Chapter 1: Dolin
The putrid air of the outskirts was filled with the earthy smell of rain mixed with the disgusting smell of trash and rust.
There were not many left in the outskirts.
Many had left due to the masses of gates through the help of sovereigns.
Even so, there were those who did not make the cut.
Perhaps because of his lack of connections, bad reputation, and dirty appearance, Dolin did not have a chance.
He was trapped, among many other unsavory people.
Of course he had made an effort. When the gate openings were announced, he ran fast, even faster than when he was running from the local gangs.
It was all a facade. By the time he got there, to his and many others disappointment, the gates were closed. Of course there were a lucky few who were pitied and given a chance to escape this harsh place, but not him.
He could have tried to force his way in, but Dolin was not someone who gambled on a hopeless fight.
All this time in the outskirts he learned. He knew how to fight, even though he was frail. He knew how to manipulate others, and most of all, he knew how to run.
A distant shout echoed from the alley behind him.
Loud sounds of gunshots and screaming curses rang out in a cacophony in the air.
Dolin leaned against the cracked wall of what seemed to be an abandoned convenience store and listened carefully with a crude smile on his face.
In front of him were supplies. A crate of synthpaste, a run-down heater covered in grime, a couple of rusty knives, and a case of water that looked like it had stayed out in the sun for much too long.
Not bad. It would have lasted him a couple of weeks if not for his current predicament.
A scream echoed out, breaking his train of thought.
Bit excessive…
He didn't really mean that though. It was the outskirts. If people were stupid enough to trust a stranger like himself, they deserved misfortune.
He quickly put the plundered items in his pack, and made his way away from the loud shots and screams, as they seemed to be dying away.
The sun was already setting behind the ruins of the half-collapsed buildings..
It should have been a successful day, but unfortunately luck was not on his side.
The only reason that he had stopped at that run-down convenience store was because he felt it coming.
What did he feel? He felt the drowsiness of the spell of course.
Right now, he just needed to get out of there.
"Shit."
He heard loud footsteps behind him.
A gunshot fired out, missing him only by a couple feet.
He ran faster, fighting against the drowsiness.
A shout rang out.
"THERE HE IS!"
"GET THAT SON OF A BITCH!"
Dolin grimaced.
Of all the days. Just had to be today.
A strange cold sensation spread through his body like icy water.
He had felt it earlier, but now it was even more chilling.
It was getting worse as he went on.
He could not stop, as if he did that meant certain death.
He climbed a fence and jumped off of it, crashing down onto the concrete below.
Landing on his wrists, he felt something snap. He could not feel it now, but he was sure he was in for a world of pain later.
Behind him the gang turned a corner, going around the fence while 4 others climbed.
There were about 6 of them.
He could maybe get away from 2, maybe 3, but 6 was pushing it.
Especially when he was succumbing to the spell.
A shot rang out. His leg gave out.
Damn it.
He had been hit.
The pain didn't even come as his vision was starting to blur.
"No where to run now you damn bastard. You think this is funny?"
Dolin studied the man. He was bleeding from a knife wound and had a litany of skull tattoos covering his rough and coppery skin.
"Honestly…" Dolin said, pausing before opening his mouth again.
"A little."
The first punch came an instant later.
Dolin staggered and coughed up blood. By then, 3 of the other gang members had shown up. They began to kick at him. One grabbed his bag, making his entire quest for naught.
A pipe came down on his chest, crushing one of his ribs.
He did not expect that this would be the day he would go out. It didn't matter though. He would have been taken by the spell anyways.
Then suddenly-
A loud screech of wheels cut through the alley like a blade.
A uniformed police officer walked out, one hand resting on the grip of his pistol
"I think that's enough."
Everyone froze. Dolin couldn't even see as his vision was blurring even more.
The gang hesitated. Even though they were beyond pissed at the little runt that tricked them, attacking an officer was a bad idea.
The gang ran off, leaving just Dolin and the officer alone.
The man bent down and studied him. His eyes turned sharp as he studied the boy's condition, looking at his droopy eyes. The man's intuition told him that something was wrong with this boy, other than the many bruises covering his frail body.
"Kid, are you infected with the nightmare spell?"
Dolin, spitting out a few droplets of fresh blood, responded in a laugh.
"Yeah."
In his already fading consciousness, he laughed. Maybe this day was not the end for him.
The officer swore, but Dolin could not hear it. He had already succumbed to the spell.
The officer swept up Dolin's broken body, heaped it into his car, and drove down to the nearest station.
***
Dolin dreamt of the ruins of a desolate fortress… or what remained of it. Dark ruins surrounded a castle covered in debris and ash.
It could only be seen as a castle due to the other smaller ruins surrounding it.
Suddenly, the moon dipped and the sun rose, and then it happened again, yet faster.
This repeated, catching Dolin's eye as it got faster and faster until it turned into a flickering of light and darkness. Clouds began to blur as they sped past him. What seemed like rain and snow flickered in and out of existence, too hard to exactly catch with his eyes.
The ash surrounding the castle began to recede and dissipate in a way that looked unnatural and finally burst into a bright flicker before disappearing completely.
The debris around the castle slowly disappeared and the castle seemed to slowly be restored, dirt and dust receding and stone finding its place.
Dolin was sure of it. This was what seemed to be the reversal of time. In an instant, decades had gone by right in front of him.
The reversal of time finally slowed, stopped, and then resumed at a sub-normal pace.
[Aspirant! Welcome to the Nightmare Spell. Prepare for your First Trial…]