Gwin couldn't take anymore verbal abuse without losing his temper and knew doing that would ruin his chances to learn how to get the lineage through her and he was not going to get another chance like this. Instead he made a tactical retreat and backed off while trying to maintain his shredded dignity. He absolutely hated being looked down on. He had been looked down on most of his life. Whispers followed him like a curse.
As a young child he had even overheard his relatives telling his parents he wasn't worth keeping after his incident. He was feeling the same mix of self conscious shame right now.
'I hate this, I hate this, I hate this…'
Any looks of pity withered and died under his harsh gaze. Soon enough people were going about their business pretending nothing had happened. Being tall and scary looking certainly had its perks.
Suddenly a giant of a man appeared on the stage wearing a dark blue uniform. He dwarfed even Gwin despite his height.
The giant man had wide shoulders, an athletic build and a gorgeous brown beard. His eyes were calm and serious. After reaching the center of the stage, he gave Sleepers a long look. Gwin felt tiny under his daze.
'Holy hell…how much do you eat to get that big?'
Not only was he incredibly tall he was built like a tank. His blue uniform seemed to be barely able to contain his mighty frame.
'A deep breath might make his buttons fly off.'
The man didn't pay Gwin any attention and returned his gaze to the front rows of the crowd. Finally, he said in a deep, reverberating voice:
"I am Awakened Rock. Sleepers, welcome to the Academy."
Everyone listened without making a sound.
"In half a year you will be summoned to the Dream Realm. Some of you might think that you are well prepared. You're wrong. The Spell is merciless and cunning. The moment Awakened begin to think too much of themselves, they die. I've seen countless Sleepers like you lose their lives. I've also seen experienced Masters lose theirs. Even Saints are not assured to survive."
'I can't help but feel like he is talking about me'
"In the following six months, we will do everything in our power to increase your chances of survival. You will receive training from the best instructors in the world. However, don't be misled by their fame: in the end, whether you return from the Dream Realm alive depends only on one person — you. The responsibility to survive is yours, and yours alone. "
Except for the Legacies, Sleepers were looking at each other with growing fear in their eyes. Awakened Rock continued:
"You are not children anymore. It's a shame, because you ought to be. But the Spell has decided otherwise. You have been to the First Nightmare, so you already know what it's like. Your parents, your teachers and your friends can't help you anymore…"
Gwin sucked in every word the man said. He felt like he had taken a proverbial slap in the face twice today. First his pride had been wounded by that legacy and now it had just been finished off by Awakened Rock. He had unknowingly let his new aspect mess with his head. A Divine Aspect didn't mean much if he was an idiot and got killed as a sleeper. He had to stay smart to live so he could see his family again. He was feeling the pressure now, fear was sleeping in his gut.
"Now we will talk about the difference between the waking world and the dream realm.
Gwin was pretty knowledgeable about the dream world. His father had made it a point to teach all of them all he knew whenever he had a free moment. This led to many afternoons of sparring with his sisters in their backyard.
'Maybe that's why we argue so much.'
Or shouldn't that make us argue less? Thinking about his family was making Gwin feel wistful again.
He already had a good idea of how the dreamworld worked. The dream world was a separate yet similar entity to the nightmares. The nightmares were like situations that happened in the dream world's past. The dream world consisted of many different and deadly regions with very few of it actually conquered by humans.
On the day of the winter solstice they would be drawn into the dream world. Their bodies would be kept in specialized pods in the academy where they would remain until they emerged or perished. If one perished in the dream world they would typically die in the real world too but there are rare cases where their bodie remains without their soul. These people are called hollows.
After emerging from the dream world they would become awakened and every time they went to sleep they would find themselves there again. They would arrive at the gateway they used to exit initially. Masters could choose to enter the dream world at will. Their bodies would also become one, meaning if Gwin became a master he would regain his arm. He needed to worry about surviving now though if he ever even wanted to think about becoming a master.
He decided to focus on awakened rock's speech anyways not letting his hubris stop him from learning something.
"Most people are aware of what Nightmares are — because they have an impact on the real world and their lives. All of you have been warned before entering the First Nightmare that, should you perish there, a Nightmare Creature would be allowed to cross the threshold and enter reality."
That had been why Awakened Troy had been posted to the room Gwin was in.
"First Nightmares are unique, because each of them is individual. That's why only a single Creature can appear. However, starting from the Second Nightmare, things become much more dangerous. These Nightmares are not tied to an infected person. Instead, they are born in the Dream Realm. While the Seed of the Nightmare is growing, any number of Awakened can attempt to conquer it."
Hunting down Nightmares was the main responsibility of the Awakened. Gwin knew that much.
"Should they all die or fail to find the Seed before it matures, a Gate will open in the real world, letting through countless monsters. You all know the consequences. Other Awakened will be forced to withstand the onslaught on this side, but then there can be massive destruction or losses among the civilian population."
Opening Gates was something that every person on the planet feared. It was also the second disaster brought upon by the Spell after the initial appearance of the Nightmare Creatures. The main difference was that, in that initial wave, there were only dormant beasts. However, Gates had ranks of their own, and any type of Creature could potentially step through.
Awakened Rock's voice grew solemn.
"So it is not wrong to say that the purpose of the Awakened is to enter the Dream Realm, seek out maturing Nightmares and close them before any harm could befall the real world. From this, you can see that the Dream Realm and the Nightmares are connected, but are not one and the same. If Nightmares are the destination, then the Dream Realm is the road. But it is also so much more."
"Simply put, the Dream Realm is a world. It is vast, mysterious and mostly unexplored. It is also dead. There is no life out there except for the Nightmare Creatures, corrupted ecosystems… and now us. But it wasn't always dead. We can tell that once, a long time ago, the Dream Realm was home to several primitive civilizations. There are a lot of ruins buried in its soil."
'Ecosystems huh?' For some reason those words stuck with Gwin.
"We don't know if the Dream Realm exists inside the Spell as one of its illusions, just on an unimaginably larger scale, or if it's real, with the Spell only serving as a pathway between two realities. However, we do suspect that the illusions conjured up inside the Nightmares are based on its history. They are replicas of past events, somehow reconstructed from the depths of time."
Gwin was thinking of his first nightmare. On that lonely island in the midst of the sea they would not have any way of escaping the snake.
'Surely they all died right?'
The image of the young kind girl flashed in his mind making him feel a bit sad.
"There are four main differences between the Dream Realm and the Nightmares. Firstly, it doesn't have a "story". There is no predetermined conflict you are forced to resolve. You can move freely and explore, provided that you have the strength to stay alive in the wilderness. Most people tend to stay close to one of the human Citadels."
'Hopefully I am placed near ravenheart..'
Ki Song's Ravenheart and Valor's Bastion were separated by death zones. The only way of getting from one side to the other was the stormsea the House of Night ruled over. Being placed directly there would make getting there less deadly. He would have a better chance since he wouldn't have to worry about dying on the way there.
'Only have to worry about dying in their front yard.'
"Secondly, as I have already mentioned, there are no people in the Dream Realm except for those who came from the real world. There are only monsters. Some of them can mimic human appearance, though, so be mindful of that."
Gwin had heard a few horror stories from his father about human voices that could be heard clearly while under water. Even just imagining that scene creeped Gwin out.
"Thirdly, unlike the First Nightmare, no Nightmare Creatures will appear in the real world if you die in the Dream Realm. It may sound cruel, but that's a good thing. Awakened forces are already spread thin. If we had to monitor every Sleeper, we wouldn't have resources to handle more important matters."
Considering that each Sleeper could spend weeks, sometimes even months in the Dream Realm, there was ruthless logic in that statement.
"And lastly, and most importantly. Unlike Nightmares, which are bound by the rules of fairness, there is no limit to what kind of Creature you can meet in the Dream Realm. During its trials, the Spell won't pit a dormant human against an opponent many ranks above them…"
'I guess I'm special then'
Gwin thought smugly. He was careful not to be arrogant though. He knew he barely survived his first nightmare and truthfully he just got lucky
"... But in the Dream Realm, no such restrictions exist. Theoretically, you can stumble upon an Unholy Titan and die before even realizing what happened. So be careful and stick to the regions with enemies on par with your own rank. It's not an ironclad guarantee, but at least there will be less of a chance of you biting off more than you can chew."
Gwin was going to need to slay a nightmare creature of his level if he wanted to be able to use his aspect for prolonged periods of time. Preferably a dormant beast!
Awakened Rock paused for a few moments, studying the faces of Sleepers in front of him. Then he added:
"When the solstice comes, you will be drawn into the Dream Realm. The exact location of where you will appear can't be predicted in advance, but there is a high chance that many of you will find yourselves in close proximity to each other. Band together and proceed to the nearest human Citadel. Each Citadel is built around a Gateway. Once you reach it, you will be able to return."
Gateways were special portals that served as exit points from the Dream Realm. Once Sleepers reached such a portal, they would be able to escape back to reality and become Awakened. Their core would evolve, and they would also receive a second Aspect Ability. After that, they would return to the Dream Realm each time they fall asleep.
"If you can't locate or are unable to reach the nearest human Citadel, search for an unclaimed Gateway. It will usually be inside or near the most prominent landmark of the region. Work together to defeat its guardians and come back alive."
He gave them a heavy look.
"That is all for today. Next, follow the instructions sent to your communicators to find your assigned dormitory. Once settled, you may proceed to the cafeteria for some late supper. There will be a round of interviews after that, to prepare your suggested curriculums. Get a good night's rest. Your training starts tomorrow."
With that, he gave them a short nod and left leaving them in somber silence.