Kallen drifted afloat in his soul sea. He read the description of his innate ability: [Tideform.]
Ability Description: "Imbued with the essence of the sea, different forms bring different boons."
He then checked his runes once more.
Name: Kallenir.
True Name: Blessed of the Sea.
Rank: Dreamer.
Leviathan Core: Dormant.
Scales: [0/1000.]
Tideforms: 1/7 - [Oceanic Knight.]
Oceanic Knight is my first Tideform of the seven. I assume it lets me summon an 'oceanic knight,' to help me do glorious—ah, nevermind. That joke is old now.
Kallen waved his hand and uttered the the name of his only tideform, but nothing happened. He did, however, feel a slight disturbance in his core. Almost like he'd come close to getting the ability right, but not quite.
This time, instead, he focused harder inward, mumbling the name again.
Suddenly, an energy rushed through his veins, as thick, plated armor formed around him, seemingly made of water itself. It covered him head to toe, while a towering shield and a sword of swirling water shimmered into his hands.
Kallen felt immensely powerful—like a divine aspect holder should—but the strain of the strange ability nearly doubled him over. This form… it was simultaneously dangerous and transient. He was forced to dismiss this oceanic knight form only a few seconds after he had summoned it.
It was definitely something he wouldn't be using too often until he was at least a true awakened and not a sleeper.
As he faded out of the soul sea, he stretched his arms and leaned his head against the window. Today was the day of his entrance into the awakened academy.
Kallen had spent quite a while debating with himself on how much of himself he would divulge to the academy's interview that would take place after the entrance ceremony. He reasoned that he should obviously keep his aspect's divine ranking, the truth behind his soul sea, as well as his flaw a tightly guarded secret.
His true name, however, was an easy way to gain prestige in the House of Night without letting on too much.
It was highly likely that the house of night would send a representative to speak with him, offering memories as well as training under the clan once they found out he had a true name.
He also figured it would be a good idea to surround himself with powerful people because of Seren's flaw. Something as ominous as that would be a lightning rod for potential nightmare gate openings.
These days, his sister's flaw was all he could even think about. While his was difficult to work around and extremely restrictive, hers was risky. Dangerous. Potential catastrophic.
Flaws often were, but he hadn't heard of any as bad as hers.
I guess that's because the bad ones are kept secret?
~~~
Left with nothing but his thoughts and the breathing of his little sister beside of him, Kallen dozed off as the high speed train carried him to his destination. The journey had been a quick one. They'd spent more time waiting and boarding than actually on the tram itself.
Morning light filtered through the streets as he and Seren stepped off of the platform. She hadn't wanted to hold his hand in front of all of the sleepers at the academy, but he could feel her lightly holding on to the back of his coat as they walked. Her eyes darted to the towering walls before them.
The awakened academy stood like a fortress, its massive outer walls gleaming with a metallic sheen. It looked more like a military stronghold than an institution of learning.
He'd seen it in webtoons, and movies, and from afar, but Kallen hadn't ever been this close. He hadn't been prepared for just how gargantuan it was, both inside and out.
Despite this, the two of them crossed the bridge without any hesitation. It was time now, no turning back.
Turning his head to his sister, Kallen said, "Keep your Aspect, your Flaw, and your Attributes a secret. Stay cordial, don't fall for any tricks during the interview."
~~~
In reference to everything else, the sleeper part of the academy was small. It was positioned to the south and was surrounded on all sides by training fields and parks. He had seen numerous awakened out and about on his way to the sleeper compound.
It was mostly underground, with a few floors above, and like all others, it was adorned in white, pristine alloy walls, and wide windows.
The two of them had been led to a hall, spacious with about two dozen other sleepers in it. Kallen had been expecting quite a few more, but it was apparent that more and more people were infected with the spell as the winter solstice neared. There probably weren't even fifty sleepers enrolled at the moment since they were such a rare occurrence this early in the year.
I suppose that's beneficial for me then.
He could pick out about five kids that were easily placeable as legacies. They stood out not only because of their well-to-do outfits and extravagant suitcases, but because of their confidence. As opposed to everyone else who at least looked nervous or a little scared, they were easy to spot.
With Seren trailing behind him, Kallen made his way to the far wall of hall. There were several of these students conversing, but it was too small of a sample size for much to go on. Humans were curious, yes, but also prone to following status quo when in an unfamiliar environment.
Still, he could hear hushed whispers.
"It's not fair that those damn legacies get to waltz in with memories already…"
"Do you think the instructors are really as ruthless as they say…"
"I can't believe I'll be here for the next nine months…"
Seren tugged on his sleeve. He looked over to her, practically feeling her unease.
It didn't take long for someone to approach the two of them. A tall boy with fiery red hair and a jagged scar across his cheek slid over. His uniform was immaculate, and there was a crest on the shoulder.
The Aegis Rose Clan?
There was an air of practiced authority about the boy, his eyes briefly flicked to Seren who seemed to diminish a little under his gaze, before they settled on Kallen.
"I think I've seen you before," the boy said. "Your clothes don't strike me as the usual legacy type… but you're Kallenir, right?"
Kallen cocked his head. "You know me?"
"I know of you. Your parents are pretty famous for… you know… being non Awakened Legacies and all."
Taking the insult to his family in stride, he shrugged. "At least mine are alive."
The kid—who he recognized as Cale of the Aegis Rose clan—reddened with rage and moved to shove Kallen into the wall, but Kallen grasped the boy's wrists as he tried to.
"Maybe don't insult my parents next time?" He clamped down on Cale's hands. "Got it?"
He could see the proud legacy's expression grow angrier, but by now, everyone in the room was staring.
Cale snatched his hands out of Kallen's grip, scowling. "I better see you in combat class."
Without so much as a glance back, the boy walked off, ignoring the looks the both of them were getting.
Noticing Seren's questioning gaze, Kallen gave her a shy smile and shrugged. He couldn't just let someone insult his family in front of his little sister, could he? Much less the entire academy.
Soon, the room fell into a hush as heavy footsteps cascaded down the hall. A figure took its place in front of the assembly, his presence commanding immediate attention.
"I am Awakened Rock," the man began, his voice deep and unwavering. His towering frame matched his name. "Sleepers, welcome to the academy."
The silence that followed was deafening. Then he began continued:
"In less than a year, you will be summoned to the Dream Realm. Some of you might think you're 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."
Awakened Rock's words were practiced and delivered with obvious emotion. He had given this speech dozens of times, likely.
"For the next nine 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."
Seren's grip tightened on his coat.
"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…"
Awakened Rock's voice softened slightly, though his tone remained solemn.
"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."
"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."
"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."
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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
Kallen knew most of this, but he reasoned it was best to pay close attention, if not only for review.
"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…"
Kallen almost laughed.
"… 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."
"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."
"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."
"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.
Kallen tightened his grip on his Seren's hand. He'd known the dangers of the dream realm. He'd learned of them, studied them in school, read books, and papers, and articles… but he knew nothing could prepare him for the reality of it. Awakened Rock's words were sobering.
In the dream realm, the Elder Gargoyle, which had taken a miracle to defeat, would be nothing but a bottom feeder all things considered.
The only thing that gave him solace, was the link he could feel through Seren's, [Thread of Connection]. So long as that connection was present, though he couldn't locate her like she could him, he would know that she was alive.