Solaire woke up feeling unusually tired and drowsy. It was that same heavy feeling he remembered before his first Nightmare. Despite it, he climbed out of bed and pushed through his morning routine, slow but steady. Then, he made his way to the cafeteria.
Today would be his last day on Earth for a long while.
"I'm eating bread today, and no one can stop me," he thought, stacking a plate high with slices of soft bread, along with packets of honey and butter.
Relishing the divine flavor, he looked around. The atmosphere was subdued—everyone seemed quiet, the weight of the day pressing on their shoulders. Even the Legacies, who usually moved with calm assurance, were unusually still.
His eyes landed on Sunny, who was seated beside a blonde girl with piercing blue eyes. She looked at him with an expression that was oddly tender, her lips moving gently.
"Are they in a relationship?" Solaire wondered. From the way her mouth moved, it was clear—she was wishing him a happy birthday.
"It's his birthday. I'll wish him before we enter the Dream Realm," he noted silently.
By the time he finished his preparations, the sun was already setting. Instructor Rock gathered the students in the foyer of the Sleeper Center and led them to the medical wing. There, Dreamers would sleep in advanced pods maintained by healers.
But before reaching the pods, Rock took a detour—bringing them into a vast, echoing gallery.
Rows upon rows of wheelchairs filled the hall. Each one held a person sitting silently, expressionless. Still. Empty.
There was something terrifyingly familiar about them—something that reminded Solaire of the hollows from his first Nightmare. Except these people looked entirely human.
Instructor Rock stood at the front, voice firm.
"There's a reason I brought you here," he said. "Look well and remember. Some of you may recognize them. For those who don't… these are what we call the Hollow."
His jaw clenched.
"Each of them was once a Sleeper, or even Awakened. Some were weak. Some were strong. But all of them perished in the Dream Realm."
Solaire could feel it—the emptiness where their souls should have been.
"At least they died in peace," he thought. But deep down, he knew the truth wasn't so kind. If he died too many times, a harsher fate awaited him.
"If you're lucky," Rock continued, "your soul dies, and your body dies with it. If not… you become like them."
His eyes flicked toward the Legacies.
"So don't die out there."
Each student was assigned a personal pod. As Solaire approached his, he met Sunny's gaze.
"[Happy birthday]," he said in a silent speech just before the pod door sealed shut.
Darkness swallowed him.
[Welcome to the Dream Realm, Solaire.]
When Solaire opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a castle in the distance—massive, looming, unreal.
He stood on the outskirts of a strange ruined city. The walls encircling it were towering—rough grey granite, sixty meters high, each block uneven, chipped, ancient. Thin cracks ran between them, just wide enough to wedge a blade into.
"Should I find an entrance?" he thought, gazing along the endless wall.
He shook his head.
"I think I can manage a sixty-meter climb."
With a breath, he cracked his knuckles and began ascending. The granite was slick, damp, but he found grip where he could. His muscles ached. His fingers burned. But eventually, he crested the top.
And nearly lost his footing.
The city stretched out below him like a graveyard—buildings shattered, blackened by flame, rooftops missing, stone reduced to rubble. The streets were quiet, but not lifeless. He could feel them—nightmare creatures slithering through the wreckage, watching from the shadows.
Far beyond it all, in the city's heart, stood the castle—white stone, radiant and pristine, untouched by the devastation.
But beyond even that…
A crimson Spire. Towering, impossible, bleeding color into the grey sky.
A pillar of blood and nightmare.
"I need to reach the castle," he whispered.
He chose not to go through the city, but skirted around it along the walls. After hours of careful movement—ducking under shadows, listening for breathing, waiting out patrols—he found a tower with a wooden door.
Inside, he descended the winding staircase into darkness.
Eventually, he emerged at the edge of a settlement—makeshift homes built from rubble, huddled against the castle's outer walls. People moved about… but no one acknowledged him.
No glances. No whispers. Nothing.
It was as if he didn't exist.
Swallowing unease, Solaire turned to the gates of the castle and began climbing the stairs.
Two guards in rusted armor blocked the entrance.
"Where do you think you're going?" one snapped.
Solaire summoned his memory.
[I would like to enter the castle.]
"That'll cost you one soul shard a week," the other guard grunted. "If you've got none, scram."
With a sigh, Solaire turned and walked back toward the camp.
The homes were worn, broken. Walls patched with scrap. Doors hanging crooked.
He smiled faintly.
"Reminds me of home."
He wandered to the outskirts, but found no space to rest.
"Guess I'll have to hunt," he muttered. "Good time to test my Aspect too."
Solaire moved cautiously across the rooftops, silent as a shadow. Nightmare creatures prowled the streets below—most were far too powerful to face head-on. He waited. Watched.
Then, he saw it.
A rat-like creature. Easily five feet long. Its flesh was rotting, fur matted and foul. It was gnawing on a corpse.
Solaire crept closer, barely three feet away… and stepped on a loose tile.
Crack.
The rat's head snapped up. It hissed—and lunged.
He rolled on instinct. Not far enough.
Claws sliced through him—but didn't cut.
Eyes wide, he realized: they passed right through his body. His aspect had activated.
He rose fast, drawing his shield.
The rat snarled again, charging.
This time, Solaire sidestepped, letting its claws phase through him. As it flew past, he rammed his shield forward—driving the pointed edge into its skull.
It squealed in fury. Still alive.
He didn't wait.
With a growl, he slammed his shield into its chest, sending the creature hurtling into a nearby wall.
It hit the stone hard—then collapsed.
Still.
[You have slain an Awakened Beast: Sewer Rat]
He checked his status.
Humanity: [3/100]
Grinning, he crouched beside the corpse.
The hide was too tough to tear by hand, so he broke off one of the rat's fangs and used it to extract the shard buried inside its chest.
Sticky. Warm. Pulsing with energy.
With his prize in hand, he returned to the castle.
One of the guards raised an eyebrow. The other held out a hand.
Solaire dropped the shard into it.
The man smiled grimly and stepped aside.
"Come in," he said. "You need to meet someone."
The gates opened with a deep groan.
Solaire stepped into a vast marble hall.
A strange rustling echoed above. Looking up, he saw tall windows lined with stained glass, soaring toward a distant ceiling. Several young women were perched on makeshift wooden ladders, drawing thick, dark fabric over each window.
The ladders creaked with each movement, the sound strangely melodic.
They were covering every window—blocking even the tiniest glint of light.
Behind him, a loud boom echoed.
He turned to see the ornate gates shutting behind him. The two guards slid a massive iron bolt across the frame, their faces strained with effort.
The metal bar must have weighed more than both of them combined.
Rows of skulls lined the hall—hung on chains, swinging slightly.
Solaire's fists clenched.
He followed deeper into the fortress.