Kallen found himself alone on a bench outside the police station. His parents weren't here for their own safety. They had probably stuck around for hours, but one couldn't exactly wait outside a police station for three and a half days waiting for someone to finish their first nightmare.
But he would sit there for as long as they would let him.
A steady mist of rain fell from the sky. The events of his nightmare still flickered through him, vivid. It was a brand that would forever be etched into his soul. The gargoyle, the creature from the depths, the king.
He'd been afraid of the Elder Gargoyle. He'd been afraid of drowning and being crushed and smashed to a bloody pulp—of course, who wouldn't be afraid of dying a terrible death? But it was the king that had struck true fear into his heart.
The way it had hunted him. The way it had said his name and mimicked his sister… and that mouth. It was all too uncanny… Kallen didn't deal well with uncanny.
But through it, he had become the sea's blessed. Chosen by something far older and greater than he could comprehend, the spell had called him the champion of the depths. He had won the storm god's favor.
He couldn't understand quite how he had won anyone's favor. And he certainly didn't feel like a king or a champion.
Kallen clenched his fists, water dripping from his hair to mingle with the rain pooled at his feet. He tipped his head back and closed his eyes, knowing that somewhere beneath the surface, in the depths of his soul sea, a strange leviathan stirred, its slumbering power echoing faintly through his veins.
~~~
Half a day later, a young black haired girl, eleven years of age descended the steps of the police station. Kallen locked eyes with the girl and was out of his seat before she had made it to the ground level.
The moment she saw him, her face seemed to brighten. She rushed forward, enveloping him in a tight hug. Tears fell from Seren's face as she let down her defenses for the first time since—likely—her nightmare had begun.
Kallen felt an overwhelming wave of relief flood over him, even despite the fact that he'd learned she'd woken up over an hour ago.
"It's okay," he whispered, pulling tighter. "I'm here. Mom and dad are on their way."
She cried harder, mumbling something unintelligible as she gripped the back of his hoodie.
Kallen couldn't blame her. Not one bit. He thought of the horrors he faced down in his own nightmare. And she was still so young…
"We're in the same boat now," he said.
It took a moment for her to calm down and when she did, Kalen pointed to his hair. She frowned, tear stricken lines down her face as she looked at him. It took a few seconds for her to realize that he hadn't suddenly died his hair. He'd gone through a nightmare of his own.
"You too?" She asked.
Kallen nodded. "Only just a little while before you went under."
Her expression lifted, if only just a little, knowing that in her misery, she at least had a little company.
"While we wait for mom and dad, would you like to hear about my nightmare?"
Seren nodded, her face stricken with rain and tears alike. Kallen had debated whether or not to tell her about his nightmare while he had been waiting for her to come out of the station. Of course, he didn't want to relive the experience, but more than that, he wasn't sure the effect it would have.
If he boasted about it being easy, even though it wasn't, he ran the risk of making her feel lesser, especially if hers had been difficult. However, on the other hand, it could reassure her and give her someone to trust in—even if he didn't quite trust in himself.
Perhaps he should trust in the version of her that trusts in him.
"Well first, I started off chained in a dungeon." Kallen gave her a warm smile. "The worst part was this ugly guy's face. Oh, and they wouldn't let me scratch my nose!"
Seren listened intently. Almost like she could glean valuable secrets about how to survive her subsequent adventure in the dream realm simply by listening to his nightmare.
"I fought a knight and a king and even a gargoyle. And, since we awakened in the same year, there's a chance we might get sent to the same place in the dream realm. But even if we don't, I got you some pretty powerful stuff: an awakened sword, and even a powerful echo."
Her eyes widened.
"How did you get an awakened sword from your first nightmare?"
"I didn't just get an awakened sword, either," he said, deliberately avoiding how he killed a man to get the sword. "I also got a pretty powerful aspect, innate ability, and good attributes."
He saw a spark of hope in her eyes, but he knew it was still a long shot. She likely knew as well that they were unlikely to end up in the same area of the dream realm.
Eventually, their parents arrived. After hugs and relief and more than a few tears from both parties were exchanged, they headed back to their house in the NQSC.
And so Kallen watched the city lights blur through the car window, their warm glow stretched by the astigmatism of his eyes. The rain had picked up, lathering the streets in a slick glaze. Awakened Belle's words lingered in his mind, the weight of what was to come pressing heavier and heavier upon his shoulders.
Seren was curled up beside him in the backseat, and Maia—his youngest sister—was on his right, having been picked up from school early. Despite their exhaustion, they both clung to him, as though they might lose him to the same nightmare he'd just escaped. He sat as straight as he could.
His dad was driving a PTV which was a rare and expensive vehicle that he owned only because of his powerful connections. Kallen wasn't sure how he'd managed to get the license to drive one, but alas.
As if on cue, his father's voice broke through the sound of cars honking and engines humming alike. "Kallen." He lowered the rearview mirror, glancing at him, his eyes hard but kind. "Until you've got your head straight, its best to keep it low, son. Keep a tight seal over your aspect. Other than yourselves, don't tell anyone anything unless you know you can trust them with your life."
"I know, dad."
"I got ahold of some of your grandfather's contacts. A few people will come check up on you while you're at the academy. They might take you away for private training… I'm not too sure how it all works."
Kallen nodded. He felt the truth of his fathers words settle uneasily in his chest. His sister, for all her bravery, was still just a kid, and his father was relying on him to keep her safe. But how could he shield her from the horrors of the dream realm? He wasn't entirely sure, but he'd be damned if he didn't try his hardest.
His mother, sitting in the passenger seat turned to face them. "The academy, and your extended family will do everything they can to prepare you, but the most important thing is that you look out for each other."
Glancing down at Seren, Kallen allowed her even breathing to calm him. His parents were right. It was just the two of them now… but if he could make powerful allies… maybe they'd make it after all.
~~~
Later that night, Kallen found himself standing in front of a mirror in the bathroom. The changes in his appearance had still caught him off guard. The dark indigo of his eyes, the black hair that now seemed to move with an almost liquid grace—it was foreign, but yet undeniably him.
Upon closer inspection, he found that both his eyes and his hair had small hints of deep blue. There was a mystifying feeling hidden within his eyes… but he couldn't put his finger on what it quite was.
He wanted nothing more than to visit his soul sea and practice with whatever the hell his innate ability was, but for now, his sister took priority.
Leaving the bathroom behind, he knocked on Seren's door and walked through when he got confirmation. It was time to learn what aspect she'd gotten… and what her flaw was.
Kallen started out with making her swear secrecy on everything he was about to divulge. When she did, he began with his aspect. He went over what it did, what he assumed the limitations were, and what his attributes could accomplish. His sister had been starry eyed and slack jawed by the end of it, and he hadn't even revealed that he'd received a divine aspect.
When he finished up, ending with his flaw and how it restricted him, it was finally Seren's turn to reveal as much as she felt comfortable.
"My aspect is a supreme aspect called North Star. It's description…" she waited a moment for the runes describing it to appear. "It says: You are the North Star, a beacon for the lost and a br—bringer of change. Your steps guide others through darkness, yet your presence stirs the winds of upheaval. In your wake lies both salvation and ruin, as night conceals the path to destiny."
Kallen deliberated over this aspect description as well as it being a supreme aspect for a moment before asking her to read it again. When she did, he figured the whole winds of upheaval was related to her flaw.
As well as that, the fact that her aspect was supreme and his divine… well he knew it meant something. Probably something not good.
Nervously, she continued. "My aspect ability is called, [Starlight's Tether]. It's description says: Glowing threads of night weave through the air, enhancing your allies and diminishing your enemies."
Kallen nodded. That was obviously a support ability. It was especially useful since it appeared to connect to both allies and enemies and without a mentioned cap on the number of threads. Likely, she could create more the further she developed her soul core.
"And your attributes?"
"The first is Thread of Connection. It allows me to, um, I can tether myself to someone and always know how to find them… instinctively..."
That's a reassuring attribute.
"I also have Vigilance, which sharpens my senses and says I know the safest path forward in unfamiliar territory. It also says I can perceive hidden dangers, faint trails of past travelers.
"My last is Adaptability, which only says that I can adapt to my surroundings."
While not overtly combat oriented, Kallen realized just how useful all three of those attributes could be. Especially in the dream realm where being adaptable and knowledgeable was key… they were solid abilities all things considered.
Though everything came down to what she said next.
"My flaw…" Seren looked at him with a guilty expression. "It's called [Calamity.] Wherever I go, I invite catastrophe."