After entering the Silver Door, a white light washed over her like summer heat. Sable's consciousness finally left the dream world and entered physical reality once more.
There was a breath… then another.
Sable finally gasped like she'd been dragged up from deep water, jolting her body upright, soaked in sweat.
Her heart thrashed in her chest like a fist pounding from inside her ribs, and for a moment, she didn't even recognize where she was.
"Haaaaghh… haaa… oh man…!"
There wasn't any rust, rot, or disgusting Nightgaunt chasing after her; just fabric, soft linen, and a pillow damp from the heat of her head.
She was still on the watercraft thankfully. That means she passed the test!
"Aagh… my head!" She blinked, visibly dazed before pressing against her scalp. "So much pain… goodness grief!"
Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she looked all around
This was her dorm she was assigned to in the Sorcerers Exam. She could now tell dream from reality, considering the hellhole she just crawled out of.
"I made it back… thank god!" Her voice cracked like dry leaves as she huffed a sigh of relief.
Sable lay back against the mattress, staring at the ceiling above her. She could still feel the presence of that thing… and the stench of sulfur… even the weight of the wrench in her hand.
"I'm never doing that again, Sorcerer Exams or not! My head feels like it's going to explode."
"Ahaha! That's because you took Mind Damage in your dreams, Sable."
"Oh, I see. That makes a lot of sense… eh!?" Rising in bed, Sable saw Morpheus sitting at the edge of her room in a chair. "What the hell?! Morpheus?"
"Nice to see you again." Said the Spirit of Dreams, crossing his leg over the other. "How are you holding up after that?"
Soaked in sweat, Sable took the covers off her body and stood up to stretch above her head.
"Hnnnnn! I feel like shit!" She said, yawning right afterwards. "That trial gave me a killer headache. You said something about Mind damage? What the hell does that mean? Is it self-explanatory… or?"
Morpheus chuckled, nodding his head.
"Yes, it's quite common. Have you heard of the three components of the body?"
Sable tilted her head to the side.
"Uhh, not really?"
"Ah, I figured. Each lifeform is made up of a Mind, Soul, and Nucleus. The mind is where willpower and memories come from, and the soul is our stabilizer; it helps stabilize our mana output so we won't overload ourselves with too much of it, and it is also the only thing out of the three components that can access the Spirit World, referred to as the At'ama, without needing any Spirit Magic."
Sable blinked cluelessly, fanning herself with the collar of her sweaty shirt.
"Oh, I think I've heard Pa talk about this one point in my life. What about the Nucleus? What's up with that?"
Morpheus chuckled at her question.
"The Nucleus is the core of a lifeform's existence, holding all of their information, history, and physiology. It defines who we are as a whole. Everything has them, even spirits." Morpheus stood up, approaching Sable elegantly. "In the dreaming world, there are an infinite number of dreams and nightmares fabricated from mortals. Your consciousness was transferred there, into your own nightmare. Whatever damage you take in the dreaming world will also damage your mind, so in return, you feel a headache once you awaken."
Sable lifted her brows in disbelief at such a world existing.
"Oh wow… that sounds trippy as hell!?"
Morpheus chuckled.
"It is indeed quite trippy, in fact. But I do enjoy my time there… until those grotesque Other Gods get involved."
"Huh? Other Gods?"
Morpheus shook his head.
"It's nothing. But I must congratulate you, Sable, you were the unlucky chosen to defeat the Nightgaunt; a feat deemed impossible for someone of your status."
Sable suddenly took off her shirt, revealing a sports bra underneath. Morpheus widened his eyes, blushing at the sight before facing the other way.
He couldn't believe what he saw. She had an entire six-pack and a well-built body that would put other males to shame!
"By the Alvamon! What are you doing?!"
Chuckling at his comment, she threw her sweaty shirt to the side and walked to the bathroom.
"Chill dude, it's just a sports bra. And what do you mean by 'unlucky chosen'? I'm confused."
"Ahem!" Morpheus cleared his throat, composing himself with a deep breath. "Every year in the Sorcerer Exams, the Supervisors randomly pick a name from their box to choose who will be their unlucky contestant. You, out of all the other candidates, were chosen to fight the Nightgaunt in this trial. Naturally, you were supposed to lose… possibly even die… but to everyone's surprise, you didn't." Morpheus finished with a voice that carried an almost reverent disbelief. "You killed it. You killed a creature that doesn't even have a concept of death."
All of a sudden, the sound of running water came from the bathroom.
Sable's muffled voice came through with casual sarcasm. "Yeah, well, it tried to psyche me out by impersonating me and telling me I was weak. Y'know, real classy tactics. That kinda crap might've worked a year ago when I first got the Book of Spells, but now? I've got better things to do than listen to glorified sleep paralysis demons."
"Are you seriously taking a shower in the middle of our discussion?"
Morpheus couldn't believe what he was dealing with.
"Sable, do you understand the power you wield? Through pure willpower and determination alone, you defy logic itself! You learned magic, killed a deathless creature, and surpassed all of our expectations! You are special!"
"I seriously doubt that, but thanks for the encouraging words!"
Morpheus couldn't help but furrow his brows at her response. She didn't seem to be taking his words seriously at all.
"You do realize that creature has slaughtered dozens of prior candidates over the centuries, yes? Even with full access to magic."
"Ehhh, it was nothing more than a nightmare, it wasn't actually real life, ya know?" Sable said nonchalantly. "I probably can't do any of the stuff that I did in my dream in this world."
"You say that…" Morpheus muttered, rubbing his temples, "But the implications of what you've done are… staggering."
Sable froze in the shower, blinking.
"Wait… what implications?"
The Spirit of Dreams nodded.
"You weren't just in a dream, Sable. That was a Nightmare at the deepest part of the Dreamworld, meant to be inescapable. It was designed to reflect your most profound vulnerabilities and manifest them into existential threats. The Nightgaunt didn't just draw from fear. It fed off your emotional foundation. That trial was made to break you."
"Oh… well uh…" She muttered, tilting her head to the side, "It almost did, to be fair…"
Soon, Sable stepped out five minutes later with a towel draped over her head, and her wet hair dripping onto the floor. She had clothes on thankfully.
"As long as you have that same willpower, you can ace these exams." Morpheus said, side-eyeing her. "You are Atreus' daughter, aren't you?"
Sable widened her eyes at his comment.
"Yeah, that's right?"
"Then it's up to you to change this world forever. You possess the Book of Spells and have the willpower of countless sorcerers put in one body." Morpheus turned to fully face Sable with a determined glare. "I love this world, Sable, and I want to see it succeed. If you have the power to change it, then I will support you every step of the way, even if I'm Rolkav's Contracted Spirit."
Sable dried her hair, watching Morpheus with an unreadable look. She didn't speak right away, nor joked.
"You're helping me…" She said slowly, lowering the towel. "Even though you're technically supposed to be helping him?"
Morpheus gave an ironic smile.
"The contract binds me, yes. But it doesn't shackle my judgment. Rolkav… is pragmatic. If you die, the Book dies. And if the Book dies, the Exam itself loses meaning… at least to me! I'm not interested in martyrs. I'm interested in revolutionaries. You may lack some common sense, but you do have the guts for this."
Sable blinked.
"Wow. That's probably the nicest backhanded compliment I've ever received." She tossed the towel aside and leaned against the wall, arms folded. "So what now? Do I get a medal? Certificate of trauma survival?" She said with a sarcastic smile.
Morpheus stepped up to her grinning.
"You get something better."
Sable raised a brow.
"My scroll." Mana swirled into Morpheus' hand, forming a sealed scroll. "This is a spell of mine, known as Dreamscape. It's Spirit Magic. I'm not supposed to be giving you this, but… if it helps you survive these exams; then by all means, take it."
Blinking cluelessly at the scroll, Sable chuckled and pushed his hand away.
"Nah, I think I'll pass."
"Huh??" Morpheus widened his eyes. "Sable… are you serious? You'll have more of a fighting chance with this!"
Sable shook her head, furrowing her brows.
"No way in hell am I taking free offerings to get stronger! If you think I'm just gonna walk through life, letting everything get handed out to me for free, then you don't know who I am! My power comes from hard work and determination; I'm not gonna take anything from you, or anyone else!"
Sable frowned at him, raising her voice a bit high, but there was no malice behind it; only motivation.
Morpheus couldn't believe this girl. He was offering her something that could turn the tables in the Sorcerer Exams, but she denied it, purely because of her ideology.
Lowering his hand, and desummoning the scroll, he nodded.
"Very well."
Turning around, he crossed his arms behind his back and took a deep breath before smiling.
"Do your best on the next trial, Sable. I wish you luck."
Her frown slowly vanished before contorting into a smirk.
"Thanks… I think I'll need all the luck I can get if I out of all people were chosen to fight a freaking Nightgaunt…"