devolved into madness and slaughter, in the pursuit of joy and revenge. Most of those who ran into the child wept and prayed to their gods. It was for naught. However, a few were chosen by the child to spread forth her joy and vengeance. And from that moment, terror descended upon the world.]
After reading for a minute, he blinked.
"Well, that sounded ominous. And also entirely worthless to me, at the moment. Maybe the attributes will save me?"
[Blessed by Fortune] Attribute Description: "You shall receive ample rewards for your efforts."
[Mark of Terror] Attribute Description: "Those chosen by the child recognise you as one of their own.A faint scent of terror spreads itself to your opponents and drains away their willpower."
[Cursed by Misfortune] Attribute Description: "The hurdles of life you shall face are truly amalgamations of fate."
Jay stared at the runes with a deadpan face for a few minutes.
"So basically, I'll get huge rewards if I beat horrendous monstrosities. Problem is... there's nothing here that can help me beat even a dormant beast. Unless I can scare them into death?... That's unlikely."
"Also... this child doesn't sound creepy at all. I wonder what kind of horrifying creature decided to bless me.. maybe a Corrupted Terror?... Better not speak about abominations like that."
Jay walked out the garden as he stared around the city. It truly was a grand, magnificent sight. The buildings were incredibly tall for what should be an ancient era.
He wandered into a lively looking marketplace and decided to look around for someone to speak to.
"Maybe after speaking to someone, I'll understand my situation better?"
And as he thought that, someone called out to him.
"Mister, may I talk to you?"
He realised he was fucked.