Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 1 Starts In the Next chapter!!!

Name: Ivan

True Name: Adam

Description: ???

Rank: Sleeper

Class: Devil

Soul Cores: [4/7]

Soul Fragments: [23/4000]

Attributes: [spectator], [Secrets Suppliant], [Sailor], [Bard], [Reader]

———————————
Aspect: [Visionary]

Aspect Rank: [Divine], ???

Description: [The Visionary is a master of thought and imagination, you are able to shape the flow of time and history itself through foresight. With unparalleled clarity, they can perceive and determine the emerging trends of the world, molding the future with their will.]

Innate Ability: [Envision]

Attempts: [7/7]

[Envision]

Ability Description: [You possess the power to shape reality by envisioning it. You can create grounds, objects, and even powers from your imagination. What you see in your mind will come to life, transforming the world around you, though each creation is limited by your mental strength and vision. Your imagination holds the key to the future, and the future bends to your will.]

------------------------------------

Sub-Ability: [Holy Ground]
Description: [You can Envision a blessed space, an area where those within a 20-meter radius are granted a strength beyond their rank and limitations. Allies are empowered, receiving physical fortitude and minor healing, though the latter is not as potent. It is a place of refuge and power, where the divine flows freely and amplifies those who stand within.]

Sub-Ability: [Imbuement of Life (0/2)]
Description: [Through your power, you can breathe a unique sense of life into inanimate objects, transforming them into living beings that resemble familiars. These entities are bound by your will, becoming extensions of your mind and will, capable of carrying out tasks.]

Aspect Legacy:
[Quill of Alzuhod]
Description: [ The legendary quill you wield has the power to bring anything written with it to life, within the bounds of reason. What is penned will take shape in the real world, guided by the logic of your vision. With each stroke, you etch reality itself, molding the future through words alone.]
[Unwanted Attention]
Description: [ When you place a mark upon someone, a direct connection forms between you and the marked. Through this bond, you gain the ability to communicate with or bestow gifts upon them. Your meta-awareness sharpens—anything spoken or thought about you will be known to you. The deeper the mark, the more influence you gain; as the marked's trust and belief in you grow, so does your power over them, allowing you to manipulate their actions and perceptions with greater ease. The more they know of you, the more you know of them. ]

Memory Name: [Quill of Alzuhod]
Memory Rank: [???]
Memory Type: [Enchanted Artifact]
Memory Enchantments: [Fated], [Why is this happening!!?]

[Fated] Description: [Anything written by it, within logical boundaries, will come true.]

[Why is this happening!!?] description: [ the more you use it the more it will throw you in unwanted scenario’s ]

Name: [Unwanted Attention]
Rank: [???]
Type: [Mark]
Memory Enchantments: [Binding Gaze]
Enchantment Description: The mark creates a bond between the bestower and the marked, allowing the bestower to communicate and bestow gifts onto them. The stronger the marked's belief in the bestower, the greater the influence, while the bestower gains insight into the marked's thoughts and secrets.
Marks: [0/1]
Flaw: [Unraveling Mind]
Flaw Description: [Every time you reshape reality, a piece of your mind slips into madness. The more you create, the more you lose control—visions become nightmares that torment your psyche, and you risk becoming a prisoner of the abyss of madness that not even gods can escape, forever trapped in endless suffering.]

Chapter Text

Ivan sighed heavily once again, the blonde boy with golden eyes had been staring at his runes ever since he opened his eyes in this world, prying his eyes off the runes he looked around at the sleepers compound situated near the heart of the awakened academy.

The building was encircled by numerous training fields and parks, creating a striking juxtaposition between the artificial structure and the lush natural landscape.

He was led to a great hall filled with hundreds of other awakened Sleepers like themselves waiting for the induction ceremony.

The awakened academy really isnt a joke, the novel’s description severely under described this titanic structure.

Ivan found himself in a middle of the whole croud, he was surrounded by sleepers from legacies or unfortunate people who were merely mundane people just few weeks ago. Still disoriented, Ivan found himself staring at his runes once again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Name: Ivan

True Name: Adam

Description: ???

Rank: Sleeper

Class: Devil

Soul Cores: [4/7]

Soul Fragments: [23/4000]

Attributes: [spectator], [Secrets Suppliant], [Sailor], [Bard], [Reader]

———————————
Aspect: [Visionary]

Aspect Rank: [Divine], ???

Description: [The Visionary is a master of thought and imagination, you are able to shape the flow of time and history itself through foresight. With unparalleled clarity, they can perceive and determine the emerging trends of the world, molding the future with their will.]

Innate Ability: [Envision]

Attempts: [7/7]

[Envision]
Ability Description: [You possess the power to shape reality by envisioning it. You can create grounds, objects, and even powers from your imagination. What you see in your mind will come to life, transforming the world around you, though each creation is limited by your mental strength and vision. Your imagination holds the key to the future, and the future bends to your will.]
------------------------------------

Sub-Ability: [Holy Ground]

Description: [You can Envision a blessed space, an area where those within a 20-meter radius are granted a strength beyond their rank and limitations. Allies are empowered, receiving physical fortitude and minor healing, though the latter is not as potent. It is a place of refuge and power, where the divine flows freely and amplifies those who stand within.]

Sub-Ability: [Imbuement of Life (0/2)]
Description: [Through your power, you can breathe a unique sense of life into inanimate objects, transforming them into living beings that resemble familiars. These entities are bound by your will, becoming extensions of your mind and will, capable of carrying out tasks.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Fking hell, no matter how many times i look at it, this is still insane, i was just making instant ramen the other night while reading and the next morning i found myself in the same gods forsaken world of the novel”

“I straight up skipped the first nightmare and woke up as a sleeper, i dont know if i am lucky or unlucky, firstly i dont even have a clue of the nightmares cruelty, second these runes…”

Ivan rubbed his tired eyes again, he has been doing this almost all the time after he woke up here.

He looked at the runes again.

“There is no question this is basically what Adam’s Rune would look like if he transmigrated into shadow slave.”

“Visionary, Secret suplicant, bard, sailor, reader… this is the god almighty pathways but in the form of attributes, devine aspect, aspect legacy.. “

“All of it its straight up copy of the real thing, also i woke up with 4 soul cores, didnt Ancient sun god (ASG) also wake up as a dual pathway true god?”

“Instead i woke up as a sleeper while ASG woke up as a true god which would be the Devine rank in this world, is it because i am also ukrainian?”

“Am i suppose to be the ancient sun god of this world?”

“What about the main protagonists of this novel, sunny and nephis?”

Immediately after the chattering croud went silent, Turning his head he looked at the direction everyone was staring at.

“Well speak of the devil”

Nephis of the immortal flame clan and sunny the future lord of shadows but now here as sleepers.

“Their appearance is just as the novel described, Nephis was a tall, slender girl around Sunny's age, with clear grey eyes and a detached look on her face. She had silver-white hair that was cut short and neatly parted to the side, and sunny he is a frail-looking young man with pale skin and dark circles under his eyes. He was unhealthily thin and pale, looking haggard in cheap clothes due to lack of sleep.”

“It seems i am around the start of the shadow slave, everything is going according to the story”

“And here i am right infront of the characters i only knew as words and a Arts from the shadow slave community, not like there were that many fan arts, he.. Lost from fanart is a fitting name”

Hearing commotion, ivan saw sunny talking to casters group.

“Right sunny’s flaw, he is making a scene so no one takes him seriously and underestimates him”

He watched as as sunny made himself look like a fool infront of everyone, he watched as sunny got slapped by the female sleepers.

“Poor guy, cant even get a break and wont get a decent one in a long time, i will make sure to pray for you sunny.”

“First and foremost i need to plan ahead, i am not fighter other then my sailor and bard pathway i am not at all prepared for the dream realm, i am a coward, i have no intention of fighting, he he i should be of the Lord of the mysteries pathway instead of the god almighty pathway”

“Still i am quite fortunate i dont have to die in the first nightmare and i know almost all the important information regarding my pathways, as well as the aspect legacies”

“Further more this isnt the lotm Universe had i awakened in that universe i would be dead before i even processed the first visual signal from my eyes”

“Speaking of aspect legacies….”

Ivan focused on the runes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aspect Legacy:

[Quill of Alzuhod]

Description: [ The legendary quill you wield has the power to bring anything written with it to life, within the bounds of reason. What is penned will take shape in the real world, guided by the logic of your vision. With each stroke, you etch reality itself, molding the future through words alone.]
[Unwanted Attention]

Description: [ When you place a mark upon someone, a direct connection forms between you and the marked. Through this bond, you gain the ability to communicate with or bestow gifts upon them. Your meta-awareness sharpens—anything spoken or thought about you will be known to you. The deeper the mark, the more influence you gain; as the marked's trust and belief in you grow, so does your power over them, allowing you to manipulate their actions and perceptions with greater ease. The more they know of you, the more you know of them. ]

Memory Name: [Quill of Alzuhod]

Memory Rank: [???]

Memory Type: [Enchanted Artifact]

Memory Enchantments: [Fated], [Why is this happening!!?]
[Fated] Description: [Anything written by it, within logical boundaries, will come true.]

[Why is this happening!!?] description: [ the more you use it the more it will throw you in unwanted scenario’s ]

Name: [Unwanted Attention]

Rank: [???]

Type: [Mark]

Memory Enchantments: [Binding Gaze]

Enchantment Description: The mark creates a bond between the bestower and the marked, allowing the bestower to communicate and bestow gifts onto them. The stronger the marked's belief in the bestower, the greater the influence, while the bestower gains insight into the marked's thoughts and secrets.

Marks: [0/1]

Flaw: [Unraveling Mind]

Flaw Description: [Every time you reshape reality, a piece of your mind slips into madness. The more you create, the more you lose control—visions become nightmares that torment your psyche, and you risk becoming a prisoner of the abyss of madness that not even gods can escape, forever trapped in endless suffering.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“[ Quil of Alzuhod ] is exactly like how it is in the lotm universe, and [Unwanted Attention] is basically a severely underpowered version adam’s meta awareness, as well as a mix of sunnies aspect legacy “mark of shadow” was it? And cassie’s acended ability”

“Speaking of cassie…”

Turning his head to a corner where a bench laid and the area around it strangely empty, For some reason, Sleepers were unwilling to approach it: currently, there was only one girl sitting quietly on the bench.

The quiet girl was delicate, demure and very pretty. Her clothes were tidy and neat. They weren't very expensive, but still rather tasteful. With her pale blond hair, big blue eyes and exquisite face, she looked like a beautiful porcelain doll.

She was subtly breathtaking.

“Hell where is the fairness?, if she had tried she could easily outshine every awakened in terms of looks alone,”

Looking at the girl’s empty expression it was understandable why no one would approach her.

“She is a dead weight destined to die the moment she enters the dream realm”

Ivan looked at the girl with a pained expression, “the despair and the fear she must be feeling, i cant even imagine myself blind much worse imagine myself in a world where i am forced into a world of nightmares”

“She was my favourite character despite being misunderstood and being hated by almost everyone, i still supported her, i always felt sad that there werent a moment she found a short amount of happiness, awakened deserved it, and she too deserves it”

She had around her a palpable aura of death, making it so no one was willing to approch her or even give her words of consolation.

“But as a reader of shadow slave i know more then anyone here of how important her role is and that she would just survive the dream realm but would go on to become transcendent and one on the most important figures in both worlds, and she is going to be my ticket to saving my butt”

I cant leave her like this, i cant let someone feel this kind of despair she needs all the encouraging words.

“Heh i am already starting to act like a psychiatrist”

Focusing on the runes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aspect: [Visionary]

Aspect Rank: [Divine], ???

Description: [The Visionary is a master of thought and imagination, you are able to shape the flow of time and history itself through foresight. With unparalleled clarity, they can perceive and determine the emerging trends of the world, molding the future with their will.]

Innate Ability: [Envision]

Attempts: [7/7]

[Envision]
Ability Description: [You possess the power to shape reality by envisioning it. You can create grounds, objects, and even powers from your imagination. What you see in your mind will come to life, transforming the world around you, though each creation is limited by your mental strength and vision. Your imagination holds the key to the future, and the future bends to your will.]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Focusing on “Attempts: [7/7]”

Attempts description: [ you are able to envision grounds, objects and abilities above your rank temporarily for a limited time, higher the level of the envisioned object the less longer you can maintain and more likely it is for it to fail to manifest, each attempts take 5 hours to recharge and each envisioning brings you closer to madnesses embrace ]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As a visionary i should be able to draw on the power of a psychiatrist..

Ivan closed his eyes, “here goes nothing..”

Ivan imagined himself with the abilities of a psychiatrist and shortly heard a strangely familiar voice

The voice was calm and tranquil and almost soothing yet it had a hint of inhuman feeling..

Ivan opened his eyes to see a new set runes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[ would you like to envision the abilities of a psychiatrist? ]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Yes.”

The runes changed to form a new set runes replacing the former

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Attempts: [6/7]

Currently envisioned: [ abilities of a psychiatrist ]

Timer: [ 4:59 ]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Right after reading the runes, his ears were bombarded with inhuman illusory screams and a gaze breathing down the back of his neck.

Ivan would have collapsed had he not attempted using his abilities before.

The first time had caused him to nearly faint from extreme fear.

“There is a reason why flaw’s are an essential part of this world; the greater the power, the greater the flaw, if i hadnt kept it together the first time, i would have lost control, diedand had my soul in literal hell constantly shattering, reforming and repeating for eternity.”

“Even using my abilities would get me killed if i lost myself to my imagination and didnt use it with moderation.”

Straightening up and tiding himself, he walked towards the bench on the corner.

Approaching the blonde girl, Ivan asked in a slightly cheerful tone.

"Is it alright if I sit here?"

The blonde girl looked in the direction of voice in clear surprise written all over her face.

Which is understandable as no one even bothered to talk to her until now.

"Y-yes.. You may." Her voice came out soft and strained from long exposure to isolation.

Ivan sat down beside the blind girl.
The blonde girl was about to ask something to the boy with golden eyes when Ivan grabbed her hand and placed something on her hand.

Cassie was confused on what he gave her, so she asked, “what is this?”

The boy with golden eyes replied, “its a lemon smoothie i got; its really good, i saw you were just sitting her alone with gloomy expression thought i would share to liven the mood”

Ivan spoke with a tone of that of a professional psychiatrist as well as one that a close friend and beloved family would use.

Ivan muttered, “step one, liven the mood and remove suspicions.”

Chapter Text

Cassie frowned. She didn't remember any smoothies being sold at the academy—if they were, she would have heard about it by now.

Cassie assumed this was a crude prank meant to mock her blindness and humiliate her.

“I don’t remember the academy selling smoothies…” cassie said, her displeasure clearly evident in her tone, it was also indirectly saying “are you trying to pull a prank on me?”.

"The voice of the boy who approached remained unchanged as he said without much thought, 'Of course not, I brought it with me.’”.

This made her think that he had brought it from outside, but in reality, he had simply envisioned the smoothie as he walked toward Cassie.

“O-oh, I-I'm sorry!” cassie immediately apologized out of fear and embarrassment, she had completely forgotten to consider that the boy might have brought it outside and not necessarily from the academies food court.

She closed her eyes, preparing herself and expecting the worst.. Surprisingly, she felt the boy wave his hand dismissively, as if to brush aside her worries.

“Ah.. dont worry about it.”

While Cassie could no longer see, she gained something in return.

In addition to heightened senses, she acquired the ability to see the attributes of other awakened individuals and receive revelations about both the past and the future.

Her heightened senses told her that the boy beside her was considerably taller than she was, based on the tone and position of his voice. She turned her head toward him, and as her gaze fell in his direction, a bunch of runes appeared in the black expanse.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Attributes: [spectator], [Secrets Suppliant], [Sailor], [Bard], [Reader]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was shocked, not only to the fact that he has 5 attributes, while most people had 2 maybe 3 for the exceptional awakened sleepers but having having 5, she had never seen such a thing.

But what surprised her most was the fact of how ordinary the attributes were.

Cassie’s thoughts seemed stuck.

While five attributes were rare, these were nothing like the rare traits she had expected. Spectator, Secrets Suppliant, Sailor, Bard, and Reader—each seemed so... mundane. Having that many attributes would automatically make one assume that the individual is extraordinary , yet none felt particularly remarkable.

Staring at the runes, Cassie thought, ‘'Spectator, Secrets Suppliant, Sailor, Bard, and Reader—Is he just a random bard watching everything from the sidelines, pursuing secret knowledge, and expressing it in songs and poetry?’

that wouldnt seem totally out of reason, the spell has always been known to be vague but also poetic sometimes, still with attributes like this its likely that he isnt that strong or it might be that his attributes have less to do with his real strength.

Noticing her staring for a while, the blonde boy with golden eyes asked in the same cheerful but thoughtful tone, “Uhh, is there something you want to ask me?”.

“I—I’m sorry!” she blurted out, flustered. “Come on, Cassie, get it together!” she berated herself.

Just as she apologized, she heard the boy beside her chuckle. It was like a soft melody, soothing her heart and mind. For a brief moment, the pessimistic voice in her head—the constant reminder of her impending death next month—faded away.

The boy gave a polite cough and, with an embarrassed tone in his voice, said, “Right, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Ivan, and it's nice to meet you.”

Cassie smiled, her good mood evident in her voice. “My name is Cassie, it's nice to meet you too.” Her prior pessimism had faded, and for the first time since she became blind, she was speaking to someone who wouldn’t berate or speak ill of her.

Ivan continued, “Now that we know each other a bit, I’ll get straight to the point. Would you like to team up with me, if we meet in the Dream Realm?”

Cassie found it hard to believe what she was hearing. This person wanted to team up with her? A dead weight like herself? She didn’t answer for a moment, her mind racing.

“Why?” Cassie asked, genuinely curious why he would consider teaming up with a blind person who was clearly going to hold him back.

This time, Ivan fell silent for a moment.

Then he said, “I have an attribute called Spectator and another called Secrets Suppliant. These let me observe from a distance and uncover hidden truths. Earlier, I noticed you—specifically, your blindness, which was easy to guess as your flaw. It’s a serious flaw, but knowing about the Nightmare Spell, I figured it must have granted you something powerful in return. Furthermore, when you were staring at me a bit longer than usual, I assumed you were using your abilities on me. That’s why I approached you—I was hoping we could team up. But also because…”

Ivan paused for a second, as if feeling shy about admitting something. Then he said, “It’s also because I haven’t been able to team up with anyone… but more than that, I believe you’re someone I can trust.”

Throughout the conversation, Cassie remained silent, processing what Ivan had said and confirming her suspicions about his attributes. But what truly surprised her was that he had noticed she was using her abilities on him!.

Cassie, unsure of what to say, hesitated before asking another question. “But I can’t fight. I’ll just drag you down… I’ll be dead weight, holding you back.” As she spoke, her pessimistic thoughts flared up again.
Suddenly, a hand appeared out of nowhere, patting her head and disheveling her neatly combed hair.

Ivan's comforting voice filled her ears. "Now, now, there's no need to feel bad. I might not be combat-oriented, but I do have the ability to keep us safe from most trouble. And you might not believe it, but I'm probably the most powerful person here," he said, puffing out his chest and blowing steam out of his nose in a cartoonish manner.

"And even if a Fallen Nightmare creature attacks us, I can one-shot it straight to the Abyss."

Listening to Ivan, Cassie fought the urge to laugh but couldn’t hold it in. A small “pff” escaped her, and Ivan gasped in mock horror.
He adopted a dramatic tone, exaggerating his voice as if delivering a great tragedy. "No way... you too?" He then deepened his voice, continuing in a philosophical tone, as though mourning the state of humanity.
"It seems I am no longer taken seriously. Ah, if only I were Diogenes..." He even added a fake tear, letting it trail down his cheek.

That was the final straw. Cassie burst into a fit of giggles, unable to contain herself. Her laughter was contagious, and Ivan joined in, laughing just as freely.
At that moment, they both seemed like teenagers, sharing a lighthearted moment and enjoying their time together.
After the fit of laughter, Cassie wiped the tears from her eyes and held her stomach, still grinning. She felt happier—no, beyond happy.
Ever since she became blind, she'd believed that she was destined to die next month in a pathetic, depressing way.

But now, she had found someone who was not only willing to be her friend but also her teammate, someone who would help her survive in the Dream Realm.

“I’ll be in your care,” she said to Ivan, her voice filled with newfound hope.

Ivan smiled. “Of course. We'll make it through together.”
Turning to her, he added, “Why don’t we share our abilities and come up with a plan so we can coordinate better? I’ll start: I have five attributes—Spectator, Secrets Suppliant, Sailor, Bard, and Reader. My aspect ability lets me create objects I’m familiar with or make food out of essece, and I can also create a holy ground with a 20-meter radius that buffs allies and provides minor healing.”

Cassie was shocked after hearing Ivan explain his abilities, though not in the same way as before.

He wasn’t joking when he said he might be one of the best here. The ability to create objects, make food from essence, and provide buffs with minor healing powers weren’t combat-focused, but they were undoubtedly some of the best-suited for surviving in the Dream Realm. As she looked at Ivan in a new light, her hope began to rise.

She nodded and began to explain her own aspect ability. "My Aspect Ability allows me to see people’s Attributes. I have to be close to an awakened or a Nightmare Creature to learn about their Attributes. I also receive... visions." Her voice lowered as she continued, "They can be of the past or the future, but... I can't control them. They come randomly."

Ivan nodded thoughtfully. “I see, I see,” he said, then in a cheeky tone, he added, “So, you were looking at runes in the beginning?” He said this with a playful intent, hoping to break her out of her negative thoughts.
“And here I thought my handsomeness had bypassed your flaw, allowing you to bask in the light of my beauty.” Sigh He gave an exaggerated dramatic pause, as if reveling in his own charm.

Cassie's eyes, devoid of light snapped wide open as she turned to Ivan, her expression of disbelief. She stared at him as if he’d just spoken in a foreign language. “That isn’t funny,” she retorted, though her face and ears had already turned a shade of red.

Ivan immediately noticed and apologized, his voice softening. “Ha ha.. Sorry, sorry i was just trying to liven the mood ”, Cassie puffed her cheeks out in indignation.

Just as Cassie was about to respond, a commotion erupted nearby, drawing their attention.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3:

The golden-eyed boy watched as the sleepers gathered in front of the giant screen.

Cassie turned her head toward the commotion. “What’s going on?” she asked.

Ivan hesitated before answering, his voice low. “It’s a list of everyone’s chances of survival in the Dream Realm.”

Cassie’s voice barely just above a whisper. “I’m at the very bottom, aren’t I?”

Ivan glanced at her with a mix of sympathy. “Yeah.”

Cassie’s bangs fell over her eyes. She forced a pained smile.

“It’s to be expected there is no way a blind girl makes it far in a place like this.”

As her pessimistic words hung in the air, Ivan moved swiftly, his hand suddenly appearing at her lower abdomen.

Cassie stiffened, her breath catching as his touch was deliberate, almost jarring.

She let out a stifled moan, a mix of surprise and discomfort, as he pinched and massaged the pressure points around her stomach with surprising skill.

“W-What are you doing?!” Cassie stammered, her face flushed deep crimson as she pulled back sharply, eyes wide with shock.

Ivan smirked but didn’t let her go. “Just trying to break you out of your self-pity spiral.”

Cassie balled her fists and swung them toward him in a hasty punch, but the motion was more comical than anything.

Her small, uncoordinated strike barely made contact, and Ivan burst into laughter.

“come on, Cass. You’ve gotta do better than that.”

Cassie scowled, though the redness on her puffed cheeks didn't quite fade. “You’re insufferable.”

Cassie asked again, “Why hasn’t the commotion died down yet?” She turned her gaze in the direction of the gathered sleepers.

Ivan answered, his tone steady. “It’s about the number one sleeper, Nephis of the Immortal Flame Clan, and her true name—‘Changing Star.’”

“Is it even possible for a sleeper to have a true name?” There was clear surprise and awe in her voice.

“Yeah, it’s definitely possible. But they have to be extraordinary.”

Ivan’s gaze flickered briefly, he knew Nephis isn’t the only sleeper here with a true name. In fact, there are three sleepers with a true name and a divine aspect… two of whom would go on to shape the world with their adventures.”

***
After the breakfast period was over and the sleepers were all heading back to their quarters,
Ivan offered to help Cassie get back to her room, and Cassie didn’t deny it—she accepted his offer.

Taking her hand, Ivan guided her through the hallways, their conversation light. After a few minutes of chatting and giving encouragement, he finally led her to her door, where they parted ways. Ivan then made his way back to his own quarters.

Sitting on the bed, his eyes devoid of any emotions.

Pulling out his runes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Name: Ivan

True Name: Adam

Description: ???

Rank: Sleeper

Class: Devil
Soul Cores: [4/7]

Soul Fragments: [23/4000]

Attributes: [spectator], [Secrets Suppliant], [Sailor], [Bard], [Reader]

Aspect: [Visionary]

Aspect Rank: [Divine], ???

Description: [The Visionary is a master of thought and imagination, you are able to shape the flow of time and history itself through foresight. With unparalleled clarity, they can perceive and determine the emerging trends of the world, moulding the future with their will.]

Innate Ability: [Envision]

Attempts: [6/7]

Attempt Reset: [4:24:00 remaining]

[Envision]

Ability Description: [You possess the power to shape reality by envisioning it. You can create grounds, objects, and even powers from your imagination. What you see in your mind will come to life, transforming the world around you, though each creation is limited by your mental strength and vision. Your imagination holds the key to the future, and the future bends to your will.]

Flaw: [Unravelling Mind]

Flaw Description: [Every time you reshape reality, a piece of your mind slips into madness. The more you create, the more you lose control—visions become nightmares that torment your psyche, and you risk becoming a prisoner of the abyss of madness that not even gods can escape, forever trapped in endless suffering.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Letting out a tired sigh, he recounted everything that had happened.

“I’ve got Cassie on my side now, and with time, she should develop a deeper trust in me. Her mental state was more unstable than I thought, something that wasn’t explored in the novel. It’s surprising how she even managed to survive everything. No wonder she trusts Nephis so much after Nephis saved her on the Forgotten Shore. In a place where death is constantly looming, being saved in that situation would undoubtedly make her trust the savior more than anyone. That’s why she chose Nephis over Sunny.”

Dismissing the runes, he lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling with a stoic expression.

“With the help of the psychiatrist's ability, I’ve resolved almost all of her mental and emotional problems. As the only person who has talked to her, listened to her, and joked with her, she will undoubtedly rely on me more. I am her saviour, her light in this dark world that has abandoned her.”

Turning onto his side, he continued, “This will give me greater control over how things progress. This isn’t like reading a novel that only highlights the important aspects of the story. There will be a lot of things that weren’t mentioned in the story.”

Getting up again, Ivan glanced at the clock on the bedside table.

“Classes will start soon. I should keep a low profile.”

Now that I have Cassie on my side, I should focus on the most important problem right now: surviving the dream realm.
Taking out the paper with a list of classes, he scanned through the options.

Choosing the most common classes chosen by most sleepers, I have no reason to go for wilderness survival. My aspect is basically the Swiss Army knife of surviving the dream realm.
Though I might be blinded by my aspect, the reality is that I have no experience in survival—gathering food, water, all of it can be handled by my aspect.
But what about fighting? I am no legacy, I haven’t even had my first nightmare. I need to learn how to fight.

And what better way to do that than by going to combat classes? My [reader] attribute should give me near-perfect memory, making it easier to learn -copy- from the sleepers and awakened instructors.
Finalizing his thoughts, Ivan pushed the papers aside, a sense of determination settling in. He stood up, stretched, and headed for the shower. After a quick bath, he got dressed, with one last look at his room, he left for the first class of the day.

***
The classes were decent, and the facilities provided were among the best. Ivan had made the most out of everything available to him, from learning the combat styles of others to gaining information about the dream world through the [reader]. Ivan was feeling proud of himself.

“I’ve never been this productive in a long time. Who am I kidding? I was never productive in my old world.” As he thought about his past life, a melancholic smile spread across his face. He looked out the window at the city. Even though this was a dystopian world, it still had plenty of good things.
Ivan continued walking.

It had been several weeks, and today all the sleepers would finally enter the dream realm—only a few would survive. Cassie’s mental state had improved a lot over the past couple of weeks. The multiple sessions of placating and constant interaction had helped her, and now she no longer needed to close herself off as a defence mechanism. She had begun expressing her pain, sorrow, worries for her family, likes and dislikes, and everything that weighed her down.

As for Sunny, aside from the interaction that should have taken place between him and Cassie, which I interrupted, he moved exactly as he did in the novel. Wilderness survival classes took up most of his time, and the rest was spent spying with his shadow. I still don't understand how he got away with it.
Turning his focus back to himself, Ivan practised using his abilities and realised he had been overlooking his [Sailor] power. Not only did it grant increased physical strength and aquatic abilities, but it also provided night vision. This was a valuable skill, especially for the Forgotten Shore, where water at night could be their worst enemy.

As he arrived at Cassie’s quarters, he noticed the blonde girl walking out, using the wall to navigate.
Ivan quickened his pace, closing the distance between them, and called out to Cassie. "Hey, Cass!" She turned her head toward him, her fingers still lightly pressed against the wall to guide her steps.
Taking her hand and guiding her to the hall where the sleepers were being gathered.

Ivan asked “Didn't you sleep much last night?”.

A small yawn escaped her mouth.

“I slept just fine, I feel sleepy despite it.”

Cassie asked a question in return “Don't you feel sleepy?”

Ivan eyebrows narrowed, right the sleepers should be very drowsy due to the winter solstice but even though i feel sleepy, the feeling is just not strong enough, without keeping cassie in the wait he answered “yeah i feel like sleeping as well”.

They had a brief conversation while walking, and when they reached the main area where the sleepers were waiting, Ivan scanned the surroundings and spotted Sunny and Nephis, who were already there.

Ivan and Cassie waited until Instructor Rock finished his speech and his warning to do their best to survive.

Ivan helped Cassie reach her sleeping pod. As she entered it, he stayed nearby.

He didn’t placate her or use any psychiatric abilities but instead offered genuine encouragement.

Even without his [Spectator] ability, he could tell she was scared. Taking a deep breath, he spoke in a confident voice:

“Cass, whatever happens, don’t worry. If we meet, we’ll survive and make it out. And even if we don’t… never give up. You’re much stronger than anyone here. I’m sure you’ll make it out.”
Without the help of a psychiatrist’s abilities, Ivan couldn’t offer encouragement tailored to a specific problem, but he gave his most genuine words yet.

With that, he left the room.

Cassie, who had been lying down in her pod, fought to hold back her tears and fears. The fact that there was someone who believed in her, despite everything, gave her strength. To the very last moment before entering what felt like hell, she couldn’t give up. Suppressing her fears, she closed her eyes.

Ivan lay down in his pod and waited. Several minutes passed as he waited to be pulled into the Dream Realm. The drowsiness was there, but it was weak. He should have fallen asleep immediately.

After waiting a few more minutes, Ivan finally closed his eyes, only to be immediately greeted by vast darkness, as the strangely familiar voice of the Nightmare spell echoed in his ears.

[Welcome to the Dream Realm, Ivan.]

Chapter Text

Chapter 4:

In the Forgotten Shore.

The terrain stretched out into the horizon, the desolate beauty of the place disturbed only by the faint rustle of movement.

From a distance, a silhouette, small and swift, was being relentlessly pursued by massive, crab-like horrors with twitching pincers, their beady eyes glowing with hunger.

The creatures moved with unnatural speed, their clawed legs digging into the ground as they closed in. The silhouette before them kept running, but the gap was quickly closing.

The air crackled with the tension of the chase, and as the distance between pursuer and pursued narrowed, the details of the scene came into sharper focus.

Closer still, the movements of the silhouette became clearer. A blonde boy carrying a blonde girl on his back. her arms tightly draped around his shoulders as he moved with all his strength.

***

“Dam-it why did I have to go and shoot those oversized crabs” Ivan cursed inwardly as he tightened his grip on Cassie's legs which were wrapped around his hip.

Cassie’s voice pierced through Ivan's frantic thoughts, “Ivan what’s chasing us?” panic laced her words.

As Ivan moved through the coral labyrinth, he glanced over his shoulder at their pursuers. One of the Carapace Scavengers, its chitin armor marked with a massive scar, chased them with blind fury.

“Oh, just a bunch of oversized crustaceans,” Ivan muttered, his mind already working to formulate a plan to throw them off the trail.

Cassie opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, Ivan veered sharply to the side and darted into a narrow cave hidden behind a curtain of seaweed. The sudden shift in direction nearly threw Cassie off his back, but Ivan caught her just in time.

Cassie barely had time to yelp before Ivan’s arm wrapped around her, his hand quickly covering her mouth as he shushed her softly. Holding her close, he peered out through an opening in the cave entrance, hidden behind the thick seaweed.

The Carapace Scavengers slowed, their glowing eyes scanning the area. After a tense moment, one of them let out a sharp screech, and the pack turned, sprinting off in the opposite direction.

Despite her blindness, Cassie squeezed her eyes shut, as if trying to block the noise.

When the last of the scavengers disappeared into the distance, Ivan slowly pulled his hand away from Cassie’s mouth, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

The tension in his body eased just slightly, but exhaustion quickly set in.

“They’re gone,” he murmured

wiping the sweat from his brow. “We’ll rest for a bit before we move again, before nightfall.”

Cassie, equally drained, gave a weak nod before her body gave in entirely. Without another word, she collapsed against Ivan’s chest, her breathing steadying almost immediately as she fell into a deep, exhausted sleep.

[Visionary’s Survival Tip: In the Dream Realm, never engage with nightmare creatures unless absolutely necessary.]

Several Hours Ago…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Welcome to the Dream Realm, Ivan.]

Just as Ivan opened his eyes, he found himself falling from at least a hundred feet in the air, the wind whipping past him as the world blurred around him.

For a brief moment, panic surged, but the instinct brought about by the [Sailor] attribute kicked in. With a quick, controlled twist of his body, he oriented himself mid-fall, arms and legs streamlined, preparing for impact.

The black waters of the sea rose up to meet him like a dark abyss but Ivan's concentration held.

With a powerful thrust, he dove straight down, breaking through the surface with a perfect entry, the shock of the cold water momentarily numbing his senses.

His body cut through the murky depths, and as he swam higher, the crushing pressure of the water gradually eased.

Ivan's head broke through the surface, gasping for air, his body rocked by the relentless waves that threatened to drag him back into the dark depths.

In the midst of the darkness, Ivan’s night vision, granted by his [Sailor] attribute, flared to life, illuminating the world around him with sharp clarity.

Looking around while floating on the water body. Ivan gave an exasperated “tch”

“Looks like i am getting the sunny treatment plus getting thrown a hundred feet from the air”

Floating on the water, Ivan glanced around, letting out an exasperated "Tch."

"Great. Looks like I'm getting the Sunny treatment—plus being thrown a hundred feet from the sky."

Ivan looked for a surface when his eyes landed on a faint shadow beneath the water’s surface—a large pillar like rock formation jutting up from the depths.

Instantly, Ivan kicked his legs as he swam as fast as he could towards the rock formation but the relentless waves kept throwing him off course.

The strength boost from his [Sailor] attribute became more pronounced, as if it had finally found its true element in the water.

As Ivan swam toward the rock formation, something caught his peripheral vision.

Turning his head to the northwest, about 25 meters away, he saw a silhouette. The figure was struggling to stay afloat, failing miserably against the relentless waves of the dark sea.

Ivan’s eyes narrowed as he finally made out the figure in the distance. It was Cassie, the blonde girl he’d spent the past month with at the academy. The blind seer was struggling desperately to stay afloat, her face twisted in fear and pain, tears nearly spilling from her eyes. Without hesitation, Ivan began swimming toward her.

But just as he neared, another silhouette caught his attention. His heart froze. It was a creature, an unholy mix of an eel, mole, and squid.

Its writhing tentacles were adorned with blades the size of kitchen knives. Ivan’s hair stood on end, and for a moment, he hesitated. The instinct to flee surged within him, but he stopped him. “No, I can’t leave her”. He gritted his teeth and swam harder, pushing himself toward Cassie.

Ivan knew he was making a huge mistake—facing a creature like that was nothing but a suicide.

But he also knew he had no choice. His mind raced, quickly formulating a reckless plan.

It was dangerous, but it was the only chance they had. When he was five meters from Cassie, Ivan wasted no time. He activated his aspect ability.

New runes appeared before him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[ Would you like to envision the abilities of a Light Supplicant? ]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes

The runes shifted, morphing into a new set.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Attempts: [6/7]

Currently envisioned: [Abilities of a Light Supplicant]

Timer: [4:59]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In an instant, Ivan summoned a blinding white light.

His plan had two parts: the first was to blind the monstrous creature, and the second—something that could very well be the last straw for him—was to attract every creature in the depths.

If this squid-like horror was terrifying, then he would summon something even worse to scare it off. (courtesy of the fool)

As the light exploded outward, the creature’s tentacles recoiled, its senses overwhelmed. Ivan could already hear the approaching creatures—some bigger, some faster, all coming from every direction.

without wasting a moment, he closed the remaining distance to Cassie, his enhanced senses guiding him through the chaos.

Ivan immediately closed the distance, his hands wrapping tightly around Cassie’s waist.

Cassie flinched violently, her body stiffening in panic. She instinctively resisted, her nails digging into Ivan’s skin, leaving thin scratches that trailed blood.

Though physically weaker than Ivan, she was still a sleeper—stronger than an mundane person—and the relentless waves only made it harder for her to stay still.

“I’ve got you, Cassie,” Ivan muttered, using all his strength to pull her into an embrace.

He held her tight, one hand securing her waist, while the other gently stroked her back.

He murmured something low, followed by a short, soothing song.

The sound of his voice seemed to cut through the fear that gripped her, and she finally stopped struggling, her body relaxing into his arms.

“Hold on tight,” he said softly, locking his arms around her and pushing with all his might against the waves. Dragging both of them through the water was no easy feat, but Ivan kept going.

The splashing sounds of fierce underwater battles filled the air as he swam, but he couldn't afford to focus on them now.

As he neared the rocky pillar formation, however, his heart sank. It was much higher than he'd thought. Cassie, exhausted and shaken, wouldn’t be able to climb it. He needed a solution—and fast.

Without hesitation, Ivan released one arm from around Cassie’s waist. He raised his hand and envisioned an item—a grappling hook gun.

The runes shimmered before him as he activated the ability.

With a sharp pull, the grappling hook shot out, finding purchase on something solid.

“Cassie, hold on tight to me,” Ivan instructed, securing her to his back. His voice was steady but urgent. She wrapped her arms around him, gripping tightly.

Ivan didn't waste another second. He began climbing, the waves crashing against him as he pulled himself up, Cassie clinging to his back.

It was slow, grueling work, each move requiring every ounce of his strength. But eventually, after several exhausting minutes, he reached the top.

He collapsed onto the rocky surface, pulling Cassie with him. Both of them lay on their backs, too exhausted to move or even think.

The only sound was the crashing of waves below them and the pounding of their hearts, as they fought to recover from the brutal ordeal.

Shortly after, Ivan woke up to find the sky still dark. The waves crashed violently against the jagged, pillar-like rock formation where they had taken refuge. He turned his head, scanning the area, before focusing on his runes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Attempts: [5/7]

Timer: [2:35] [2]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He sighed, frustration sinking in.

Ivan had expected the Dream Realm to be a challenge, but nothing could have prepared him for the sheer terror it held. It was nothing like in the novel he had read.

It was far more horrifying.

Up until now, he'd allowed his aspect and attributes to give him a false sense of confidence. But facing the true horrors of the Dream Realm, the nightmare creatures that lurked in every shadow, had shattered that illusion.

His face twisted into a grimace, and he buried it in his arm, his breath hitching as light sobs broke through. The sound of his soft cries was almost inaudible, drowned by the crashing waves. It was a moment of weakness—one he couldn't afford to indulge in for long.

---

Pulling himself together

After a few moments, Ivan gritted his teeth.

He couldn’t afford to break down. Not here. Not now. There was too much at stake. He took a slow, steadying breath, wiping his eyes with the back of his arm.

His body felt heavy, the weight of exhaustion and fear pressing down on him, but he refused to give in. He forced his mind back into focus.

He turned his head to the sleeping girl’s direction. There Cassie was depending on him. This wasn’t the time for self-pity. He could wallow later—right now, survival was all that mattered.

Ivan decided to scout the surroundings, the memory of his harrowing experience in the water still fresh in his mind, leaving a deep sense of unease.

As he pushed himself up, he realized with a jolt that he was completely naked. The cold wind bit at his skin, sending a shiver through him.

While his [Sailor] attribute helped dull the effects of the chill, it couldn’t completely ward off the biting cold. He still couldn’t help but shiver slightly, his body reacting instinctively to the harsh elements.

He unconsciously turned his head toward the blonde girl. His gaze fell on her sleeping form—her delicate features, her modest chest, her fair skin... He immediately whipped his head in the opposite direction, heat rushing to his face.

"No, no, you can't look, Ivan," he scolded himself, his cheeks burning crimson. "It's absolutely forbidden. Do not reach for the forbidden fruit."

Memories of reading about Cassie's transcendent ability flashed through his mind—an ability that let her peer into the memories of anyone who met her gaze. Their secrets would be laid bare before her, stripped from them against their will.

Of course, he couldn’t avoid looking at her forever, but he reminded himself to stay vigilant.

Besides, he didn’t even have memories to draw on. despite arriving in this world equipped with a ludicrous amount of power. Not that it truly mattered. Envisioning could deal with such inconveniences.

After a moment of focus, he envisioned a practical set of clothing for himself.

Runes shimmered before his eyes, glowing faintly before solidifying into a functional outfit.

The attire was simple yet efficient: a fitted black shirt beneath a lightweight armor vest, durable enough to withstand minor strikes without sacrificing flexibility. The pants were made of a reinforced yet breathable fabric, with plenty of pockets for carrying essentials. Sturdy, lightweight boots completed the outfit.

Satisfied with the result, he turned his attention to Cassie. Concentrating again, he envisioned a set of clothes suitable for her. A neatly folded bundle materialized in his hands.

Stepping closer to the sleeping seer, he was careful to avert his gaze. With a quick gesture, he envisioned a sturdy tent around her, the translucent top to allow light to filter in.

The tent shimmered into existence. He crouched, unzipping the entrance quietly, and slipped the folded clothes inside, placing them near her. Ensuring he didn’t disturb her, he zipped the tent closed again and stepped back, his movements as silent as the breath of wind.

“It’s Better this way,” he muttered to himself, casting one last glance at the tent before turning his attention to the surroundings.

Ivan then turned his attention back to himself or rather his aspect ability.

Ivan focused on the runes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Name: Ivan

True Name: Adam

Description: ???

Rank: Sleeper

Class: Devil

Soul Cores: [4/7]

Soul Fragments: [23/4000]

Attributes: [spectator], [Secrets Suppliant], [Sailor], [Bard], [Reader]

———————————
Aspect: [Visionary]

Aspect Rank: [Divine], ???

Description: [The Visionary is a master of thought and imagination, you are able to shape the flow of time and history itself through foresight. With unparalleled clarity, they can perceive and determine the emerging trends of the world, molding the future with their will.]

Innate Ability: [Envision]

Attempts: [7/7]

[Envision]

Ability Description: [You possess the power to shape reality by envisioning it. You can create grounds, objects, and even powers from your imagination. What you see in your mind will come to life, transforming the world around you, though each creation is limited by your mental strength and vision. Your imagination holds the key to the future, and the future bends to your will.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Attempts: [5/7]

Currently envisioned: [clothing], [tent]

Timer: [ 1:46 ]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ivan had recently discovered a new nuance to his Aspect—he could envision as many items as he desired with a single attempt, so long as they didn’t require continuous power to function. Clothes, food, and tools were simple enough to create and maintain.

However, items like weapons or abilities demanded an additional *attempt* and could not coexist with other creations.

This meant the clothes and tent he had just envisioned would persist as long as he could maintain focus, requiring no further attempts to sustain them.

Sleepers are those who couldn’t yet harness soul essence, Ivan’s creations didn’t rely on essence but rather on his mental strength. This would have been an overwhelming limitation had it not been for his [Reader] attribute, which greatly enhanced his mind and intelligence.

The memory of his recent escape with Cassie flickered through his thoughts—the moment he had used his Bard pathway ability to sow chaos in the sea, giving them a chance to flee.

“That was the Reader attribute at work,” he murmured. “I didn’t even notice it before.”

The pathway had been silently working in the background, strengthening his mental acuity without drawing attention to itself. It wasn’t a bad thing, though—intelligence was what set humans apart from the nightmare creatures. Without it, he and Cassie would never have made it to safety.

Ivan’s mind, sharpened by the Reader attribute, had become his greatest weapon, and he intended to wield it wisely.

Despite the enhancements to his mind, the constant use of Envisioning was taking its toll. The mental fatigue it caused was compounded by the persistent, inaudible ravings echoing in his mind. Thankfully, since he was only maintaining the clothes and the tent, the strain from his flaw was far less pronounced. Even so, it remained mentally exhausting, like an itch he couldn't quite reach.

His thoughts were interrupted by movement from within the tent.

Inside the tent, Cassie moved frantically, her hands sweeping across the ground in a blind panic as her breathing grew rapid and shallow. Her disorientation only worsened as she failed to remember where she was or how she had arrived there.

From outside the tent, Ivan’s calm voice rose above her panic. "Cassie! It's okay. You're safe. You're inside a tent I made for you. Just breathe."

The soothing tone cut through her turmoil, and Cassie froze, her head tilting slightly as she focused on the familiar voice.

***

Cassie’s POV

Fear still gnawed at her, but the voice steadied her trembling hands. She dropped to all fours, tracing the ground in a desperate search for something—anything—that felt safe. Then the voice spoke again, clearer and closer this time.

“Cassie, are you alright? It’s me, Ivan,” the voice said, gentle but firm.

Ivan. That name stirred something deep within her. Memories rushed back: the boy who had befriended her at the academy, the only one who didn’t abandon her when the others shunned her for being blind.

He had been there for her when she was alone, right before she entered the dream realm. Her only friend…

Her thoughts broke off as Ivan’s voice came again. “You’re safe here. Don’t worry about anything. I left some clothes beside you—get dressed, and then we can talk about what to do next.”

Cassie’s breath hitched as his words registered. The bare feeling of her exposed skin suddenly became all too apparent. Her cheeks flushed, and she instinctively wrapped her arms around herself, trying to cover what she could.

“D-Did you…” she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper, her face burning.

“No, I didn’t see anything,” Ivan assured quickly, his tone resolute and respectful. “I stayed outside the tent the entire time.

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

He paused before adding, “Take your time. I’ll wait out here until you’re ready.”

Reassured by his words, Cassie reached out, her fingers brushing against the soft fabric of the folded clothes Ivan had left for her. She picked them up, her movements slow and deliberate. As she felt the material.

“He really saved me… He really came to help me,” she whispered to herself, her voice trembling.

Struggling slightly, she began to dress, her mind a whirl of emotions—embarrassment and relief.

***

Ivan stood a short distance from the tent, his arms crossed as he waited. The zipped entrance rustled, and then slowly opened.

Cassie stepped out, her hands trailing along the tent’s wall to guide her movements. He let out a relieved breath—at least now he wouldn’t have to keep awkwardly turning his head away every time he checked on her.

The dress she wore fit her to perfection, the lace-up front adding a subtle touch of elegance that accentuated her slim figure. The deep purple fabric cascaded down in soft, flowing folds, It wasn't extravagant, but it made her presence quietly captivating.

In her hand, she held a piece of lace cloth, rectangular in shape, with an intricate design, over which she ran her fingers as if it offered her a sense of comfort.

“Ivan…” she began, her voice uncertain. She held up the lace cloth. “I-I think … I ruined the clothes you made for me?”

Ivan’s gaze shifted to the intricately laced cloth in Cassie’s hand. A soft smile tugged at his lips as he stepped forward.

“You didn’t ruin anything,” he reassured her gently. “That piece is separate—it’s for a different purpose.”

He reached out, taking her hand to retrieve the cloth. Moving behind her, Ivan carefully positioned the lace over her eyes. “It’s to cover your eyes,” he explained softly, tying the cloth securely but comfortably under her hair. His fingers adjusted her dress slightly to ensure everything fit perfectly.

Circling back to face her, Ivan’s smile brightened, almost radiant despite the dim surroundings. “You look great, Cassie.

That blindfold adds a touch of mystique—it makes you look like a true seer. Plus,” he added cheerfully, “it softens the blank look your eyes have, which can sometimes make people uncomfortable. Now, they’ll see you as someone to admire, not to fear.” Ivan then stopped abruptly.

Cassie stood still, her fingers brushing against the edge of the blindfold as his words sank in. Her lip quivered, and before she could stop herself, she took a tentative step forward, then another. She reached out, her hands finding Ivan, and suddenly wrapped her arms around him tightly.

“Thank you… Thank you so much, Ivan,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “For everything—for saving me, for helping me, for… being here.”

Her gratitude spilled over, tears streaming down her face as her emotions overwhelmed her. She buried her head in his chest, her sobs wracking her small frame. Her knees buckled beneath her, and Ivan followed her descent, lowering to one knee to hold her steady.

Cassie’s tears came in waves as she clung to him, releasing all the fear, loneliness, and pain she had carried. “I-I don’t know what I would’ve done without you,” she sobbed, her voice muffled against his chest.

Ivan said nothing. He held her close, one hand resting on her back in a comforting gesture. His expression, however, betrayed no emotion. His golden eyes stared past her, distant and unreadable, as though they were fixed on something far away—or perhaps on nothing at all.

The two figures, one trembling, the other silent and still. Behind them, the first rays of the rising sun pierced the horizon, casting a golden glow over the surreal landscape. The dark sea began to retreat, its inky waves slinking away as if fleeing from the encroaching light.

In its place emerged a sprawling coral labyrinth, twisting and reaching like veins of some ancient, otherworldly creature.

The corals’ vivid red hues shimmered eerily under the sunlight, their strange luminescence adding an unearthly glow to the scene. It was as if the world itself was revealing the hidden wonders in the wake of the night’s darkness.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5:
Ivan's expression twisted, the veins on his forehead pulsing with a strange intensity, a stark contrast to the calm composure he'd shown moments before. But Cassie didn’t notice. Her tears, now flowing freely, consumed her focus. She held onto him, her sobs ragged and desperate, unaware of the subtle changes in him.
For a brief, unsettling moment, Ivan's gaze shifted. Confusion flickered in his golden eyes as if he'd been snapped out of a trance. But the look was fleeting—replaced almost instantly by a softness that matched the comforting rhythm of his hands on her back, gently patting her as she cried herself to silence.

As Cassie’s sobs slowed, her breathing becoming more steady, Ivan pulled back slightly, his hands lingering on her shoulders. He gave her a reassuring smile, though there was something distant about the way his lips curved. She didn’t notice. she was, after all, blind.

They sat together in silence for a while, the weight of the night’s events settling between them like a blanket of stillness. The golden light of the rising sun continued to bathe the world around them, the eerie glow of the coral labyrinth beginning to fade into the harsh clarity of daylight.

Ivan finally broke the silence, his voice low and steady. “This place…” He gestured to the strange landscape stretching before them, the coral structures pulsating like the very heart of the dream realm. “It’s unlike any other region in the dream world.”

Cassie frowned, her brow furrowing as she tried to understand what Ivan was saying. She’d heard of many strange places within the dream realm, of course
“I’ve never heard of this place,” she murmured, her voice quiet with uncertainty. “Not in any of the academy’s lessons.”

Her voice wavered slightly, a trace of worry creeping in. Ivan noticed the change in her tone, the way her eyes narrowed with growing concern. He turned to her, his expression calm, unreadable.
“Well, it’s a big world,” he said, as if the answer was simple. “And the dream realm is vast. Some places just haven't been discovered yet.”

Cassie wasn’t convinced. But Ivan's demeanor was unwavering. To her, it was both reassuring and unsettling. She wanted to ask more but was afraid—he had already done so much for her.
Still, her worry continued to gnaw at her, She wrapped her arms around herself, pulling the lace cloth tighter around her eyes.

“Ivan…” she began again, her voice trembling, though she tried to hide it. “Can we get out of this place? What if we can't get out?”

Ivan’s eyes softened, and for the briefest moment, a flicker of something—concern, maybe?—passed over his face. But the moment was gone as quickly as it came.
“We’ll figure it out,” he said, his voice gentle yet firm.

Cassie nodded slowly, though her heart was still heavy. “But… what do we do now?.”

Ivan was silent for a moment, his gaze far-off again, his golden eyes reflecting the brightening light of the morning. “We will have to move from here eventually, staying in one place would pose more danger”
he said at last, his voice resolute. “From what i understand of this place the sea comes back the moment the sun sets and goes back into hiding the moment dawn comes”
Cassie. She didn’t have to ask what he meant. .

her fingers brushing the lace cloth over her eyes again, and lightly nodded. “Alright….”

***
Ivan’s pov

Ivan and Cassie had decided to wait on the rock formation for another day. It was a precarious decision, but staying in one place was safer than wandering aimlessly—at least for now.
Ivan had envisioned some basic meals—biscuits, beef jerky, and military-style canteens. He could have envisioned something more comforting, like a warm homemade stew, but he didn’t. There were two reasons for this. First, eating envisioned food too frequently might have side effects, though he wasn’t entirely sure if that could be true but he decided to be careful. He wasn’t willing to take a risk on it. Second, growth—real growth—could only happen if they adapted to the world around them, and that meant getting used to the meat of nightmare creatures. That’s what the dream realm demanded. To survive, they needed to embrace its horrors, not shy away from them.

Aside from that there was something deeper, Until now, Ivan hadn’t had a clear goal. Surviving the Forgotten Shore had been the only thing on his mind. But that had changed after their conversation earlier.
Cassie had talked about her family—her childhood dreams, the things that once brought her joy. And then she asked him a question. A simple one: What was your dream before the nightmare spell?
Ivan had no answer. It wasn’t that he didn’t have dreams once, but they felt like distant memories now—almost as if they belonged to someone else. He’d guided the conversation away from that question without offering a real answer. But deep down, something had shifted.

Now, as he watched Cassie eat her dried, packaged food, he found his thoughts turning toward the future. His gaze flickered to her side profile, watching the blind seer carefully break off a piece of jerky and chew it slowly. She had been silent for a while, her blindfold securely in place, but there was a hint of calm in the way she moved. The sense of change was ever-present, but she was adapting, albeit slowly.
Occasionally, he stole glances at her out of the corner of his eye, but then he refocused on his own food. They needed to stay vigilant. After they finished eating, there was a sound—a faint rustling from the edge of the rock formation. Ivan’s senses sharpened, and without hesitation, he turned to Cassie.

“Hide,” he ordered, his voice steady but urgent. “In the tent. Now.”

She didn’t hesitate, ducking inside immediately. Ivan’s eyes followed her for a moment before he moved swiftly to the edge of the rock formation, peering over to see where the sound had come from.
As Ivan neared the edge of the rock formation, his eyes locked onto a creature that looked like an oversized crab clad in jagged armor. He had never seen this creature with his own eyes, but he instantly recognized it from the descriptions in Shadow Slave.
Carapace Scavengers.

The realization sent a chill down his spine. While knowing about them gave him an edge, it didn’t make him feel any safer. The scavengers were dangerous, and he was no match for them.
They were nightmare creatures he couldn’t afford to confront.

Thankfully, they were still at a distance. For now, there was no immediate danger. Ivan backed away carefully, making sure not to disturb any loose rocks, and returned to the tent.
Inside, Cassie sat her legs pressed against her chest, her posture was tense clearly showing he was worried and scared. The blindfold over her eyes made her expression more pronounced then he had expected or he might be seeing too much.

“What did you see?” she asked quietly, her voice tinged with apprehension.

“Some nightmare creatures, ones we should avoid at all costs ,” Ivan replied, keeping his voice calm. “They’re far away right now, but we will need to stay alert.”
As he expected, Cassie’s face paled, and her breath quickened almost on the verge of panic. Only a few months ago, she’d been an ordinary person, unaccustomed to the harsh realities of this world.
Ivan crouched down in front of her and rested a hand on her shoulder. “Cassie, listen to me,” he said firmly but gently. “We’re safe for now. They haven’t noticed us. But I need you to stay calm. Trust me—I’ve got this under control.”

She nodded shakily, her fingers loosening their grip. It took some time, but her breathing steadied. Ivan felt a pang of guilt as he watched her struggle to keep it together.

He stood and glanced outside the tent, keeping his voice low. “We’ll need to move soon.”

Ivan could have tried to challenge those oversized crabs however he couldn’t. Unlike others, who bore only one flaw, Ivan’s power felt as if it had multiple flaws. He could manifest items, abilities and other things, but sustaining them demanded a toll that no ordinary sleeper could or should be able to bear for extended periods of time.
Even so, he reminded himself, “it’s still absurd that I can do this at all and as a sleeper no less”.

Few could rival him, perhaps only divine aspect holders like Nephis. But even comparing himself to her felt premature—she was a seasoned warrior, capable of healing herself and with years of experience in combat. Sunny was still growing into his power, and Mordret... Well, Mordret remained imprisoned in the Chained Isles.
His thoughts returned to Cassie. In the short time they had been together, she had started leaning on him more, seeking his reassurance and preferring to stay by his side. It wasn’t surprising, given her circumstances, but Ivan couldn’t help but feel conflicted.

He was protective of her, maybe even overly so, but. Cassie was a pivotal figure in the story—her actions shaped key events. By ensuring that she was safe and went according to the story albeit with some changes with me guiding her, he could influence the course of the novel’s events without disrupting the story too drastically.
But as he watched her lying down beside him, her expression soft and vulnerable, another thought gnawed at him. She’s already endured so much. I shouldn't let her carry more than she has to while I am around”.

He frowned and shook his head. “No,” he murmured under his breath. “I’ll lighten her load. That’s one thing I am changing in this world.”
Speaking of Sunny and Nephis—the central figures of the story.

The burst of light I created last night might have alerted them. A miniature sun in the dead of night wasn’t something they could ignore. Two outcomes seemed likely: they’d either investigate or steer clear.

“Hmph.” Ivan exhaled sharply. “Whatever the case, they’ll start moving soon.”
As he prepared to settle in for some rest, a strange sensation prickled at the back of his neck. Something felt off. He sat up abruptly, scanning the tent’s interior. His eyes caught on one side of the tent’s fabric—it wasn’t taut like the other.

A premonition gripped him. He bolted outside and strode to the edge of the rock formation, his movements swift but silent. Peering down, he couldn’t make out much.
He envisioned a periscope—one modified specifically for this situation. The device shimmered into existence in his hands, its intricate parts fitting together like clockwork. He raised it to his eyes, adjusting the lens to focus on the base of the rock formation.

What he saw made his blood run cold.

The foundation of the rock pillar was crumbling. Large cracks spread across its surface like spiderwebs, and the entire structure had begun to tilt dangerously, as if it were a tree about to fall.

His heart hammered in his chest. “Fuking hell…” he muttered.

If the pillar collapsed, they’d lose their vantage point—and worse, it would draw the attention of the scavengers.

Ivan’s mind raced. We need to move. Now.

Chapter Text

Ivan didn’t hesitate. He turned on his heel, sprinting back toward the tent.

“Cassie!” His voice was sharp, urgent. She stirred, eyes flicking open underneath the lace blind fold in confusion.

“Get up, we need to move, now!”

He grabbed her, pulling her to her feet.

“What’s happening?” she asked, her voice tinged with alarm.

Without responding, Ivan darted towards the exit, dragging Cassie behind him.

“Okay, Cass, we have a change of plans. We’re moving west, as fast as possible,” Ivan said in a perfectly controlled voice, not allowing any trace of his worries to slip through.
Confusion across Cassie's face. She wasn't sure why Ivan was acting with such urgency. “Why? To where?” Though the questions were simple, there was a layer of worry in her voice. She imagined all sorts of possibilities, from the Nightmare creatures Ivan had seen before to more horrifying abominations closing in on them from the air.

Ivan had two options: reveal the truth, which would likely send Cassie into a panic. Her mental state was already delicate, and adding more stress could have disastrous consequences.

Even though Ivan hadn’t been a psychiatrist before transmigrating into this god's forsaken world, his attributes had begun subtly influencing his thoughts and actions. His [Spectator] attribute, in particular, had been affecting his personality, making him more attuned to the psychological states of others.

“Still, even though I’m not envisioning [Psychiatrist], I’m still being affected. Does that mean I don’t need to unlock those attributes to benefit from them?” Ivan thought, the question flickering in his mind as he processed everything at once.

The second option was to lie to Cassie, keeping her mental state stable while offering a convincing excuse to cover up the real threat.

But what kind of excuse could he use? Damn it, Ivan mentally groaned, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

Ivan chose the second option, settling on a half-truth. He made his voice carry a hint of excitement as he said, "I have a feeling there might be a human settlement or a citadel in the western direction. Though I'm not too sure, so far my aspect has never failed me."

Cassie's eyes widened slightly. "A settlement? Are you sure?"

Ivan nodded quickly, though the words felt foreign on his tongue. "It's a gut feeling, but I've learned to trust it."

It was all a lie, of course. He knew exactly where they were heading. The novel had given him all the details he needed, but he couldn’t let Cassie know that.

His mention of "aspect" was a subtle nudge toward his sailor attribute, a detail that might explain his confidence in navigation. It was a clever way to divert suspicion without revealing too much.

Cassie hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Alright. If you say so."

***

A few moments later, Cassie’s curiosity got the better of her. She couldn’t help but ask.

"Ivan, what are you doing?" she called out.

The noises from Ivan’s direction continued—metal clinking, the low hum of drilling. It sounded like he was trying to build a house, but Cassie didn't press him for answers. She did not want to disturb him.
Ivan had told her to sit near the camp while he prepared something, and she had obeyed. The wind was gentle, a soft breeze that carried with it the scent of wet rocks. It was peaceful, and for a moment, Cassie felt a flicker of calm.

"I’m just setting up a way to get down from this rock formation," Ivan’s voice called out from a distance. "It’s bloody huge, and no ladders would be tall enough. Using your rope wouldn’t be ideal either, as carrying you down would be a... gruesome task."

Cassie, listening intently, felt a strange mix of gratitude and guilt at his words.

"I—I see. Sorry to disturb..." she murmured, her words soft with understanding.

"No biggie," Ivan replied shortly. "Just enjoy the breeze while I work on the way down."

Cassie nodded slightly, even though Ivan couldn’t see her. It wasn’t like she could offer any help,the only thing she could do was trust him.

She remembered how she’d felt when she first entered the Dream Realm. Her blindness had made everything many times worse. It had been so overwhelming, so terrifying.

Back at the academy, she had cried herself to sleep every night, plagued by the pain of losing her sight and the despair that had followed. And then, Ivan came into her life.

The way he had saved her from the depths of her loneliness, helping her break free from the pessimistic thoughts that had plagued her for so long—she still remembered it vividly. And now, in the Dream Realm, he had saved her again. Not only from the creatures that lurked in the dark sea but also from her own fears and insecurities.

Cassie reached up to her face, tracing the delicate lace of the blindfold that covered her eyes. She hadn’t quite gotten used to it, but it was comforting in a way. It almost felt like a protective layer, one that shielded her from the harshness of her reality. She ran her fingers over the fabric, feeling its softness.

Her thoughts drifted to the clothes she wore—the ones Ivan had envisioned for her. They were simple but comfortable, not too fancy, but not plain either. They felt surreal to her, like she was in a dream within a dream. It was mildly cold, but not in an uncomfortable way. The chill was a comfort, almost like a reminder that she was alive, that she was here.

still adjusting to the sensation of wearing these new clothes. Envisioning, the aspect ability that he shared with her.
It’s beyond anything I’ve ever heard of. It’s not just survival—it’s like he’s crafting his own reality, bending it to his will.

The realization hit her harder than before. Ivan’s power was like something only gods should possess. Every aspect, every ability has its strengths and weaknesses, but his? It was bizarre, almost absurd in its potential. What would he be capable of if he awakened?

Cassie’s heart skipped a beat at the thought. How powerful would Ivan be if he awakened?

For the first time since arriving in this twisted world, Cassie felt a glimmer of hope. She wasn’t entirely helpless.

And yet, guilt gnawed at her. But why did he choose me? she thought. I’m just a blind girl. What use can I be?

Despite her ability to see the past and future through her visions, they were erratic, random, and often out of her control. They weren’t the kind of power that one could rely on. And yet, Ivan had chosen to stay with her. He had chosen to team up with a blind girl when there were so many others who could offer more.

Cassie’s fingers trembled as they rested against the blindfold again. She felt a strange emptiness growing within her.
Trust… That was all she had to offer.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Ivan called out to her.

“Cass, I’m done. Let’s start moving.”

***

“Okay, have you ever bungee jumped before?” Ivan asked.

“Bungee… jumped?” Cassie tilted her head, confused by the sudden question. Bungee? That’s rubber or elastic, isn’t it? Jumping… with rubber? Wait, does he mean a trampoline? But then why didn’t he just say trampoline?

“Yes! I have! In fact, it’s one of my favorite things to do!” Cassie replied quickly, hoping to mask her confusion. She suspected he was trying to distract her again.

She wasn’t naive. Ivan had been using random topics to shift the flow of their conversations, pulling her out of the dark abyss of her thoughts. Strangely, it always worked. Whenever he said something absurd or out of nowhere, she felt clarity and peace wash over her, pushing away the chaos in her mind. She didn’t understand how he did it, but after so many times, she had begun to adapt. While she still struggled to accept her flaws, she was starting to come to terms with them.

“That’s good, that’s good…” Ivan said after a brief silence. “Now come here. We need to get down this place, so let’s get you strapped to my back.”

Cassie blinked, surprised by his tone. Why does it sound like he was surprised? Also he’s treating me like a child again.

Still, she didn’t argue, letting out a soft barely noticable, reluctant huff as she allowed him to secure her. Ivan fastened straps and belts around her, then instructed her to climb onto his back. Once she was settled, another set of straps tightened around her, securing her in place.

Her chest pressed tightly against Ivan’s back, and for a moment, it felt suffocating. But she knew it was necessary for safety, and it wasn’t unbearable. She noticed, however, that Ivan seemed to tremble slightly, his body heating up.

“A-are you okay? You’re heating up,” Cassie asked, her voice tinged with worry.

“U-uh, yeah, I’m fine. Just… thinking about something,” Ivan replied, his tone unusually flustered.

After a few more exchanges of reassurance, Ivan resumed checking the ropes and anchors he had drilled into the rock formation. Meanwhile, Cassie found herself observing his attire: a simple shirt and vest. She assumed it was for better mobility, as he had mentioned before that he wasn’t a combat type. Despite this, his body was well-toned and strong, a fact she couldn’t help but notice.
Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly broke away from her thoughts when Ivan tapped her arm, signaling the final check.

“You ready?” he asked.

“Yes,” Cassie replied.

“Great… Let’s just hope we don’t die.”

“Yes—wait, what do you m—”

Before she could finish, her stomach lurched as the ground seemed to drop away. Her insides hollowed out as if she were falling from the sky. Cassie tightened her grip on Ivan, clutching him with both hands and legs as her world turned into a blur of motion and adrenaline.

Chapter Text

Cassie’s POV:

The sudden drop left Cassie feeling hollow inside, as though her very being had been yanked downward. Every instinct screamed at her to cry out, but she knew better. One of the most important lessons drilled into her at the academy was simple: If a fight is avoidable, avoid it at all costs. Do not fight when it’s unnecessary. Screaming would only invite the nightmare creatures.

Instead of succumbing to fear, she buried her face against Ivan’s back, gripping him with all her strength. Her arms clung tightly around his neck, and her legs locked around his torso. She didn’t know if her hold was bothering him, but she had no time to worry about that.

The descent began to slow, the wild rush of air around them easing. Still, she clung to Ivan as if her life depended on it. A faint tap on her arm registered at the edge of her awareness, but she ignored it, lost in her frantic focus.

The tapping grew more insistent, accompanied by Ivan’s strained voice. “Cass… yo-your arm…”

She froze, realizing with a pang of guilt that her grip had tightened too much. Lifting her head, she loosened her hold abruptly, causing her to slip slightly in the harness. Panic shot through her, and she instinctively clutched at him again.

“S-sorry!” she stammered.

Ivan let out a heavy breath, his voice strained but good-natured. “It’s fine. We’re already down. We should get moving.”

Underneath the lace blindfold, Cassie furrowed her brows. She could sense his attempt to brush it off, but she wasn’t going to let it slide entirely. Without warning, she reached out, her fingers brushing along his neck before trailing to his face. Ivan stiffened at the unexpected contact, a question forming on his lips.

“Cass, what are you—”

Before he could finish, she grabbed his cheeks with both hands and pinched them as hard as she could.

“OW! Cass, ow, ow, ow! What’s the big dea—”

She let go of his cheeks only to grab his ears, tugging them with enough force to make him yelp again.

“Cass! Okay, okay, I’m sorry! I promise I won’t pull another stunt like that again,” Ivan pleaded.

She finally let go of his ears, which were now red as a tomato. Even though she couldn’t see anymore, the heat radiating from them told her enough.

Cassie smiled smugly, satisfaction swelling in her chest as though she’d just accomplished a grand victory. Of course, she didn’t let Ivan see it. Instead, she let out a soft hmph, puffed her cheeks in mock indignation, and turned her head away, feigning disinterest.

“Cass, come on. Don’t ignore me!” Ivan pleaded.

His voice followed her like an unrelenting shadow as he maneuvered them through the crimson labyrinth. The maze’s eerie glow bathed everything in a dim, ominous red light.

“Cass, seriously, I’m sorry! I won’t—”

Without warning, she poked his cheek with her finger, effectively silencing him. “You won’t ever do that again, promise?”

Ivan quickly nodded, the movement so rapid she felt the jerk of it through her hands. “I promise!” he replied, eager to reassure her.

Content with his response, Cassie relaxed against his back, her earlier irritation melting into quiet amusement. “Good,” she murmured, letting herself settle comfortably.

They were about to continue forward when a sudden shift in the atmosphere made her stiffen. A looming shadow stretched across them, and the air seemed to warp—colder, hotter—she couldn’t tell, only that it felt wrong. Cassie’s breath hitched as she instinctively turned her head. Despite her blindfold, glowing runes appeared in the black void of her vision, their radiant symbols searing themselves into her consciousness.

~~~~~~~~~
Name: Carapace Scavenger

[Awakened Beast]

. . .
~~~~~~~~

Cassie’s blood turned to ice at the sight of the words Awakened Beast. Panic seized her just as Ivan cursed under his breath.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Already?”

Before she could process his words, Ivan launched them backward, narrowly dodging an attack. The air around them stirred violently, and the sound of something massive scraping against the muddy ground sent shivers down her spine.

“Cass, cover your ears! It’s about to get loud.”

She didn’t hesitate. Loosening her arms from his shoulders, she let the straps secure her in place and pressed her hands over her ears as tightly as she could.

Behind him, she felt something shift on Ivan’s back—an unnatural writhing that made her stomach churn. She didn’t have time to ponder what it was before he turned his body at an angle, bracing himself.

And then it came.

A deafening roar, like a cannon’s blast, erupted, shaking the air and rattling her bones. Cassie clenched her teeth, the sound reverberating even through her covered ears. Whatever Ivan had unleashed, it was powerful—and it wasn’t done yet.

Right after their counterattack, Ivan broke into a run. He reached back, guiding her hands to wrap securely around his shoulders. As he did, Cassie felt the straps holding her tightly to him start to dissolve, one by one, until none remained. Ivan’s voice cut through the chaos, firm and urgent. “Hold on tight!”

Moments later, she heard faint scratching sounds in the distance.

“Damn it, why did I have to go and shoot those oversized crabs?” Ivan cursed under his breath, tightening his grip on Cassie’s legs, which were wrapped around his hips.

Cassie was worried. She couldn’t see what was going on, and the situation didn’t allow her to ask too much. All she knew was that they were being pursued by an Awakened Beast. Despite her fear, she couldn’t help but ask.

“Ivan, what’s chasing us?” Panic laced her voice.

After a few moments, Ivan replied, “Oh, just a bunch of oversized crustaceans.” He tried to sound nonchalant, but the worry in his voice betrayed him.

Crustaceans? Crabs? We’re being chased by Awakened oversized crabs?

Despite the dire situation, Cassie found the thought strangely comical. Shaking off the distraction, she leaned closer, intending to ask another question.

Before she could, Ivan veered sharply to the side. The sudden shift nearly threw her off his back, but Ivan caught her just in time.

She barely had time to yelp before Ivan’s arm wrapped around her, pulling her into his embrace. One hand covered her mouth as he softly shushed her.

After a tense moment, a sharp screech pierced the air.

Cassie shuddered, squeezing her eyes shut as if trying to block out the sound.

In the distance, she could hear movements, but she didn’t dare make a noise. Slowly, the tension in Ivan’s body eased.

“They’re gone,” he murmured, his voice barely audible. He released her and leaned back as she did the same, resting against his chest. The entire ordeal had sapped her strength.

“We’ll rest for a bit before moving again, before nightfall.”

Cassie nodded weakly and let herself doze off. Just before she fell asleep, she felt a hand pat her head gently.

Chapter Text

As Ivan’s eyelids fluttered open, his vision remained blurry, like a fogged window waiting to be wiped clean. He blinked several times, trying to clear his vision. With a grunt, he rubbed his eyes with his right hand, hoping to dispel the lingering haze. Slowly, the details around him began to materialize: a small cave barely the size of a room, just big enough for a single bed.

The air smelled of damp stone and sea salt, and the soft light filtering in from the seaweed-covered entrance illuminated the space in a muted, reddish glow. From the faint light, Ivan could tell that at least an hour and a half had passed since they’d taken refuge here, and there was still time before the tide came rushing back in.

But as he surveyed the scene, something caught his attention. His heart skipped a beat. There, resting against him, was Cassie. Her back was pressed against his chest, her head nestled against him as she slept soundly.

The blindfold that covered her eyes seemed to only enhance her beauty, her long blonde hair cascading across his arm. Despite her blindness, she appeared peaceful and calm, breathing softly as she slept. But the sight of her so close stirred an uncomfortable feeling deep inside him—a feeling that Ivan knew all too well.

No, no, no, no, Ivan thought, mentally berating himself. He was just a 17-year-old boy, and hormones were a relentless nuisance, always ready to rear their ugly heads at the worst possible moment. Especially in front of another girl. He fought the urge as his mind tried to keep his lower primal head under control.

Cassie’s back was pressed against his chest, her warmth radiating through him, and it took all of his willpower to keep his primal instincts at bay. He had to stay in control. Slowly, carefully, he shifted his body, gently moving her so that she was no longer leaning against him.

He placed her down beside him, making sure not to wake her. After ensuring that she was comfortable, he draped a blanket over her to shield her from the cold dampness of the cave.

Sitting back, Ivan took a moment to gather his thoughts. Their escape from the unstable rock formation hadn’t gone entirely as planned, but they’d made it out alive. That was what mattered. He rose to his feet and peered through the seaweed-covered entrance. The labyrinth stretched ahead of him, splitting in two directions. One path was a dead end, barely visible through the dense foliage. The other path that would lead him straight into the domain of Nephis of the Immortal Flame.

He returned to the cave, sitting beside Cassie, his expression becoming more serious as he considered their next steps. There was something gnawing at the back of his mind. His intervention had already altered the course of events. In the novel, Cassie was supposed to enter the Dream Realm and be rescued by Nephis, but Ivan had changed that. He had become her savior instead. That meant her loyalty was now tied to him, and in turn, she would be more susceptible to his influence. This could be both a blessing and a curse.

But there was more. In the original timeline, Cassie had a crucial conversation with Sunny, a conversation that Ivan had effectively prevented. That conversation was meant to create the string of friendship between Cassie, Sunny and Nephis, and without it, things were already off track.

However, Ivan knew one thing for certain: Sunny’s [Fated] attribute would still steer the story back toward its original course. Eventually, they would encounter Nephis, and Sunny’s shadow would follow close behind.

The problem, however, was Ivan’s own presence in this altered timeline. one that would change the trajectory of battles, character development, and relationships. Nothing was going to unfold the same way it had in the novel.

Just then, Ivan’s thoughts were interrupted by an all-too-familiar sensation. His eyes twitched, and a vein bulged on his forehead. The headache was back, the same debilitating pain that he tried to get used to. His back began to writhe, as though something was crawling beneath his skin, and illusory scales began to appear, shimmering faintly beneath the surface. The unbearable pain brought about by illusory ravings caused him to collapse, falling face-first to the ground, helpless.

Before his eyes, runes began to materialize, glowing with an eerie light.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Attempts: [4/7]

Currently envisioned: [A set of Male and Female Clothing]

Timer: [3:23]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This was the cost of using his envisioning abilities. Every time he attempted to envision something, it came with a toll—pain, discomfort, and sometimes, complete physical breakdown. Three attempts had been the limit, and Ivan had already used up two, with one still hanging in the balance.

If he pushed it further, if he tried to envision anything else, he risked losing control—and turning into a monster.

He gritted his teeth, enduring the unbearable agony. For ten long minutes, the scales writhed across his back, and his body burned with pain. Finally, the sensation began to subside. The scales faded, and the writing on his back ceased, returning to normal.

Ivan let out a sigh of relief, his body trembling with exhaustion as he lay flat on the cold cave floor. Cassie, thankfully, remained asleep, blissfully unaware of the torment he had just endured. As his breath slowed and his body finally began to relax, Ivan pushed himself up, though his movements were sluggish. The pain had left him drained, but he still had to think of a plan.

They couldn’t stay here forever. They have to meet Nephis and Sunny then reach the awakened settlements. But things weren’t going to be as simple as they once were. He glanced at Cassie, still sleeping peacefully, and took a deep breath. Ivan had made his choice. He could only hope that it would all work out in the end.

***

He decided to wait until Cassie woke up, using the time to create something for himself. With a quiet murmur, Ivan focused his energy and envisioned a self-heating hot pot. The rich aroma of hot, spicy, and sweet ingredients filled his senses. The broth, thick and savory with bits of tender meat floating lazily in the steam. The vegetables added a touch of color to the steaming concoction. The scent alone was enough to make his stomach growl, but when he tasted the first spoonful, his eyes widened in pure bliss.

savoring the flavor. The heat of the spices was balanced perfectly by the sweetness of the broth, the combination making his taste buds dance. Each bite was comforting, hearty, and strangely satisfying, as if the food was more than just a product of his imagination. It was real—and in that moment, it felt like the best meal he’d ever had.

But just as Ivan was getting lost in the taste, a subtle shift in the air caught his attention. He looked over at Cassie. Her head was moving restlessly from side to side, and her eyebrows furrowed deeply, as if she were troubled by something in her sleep.

Is she having a nightmare? Ivan thought, but then he remembered—no one could dream while in the Dream Realm. That could only mean one thing.

She's having a vision.

Ivan's eyes widened. Was she supposed to be having a vision this early? In the novel, Cassie’s visions were always a bit of a mystery, and the timeline didn’t suggest this would happen so soon. She hadn’t been given much focus in the story, and suddenly, this new development raised questions he couldn’t ignore.

Cassie’s restless movements escalated as she suddenly threw the blanket off, sitting up sharply. Ivan hastily set his hot pot aside and rushed over to her, grabbing her shoulders to steady her. But much to his surprise, Cassie didn’t appear frightened, nor did she show the kind of reaction one would expect from someone who had just experienced a vision.

“I-Ivan, you’re here!” she said, her voice betraying a bit of surprise. It was clear she hadn’t expected him to be there.

“Yes, I’m here,” Ivan replied, his voice steady, though his mind was racing. “What happened? You seemed restless in your sleep. Did you get another vision?”

He tried to sound casual, but as he looked at her, something caught him off guard—Cassie was blushing. A soft pink tint had spread across her cheeks, and even the tips of her ears had turned red. She didn’t answer right away, her fingers twirling a strand of her blonde hair as she seemed to gather her thoughts.

“I-it was just some mundane visions… and some personal ones,” Cassie finally murmured, her voice trailing off as she spoke. With each word, her voice lowered, as if the very topic embarrassed her.

Ivan’s [Spectator] attribute gave him the ability to see right through her attempts to hide her discomfort. Her face was a telltale sign—there was something she was trying to conceal, though it seemed more of a trivial matter.

What could she have seen to make her so embarrassed? His mind worked quickly, and a sly grin spread across his face as an idea formed.

“No way, Cass,” he teased, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Invading people’s privacy and peering into their most embarrassing moments? You’ve got no shame.”

As he leaned back and placed a hand on his cheek, he shook his head in mock disapproval, a grin playing at the corners of his lips. The sight of his teasing expression was all it took for Cassie’s face to burst into a deep shade of red, and before Ivan knew it, she lunged at him.

“I didn’t—! I can’t control what I see!” she protested, her voice laced with indignation, though the blush on her face made it clear she was still flustered.

Ivan barely had time to react before she pounced on him, her hands aiming for his cheeks and ears. A struggle ensued, with Cassie trying to pull on his cheeks while Ivan deftly dodged her attempts, much to her frustration.

After a few moments of chaos, both of them ended up sitting side by side slightly exhausted from their bickering.

Cassie’s attention shifted to the hot pot he had set down earlier. She sniffed the air, her eyes lighting up behind her laced blindfold as the spicy scent reached her nose.

“Can I.. have some?” she asked, her voice much softer now.

Ivan chuckled, as he passed her a pot of the delicious broth. “Help yourself,” he said, watching as Cassie eagerly dug into the meal. There was something comforting about the simple act of sharing food.

Ivan studied Cassie from the side, surprised by how much better she seemed. Her mental state, which had once been a constant source of concern, now seemed remarkably stable. Whatever she had seen in her vision had evidently resolved many of the issues she had been grappling with.

The pessimistic air that had once lingered around her was gone, replaced by something lighter, more optimistic. This was a good thing—he’d had to constantly placate her to keep her mental state intact. But now, for the first time in a long while, she seemed at ease.

As they ate in comfortable silence, Cassie broke it, her voice soft yet hesitant.

“At the end of my vision, I saw something,” she said, her words laced with uncertainty.

Ivan’s attention immediately sharpened, his mind racing with possibilities, though he kept his expression neutral. “Go on... I’m listening,” he replied, though his heart raced at the thought of what she might share.

Cassie seemed to struggle at first, trying to articulate what she had seen, but she eventually spoke, her words slow and deliberate.

“Towards the end, I saw an ocean that seemed to contain all the colors in the world. High above, there was an illusory sun blazing fiercely. On my left, there was lightning, squalls, and raging waves. On my right, there was a white tower that seemed to reach the skies, and everything seemed to rotate around the center. But I couldn’t see the center, and then... I was suddenly kicked out and woke up.”

She paused, turning her face to him. The light from outside glinted off her laced blindfold. “Do you know what it is?” she asked, her voice filled with quiet curiosity.

Ivan remained silent for a moment. After a minute of contemplation, he let out a quiet sigh. Of course, he knew what it was his soul sea. The differences between her vision and his were evident, though. For one, he had four suns, not one. His soul sea was the Chaos Sea, unlike normal soul sea’s of other awakened he could not stay in his soul sea for long, upon entering he would barged with ravings increasing his chance of losing control.

He glanced at his runes, pulling his attention away from the heavy thoughts swirling in his mind.

—-----------------------

Name: [Unwanted Attention]

Rank: [???]

Type: [Mark]

Memory Enchantments: [Binding Gaze]

Enchantment Description: The mark creates a bond between the bestower and the marked, allowing the bestower to communicate and bestow gifts onto them. The stronger the marked's belief in the bestower, the greater the influence, while the bestower gains insight into the marked's thoughts and secrets.

Marks: [0/1]

—----------------------

Ivan had been considering this for some time. He had wanted to wait until the moment felt right, but something in his gut told him that now was the time. He turned to Cassie, his eyes softening as he made his decision.

“Before I explain,” he said, his voice steady yet laced with a hint of hesitation, “Can I trust you?”

Cassie looked at him, confusion flashing briefly across her face before she nodded with certainty. “Yes,” she said simply. “You can trust me.”

Ivan took a deep breath, then began to explain, though he left out some details, particularly the parts about knowing her thoughts. He kept the explanation vague, focusing on the part about creating a bond and granting gifts. “I have an ability,” he said, his voice calm. “It allows me to create a bond between us. With this bond, you can reap the benefits of my attributes and me yours however these are on a partial basis and would not be significant enough to notice. However if one of us betrays the other, that person would receive a punishment”, he lied about the last part..

He paused, watching her reaction closely. “So, my question is... are you willing to be my accomplice? To accept this bond and everything that comes with it?”

Cassie didn’t hesitate. She gave a firm nod. “Yes, I trust you.”

Ivan closed his eyes briefly, relieved that her trust in him was so immediate. It wasn’t a rash decision. He could tell she wasn’t acting on impulse—her mental state was in a much better place than before, which made him confident in his choice.

“Raise your hand,” Ivan instructed, his voice low.

Cassie did as he asked, and Ivan gently took her hand in his. He closed his eyes, focusing all his attention on the runes in front of him, the moment finally upon him.

—--------------------------------

[Do you wish to mark this individual?]

—---------------------------------

Yes.

The runes shifted, forming new patterns, the magic flowing through him with an intensity that made his skin tingle. A sense of finality washed over him as the process completed.

—----------------------------------

[A bond is being created]
[You have marked an individual successfully]

—-----------------------------------

Ivan sighed, the weight of the decision settling in. The runes in front of him shifted again, updating to reflect the changes.

—--------------------------------

Name: [Unwanted Attention]
Rank: [???]
Type: [Mark]
Memory Enchantments: [Binding Gaze]
Marks: [1/1]
Marked: [Cassie]
Flaw: [Unraveling Mind]

—------------------------------------

Ivan took a deep breath, as he focused on his runes. It had been done. Cassie was now marked—his accomplice.

Chapter Text

The bond between them was unlike the Shadow Bond that Sunny had. Unlike the Shadow Bond, which would enslave the person once their true name was spoken aloud, this bond was more like a bridge. While the bestower gained unrestricted access to the mind of the bestowed, it didn’t give the bestower control over them. If the bestowed—Cassie in this case—firmly believed something was wrong and refused to act, the bond couldn’t compel her to obey unless hypnosis was used. However, against someone with a high affinity for fate and revelation, that would be a risky move. The point of this bond was to create a connection of mind and soul between them.

It was akin to acquiring a citadel in the domain of the mind. As he ascended, he suspected he would be able to create such bonds to expand his domain. This could be an early form of a domain, one he could expand through the creation of more bonds. But there was a problem… why could he only make one bond? He had four soul cores, so by normal logic, he should be able to create four such bonds. And why did he have four soul cores? How had he gotten them without going through the first nightmare?

Ivan frowned slightly, a lost expression crossing his face. What was I thinking just now?

—--------------------------

["The mark creates a bond between the bestower and the marked, allowing both the bestowed and the bestower to benefit from one another's attributes. The stronger their bond, the mightier they become..." Does this mean I can benefit from Ivan’s attributes as well? Will he gain revelations like me as well?....]

—----------------------------

He turned to look at Cassie, his eyes widening. He was listening to her, but her mouth did not move. She was reading the runes, speaking her thoughts aloud in her mind, but he could hear them as if she were whispering them directly into his ear.

No way…

He immediately focused back on his runes.

—---------------------------

Name: Ivan
True Name: Adam
Description: ???
Rank: Sleeper
Class: Devil
Soul Cores: [4/7]
Soul Fragments: [23/4000]
Attributes: [Telepathist], [Listener], [Sailor], [Bard], [Student of Ratiocination]

—--------------------------

Aspect: [Visionary]
Aspect Rank: [Divine], ???

Innate Ability: [Envision]
Attempts: [4/7]

—----------------------------

Three of Ivan’s attributes had advanced, and all three were of the mind domain. Did creating the bond help him advance his attributes? There was a possibility that he could progress his attributes while his soul cores were dormant. His Sailor and Bard pathways hadn’t advanced—perhaps they required actions related to the sea, purification, devotion, or religion?... His Spectator, Secret Suppliant, and Reader pathways had advanced when he created the bond. To accommodate his bonding ability, he needed at least this much power to make it usable.

That aside, this was good news. He had thought he needed to complete nightmares and ascend to increase his power, but now he realized he just needed to determine the advancement requirements and fulfill them. This would allow him to gain greater power at a lower level. Still, these attributes seemed closely tied to his soul core and soul fragments.

***

At the same time, far to the north west, beyond the forgotten shore and at the edge of the burned forest, a cacophony of explosions erupted. A massive cloud of smoke and dust billowed into the air, large enough to cover three towns. High at the edge of the smoke, a gaunt man in a tattered space suit emerged, leaping out of the chaos. As he moved, the surrounding space seemed to warp, bending and twisting in strange patterns. With a swift movement of his leg, the man accelerated, his body moving at what appeared to be normal speed—but the very fabric of space around him distorted, causing the distance and surroundings to contract. This allowed him to move at ridiculous speeds, as though the world itself bent to his will. The gaunt man in the space suit continued running, clearly trying to evade something.

In the center of the smoke-filled area, a figure stood. His form was blurry, obscured by the thick dust and haze. Beside him, a quill floated in the air, writing on thin air without the figure needing to touch it. The figure, shrouded by the smoke, turned his head toward the gaunt man, then glanced at the quill. The quill wrote vigorously on the air.

[The gaunt man in the space suit continued to blink in and out of existence, his form appearing and disappearing with each bend of space around him. However, his aspect is not suited for handling prolonged exposure to the immense pressure of this compressed space. As he attempted to summon the souls of the residents of the burned forest, the compressed space, which had been in a state of unnatural distortion, suddenly recoiled. The recoil was an inevitable consequence of the sustained bending of spacetime—when the energy holding the space in its compressed form suddenly released, it generated an intense backlash.]

[Asterion faced the full brunt of this recoil. The compressed space snapped back, causing an explosive release of energy. The force of this energy threw Asterion in the opposite direction at extreme velocity. His space suit’s visor shattered from the sudden shockwave. As the shards of the broken visor flew inward, they threatened to pierce his face, but the Sovereign’s body was far more resilient than ordinary flesh. Despite the assault, his face remained mostly unharmed; however in the process he dropped a wooden tablet. This is a reasonable development.]

"That damned quill..." The gaunt man in the space suit—Asterion—cursed as he stood up. As he did, a figure emerged from the receding smoke. This time, the quill remained in the figure's hand, and it wasn’t writing anything. The figure approached the wooden tablet that had fallen from Asterion, bent down to pick it up, and inspected it with a keen eye. After a moment, the figure gave a satisfied smile.

"You know, if you had asked nicely, I might have given it to you. Though not for free, I would have been open to trading it..." Asterion said, still preparing to pull on his tether to the waking world. "For that quill, I might have agreed to an exchange. I know using that quill puts you in danger, which is why you never use it beyond a certain interval. I—"

"What is your type?"

Asterion’s eyes widened, not because he had been cut off, but because of the question itself. "What?" he replied, his voice edged with confusion.

"I am in a good mood right now," the figure said, his voice warm but carrying an undertone of something more profound. "You see, I’m having a great time right now—well, the other me, at least."

As the smoke continued to dissipate, the figure’s appearance became clearer. He was a man who appeared to be around 20 years old, standing at about two meters tall. His bright golden eyes were sharp, yet soft at the corners. His blonde hair framed his face, and the expression on his face was that of someone thoroughly enjoying the moment—radiating a smile that was warm and genuine.

It was Ivan. He wore a classic black clergyman’s robe, and a silver crucifix hung from his neck, catching the faint light that filtered through the smoke.

"You see—" Ivan started, but just then, something was thrown at him. It was shapeless, and its form was nearly impossible to detect with the naked eye. Ivan reacted instantly, ducking and avoiding the formless projectile as it zipped through the space where his head had been only moments before. Once he stood back up, however, Asterion had vanished—he had returned to the waking world. Ivan’s eyes lingered on the spot where Asterion had been, then swept over his surroundings.

He let out a long, weary sigh and collapsed onto his back, letting his body rest on the charred earth. The quill that had been in his hand disappeared in a small spark of light, vanishing into the air. "I really overestimated myself," Ivan muttered.

In his other hand was the wooden tablet. Ivan gazed at it for a moment before casting a tired but knowing smile towards the direction of the Forgotten Shore. Sending him there was the right choice, Ivan thought, though a tinge of regret followed closely behind. But I’m running out of time.

Ivan summoned the quill once again, the familiar feeling of the object materializing in his hand. He began to write something in the air, its strokes forming invisible symbols. I should be able to merge back before the siege of the Crimson Spire, Ivan mused as he finished writing.

In one swift motion, he broke the wooden tablet in his hand, causing a surge of blinding light to erupt from it. The light enveloped him entirely, burning brighter with each passing second.

The flash of light grew blinding, consuming everything around him. After a moment, the light began to dim, slowly dissipating into the air until it was completely gone. The terrain remained unchanged: the ground was still charred, barren, and lifeless, with no sign of life.

Chapter Text

Under the false sun, the forgotten shore gave out an eerie red glow, amongst the crimson labyrinth a tree stood out of place, This magnificent tree stands atop the Ashen Barrow with its onyx branches and vibrant scarlet leaves. It looked striking and majestic. Its fruits, hanging between the scarlet leaves, were round and appetizing.

Beneath the great tree, was a creature and 4 silhouettes engrossed in a fight, The creature was as large as a house, with its eight segmented legs resembling tall pillars. Its form was similar to that of scavengers and centurions, consisting of a crab-like carapace and a protruding, somewhat humanoid torso. However, this was where the similarities between them ended.

Instead of chitin, the behemoth's shell was seemingly made out of polished, lustrous metal. It was as though its whole body had been once submerged into a crucible of molten steel, emerging from it encased in an impenetrable suit of shining armor.

The demon's head was more pronounced than that of a scavenger and crowned with several tall, sharp horns. Its metal face was almost human-like, but simultaneously repulsively monstrous and bestial.

It was a carapace demon, an Awakened Demon.

One of the silhouettes shakily rising to its legs. A stubborn light was burning in its eyes. Producing a loud screech, it clacked its pincers in the air and once again rushed toward the demon.

The smaller creature bravely ran toward the steel behemoth, raising its pincers to attack.

A fraction of a second after its attempt to attack, the demon caught the creature and slightly strained its arms and tore the creature in two, separating its torso from the carapace and crushing both halves into a bloody pulp.

While it was distracted, a figure appeared behind it, he had bright gold hair and golden eyes that seemed as bright as the sun, on his hand was a… machine gun, he fired continuously at the towering demon. Cracks started to appear on the back of the polished metal carapace, the demon immediately turned around and attacked the blonde boy.

The blonde boy did not stop shooting, only jumping back and creating distance between himself and the demon, just as the attention of the demon was concentrated on the blonde boy a girl appeared from behind the demon.

Her silvery hair cascaded down her back, her grey eyes reflecting the same cold determination that burned within her heart. It was nephis of the immortal flame, she dashed forward with all her might.

A shadow passed beside her, Sunny dashed toward the demon's legs.

By now the demon had already noticed their approach and had turned back to intercept them.

Nephis had managed to avoid the massive pincer and was closing in on them, too. Sunny and nephis reached their goals almost simultaneously, one from the right, the other from the left.

Sunny slashed with the Azure Blade, feeling it hit the polished armor and bounce back without leaving even a slight scratch on it.

Sunny crushed under his breath.

On the other side of the behemoth's massive body, Nephis made significant progress. She attacked the monster’s injured front leg, cutting deep into its flesh through a wide crack in the metal plate. Severely damaged, the leg could no longer support the giant creature's weight. It buckled, sending the demon reeling.

Her graceful form flew through the air like an arrow released from a powerful bow, leaving afterimages behind. The silver blade of her longsword glimmered in the light of dawn, while her black-and-white armor blurred with every movement.

Beneath her, an ethereal golden haze materialized. It was subtle, almost imperceptible in the heat of battle, but it was there, silently empowering her.

She was all in, rushing at the enemy without leaving herself the slightest chance to retreat.

The demon reacted almost immediately, recognizing the threat. But “almost” didn’t count on the battlefield. A moment of distraction was all it took to lose everything. That single mistake—no matter how small—had sealed its fate.

As she ran, the rhythm of her steps changed. The agony she should have felt using her aspect was lessened, her body moving with ease.

In the next instant, a soft white radiance ignited beneath the skin of her hands. But this time, it didn’t stay there. The white flame flowed outward into the hilt of the silver sword, then into its blade.

The sword transformed into a sharp, radiant edge, burning with incandescent white light. It shone so brightly that Sunny had to resist the urge to close his eyes. But the radiance wasn’t soft and warm anymore. It seemed capable of reducing anything it touched to ash—sharp enough to cut the fabric of the world itself.

A few steps away from the Carapace Demon’s towering torso, Nephis bent her legs and leapt into the air. Her sword flashed forward in a vicious thrust—so fast that, for a moment, it looked like a beam of pure white sunlight.

Then, it collided with the strange alloy of the giant's lustrous armor… right at the spot where his heart should have been.

At the same time, standing on the edge of the fight, a boy with golden hair smiled slightly and murmured, "Finally."

Dense golden and holy flames erupted across the demon's body before entering its metal form.

Then, Changing Star’s sword reached the Carapace Demon’s heart, slicing it apart, incinerating everything around it, and making the azure blood of the fearsome creature boil and evaporate.

Sunny’s legs buckled, and he gracelessly fell onto his ass. "Wh—wha… We did it?"

"Yes, we did..." came the blonde boy's response from behind him.

The boy, Ivan, looked at the remains of the demon and spoke in a light-hearted tone.

"That was quite the fight, wasn’t it? And here you were saying we were crazy..." Ivan stopped and glanced at the duo with a confused expression.

Nephis and Sunny were staring at him, their expressions unreadable. Was it awe, dumbfoundedness, or just plain bewilderment?

"What? Why are you staring at me like that?" Ivan asked.

"Why? Are you really asking that right now?" Sunny spoke up. His expression was much easier to read—he didn’t go out of his way to suppress it, unlike Nephis, whose face rarely showed emotion. However, thanks to Ivan’s Spectator ability, he could read deeper than most.

"You brought out a bloody machine gun in a sword fight," Sunny blurted out.

"No, that isn’t even why I’m flabbergasted," he continued. "It’s the fact that it worked against the bloody crab—whatever the hell that thing was. Didn’t you say the weapons you make can’t be used against awakened abominations?"

Sunny had every right to be skeptical, as Ivan had previously claimed that whatever weapons he made wouldn’t be effective against these nightmare creatures.

Ivan finally seemed to understand what the duo meant by their looks. He responded calmly. "I didn’t lie about that, but I never said guns don’t work. Ordinary guns don’t, but this one is modified to work with awakened powers and soul essence."

"And the old saying goes: it’s always better to bring a gun to a knife fight... wouldn’t you agree?"

Ivan said, but as he did, he saw that neither of them was convinced. This could be a problem—if he didn’t explain himself soon, both of them would likely distrust him, despite their shared survival.

He sighed. "I’m not lying. It’s the truth. It’s something I came up with before the fight. It was only theoretical, though, so I decided to test it while I had the chance."

Turning to look at one of the tree’s branches, he turned back to the duo. "Let’s head back. Cassie’s waiting for us… and let’s have a feast. Whatever you guys want to eat."

The duo didn’t hesitate. They started moving to clean up the scene while Sunny went back to the branch to get Cassie down. Ivan simply stood, watching the scene unfold.

As expected, they seemed to naturally overlook my presence, almost forgetting I was even here. I guess that’s the [Spectator] ability for you.

It didn’t work like this when it was just Cassie and me, though. In large groups, I’m pretty much forgettable.

Ivan turned to look at the tree with an impassive expression. As a pinnacle of the mind domain, I can naturally sense other beings who rely on or use powers related to it. Now, I can almost physically see the Soul Devouring Tree using its mind hexes on the Forgotten Shore trio, slowly but surely attempting to turn them into its loyal thralls. However, something so weak can’t seem to affect me—or rather, it seems to avoid me. It almost feels like it’s trying to convey an offer.

Heh...

It can sense that it can’t win against me, so it’s trying to make an irresistible offer.

Unfortunately for you, ancient fiend, I have a story to look over.

Chapter Text

Several days prior…

After Ivan and Cassie formed their bond, they left the small cave and began heading west. Ivan shared his true name with Cassie, who was visibly shocked. She recalled that the only other person she had heard of receiving a true name as a sleeper was Nephis, the last member of the Immortal Flame clan.

Receiving a true name after one's first nightmare was not just rare—it was almost unheard of. Simply revealing such a fact would attract the attention of the great clans. If a sleeper were to join one of these clans, they would be showered with soul shards and granted all the memories they could ask for. Had Ivan not told her he came from a middle-class household, she might have mistaken him for a legacy.

From her previous vision, she had already seen how he looked, and it wasn't far-fetched to think he was in a class of his own in terms of appearance. He almost seemed like a royal from one of the novels or webtoons she used to secretly read.

However, what truly took her aback the most was hearing his true name.

“Okay, let me get this straight… Your true name, which you received after your first nightmare, is literally just ‘Adam’?” Cassie couldn't shake the sheer oddity of Ivan's character. First, he had five attributes, which in itself was exceedingly rare, but each of those attributes was of a more mundane nature—nothing like the supernatural traits Cassie was accustomed to seeing in the academy.

And now, even his true name was ordinary. She couldn't wrap her head around it. True names like Immortal Flame, Broken Sword, Smile of Heaven, Wake of Ruin, and the most recent Changing Star all danced in her mind like ethereal stars. Yet among those stars was a radiant, fluffy ball of fur, dancing in between.

Just as she imagined this comical scene, Ivan spoke up. “Even though my true name may seem mundane, we shouldn’t underestimate it.”

Cassie tilted her head in confusion, her eyes hidden behind her laced blindfold. “What do you mean?”

Ivan continued, “While it’s true that my name and attributes are mundane, they could still hold more significance than anything else. For example, the first human’s name was Adam. He was the father of humanity and the first to walk the Earth. Receiving the true name of Adam could signify the beginning of something—perhaps the beginning of countless possibilities. After all, humanity has a lot of untapped potential, just as much as it is a tenacious cockroach; it survives no matter the calamity.”

Cassie stared at him, her awe evident despite the blindfold. She blurted out, “Wait, the first human’s name was Adam?”

“Yes. At least, that’s what the Bible says, before the Dark Times. Although, many people have different interpretations of that story.”

Cassie was captivated. She asked him a flurry of questions about the topic, and they continued their conversation for some time.

***

Cassie’s Mother

It has been several days since I received the news that my daughter had entered the dream realm. It all felt like a horrible nightmare, which is quite ironic because many people have to go through a nightmare to awaken.

I couldn’t help but wonder if this was her first nightmare. Even though she was already past the age most people experience it and has a family of her own, including a teenage daughter, it’s not unheard of for late bloomers to face their first nightmare later in life.

From what I’ve read online and what I know, the Spell almost always places people in a forgotten part of history to test the sleepers. Right now, she was walking down the road back from the market in NQSC, so it seemed highly unlikely she was in a nightmare trial.

But after my daughter was infected by the nightmare spell, my husband and I became consumed with worry and fear. When she survived, we were overjoyed, but that joy would soon crumble when we learned of her flaw. Cassie’s flaw was blindness, and any semblance of hope we had for our family was shattered.

In a couple of months, the winter solstice would arrive, and the sleepers would enter the dream realm for the first time, becoming awakened. For Cassie, however, this felt like a death sentence. Every day, Cassie would shed tears in her room. My husband and I barely held it together, trying our best to comfort her, but the reality of the situation was determined to break us down.

Not long after, Cassie came out of her room and made the decision to go to the awakened academy. She was brave. She put on a strong front and comforted us when it should have been the other way around. But it was obvious what she was doing—she didn’t want us to feel burdened, so she chose to walk toward her own destined death.

And I couldn’t do anything about it…

Her face crumpled into a grimace. She wanted to shed tears, but what good would tears do for her daughter? After all, according to the spell, the gods were dead—begging them wouldn’t help either. But still, she wanted to try. She wanted to hope that a god might answer her dearest wish.

She was going to do whatever it took, even if the end turned out to be hopeless. She opened her bag and pulled out a piece of paper with an address written on it.

Church of Aurora, Saint Aria’s Cathedral, 5th Avenue, Dunstan Lane.

Her good friend had given it to her when they met in the market. She was a great friend, someone she could rely on. She had also adopted a daughter a while back, and when she heard about her situation, she had given her the address and told her to go to the church and pray.

Her friend had shared that she and her husband had become believers in the Church of Aurora, followers of the "True Creator."

It was quite surprising to hear this in the current age, especially when the nightmare spell had replaced the idea of worshiping divine entities. Even though there were some radicals and fanatics who still worshiped the nightmare spell, it was much rarer to encounter someone who believed in a deity. After the dark times, most people became atheists or agnostics, so it was safe to say that she was taken aback by her friend's newfound faith.

Her friend didn’t force her to believe in this deity, but she did proselytize a little, offering a brief sermon about the “True Creator.” Among the things she had said were, “The Lord embodies the truth of this world. 'He' is supreme. 'His' divine grace flows abundantly like the sea. 'He' created everything and shall annihilate everything. 'He' is 'power incarnate.'”

She would be lying if she said she wasn’t at least intrigued by this god. What surprised her, though, was the fact that it had been around for over a decade, yet she had only heard its name for the first time today.

Her friend even claimed that this god answered the prayers of their followers and, on occasion, bestowed blessings. If anyone else had told her this, she would have dismissed it as a scam. But coming from her friend, someone who wasn’t naïve enough to believe in fairy tales without solid proof, she couldn’t ignore it.

After a brief moment of hesitation, she decided to go to Saint Aria’s Cathedral.

***

After walking for a while, she had arrived at the address where the cathedral was located, Her breath caught as she gazed up at the cathedral. It was unlike anything she had ever seen in NQSC. The size was overwhelming, especially in a place where space was such a rare and valuable commodity. Despite its lack of towering height, the sheer scale of the building was enough to make it stand out among the more utilitarian structures around it.

The walls were pure white, almost glowing in the soft light of the late afternoon, while the colorful glass murals on the windows told tales of the scriptures with such vividness that they almost seemed to shimmer.

People of all walks of life were streaming in and out of the cathedral, their faces lit with expressions of hope and contentment. It was as if the invisible weight had been lifted from their shoulders. Even the homeless residents from the outskirts of NQSC, who had no reason to smile, seemed at ease.

She hesitated at the entrance for a moment, her hand still holding the crumpled paper with the address written on it. There were no grandiose gates or overly ornate symbols to mark the entrance—just a simple, welcoming door that opened to anyone. The faint scent of incense wafted through the air, mixing with the cool evening breeze.

The moment she entered, the atmosphere shifted. It was quieter inside, but not in a cold or empty way. The floors were polished, the pews well-kept, and the soft golden light of candles flickered in front of a tall cross in the center of the hall.

She moved further in, drawn by an almost magnetic pull toward the cross. The few people still inside had their heads bowed in prayer while they were seated at rows of benches, and others stood, whispering soft words that blended into the hum of the church. She had never seen anything like it. She had never been to a place of worship before, only heard about them from her father and her now dead grandfather.

She felt a lump rise in her throat as she approached the cross. The tears she had been holding back, the ones she had swallowed over the past few days, threatened to spill over. She didn’t know what she believed, but in that moment, she desperately wished for something. For Cassie.

It was then that she noticed a figure in front of the cross, someone she hadn’t seen before, as the cross had captured most of her attention.

The figure was a woman, likely in her mid-twenties, younger than herself. Her brown hair cascaded down her shoulders, and a translucent veil covered her head, falling in front of her face and barely concealing her eyes.

A dozen or so people sat on the front benches, not in prayer, but listening intently to the woman’s preaching.

“The Red Angel is the Lord’s rage, the Lord’s punishment. His appearance over the land means war is at hand…”

The woman’s voice carried with a certainty that captivated her. The words seemed to describe an angel that served the “True Creator.”

She continued to gaze forward, her thoughts drifting, when she heard someone call her from behind. Turning around, she saw a man in his forties, dressed in simple but neat attire, approaching her with a kind yet respectful expression.

“Madam, Lady Aria is currently in her preaching session. It can be a little distracting to stand in the center aisle and stare. Would you kindly take a seat here?"

His voice was soft, but carried the weight of respect for the sanctity of the space.

He had adorned a black clergyman robe, and a crucifix hung on his chest, he had light grey hair.

After hearing the man she nearly blurted out loud in surprise, but had managed to control her voice before asking, “that was Aria? As in saint..”.

The man smiled “indeed, this cathedral was named after, however she isn't an awakened saint, a lot of people confuse it, so rest assured the saint is simply a virtuous title given to the most devout here”, he explained.

He then asked a question of his own, “say madam, i am not familiar with you, are you new here?”.

She then explained her situation to the man in front of her who seemed to be a high ranking priest of this church. She didn’t explain in detail simply the things that are eating her from the inside and the pain of a mother.

The man listened intently, surprisingly he was an honest man, he did not give her false hope like telling her as long as she prayed and believed in the ”True creator”, her daughter would be miraculously saved, he did his best to console her and it help her sooth her mind from the whirlwind of emotions. He told her that life is a test and that every hardship, ease will follow. He told her to be patient and to try praying in one of the benches, she didn’t have to convert or believe in their god, just praying would do.

She didn’t expect any great help from the man or anything to be honest, but she decided to listen to the man’s advice, it wouldn’t hurt to pray, after all everyone prays in some form or another whether consciously or not.

She sat in of the more secluded benches, she kept the groceries on the side, For a moment, there was only silence, the distant hum of the woman’s preaching barely audible as she gathered her thoughts.

Then, her soft voice resounded as she whispered the honorific name the old man had told her.

"The Lord that Created Everything, The Lord who Reigns Behind the Curtain of Shadows, The Origin of all Living Things…"

She inhaled deeply, the words leaving her lips in a gentle whisper. she continued, her plea growing from the depths of her soul.

"I beseech Thee, please save my daughter, Cassie. Please, save her from the cruelty of the Dream Realm. Please, shield her from the darkness that haunts her, the torment that awaits her.."

Her throat tightened, but she forced the words to keep coming, as if voicing them might release some of the weight on her chest.

"Please, ease the burden on our family. Lord, but we still have love. We still have hope, though it fades with each passing day. Please, grant us the strength to endure, to carry on without succumbing to despair. Let her feel your grace, your presence in the darkness."

Her voice faltered slightly, but she pressed on, her hands gripping one another with desperate conviction.

"Make it so that she might be freed from this curse, and that she may return to us, whole and unharmed. I beg of you, True Creator, grant us a miracle. Let her know she is not alone in this struggle. Let her feel the warmth of your protection."

The words hung in the air, her prayer lingering between her and whatever force might be listening. There was no answer but as she finished, she felt a shift in herself. A small sense of calm, like a fleeting whisper had settled in her heart. She wasn’t sure what it was or if it was just the quiet of the cathedral, but for the first time in days, she felt just a little less alone.

She lowered her hands slowly, unsure if her prayer had been heard.

When she raised her head, she was not greeted by the familiar hall of the church, rather she found herself standing on air on top of what looks like a coral labyrinth, the environment started to move or rather she started to move, the surrounding became a blur, she didn't even get time to be surprised, everything seemed to happen in an instant.

Soon the surroundings became clear, she was scared, she didn't know what what was happening, she looked around, it looked close to evening time, the coral labyrinth had an eerie red glow, she frantically tried to move but she couldn't, she only remained standing, just then she noticed something.

She noticed figures seated on a highly elevated rock formation. Then, she saw someone she thought she would never get to see, except in a hollowed body.

It was Cassie, her only daughter. She had her hands to cover her mouth, and an indescribable feeling surged in her heart. Tears started to form in her eyes.

She wanted nothing more than to run up to Cassie, to hug her and hold her tight, but at that moment, her movements were restricted.

In that instant, she felt as though her wishes had been granted. God really existed. God hadn’t forsaken her daughter.

The preaching woman’s voice rang in her head,

“God loves the world.”

...

She looked at Cassie more clearly. Cassie wore a dress that fit her perfectly. The lace-up front added a subtle touch of elegance, accentuating her slim figure. The deep purple fabric cascaded down in soft, flowing folds. Cassie had donned a black lace blindfold over her eyes, but rather than hiding her beauty, it only seemed to accentuate it more.

She then noticed that Cassie was talking to someone, though she couldn’t hear what was being said. She could tell from Cassie's animated expression that she was speaking with excitement and curiosity. She turned to look at the person.

The person Cassie was talking to was a boy. He had golden hair and sharp golden eyes. His appearance was striking—he could easily be an icon among his peers.

She wasn’t sure how to feel about the situation, with a boy and a girl being together alone, but she reminded herself that this was the dream realm. Another matter was Sleepers didn’t take their clothes with them the first time they entered the dream realm, so it meant this boy had saved Cassie and provided her with those clothes.

At least she could tell that this boy had no ill intentions toward Cassie. Just by looking at him, she couldn’t help but think of him as a sun appearing in the darkness. It was exactly what she had wished for.

Just as she was thinking this, the boy with golden hair seemed to notice something. He didn’t interrupt Cassie, who was still talking; he simply raised his head and looked in a specific direction.

“What the—”

He didn’t look at just any random direction. He looked straight at the spot where Cassie’s mother was watching from.

Chapter Text

Turning his head in a direction, he could have sworn he felt a gaze on him, but when he scanned the area, there was nothing. In the dream realm, there is one rule: never directly gaze over, or else you risk exposing your position. That is why the awakened never directly look at a nightmare creature until they are ready to attack and kill it.

Scanning the area one more time and seeing nothing, he decided to turn his head back to the still-talking Cassie. She was continuing her life’s story. One of the things that surprised him was the fact that she had actually been struggling with her studies and that before her first nightmare, she was almost certain she would fail her class. Coming from her, it was a surprise, especially considering she was, if not one of the smartest humans to ever walk, certainly one of the most intelligent. She had almost entirely on her own planned on breaking fate, and she had succeeded. It was one of those achievements that even if it was witnessed by the entirety of humanity, they would still refuse to believe it. And to top it all off, she had done so as a master. It was almost impossible to imagine someone who almost failed school achieving such a ridiculous feat.

Just then, the duo stopped talking as they heard noise coming from the side of the elevated rock formation. Cassie tensed up, but unlike in the past, she wasn’t too shaken. Instead, she was waiting for instructions from Adam. But the instruction didn’t come, and she was starting to get worried, so she asked in a hushed voice.

But Ivan simply didn’t say anything; he kept looking in the direction of the noise.

Eventually, a figure of a woman entered the scene. She was tall and lithe, with silky silver hair and clear, grey eyes. She wore a simple tunic. She was poised, alert, and barefoot.

Cassie had long gone silent. Ivan suspected that she must be following after his actions.

Standing up and envisioning a random sword, he stood between the two ladies.

“Gods, why does this feel like a really badly written drama? It's like the MC protecting the women he loves against the villainess fiancée,” he mused as he raised the sword.

“State your identity,” he said with a commanding voice. Of course, he knew who she was and her identity, but that was the problem—he knew too much, and that was an issue. He was just a spectator and background character, and if he didn’t show surprise in front of the immortal flame’s last heiress, that would incur suspicion. Considering how mad she was, recalling her suicidal conquest of the crimson spire, there was no telling what might happen if a variable like himself appeared in the middle of the main cast’s play.

However, the next scene was absolutely out of his expectations. Nephis entirely ignored him as if not even noticing his presence, walking over to Cassie and extending an arm, asking the same of her.

“Give your hand,” Nephis requested.

Cassie was visibly confused as well. She didn’t recognize the woman’s voice. This woman had ignored Adam’s question and simply approached her, ordering her to give her hand. In such a situation, no matter what, it was not normal to ignore someone like Adam.

She didn’t give her hand. Instead, she asked a question in return, “Why? And who are you?” She was unsure of what to do or even what to ask. Adam seemed to be silent for some reason.

Nephis tilted her head slightly, as if confused. “It’s not safe to traverse the dream realm naked. You need some protection against the elements, or else you might die. As for who I am… I am Nephis.”

Cassie’s eyes widened behind the laced blindfold. In front of her stood none other than the last member of the immortal flame clan. But she was equally confused. What did she mean by “naked”? She couldn’t possibly mean me, could she? No, Neph wasn’t blind, she was, but she was fully clothed, and it couldn’t be because of the darkness, because Adam had said it was still evening time and the sun hadn't set.

“U-uhh, Neph, as you can see, I am not naked. I’m fully clothed. Adam made these for me,” she said while showcasing her dress. Nephis, in return, became confused, then scanned Cassie from top to bottom before suddenly her eyes widened. She turned her head in Ivan’s direction as if only finally noticing his presence.

She narrowed her eyes. Her face remained expressionless, but in the eyes of a spectator reading emotions, no matter how hidden, it was the same as reading an open book. There was a hint of panic, which was replaced by cold reasoning. Then the emotion turned mild but still weary.

“Who are you?” she blatantly asked.

“Excuse me, that’s a question I should be asking you.” That aside, she must have come to the reasoning that if Ivan was an assassin sent by the great clans, he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to get a burden. And in a sense, she wasn’t wrong. An assassin simply sent to kill her wouldn’t bother saving someone like Cassie.

Outwardly, his expression remained calm, but inside, there was a storm. Everything, every plan and possibility he had thought of, might have been wrong. First, his appearance in the story seemed to be completely disregarded. Nephis seemed to fail to notice his presence entirely. Second, no matter what, the story would always go according to how it was fated. Then there was Cassie’s and Nephis’s interaction. Cassie had dropped honorifics and directly called Nephis by her nickname, Neph, almost as if they had known each other for a while.

Ivan even suspected that if he had not formed a bond with Cassie prior to this interaction, all his progress with her might have been reset, forgotten, to go with the flow of the main story.

Ivan was in a dilemma. He didn’t know what to do. Until now, he had been worried about how the story would turn out, but instead, he should have been worried about how he would turn out. No matter his plans and predictions, all would be pointless if nothing was changeable. No, it was changeable. The fact that Cassie was able to remember him and refer to him was proof. The only problem was that Cassie was the only one who had changed slightly due to him.

“For f*ck’s sake, when did fated and fateless have a baby?”

“Should you be asking that, Lady Changing Star?” Ivan answered shortly. For now, he had no choice but to go with the flow.

“As for my name, you can call me Ivan…”

***

Cassie’s Mother POV

Walking through a wide hallway of Saint Aria’s cathedral, the walls were inscribed with majestic paintings and murals, depicting stories from the Church's Bible.

Two figures were walking through the hallway. One was a brunette in her mid-20s, her brown hair cascading down her shoulders, with a translucent veil covering her head and falling over her face, barely obscuring her eyes. It was none other than Saint Aria, after whom the very cathedral was named.

The second figure was a woman in her early thirties—Cassie’s mother.

“I am really glad you chose to be a priestess of our church. I have to say, I was very surprised when I heard ‘God’ had answered your call immediately after you prayed. You should consider yourself really lucky, especially since you weren’t a believer. Even I don’t get such a miracle that often,” Saint Aria said, her voice melodious, almost like a lullaby.

Cassie’s mother only gave a humble reply and downplayed herself. Occasionally, she would ask questions regarding the murals and her job as a priestess.

“You don’t actually have any great duties here. Instead, we are quite free-spirited. You only need to show up at least once or twice a week. You can choose your job, whether it’s cleaning duty, feeding the poor people from the outskirts, attending scripture lessons, or being on preaching duty. Food and any needs you might have for yourself and your family will be covered by the church, as well as a salary. But to officially become a priestess, you would need to wait for approval from the deacon, then attend training for several months. However, since your situation is more special than anyone else's, the Holy Emperor himself has approved of you joining the clergy,” Saint Aria explained.

Cassie’s mother was taken aback. For such a large church, she expected quite a strict routine. After all, she had her own home to take care of as a full-fledged housewife. She had offered to join on impulse and excitement, but later felt worried about how she would juggle her routine. But thanks to this, she could come here every once in a while, do several chores, attend classes, feed the poor, and then be done with her day. Better yet, she would be paid, and any needs of her family would be taken care of by the church. It sounded amazing.

She then asked, “How many cathedrals or churches do we have?” She was curious about the size of the Church of Aurora.

“Oh, we have a lot of churches. At least four churches in NQSC, and many more in other Siege Quadrant cities. Recently, our Church started a massive project of expanding to Antarctica…” Saint Aria excitedly explained, while Cassie’s mother simply listened with her mouth agape.

Eventually, she asked another question. “Earlier, you mentioned the Holy Emperor. Who is he?”

At that question, Saint Aria stopped talking and coughed in embarrassment. “Uh-oh, my bad. I should have explained the inner workings of our church before everything else.”

“The Holy Emperor is God’s representative on earth. Essentially, he is the Pope of our Church. He can directly talk to God and has no need for revelations… and ‘The Holy Emperor’ is simply his title…” Saint Aria explained.

Cassie’s mother continued listening, but as the words sank in, her face slowly turned pale. When she had proclaimed her wish to join the church, the old man had told her she would be meeting with the Pope. Right now, she was certain there was a God. And if the Pope could directly talk to God… Was she even worthy of being in the presence of someone like that?

Her sweat and worry, however, went unnoticed by Saint Aria, who was still guiding her through the cathedral with a serene, almost blissful air.

Eventually, they reached an opaque, glass-like wall. Cassie’s mother was confused, but then “Saint Aria” stood shoulder to shoulder to her right and crossed her fingers with hers. “Calm down, and just follow my lead,” Saint Aria said.

Then, to Cassie’s mother’s shock, she was pulled into the glass-like wall. It felt as though she were walking into a dead-end cliff, but somehow—defying all logic—it felt as if gravity itself had been deceived. In a dizzying, 360-degree rotation, she found herself standing upright again. It was as though she had walked into an upside-down world, the scenery around her twisting and warping as if the very laws of reality had been bent.

The ground beneath her felt unfamiliar, the air different, even the light that filtered through seemed warped, almost ethereal. She looked around in a daze, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

“Don’t worry,” Saint Aria’s calm voice broke through her confusion. “This is a special chamber known only to the clergy of the Church. It’s a passage between the realms, almost like the dream realm, and only those who have been specially chosen can enter.”

Cassie’s mother opened her mouth, but no words came out. She had so many questions, but the sight before her left her speechless.

Saint Aria continued, “The Holy Emperor is waiting for us on the other side. Just trust me and follow my lead.”

As they stepped forward, Cassie’s mother took a deep breath and continued walking, following the Saint.

The surroundings kept changing. At one moment, it was an ornate grand hallway; at another, it was a garden-lined passage. The scenery kept shifting into different forms, but she didn’t question Saint Aria this time, as she felt she wouldn’t get an answer.

Eventually, the surroundings stopped changing, and they entered a very humble room. On the left side, there were bookshelves filled with library books. To the front and right, there was a very comfortable and fluffy couch, a bed, and a study table.

On the fluffy couch sat a young-looking man with his eyes closed.

Saint Aria bowed to one knee and gestured for Cassie’s mother to do the same.

She was now in the presence of the Pope of the Church of Aurora.

“I greet His Holiness,” Saint Aria greeted the young man with utmost respect.

The young man’s eyes fluttered open. “Ah, you're here, Aria…”

He stood up. His hair was white with a golden hue, cascading down his back as if he hadn’t bothered to cut it in quite some time.

Cassie’s mother couldn’t help but feel as though this room was like a prison. Shaking her head, she cleared her thoughts and prepared herself to answer any questions.

“You may stand,” the young man ordered, his voice low but lethally sharp.

“It’s been a while since God sent a revelation so suddenly,” the young man began speaking.

“Ah, I should introduce myself… My name is Keter…”

Chapter Text

saint aria's POV

It had been several weeks since his holiness had personally recruited a new priestess. To her this had been very odd, his holiness had always been uninterested in matters regarding the matters of the church, it had also seemed to her that His holiness never seemed to even bother praying or even taking the lord’s words seriously.

Of course, any normal priest or priestess wouldn’t have dared question the pope himself who is often called the best friend of the lord of the heavens, but she wasn’t any normal priestess, she was the left hand of the pope.

She knew that the pope was far from the image that was shown to others, he never prayed to the lord, only ever acknowledging the lord’s presence and might.

When she asked him why, he simply said it was due to his aspect and flaw. The pope was an awakened, and she suspected that the pope might be a master or even a saint, but it was hard to confirm as the pope’s presence would constantly change, once she would feel the pope was mundane and other times a being greater than a saint, a supreme.

obviously, she was one of the few people who were aware of the existence of the sovereigns who had kept the secret of themselves being supreme from the rest of the world. like her and other priests of special ranks are aware of this fact, those people are more or else special in their own regards some of them were not even carrier’s of the nightmare spell, yet they exude the presence of one.

She was also aware of the Forgotten shore and the major events that would be unfolding in the future, from the number of survivors to everything about it. She had received this knowledge from her visions and some from the pope himself, but the latter seemed reluctant to speak about it, perhaps because of the lives that would be lost.

He had however made some remark about it….

“aria..”, pope keter called her.

He was seated on the soft couch in the same room where she had bought the new priestess, all that time back, except this time the room was darker, almost dim, and in front of him was a long mottled table, with multiple shadowy figures seated at either side. She could not tell how many figures there were but she could discern more than 3 individuals were present, it was like a meeting over the net, except with more mystical elements.

This is how the pope usually controls the church and all its branches from all around the world, he never leaves this room in this mystical place which seemed to be more and more like a dream realm.

Now that she thought about it, she had never in her long years of serving the church, seen the pope come out or even address the believers from day 1 of her time in the church; he had always been in this room other than that, he always seemed distant from those below him.

“Yes your holiness”, I replied without delay, burying any unnecessary thoughts.

“What are the updates regarding our expansion into Antarctica?” keter asked her as he read a paper with plans regarding creating a new route from Antarctica through the sea to the other quadrants with the help of the house of night.

Taking a look at the stack of pages on my hand, I read some details about the plan from under my veil and then turned my head to speak.

“We used several excuses, primarily the supply chain and stronger connections between the quadrants as an excuse to get the government and the house of night to work with us and put more focus in building newer and sturdier ships and creating new roads and other facilities of easier population transport, while we secretly work on the streamlining the escape routes for large scale evacuations with our resources, the government however have noticed this but avoided mentioning it as it didn’t get in the way of their plan or maybe simply because they don’t want to risk putting tension on our relations”.

I finished my short summary of the report, and awaited for his holiness to speak. For a moment it seemed that pope keter was happy.

“That’s good, very good actually… with this many of the troubles of the future will be under control…”, pope keter said with a bit of melancholy in his voice.

“Don’t you think you’re being too paranoid.”, one of the shadowy figures spoke up finally, from the voice it sounded like a middle aged man.

“while preparing for the future disaster is important, i still do not understand why we are spending so much of our resources on a yet to come disaster that we don’t even know will come or not? if you as me it seems your making decisions paranoia”

the middle aged man’s shadow paused momentarily while looking around, he then continued

He straightened up, then said in a neutral tone “I am saying, it would be best if we utilize our resources on something we are sure of. such as the forgotten shore”, the middle aged voice finally stopped and the table came to a silence.

Even though the old man had been slightly rude at his holiness, his words held truth in them, it was indeed much cheaper and a logical choice to venture on the safe route through the hallow mountains that your holiness had personally routed and saving the forgotten shore’s sleepers, it was not a secret, the forgotten shore sleepers are on an entirely different level compared to those of the same rank, so having saved them would benefit the larger populous.

however the pope had constantly been a roadblock to this idea, he had constantly somehow convinced all of the members present into turning their focus to Antarctica rather then forgotten shore.

Keter regarded the figures for a moment.

“Aria.. leave this room and wait outside”, he asked first.

the order was sudden but i heeded it regardless, placing the stacks of paper from my hand on the mottled table, i turned and left the room.

***

keter POV

“bloody hell, why cant you just listen to what i say without question”, he cried out inwardly.

normally, he wouldn’t bothered to listen to their complains but just a few weeks ago that bastard sent Cassie’s mother to me, the message was obvious, ‘i have awakened, i am sending Cassie’s mother to keep cass’s family safe while i woo their daughter to the astral world and oh yea you better do the dishes before i get back’.

because of him, i now have to speed up the churches expansion into Antarctica, he told me that his awakening would likely be after the forgotten shore arc had been completed but i could not on the life of my darling Morgan have guessed he meant becoming an awakened from a sleeper. back then he made me think he meant waking up literally but in reality he toyed with words i cant even say he lied cause technically he didn’t lie.

AHHHHHHHHH, fuck you visionary!!!!

after a few short moments of cursing a certain person who cannot be named, he turned his attention back to the individuals, these were some hopeless people he randomly chose after he returned to start the church, after training them on many things and making them a believer of the certain Almighty simp, he had left them to manage the church while he controlled the entire organization from the top, it was his only option really, he wanted to leave this room but doing so would have made the corruption to start spreading again, so he could only resort to this method.

obviously without the leaders involvement, the subordinates would without a doubt grow complacent,no matter how powerful the leader is or how influential, the leaders presence is paramount to a successful organization.

what the middle aged man said is true, but that is under blind faith that it would work, in reality its not simple, even when.i did save more people from the forgotten shore then in the original story, the following events become more dire and the losses become too much for me to even look at, it was only thanks to “him” that it didn’t go much worse, but that time was already catastrophic, without the main protagonist back then the end result was much worse.

that is why, this time we had decided to absolutely not tamper with the original story except those that dont affect the grand scheme of things -it was mostly “his” idea-.

turning his attention back to the shadowy figure’s, i dont have time i will simply have to use force here, time is of the essence very soon “he” is going return.

“there are reason that you are still not yet ready to know”, while saying that he stood up, he pulled on the crucifix on his neck wrapped the chain around his hand while letting the cross dangle.

“when the time comes you will know, but for now i need you to speed up all operations, asap”, i am just bullshitting here, nothing will be explained, if you dont know how to get out of a tough situation you can always take help from the “100 ways to fool the members of your organization into thinking you got everything covered but in reality others are gonna cover it for you”, if your listening you better come fast.

~~~

after several more minutes of dialogue, the shadowy figures dissolved one after another only leaving one.

the shadow on the figure dissolved leaving a women in her early twenties, she wore a simple white chiton, which carefully carved her generous figure on to the world, she had crossed one leg over another.

We met a long time ago, back when i was trying to cross the Hallow mountain’s, back then i never thought i would actually come across someone like her but i did, because she was a demoness, or rather she became one, “he” had already long established a formula to acquire a certain type of aspects, however this formula didn’t come simply come out of nowhere, it was experimented, researched, observed and then complied, however experiments weren’t done with lab or other ethical methods but by using actual people as lab rats for him, this is where he and I part ways, i don’t like his methods but i cant say anything against it, at the time his humanity was on an all time low but he did ensure all he did was simply observe and only interfere enough to see if its possible to get desired aspects, but of course, this could also be selective honesty, he might have done what he said but could have also easily omitted the fact he had done worse things before me and her.

yet he is still the best person to follow behind, i- you damn bastard, you better keep your promise.

if it works, this time line would be the best timeline of all timelines..

“are you sure Adam has awakened?”, the women spoke first.

“yep, that Simp Almighty has awkaned and apparently is already in the forgotten shore, in about a month the siege of the crimson spire will start-”

“has Adam awakened?”, the women interrupted.

Keter stared at the women. then closing his eyes he replied, “Yes”.

he then asked a question back, “why do you care about him so much?”

a moment passed then two, then she replied “Adam has given me life…“.

Keter sighed and closed his eyes, it was always the same, she was only a vessel a vessel after all…

***

Ivan POV

he was laying down on the hard floor, under. ragged tent, staring at the whole on the ceiling tent.

haha…. hahahaha. hahhahahahahaha…

he started laughing like maniac, he didn’t even care if he was being heard by others… because right now there was another Ivan or rather an apparition of himself seating right across from him.

he lifted his head to look at the apparition again then dropped his head back to the ground. “i am going insane, i have a sin of solace, hehhehehe damn i going to be mad prince fr fr”.

the apparition did indeed look like Ivan but there were clear difference for example, the apparition had black hair with golden accents on the root of his hairs, and he was clearly older looking compared to the current Ivan.

the apparition finally spoke, “you have been like those since reaching bright castle, can you quite it already, even i dont have that much patience”.

“i will stop after you explain yourself, are you trying to make me into a mad prince.. i knew it there was a price for being so over powered”, Ivan continued his ramble.

“i will have Ca-”, before the apparition could finish.

“alright alright i am listening”, Ivan instantly sat cross legged across from the apparition.

“good, now for gods sake stop calling me apparition, just call me Adam, i-“, before the apparition could continue, Ivan interrupted him.

“but its my true name-“, Ivan corrected.

“FOR FUCKS SAKE IT OUR TRUE NAME, AND SHUT THE HELL UP AND LET ME EXPLAIN”, Adam shouted which finally managed to shut the half mad Ivan.

“ok ok, i get it no need to shout”, Ivan said while rolling his eyes.

“i wouldn’t have to if you weren’t driving me mad”, Adam sneered back.

hehe, how the tabled turned.

“enough, a simple summery i am basically a fragment of our mind which split, so i am basically you and your basically me, it could have been the other way around as well, like you being the apparition instead of me, but that doesn’t matter what matters is that we are currently in the merging process and i hold a shit ton of our memories, until now i have been growing separately from you while gathering information regarding the current status of the world and our other fragments.”, Adam explained.

“hahahaha, this is…. i dont know how to feel about this, until now my mind had been fragmented and split and there are other me’s roaming around the dream realm and the waking world as we speak each of them growing on their own. does this mean i or we are all virtual persona’s? then where is our real body? wait everything i know are they false?”, Ivan found it hard to believe himself, but the evidence was there.

“more or less we are all virtual persona’s and no our knowledge is still relevant nothing about it is made up the only thing we lacked is the knowledge of one another but now that is no longer, as for the question of main body we generally consider you the main consciousness for obvious reasons”, Adam explained further.

“visionary… then what is our purpose?” Ivan didn’t dive into the realm of doubt, if what his or the virtual person says is true then there had to have been an objective on to why we all split in the first place, i couldn’t seem to recall my first nightmare of anything before the academy and that always seemed to go over his mind but now, it was clear why, most of his memories was with this virtual persona.

“our purpose is simple, we should avoid the main casts -except Cassie of course- and make sure they make it to the tomb of ariel just like in the original story, and merge with our other personas before it as well”, Adam explained.

“so we just spectate and do nothing?”, Ivan asked.

“isn’t the first principal of a spectator to spectate and not get involved?”, Adam smiled and said, “we have too much to do like getting out of here and…” Adam paused dramatically.

“making sure nephis and sunny’s fate get bound together in their final fight”.

Ivan’s expression become more solemn and serious, as Adam continued to explain the plan.

Chapter Text

Ivan POV

it was Night time.

Ivan was seated at the edge of the enormous walls, his legs dangling over the abyss below. The walls, ancient and scarred, loomed between the Crimson Labyrinth and the distant sprawl of the Dark City, separating the chaotic unknown from the fragile remnants of human civilization.

The air here was thick with salty smell of the sea. He exhaled, watching the mist of his breath dissolve into the cold night. The weight of his new robes settled on his shoulders—simple white clergy robes that outlined his sharp figure. The fabric was light yet felt heavy, as if burdened with expectation.

Beside him, stood a man who could have been his twin—if not for the stark contrast between them. This was Adam, his apparition, his other self… The Hanged Man version of him.

Adam’s robes were black, more ornate, trimmed with gold at the edges, as though fate itself had draped him in authority. His hair, unlike Ivan’s pure blond, was deep black, but at the roots, hints of golden blonde glowed faintly. The two of them remained in silence, the wind carrying whispers from the lands behind and below them.

“Do you feel it?” Adam finally broke the silence.

Ivan didn’t answer immediately. He tilted his head back, looking at the vast, stary sky. “Feel what?”

“The shifting of the trends. The pieces of fate falling into place.”

Ivan smirked, resting his arms on his knees. “That’s your way of saying things are going to hell, isn’t it?”

Adam chuckled. “Aren’t they always?”

Adam paused for a moment before continuing.

“despite being being aware of all the things that is going to happen, we remain helpless against fate..”

Adam’s golden eyes gleamed in the dim light as he continued, his voice seemed to carry the sins of humanity.

“Fate is always so unpredictable. No one can truly know what will happen next, even if we were omniscient. ‘We’ have seen more with every attempt, every iteration… yet despite our so-called omniscience and omnipotence, all it has done is reveal our own insignificance.”

He turned his gaze down towards the outer wall, where the waves crashed endlessly against it. “The more you know, the more you understand just how powerless we truly are… we cling to the illusion of control, but fate is a gambler that takes without warning, the best was to put it is ‘A price is always exacted for what fate bestows.’ ”

Ivan remained silent, watching as the wind tousled the ends of his robe. He had always known this truth, but hearing it aloud from his other self made it feel heavier—like chains coiling around his existence, how ironic.

Adam let out a quiet laugh, though there was no real humor in it—only the weight that he could barely hold.

“How ironic,” he murmured, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon. “‘We’ once strived to save them all… only to become better at destroying them and ourselves.”

The words lingered in the cold night air, settling between them like an unshakable truth. Ivan clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms beneath the fabric of his robes. He didn’t refute it—he couldn’t. Because no matter how much they tried to navigate fate, to bend it to their will, the outcome never truly changed.

Finally, Ivan sighed. “So… we just watch? Let things play out?”

“Isn’t that what a spectator does?” Adam turned to face him, a smirk playing on his lips. “but… so far there is no problem in meddling a bit, if we can’t change the outcome we can make sure it goes down the road ‘we want’,”

Adam’s golden eyes gleamed. “Especially if its for ‘her’.”

***

It’s heavy… so damn heavy…

My apparition had only mentioned a small bit of information regarding our past—our attempts. And yet, even that much was unbearable. Hours had passed, and I still found it impossible to believe. Absolute bullshit. Tomb of Ariel? Error? What bullshit.

Just how many people have I killed?

Just how many have I sacrificed—for my sake, for her sake?

It’s laughable.

I exhaled sharply, forcing my breath to come out heavy—intentionally so. My body trembled, but my eyes remained dry. The tears wanted to come, but they refused to fall. Maybe they understood something I didn’t. Maybe they knew I had no right to cry.

I had killed so many.

Sunny. Nephis. Kai. Effie.

I had made them into… things. I felt sick just thinking about it. They had been experiments, nothing more than test subjects for ‘my’ grand design. And when I didn’t find the results I wanted? I made new people. Brought them into existence. Gave them life, only to mold them into lab rats just the same.

People who once had sons ended up with daughters. Those who were meant to live died in infancy, while others, fated for the grave, survived. Families rewritten, histories altered—all because of me.

And for what?

A ridiculous, exaggerated smile stretched across my face. I could feel it twisting, warping, something between amusement and despair.

I’m not even real.

and worse i would cease to exist, if i try to break free.

No wonder nothing ever made sense. Everything—from the moment I opened my eyes, from the moment I set foot in the Academy, from the moment I made my first plan—had been nothing but a pre-made decision.

it had not even been that long but at the same time it had been an eternity.

but that didn’t matter because, I had turned my own bloody unreal self into an experiment as well.

From the corner of my vision, I saw Adam lower his head slightly, his golden eyes narrowing as he studied me.

“Not all hope is lost,” he said, his voice steady, unwavering. “We still have a chance to make things right. Now.”

His words sent a shiver through me—not of fear, but something far worse. Hope.

“We might not have a good history, but our history has not happened and will not happen.” Adam continued, his tone edged with something I couldn’t quite place. “I don’t know the full scope of our plan, but one thing is certain and you have already succeeded in one part of it.”

I stared at him.

Then it clicked. Humanity.

It was obvious now—painfully so. From everything Adam had told me, it was clear that the “me” before had almost no humanity at all. No real emotions, no true moral restraints. The only thing that had ever driven that me, the only thing that had ever mattered, was her.

That was why the atrocities had been possible. That was why I had done things no sane person could even comprehend.

But the me sitting here now? I was different.

This version of me—this Avatar—was made for one reason: to gain humanity as quickly as possible.

And when the time came?

To overtake the godhood of the main body.

A twisted, almost poetic inversion of the Mad Prince’s plan. Except, in this case, it was humanity trying to devour godhood. It was the godhood itself making sure that I gained humanity. Intentionally.

and then, when the moment arrived—merge. Push back the godhood. Suppress it.

But… why?

Why the sudden change? From what I knew of my past self, the main body had never shown any interest in gaining humanity. If anything, the old me had considered it a hindrance.

Even to me, the main body’s plans were elusive, nearly impossible to predict.

It made sense in a way. The main me had pre-planned everything—down to the finest detail. I wasn’t meant to deviate. I wasn’t meant to rebel. And yet…

I had my own freedom.

So long as I achieved the objective, nothing else mattered.

I turned to Adam, my voice low. “Where is our main body? And our other personas?”

Adam replied shortly, his tone flat. “Our main body’s location is unknown. Even if we did know, it would be somewhere nearly impossible to reach. As for our other personas… one of them is in Europe, the other in the Storm Sea, and the last is likely somewhere in the Saharan Desert.”

I exhaled sharply,

It doesn’t matter.

The main body isn’t the objective here—my other personas are.

According to Adam, they were one of the key reasons for my bottleneck, the reason I couldn’t fully unlock my arsenal of power.

Right now, my abilities were a pathetic imitation of the original.

Which was insane.

Because even as a Sleeper, my current power was already beyond reason.

But Adam had warned me.

“Just because I willingly merged with you doesn’t mean our other persona’s would. instead they might even be hostile.”

The other three—Tyrant, Sun, White Tower—wouldn’t be as cooperative as he was. Unlike Adam, who had willingly merged with me, they would be reluctant, if not outright hostile.

Each of them had their own pride, their own ambitions.

And to make it worse, our power—the Visionary’s power—was evenly distributed among us.

My main body… that sick fuck.

It was as if he had designed all of this intentionally, pushing us into a death match where only one of us could remain.

atleast there is a limitation placed on them, so when i meet them i would have to throw hands with them… ugh.

on the other hand Adam wasn’t like them. Whether it was understanding or just sheer laziness, he had chosen to merge with me without a fight but when did he merge tho?.

I turned to him, my expression clearly unimpressed.

“This should at least give me an advantage against them.”

…

so the next move is set, get out of here and find my other selves while making sure the story goes as the original, which makes no sense if my main body had already planned everything to go according to how it should then why would my intervention and overseeing be needed…

oh no.. then it finally snapped, while everything happened as it should have, one detail didn’t, harper… i had been in harper’s place, and because of that harper didn’t ask sunny about his true name…. OH FOR FUCKS SAKE’S.

of course things would would go as planned, AS FATED’S PLAN, nephis would die and sunny would kill her according to the original story, but without harper asking about sunny’s true name and hence saying it aloud allowing cassie to see it in a vision, Nephis wouldn’t be saved and everything would go out of line.

but that night had already passed yesterday, i didn’t even notice it, because Caster didn’t come that night..

it hasn’t been long and i am already messing up.

in a sudden surge of panic, my mind raced to find a solution,

“what do i do!”

“what do i do!”

“what do i do!”

and then it clicked.

wasn’t caster’s sudden appearance during the murder of Harper almost.. coincidental.

i then summoned the runes of my aspect legacy that i have not used..

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aspect Legacy:

[Quill of Alzuhod]

Description: [ The legendary quill you wield has the power to bring anything written with it to life, within the bounds of reason. What is penned will take shape in the real world, guided by the logic of your vision. With each stroke, you etch reality itself, molding the future through words alone.]

[Unwanted Attention]

Description: [ When you place a mark upon someone, a direct connection forms between you and the marked. Through this bond, you gain the ability to communicate with or bestow gifts upon them. Your meta-awareness sharpens—anything spoken or thought about you will be known to you. The deeper the mark, the more influence you gain; as the marked’s trust and belief in you grow, so does your power over them, allowing you to manipulate their actions and perceptions with greater ease. The more they know of you, the more you know of them. ]

Memory Name: [Quill of Alzuhod]

Memory Rank: [???]

Memory Type: [Enchanted Artifact]

Memory Enchantments: [Fated], [Why is this happening!!?]

[Fated] Description: [Anything written by it, within logical boundaries, will come true.]

[Why is this happening!!?] description: [ the more you use it the more it will throw you in unwanted scenario’s ]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I Summoned the memory, then i looked at adam..

Adam only shrugged and gestured “ei, i don’t know anything, you do you”.

yep he is definitely the lazy type, just like sunny’s last shadow.

the reason i never used it even though i could have been in advantageous positions, is because of the second enchantment of the Aspect legacy [Why is this happening!!?].

as its self explanatory, if i use it to make a scene happen, this enchantment would throw me in a situation equal to that i made, and i have a feeling that situation i get thrown into wouldn’t be merciful, a price is always paid.

but right now i have no other choice, if i don’t do it, the main cast will fall apart. I am sorry sunny, really…

taking a deep breath, i prepared my self for the worse, while Adam stood and watched with a amused and gleeful expression.

just as i imagined the scene from the novel, the pen moved along with my hand, as it started to write on thin air as though it was paper.

the runes were then translated by the spell…

[As Harper and Sunny remained seated in their tent on the outskirts of the settlement, their conversation continued as usual. However, Harper asked a question he should not have, “Do you have a True Name?”

Sunny was taken aback as a primal instinct surged within him, he compelled himself to resist and lie. Yet, his flaw was absolute. No amount of resistance could change the inevitable. Without warning, a dagger manifested in his hand, and before he could fully process his actions, he plunged it into Harper. As the blade sank in, Sunny spoke his True Name aloud, his voice hollow, “Lost From Light… My True Name is Lost From Light.”

Harper’s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at his murderer, his life slipping away before he could utter a single word. It was at this moment that Caster, the Scion of the Han Li clan, entered the tent. His timing was truly unfortunate, for he had business to attend to. Yet, he was not the only witness. Another presence lingered, hidden within the shroud of fate. ]

the quill continued…

[ This is a reasonable development. ]

Chapter Text

…

“So, are we done here? Or do you have more questions? The sun is almost gone, so you’d better hurry up and ask them.”

Sunny shook his head and said, his voice hoarse:

“…Yeah. Yeah, Neph. I’m done.”

With that, he slowly turned around and took a step forward.

Left behind, Nephis frowned.

“Where are you going? Come back here.”

He waved a hand and said in a suppressed tone, refusing to turn his head:

“Sorry. I have an errand to run. We’ll… talk some other time.”

Her frown deepened. Looking at his back, Changing Star gritted her teeth and called:

“I said come back, Sunny! This conversation isn’t over! Come back here right now!”

But there was no answer.

Sunny had already disappeared into the shadows, leaving her standing alone in the alley that was brightly lit by the last light of the dying sunset.

***

Some time later, Sunny was walking through the ruins,

It was the early hour of the night.

Surrounded by nothing but darkness, Sunny was left alone with his thoughts and emotions. But, strangely, both his heart and mind were empty. He couldn’t be bothered to think or feel anything right now.

It was all just too much and too sudden.

Plus, he would much rather concentrate on not stumbling on some horrific monster. Ending up eaten by a Nightmare Creature right now would be very ironic, but still unpleasant.

He felt guilty about murdering Harper, but not enough to die while trying to dispose of the body. He would much prefer not to die for his sins.

Luckily, the area he was traversing was familiar to Sunny.

Sunny continued walking through the ruins, his steps slow and deliberate. The night had fully settled in by now, wrapping the world in its cold embrace. Shadows stretched endlessly, twisting and shifting with each flicker of distant firelight of the distant outer settlement.

He kept his shadow senses on high alert, carefully navigating the streets. While this area was relatively safe compared to others, it was still far from peaceful. There was no place for leisure here, no place for—

Sunny suddenly stopped.

Just ahead, in the middle of the street, someone was sitting on a simple wooden chair.

The figure was a young man with golden hair and eyes that gleamed like molten metal. He was dressed in the humble robes of a clergyman, his posture relaxed yet eerily composed. He wasn’t doing anything—just sitting there, gazing at the darkened sky as though waiting for someone.

A creeping sense of unease washed over Sunny.

What the hell was he doing here? This wasn’t a place where people simply sat around.

As though sensing his presence, the blonde boy turned his head and looked at him. A sudden wave of tension gripped Sunny’s chest, but the boy only smiled and lifted a hand in a casual greeting. Then, with an easy gesture, he motioned toward the empty chair beside him.

An invitation.

For a moment, Sunny remained still, his instincts screaming at him to turn around and leave. But then—another wave crashed over him. This time, it wasn’t unease.

It was familiarity.

Memories surfaced—flashes of a battle beneath the Soul Devouring Tree. The moment he had pulled out a literal gun in the middle of a swordfight. The figure who had always remained close to Cassie.

Adam.

Sunny frowned. He had… forgotten about him. Completely. That was strange. Adam’s appearance was impossible to ignore—his golden hair, his striking golden eyes. And yet, his presence had somehow slipped from Sunny’s mind, just like Cassie’s often did.

Though, in Cassie’s case, her weakness made it understandable.

With a quiet exhale, Sunny pushed aside his troubled thoughts and took a step forward. Then another.

And then, he approached Adam.

Ivan POV

“Hey, Sunny…” Ivan greeted with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes as Sunny approached. His hesitation was palpable; after all, who in their right mind would sit casually in these treacherous streets? Moreover, the man inviting him was the same one who had, without a second thought, subjected him to slavery, though he would never know.

Sunny’s eyes narrowed, suspicion evident. “Hey…”

Gesturing to the empty chair beside him, Ivan continued, “Why don’t you have a seat? It seemed like you and Lady Changing Star had quite the heated discussion back there.”

Sunny’s breath caught. “You heard our conversation?”

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but it’s hard not to overhear in these ruins. To be honest, it was quite eye-opening…”

Sunny’s frown deepened, his gaze piercing.

“I wanted us to be friends,” Ivan said, “but it seems Fate didn’t share that sentiment.”

“I had my reasons to keep things to myself,” Sunny replied guardedly.

“Of course, everyone has their secrets,” Ivan acknowledged. “But I have a few questions I want to ask. I promise they won’t delve into your private life.”

The phrasing struck a chord in Sunny, reminiscent of Harper’s intrusive inquiry about his true name. He tensed but masked it quickly, but he felt like he had no choice so he decided to accept Ivan’s invitation. He sat down on the wooden chair, cautiously allowing himself a moment’s respite. The ever-present threat of Nightmare Creatures loomed,

the only reason he allowed himself this short moment of respite which he wouldnt normally allow himself to have in these ruins is because of Adam’s abilities—his power to conjure items, weapons, and sustenance in the Dream Realm—offered a semblance of security. Sunny had witnessed Ivan’s prowess firsthand; while his combat skills might not surpass Sunny’s, his utility was invaluable and far above his own aspects utility.

Settling into the seat, Sunny regarded Adam with a complex expression. “What is it you wanted to ask?”

Ivan met his gaze, his own expression unreadable. “Would you forgive someone who betrayed you to save you?”

Chapter Text

Sunny was visibly taken aback but recovered quickly, eyeing me with suspicion.

“Why are you asking a question like that?” he asked, his voice edged with wariness.

I shrugged. “Just curious.”

Sunny’s frown deepened. “I doubt people would ask such a question unless they expect it to happen.”

“Nahhh, you’re just overthinking it,” I said with an easy smile.

Sunny simply stared.

“What?~ Can’t people have random thoughts like these pop into their heads?” I added, exaggerating my tone slightly.

Rolling his eyes, he let out a small huff but didn’t drop his guard. His senses remained sharp, alert to any potential threats lurking in the ruins.

“No, I would not forgive them,” he said at last.

His response wasn’t immediate, but it still managed to catch me off guard. I paused for a moment, absorbing the weight of his words.

After all, this wasn’t like reading a novel. If I had simply read this exchange in a book, I might not have reacted much. But now, standing in this world—no, being “envisioned” into it—I found myself deeply conflicted.

Originally, I thought I had been isekai’d into Shadow Slave, only to be told that I wasn’t real. Or rather, that the “real” me created this version of me. But that raised more questions than answers. Had my main body transmigrated into this world? Or had I always been here, from the past to the future, from the beginning to the end—merely handing down knowledge of events in the form of memories of having read a novel?

If it had been any other reader who actually transmigrated into this world and learned what had been revealed to me, they might have had an existential crisis.

Yet, for some reason, I had taken the news with unsettling calmness.

It was disturbing.

Even though the Spectator Pathway was known for being the hardest to lose control in, I couldn’t help but wonder—had I subconsciously always known? That my existence was not as straightforward as I once believed? That I was… created? Perhaps I had simply never been given the chance to confront it directly until now.

And then there was Adam.

Had he been in my position once? Had he figured it out on his own? Did he nearly lose himself in the process?

Was that why he decided to help me?

I glanced at the apparition standing silently beside me.

The Hanged Man—humanity of the Ancient Sun God. A being who had lost control, yet Adam seemed perfectly fine. Perhaps it was the portion of the Visionary’s abilities within him keeping him stable. But if that was true, then with me having more humanity and having the foundation of a visionary, wouldn’t he have merged with me to escape the pain of that knowledge?

But then again… something about that theory didn’t quite make sense—

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted as Sunny spoke again.

“I wouldn’t forgive a betrayal. Even if my life was on the line.”

“Why not?” I cut in before I could stop myself.

Sunny’s gaze sharpened. “Because—”

“For someone who values his own life over others,” I pressed, “and for someone who twists truth into falsehood just to save his own skin from potential dangers—wouldn’t a betrayal that saved your life be worth forgiving?”

By now, we had lost count of how many times we interrupted each other.

Sunny shot me a sharp look, irritation flashing across his face. “What the hell are you talking about? You asked about betrayal, and no matter how I see it, betrayal is unforgivable.”

His voice was laced with frustration now. “You remember Nephis? How unreasonable and downright mad she is? Is it wrong to be a coward in a world like this? All I wanted was a damn peaceful life, but no—Fate just loves to mess with me. First, it sent me into my first Nightmare, where I was practically—”

He stopped abruptly, as if he had almost let something slip.

His teeth clenched.

Compared to the novel Sunny and the Sunny sitting in front of me now, the difference was undeniable.

The novel had always painted him as a tenacious cockroach—unyielding, cunning, unbreakable. But the reality was far more nuanced.

Tenacity was just one side of the coin. The other was despair. And spite.

A person could reach such a level of despair that their actions no longer followed logic. And spite… spite was what kept Sunny moving forward. He didn’t just want to survive—he refused to let existence itself erase him simply because he was small and weak.

That was the part of him that hadn’t changed. Not now, and not even in the future after his Third Nightmare.

A bitter chuckle escaped my lips before I could stop it.

“I apologize,” I said, shaking my head. “It seems I had too much going on in my head. I didn’t realize I was judging you based on a character you have not yet become.”

Sunny blinked, caught off guard. “…What the hell are you talking about?”

I laughed lightly.

“Sorry. It seems I’m not in the best state of mind.”

~~~~~~~

After saying that, Ivan remained silent for a long while. It almost seemed as if he wasn’t there anymore—not physically, at least. His light gold eyes dimmed, losing focus, as if he were staring at something far beyond the present moment.

Then, slowly, he turned his head and looked at Sunny. His expression was unreadable, his lips pressed into a thin line. It was clear he was struggling to put something into words. Finally, in a solemn tone, he spoke—

His irises darkened, shifting into an eerie, abyssal shade of gold. A color that seemed too deep, too consuming. The sight of it sent a shudder through Sunny’s spine—a kind of fear he had never felt before.

“What you fear in others is often a reflection of what you refuse to see in yourself…”

His voice was calm, yet it carried an unsettling weight, as if his words held a truth that should never be spoken aloud.

“For only in facing despair can one begin to understand freedom.”

The words lingered in the frigid air, swallowed by the silence of the dark city.

Before Sunny could fully process Ivan’s words, the unsettling silence was abruptly shattered.

“Oh my, would you look at that?” Ivan suddenly quipped, his tone light and playful, as if their previous conversation had been nothing more than a passing jest. “It’s getting late. You should get moving before the nightmare creatures start crawling out. I hear they have a taste for overthinkers.”

Sunny blinked. For a moment, the eerie weight in the air dissipated, leaving behind nothing but the casual teasing. It was almost as if the conversation before had never happened.

He didn’t linger on it. The moment had passed, and with it, his attention shifted back to his Shadow Sense—something he hadn’t even realized he’d neglected entirely. A flicker of irritation crossed his face. He should have been more focused.

Pushing aside whatever strange atmosphere lingered, Sunny stood up.

“Yeah, whatever. you wont be seeing me for a while.”

He turned, ready to leave, when he was interrupted yet again.

“Sunny.”

Ivan’s voice cut through the night.

Let’s meet again.”

Chapter Text

Cassie POV

the past few days had been excruciating for her, not because of living in the outer settlements from the much better living conditions of the bright castle, no it was because every passing day meant that dreadful day was coming closer.

it had been some time since she had the vision of the dying angel of light being devoured by the abyssal shadows, she didn't need to be a genius to figure out the meaning behind the vision, no, because in the course of her journey with Nephis and Sunny, and hearing about their abilities it was all too obvious.

the angel represented Nephis while the abyssal shadows swallowing represented sunny, its meaning was simple, sunny and nephis is going to fight and sunny is going to kill neph…

this vision would not have not bothered her so much, in fact when she partially deciphered its meaning, she didn't bother giving it any thought, she couldn't care less about what happened to others, none of them ever came to help her when she needed it most, to her everyone except 'him' had abandoned her, so she had no reason to worry.

of course this was just her being selfish and spiteful.

but as they traveled together, slowly she started hesitate, she didn't know much about neph and sunny but from the little they shared and from their behavior, she could surmise that they weren't bad people, but they weren't good people either, each of them were desperately trying to survive. when your weak and can barely survive, you cant spare any attention to others, that can only be done by the strong.

as time passed, she started to feel guilt, she didn't know what to do with the information, she couldn't even tell why she got the vision, it was then as if reading her mind, 'he' had guessed what was plaguing her mind, it has always been like this whenever she needed him most, he would conveniently appear and resolve her worries.

she had shared her thoughts of the dream she got, and surprisingly 'he' had come to the same conclusion as her, however he didn't tell her what to do, except he told her to observe then choose if she wanted to do something about it. this of course extinguished her guilt but had left her in a confused state with no sense of which direction she should go.

despite 'his' vague advice, she didn't let herself be swallowed by confusion, she knew she had to do something, otherwise she wouldn't have gotten the vision, and so she had to choose, it was obvious that neph would die and sunny would come out victorious, she had gotten close to both neph and sunny and often times she found it hard to believe that those two would be at each others necks, training together, sharing stories, and despite the nightmarish environment they managed to joke around every now and then albeit it was awkward.

Eventually, she couldn't come up with anything. Both of them were incredibly strong—one came from a legendary legacy clan, and the other was the most tenacious person she had ever met. But she was just an ordinary girl. She had no lineage, no remarkable strength like the other two. Once again, she found herself turning to 'him' for help. And again, 'he' simply told her to be patient, to not rush things. Then, almost as an afterthought, he offered a vague piece of advice: "The hardest choices require the strongest wills."

It sounded… profound. But the way he said it made her wonder for a moment if those words had really been his. but despite the vague which didn't seem to help, she still decided to trust his words, she had decided to trust him with all her life, she was eternally grateful to him, and so she made sure to remember his advice.

and in one faithful night during their journey, she had received another revaluation, the last deciding factor, in the dream she had seen sunny and another person in what seemed like a makeshift tent, when she saw another human other then cohort, she was elated, it meant that the direction they are going is the right one and that they would soon reach civilization, but the vision didn't end, it kept going, she listened to their conversation.

then the world seemed to freeze, the person named Harper had asked a question, the question was if sunny had a true name, as far as she knew sunny did not have a true name, after all getting a true name as a sleeper was almost unheard of, 'him' and neph are exceptions, but if another one were to have a true name as a sleeper… her thoughts were disrupted when out of no where sunny pulled out a dagger and stabbed Harper, with her hands covering her mouth, she couldn't even think because of shock, she had just witnessed a murder, just then sunny spoke aloud his true name and with that the vision ended.

the scene had left her speechless, she had learned many things from this vision but none of it gave her solace, first of all sunny has a true name, "lost from light", it didn't take a genius to know that this true name is special, so much so that sunny went as far as committing murder to hide it, then a chilling shiver ran down her spine, she already know of 2 people who got a true name as a sleeper, and if she had asked the same question of curiosity, what would have happened? would he have pulled out a dagger and killed me?

No! she instantly shook of the thought, she always had a knack for identifying good and bad people, while sunny was a very good person, he wasn't a bad person either that was proved by how he interacted with her, she had no doubt that he was sincere when he talked to her, almost like an older brother, so she naturally refused to believe that sunny would do something without reason, it could have been an enemy who was planning to harm him and he had to act fast.

after convincing herself that the murder was justified, she knew she couldn't hide it forever, sunny had a true name, and it was most likely his weakness, this revelation weight heavily on her, by now she already had a good idea of sunny's character, in all honesty she was afraid.

it took quite some time to calm down, and analyze what she had learned, with the new found knowledge she saw sunny in a new light, every word he said was the truth, to confirm her findings she asked him things as a jest and as she had expected, he spoke the truth, it was then she confirmed, sunny's flaw.

Sunny could not lie.

she didn't feel any sense of achievement knowing this, instead she felt guilt, Sunny was going to all lengths to hide his true and his flaw, she would have wanted to build trust and let him tell her on his own, she had breeched his privacy and had learned of something she had no right to.

Chapter Text

Cassie Pov

When everything began to fall into place, the puzzle pieces in her mind clicked together. Learning Sunny's flaw—and his true name—had opened up a possibility. A way to save her friends. But not in the way she had hoped.

Sunny's true name was undeniably a weakness, one that could only be exploited if another person spoke it aloud, and only in his presence. She had confirmed this on her own, during the time when the others had gone off to fight and left her alone with her thoughts.

But even if she had the means, acting on it would mean crossing a line she had sworn never to breach. She couldn't bring herself to betray any of them. If it had been earlier in their journey, maybe she wouldn't have cared. Maybe she would have looked the other way. But the weight of that lingering choice only grew heavier with each passing day.

That was when she remembered his words.

He had told her to wait. To observe. And then to choose—whether or not she wanted to act. Then, almost as if he had seen it all coming, he added, "The hardest choices require the strongest wills."

A shiver ran down her spine when she recalled it. Not the kind that comes from the cold, but one that stirs something deeper. Something inevitable. Still, she shook it off. There was no way he could have known about the visions. No—he must have interpreted the situation differently.

When he deciphered the meaning behind the first vision, he simply told her it was up to her whether she wanted to act or not. Then, before the second vision, he must have sensed her hesitation to let Neph die. That must've been why he told her to choose a side. That no matter which side she picked, the weight of the decision would be unbearable unless her will was strong enough to carry it.

Yes, that had to be what he meant. That must have been the train of thought that led to his cryptic advice.

And yet… if she thought about it, truly thought about it—something felt off. It wasn't just the content of his advice. It was the timing. The phrasing. The way his words always seemed to be relevant, no matter when they were spoken. It was as if he wasn't reacting to the future, but had already seen it play out.

Still, there was no time to get lost in doubt. She had a choice to make.

Between Sunny… and Nephis.

Then, as if the idea had been whispered into her mind by something unseen, she stood up. The thought was half-formed but persistent, tugging at her. She turned to Sunny and asked him, plainly:

"Would you keep Neph safe?"

And just as she expected—just as his flaw would ensure—he replied with a quiet, unwavering "No."

It wasn't a surprising answer. But she had needed to hear it from him.

Neph was willing to save others, even at her own expense. Sunny wasn't. They were like two sides of the same coin—each defined by their opposition. But only one side could face the sky.

Cassie didn't make her decision then. she had decided to wait.

but that was the start of her fretful days.

from the soul devourer tree, to the days he stayed in the bright castle, he had treated her like a younger sister, which only seemed to fuel her turmoil.

and today that day came to pass, the vision had come true, Harper was missing but no one noticed because of his less importance but knowing what had happened she knew why he was missing, and today sunny had left the group, and obviously he was going into the dark city.

She had approached him quietly, pressing the Endless Spring into his hand. it wasn't that hard to find drinkable water in the outer settlements but to someone entering the Dark City, it could mean the difference between survival and death. Clean, drinkable water was rare in the Dream Realm.

Cassie wasn't worried about herself. She would stay close to Nephis, and in a settlement like this, finding water wasn't the challenge it once had been. No, she'd be fine.

She hadn't given it to him just to ease her guilt.

That part was undeniable—her conscience begged for something to cling to, something to soften the edges of the choice she'd been forced to make. But more than anything, she wanted him to live. Despite everything. Despite the ache her choice had left in her heart.

It was Sunny who would need the help.

When he finally turned and left, vanishing beyond the outskirts toward the darkness looming on the dark city, she didn't try to stop him. She only waited until he was gone.

she leaned back against the cold stone wall of the empty room and let herself exhale. A long, trembling breath. Wrapping her robe tightly around her, she drew her knees to her chest and buried her face against them.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then came the sobs—quiet, uneven, muffled into the fabric of her sleeves. There was no one there to hear them.

Chapter Text

In the midst of her sobbing, a rustling noise came from outside. Her ears immediately perked up. Though she was blind, Cassie had learned to navigate using her other senses. Over time, she'd become adept at discerning even the smallest of sounds, differentiating them with precision.

She hastily wiped her face with her robe, pushing herself to her feet. Nephis was out gathering the other settlers from the outer areas along with Effie. She wasn't supposed to return until later, and this place was secluded enough for Cassie to stay alone for short periods. No one else was meant to know about it or come near right now.

Her heart quickened. She was nervous, but she wasn't the naive girl who had first entered the Dream Realm. No, she was tired of her helplessness.

The room she was in was full of broken furniture, pieces of her past. She dropped to her knees, hands moving quickly as she searched for anything she could use as a weapon.

After a few moments of frantic searching, her fingers brushed against something hard, long and metallic. It wasn't much, but it felt sturdy. She gripped it tightly.

The footsteps outside grew louder, closer. She crept silently toward the front door, positioning herself beside it, waiting. Her body tensed, prepared to strike at the first sign of a threat.

Then, just as the presence crossed the threshold.

"Yo, Cass, you he—"

Before the voice could finish, Cassie swung the metal object with all her strength, twisting her body clockwise, her muscles coiling as she launched the attack.

Swoosh!

The metal whistled through the air at terrifying speed, a razor-sharp blur, promising to cut through anything in its path.

even though cassie was weaker then most sleepers, she was still a sleeper and therefore much stronger then a mundane.

"Holy shi—"

The figure, caught off guard, ducked just in time, losing their balance on their heel and stumbling backward, cursing in surprise.

The metal object narrowly missed the figure's head by a hair's breadth, instead striking the door frame with a deafening crash, splintering the wood and leaving a huge chunk of the frame shattered.

The figure, now completely frozen in disbelief, gasped, "What the hell?!"

Cassie, still struggling to regain her balance after the force of the swing, recognized the voice. It was unmistakable, as clear as the morning sun—the voice of the one she cherished more than anyone.

Now, it was her turn to panic.

With worry and panic thick in her voice as she called out, "A-Adam?"

***

Adam POV

"Damsel in distress, my ass!"

"She could've killed me with that strike, even if I had been prepared for it!" Ivan cursed internally, as the apparition of Adam stood beside him, agape.

Even though Hanged Man Adam was an apparition and could not be physically harmed, one could almost see a trickle of sweat running down his forehead.

"D-damn… I take back what I said before," Adam stammered nervously.

Several Minutes Earlier…

"Hey… I just noticed, but you're a little different?" the apparition asked, walking with a distant, lost gaze.

"Huh? How so?" Ivan responded, unsure of how to address the sudden comment.

Ivan had been on his way to meet Cassie when the apparition first revealed himself. He had left Cassie in Nephis's care while he sorted himself out.

Naturally, this wasn't a big deal, as Cassie and Nephis had spent the most time together after Sunny left. Knowing how the environment always seemed to push characters back into their original roles—just like in the novel—Ivan didn't feel the need to worry too much about Cassie's safety. Still, he kept his vigilance and had Adam go and keep watch, just in case.

and strangely he didn't seem to have a limit on the distance he can move away from him.

then there was also the matter of the Quill of Alzuhod. Ivan had used it to force Sunny to speak his true name aloud for the story to follow its original path. This had been on his mind the most.

First, his intervention raised a question: In this reality, I had gotten involved and forced Sunny to say his true name, and both scenes unfolded exactly as they had in the original novel. This disturbed him because Cassie's vision had clearly shown the end of the Forgotten Shore happening differently. Yet, both the novel and this reality seemed to align in the same way.

Does this mean the original novel isn't the original story?

There was also the fact that multiple timelines existed, each with different routes and stories, but according to Adam, the original story had always remained unchanged.

if Cassie's vision showed the original story, and the novel only showed the best route? what happened to the original story, did it even happen?.

This was a thought Ivan didn't voice out. He suspected that there was an original story that wasn't the novel. The main body—Adam—had ensured that this story followed the original novel exactly, not the original story.

"Hey!"

This was groundbreaking. Even though Ivan wasn't "real," he believed that his memories, outside of his persona, were real. The main body, Adam, was indeed from another world, and their memories were shared—true to the most part. But if he recalled correctly, no one had ever questioned this to G3. Everyone simply accepted Cassie's betrayal and the pivotal moment that had changed the course of the story. But what if Cassie's betrayal in the novel wasn't a natural development? What if someone—or something—else had caused it?

"Then what is the novel Shadow Slave?"

"is it truly sunny's story?"

"HEY!"

Ivan blinked, startled by the sudden call. He stammered, "Y-yeah? What?"

"Did you even listen to what I was saying?"

Slightly embarrassed, Ivan scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, just got caught up in my mind…".

"You've been zoning out more often lately. I thought you said you were over that," Adam said, his voice carrying a trace of frustration.

"No, no, it's not about my existence," Ivan responded quickly, waving a hand dismissively. "It's just… I'm unsure how to proceed from here on out."

He frowned slightly, rubbing his chin with a peculiar expression.

After a moment, he turned to Adam with a more focused gaze.

"Adam… how much of the novel do you actually remember? I can't seem to recall much of it."

Adam paused, the irritation from earlier fading as he tilted his head in thought. "Hmm…"

He appeared to search his memory, eyes narrowing slightly in concentration.

"Not much, really," he admitted at last. "Just bits and pieces from here and there. The last clear part I remember reading was when Little Ling was born."

"What about you?" he added, glancing over.

Ivan's eyes narrowed, and with a slight shake of his head, he muttered, "Around the same point."

"The story wasn't even finished anyway," he added after a beat. "Our main body probably has plans for when we get to that part."

"So, when that time comes, we'll finally get the answers?" Ivan pressed.

"Most likely."

By then, the two had entered a semi-secluded settlement—one of the more isolated areas where Nephis had left Cassie while she gathered the sleepers from the outer zones. They'd been walking and talking the whole way, so they arrived without delay.

Ivan glanced around as he walked, eyes scanning the quiet surroundings. Without turning to Adam, he spoke almost as if to himself.

"This feels… strange. I don't really know how to describe it, but—this is reality. The air I breathe, the ground beneath me… Sometimes it's so overwhelming I feel like I'll pass out from sensory overload."

Adam chuckled heartily at that. "Yeah, you'll get used to it. When I first woke up, I was seriously losing it—cursing everything and everyone. But if I'm being honest…"

He exhaled, voice softening.

"It felt good."

Ivan gave him a long stare, the kind of look usually reserved for old men reminiscing about their glory days.

Adam, slightly embarrassed, cleared his throat and coughed into his hand.

"Ahem. Anyway, we should get going. Our lovely damsel in distress awaits her handsome savior—or saviors, I should say."

Ivan shot him a look of disbelief. "Saviors? Who's we? You mean me?"

"Why does that matter?" Adam said with a mischievous grin spreading across his face. His eyes curled into crescents.

Then, drawing out each word with theatrical flair, he leaned in ever so slightly and teased, "Oh my… are you… perhaps jealous?"

"Yes."

there was no hesitation, one would even argue that he didn't even listen to the question, but against a spectator, that argument holds no weight.

for the first time, it seemed the apparition was truly lost for words.

Adam had stopped walking and simply watched Ivan walk by as if nothing was wrong, he was going to say something when Ivan stopped to turn and say,

"Cassie is mine, remember that", he said with an almost threatening tone.

Adam taken back even more by ivan's change of attitude, simply laughed awkwardly.

Cassie's room is about couple steps away.

"your quite honest aren't you", adam asked.

to which Ivan replied with a shrug "i might not be the most honest man in the world or two worlds even, but" he paused.

"i am honest to my own feelings." ivan replied, there was an unexplainable air around him.

and almost immediately after, breaking the serene air around him, "like come on, who wouldn't want to get together with their most beloved character Ever.", he stated as a matter of fact.

Adam simply looked at Ivan with an unimpressed look with one word in mind, "Simp.".

and finally they reached Cassie's Room.

Ivan shooed Adam away and with an voice as bright as the morning sun."Yo Cass, You he-"

Swoosh!.

Chapter Text

"A-Adam?.." Cassie stammered.

Adam, still reeling from the shock of the sudden attack, blinked rapidly as if trying to reboot his brain.

"Yeah, it's… me," he finally replied, his voice subdued. The usual brightness was gone, replaced by anxious undertones as he wiped away the sweat pouring down his forehead in thick, nervous streams.

His eyes dropped to the metal object now lying on the floor—a short, slightly bent rod, about the length of a sword. He gulped.

Just how hard did she swing that thing?

Both Adam and Ivan could only stare, wordless, at the blind seer.

In the split second after hearing his voice, Cassie's heart leapt into her throat. Guilt surged through her like a tidal wave. Even though she'd grown stronger, more capable—less the helpless girl she once was—some part of her still clung to the soft instincts of the past.

Cassie broke out of her stammer with a sharp inhale. Then, almost instinctively, she reached toward the sound of Adam's voice. Her hands trembled, searching, needing to know if he was alright. relief tangled with frantic worry. But her footing faltered; she was still off-balance from the adrenaline.

"Cassie, watch out!" Adam shouted.

But of course—how could she?

Her foot landed right on the metal rod.

"W-wowo—wowow—wa-wa—aaah!"

With a squeal and a wild flail of arms, Cassie lost her balance completely.

Thud.

Adam, luckily close enough, caught her just before she crashed hard to the floor. Unfortunately, the momentum slammed them both back, and the back of his head met the ground with a solid crack —of course it was the floor the cracked.

Cassie lay sprawled across his chest, dazed. Her cheek pressed against the warmth of his robe as her breath came in short bursts. Adam, teeth clenched, stared at the ceiling, silently cursing the sharp, blooming pain in his skull.

Awakened weren't easily injured, so it took only a moment for Cassie to snap back into motion.

Her hands moved frantically, guided more by fear than reason. She reached for Adam's face, cupping it with trembling palms, her thumbs brushing his cheeks. From any other angle, it would've looked like she was gently caressing him. But there was no reply—not yet.

"Adam?" she whispered, then firmer, "Adam!"

She slid her hands down to his shoulders and shook him, harder than she meant to. "Adam, wake up!" Her voice cracked. She was teetering on the edge of crying, holding it back through sheer force of will.

Adam's head lolled slightly as she rocked him.

"I—" he began, but it came out barely audible before his head tilted again with a soft, dazed groan.

"Cas—"

Another failed attempt.

Then finally, his hand shot up and gripped her shoulder, stilling her. "Cass, I'm alright. Calm down," he muttered, voice unsteady and slurred from the lingering dizziness. "Just… give me a second."

But Cassie wasn't buying it.

"No, I definitely heard something heavy hit the floor! That had to be your head—don't lie to me!" she snapped, her worry morphing into determination.

She backed off slightly, trying to sit up straight and resume her frantic check. But fate, ever the prankster, wasn't done.

Her foot caught the hem of her robe. Again.

"Ah—!"

This time, she was already so low to the ground that it barely counted as a fall. She caught herself with a hand before she could face plant completely and immediately resumed her inspection like nothing had happened.

Her hand brushed upward—searching.

And then she felt it.

Soft. Squishy. Slightly firm. Her brows furrowed. She squished it again, slower this time.

"Cass—are you okay?!" Adam asked quickly, voice soft but urgent, his hand coming to rest gently on her arm.

But inside, his mind was anything but calm.

He was panicking. Every nerve was firing at once. His brain was in full red-alert mode, spiraling into places he had no control over. His body, however, moved on its own, pulling Cassie gently but deliberately away from the active war zone of where her hand had just landed.

There were no words in his head.

Just chaos.

Steering her hand carefully away from the war zone, Adam took a deep breath, trying to shake off the echo of panic.

"Let's calm down… Let's just sit for a second. I need water, maybe lie down," he muttered, almost to himself, then looked at her seriously. "I'm ALRIGHT," he emphasized, each syllable clear and firm.

But when he looked at Cassie's face, he paused.

Her bangs cast a soft shadow over her eyes, veiling her expression. Something about the stillness in her face made his stomach twist.

Oh God… did she notice?!

Just as the thought formed, Cassie sprang up like a jack-in-the-box.

"Adam! Adam!!" she shouted, brimming with excitement.

The worry that gripped her moments ago? Gone. Evaporated like morning mist. No one else knew it, but Cassie could shift emotional gears instantly—almost frighteningly fast. Her eyes practically sparkled with golden stars.

"I think I just found a frog!"

"…Huh?" Adam blinked. His brain failed to keep up. "Frog? What frog? You were panicking a second ago!"

He stared as Cassie dropped to her knees, sweeping her hands enthusiastically across the floor like a determined archaeologist.

"I definitely felt a frog!" she declared with absolute confidence.

Somewhere deep in Adam's mind, something shattered—like the sound of glass cracking under emotional whiplash.

Meanwhile, not too far away, the Apparition Adam was doubled over in laughter, gripping his sides as if they might split. His eyes bulged, voice wheezing with mirth.

"I-I see, my soldier…" Ivan spoke, barely holding it together.

"How do you even know it's a frog?" Adam asked weakly, the last threads of reason unraveling.

"Oh! When I was little, I found a frog in my mom's garden," Cassie said, bright as the sun. "It felt just like that! Soft, a little bumpy, kind of squishy—but not too squishy!"

And then she went on. And on. Describing in alarming detail how the frog had felt, how she held it, how it tried to jump out of her hands and she squealed but chased it anyway—

"Cass, please—" Adam finally cut in, cheeks burning red.

She frowned, puffing her cheeks slightly. "Aw… I wasn't done."

Adam gave her a look, face the shade of a tomato, and sighed. Her innocence is unreal.

"I'll get you a frog," he promised, rubbing the back of his neck. "Once we leave this place. I'll find you one."

Cassie's face lit up. "REALLY?!

"yes, i pretty sure i saw a frog in a pet store once, in NQSC" ,adam lied.

"Alright! I'm gonna name him…" she paused, grinning wide. "Squidy! Get it? 'Cause he's squishy! Squidy! Get it?!"

Adam tugged at his collar, trying to vent the steam building in his head.

"Y-Yea," he stammered, eyes drifting behind her.

There stood Apparition Adam, now wearing a dusty sheriff's uniform, complete with hat and mirrored sunglasses, arms crossed with a smirk of amused disgust.

He clicked a miniature communicator on his chest.

"Beep-bep. Send some backup. Looks like we got a 'minor' situation brewin'," he drawled, pure Wild West inflection.

"I DIDN'T mean it like that! And what do you mean 'MINOR'?!" Adam snapped mentally. "I'm barely months old and mentally the same age as her—and you as a whole!"

The apparition only laughed harder as the sheriff getup shimmered, shifting into the black robes of a clergyman.

Cassie suddenly turned to Adam, tilting her head.

"Hey… are you really okay?"

He tensed as she leaned forward. She was shorter than him—by quite a bit—so she rose to her tiptoes, steadying herself with a hand on his chest. Her other hand reached up to press lightly against his forehead.

Her head rested right over his heart.

Thankfully, she was on the wrong side—she couldn't hear the frantic drumming underneath.

"You seem alright," she said thoughtfully, voice barely above a whisper.

"Of course I am," Adam said, trying to sound calm. "Even Sleepers don't get sick easily."

There was a small flutter in his chest.

"We've had enough drama for one day," he added gently. "Let's head inside."

And just like that, he reached for her hand and guided her back into the shelter, away from mysterious frogs that stared at the duo disappearing into the room.

Chapter Text

did somebody say "freedom"? 🦅 🦅 🦅 🦅

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The room wasn't very big—just enough for two people to live in. This was likely where Cassie and Nephis stayed after Sunny left.

Adam helped Cassie get seated, then spent a few moments scanning the room. Even though thousands of years had passed, the structures had withstood the trial of time.

Truly, the engineering acumen of the people of the Dream Realm was on another scale.

With that, he sat down beside Cassie—maybe a little too close. Their shoulders were practically touching, but Cassie didn't seem to mind; her mind seemed preoccupied with something else.

Adam didn't disturb her thoughts. He simply leaned back and relaxed with a deep sigh. He turned his head and stared at Cassie's face.

He chuckled internally. Seeing how lost Cassie was in her thoughts, he couldn't help but feel like he was in some kind of novel—or a piece of writing. Because usually, in reality, you would notice someone's shoulder touching yours. Or you would pretend to make conversation to hide the problems plaguing your mind. But maybe it was possible in reality too.

It hadn't been long, but he was already starting to feel awkward. So he decided to bring Cassie back to the moment.

"Where do you live?"

Cassie snapped out of her thoughts.

"Huh? What?"

"Did you say something?" Cassie questioned

"Yeah, I asked—where do you live?" Adam repeated his previous question.

"Oh, I live with my parents in a middle-class district," Cassie replied.

Adam then asked a few more questions about her and her family—some he already knew, and some he didn't.

And finally, it was Cassie's turn to ask.

"Uh, Adam… where do you live?" she asked, echoing his earlier question. She couldn't think of anything else at the moment, so she decided to repeat it back to him.

Adam remained silent for a moment.

To Cassie, it was only a second or two.

"I don't have a home…" he replied.

Cassie's heart sank.

All kinds of thoughts erupted in her mind, running through every possible scenario.

She wanted to ask, but she hesitated.

"What about your parents? How are they?"

Adam responded promptly. "I don't have parents either."

Now that I think back… I don't remember them at all. My memories about them are blank. A lot of things are missing from me.

He sighed softly.

"Ahhh… I really am a blank slate."

Just then, Cassie hugged him from the side. She raised her hand and gently brushed Adam's hair.

It was obvious what she was doing—trying to comfort him.

He found it amusing.

It wasn't long ago that she needed him to comfort her.

Now, the tables had turned.

"It's alright… it'll be fine," she said softly, doing her best to soothe him.

"If it's okay… you can stay at our house…"

The words came out on their own.

Her eyes snapped shut as she turned away, realizing what she'd just said.

Adam had a cheeky smile plastered on his face.

"A girl inviting a boy to stay at her house—oh my, what would her parents think?" Adam teased, raising an eyebrow dramatically.

Cassie kept her eyes closed. "Don't get the wrong idea! You're my savior! And when I explain my survival to my parents, they'll naturally want to meet you and give their thanks!" she defended quickly.

This time, Adam was genuinely surprised.

She hadn't stuttered.

Her explanation made sense, was perfectly reasonable…

But what really surprised him was how Cassie said it—calmly, matter-of-factly.

She's adapting fast, he thought.

And her character is changing too…

Of course, one can't remain shy and naïve in the Dream Realm for long.

It was a relief, really.

There were some inconsistencies in how things developed…

But this was reality.

"Yeah, right…" Adam replied, laughing with his snake-like tongue sticking out.

"IT'S TRUE!" Cassie blurted out, now embarrassed, trying to defend her position.

"After all… you're my… best… friend," she added, her voice softening to a near whisper.

Then, a hand gently patted her head.

"Alright… I'll take you up on that offer," Adam said in a cool tone.

But inside?

He felt like he'd been hit by a truck.

Kughhh… Friendzoned, he thought, as metaphorical rivers streamed down his cheeks.

The Apparition laughed like there was no tomorrow.

Letting out a sigh, Adam turned and looked at Cassie—and when he did, he let out another long sigh.

To a normal person, she would appear fine.

But Adam wasn't normal.

He had a keen eye for discerning disturbances in people's minds and expressions.

And for someone as inexperienced as Cassie, it was easy to read her.

That decision is bothering her more than I expected…

Right—betraying your best friend…

Adam's eyes lost focus for a moment before they shimmered back to life with a golden hue, runes flickering across his vision before disappearing.

"Is that decision bothering you a lot?" Adam asked calmly.

He didn't bother to explain. He simply said it like it was obvious.

Cassie's eyes widened.

"H-How did you—oh, right… of course you'd know."

She didn't try to stretch it out either.

"Yes, I am… I'm scared. I don't know what to do…"

Cassie poured her worries out.

And if one looked closely, they could see just how much pain she was in.

It's a weight she's not yet ready to bear, Adam thought slowly.

He listened to her. He didn't interrupt.

He just sat there, letting her spill the weight onto him.

As she spoke, she began to feel waves of relief washing over her.

Because of that—she let everything out, baring it all to the only person willing to listen.

Eventually, she quieted down.

Her eyes were slightly red, hints of tears clinging to the edges.

Adam gently reached over and took Cassie's hands from her lap.

He held them in a way that offered quiet reassurance, his grip warm and steady.

"Cass… the decision you're about to make is an important one," he began.

"I have no right to tell you which choice is right and which is wrong."

"Because… if you choose not to act on that information, that's a correct choice. And if you choose to act on it… that's also a correct choice. There's no right or wrong here."

Adam paused, letting his words sink in before continuing.

"The only difference between those choices… is the kind of pain you'll carry. No path in life is easy. And certainly, no path comes without pain."

"All we can do is choose which pain we want to live with. If you choose Nephis… you'll carry a pain that eats you from the inside. But if you choose Sunny… you'll carry a pain that eats you from the outside."

"And if you try to choose both… The pain will tear you apart from within."

Another pause.

The golden shimmer returned briefly to Adam's eyes.

Cassie listened. Her expression was difficult to describe—but if one had to try, it would be as if the sun was rising.

"But no matter what path you take," Adam said softly,

"remember this: I will always be by your side, no matter what choice you make."

Cassie opened her mouth to say something—but Adam spoke first, gently cutting her off.

"The one who believes she can… will find a way. And the one who believes she can't… will find an excuse."

"Your thoughts shape your limit. Believe in failure—and you will fall. Believe in yourself—and you will rise."

"In the end, it isn't talent or luck that defines you…"

"…but the mindset you choose for yourself."

After a long, quiet moment, Adam spoke again.

"The greatest chains… are the ones we place on ourselves."

His voice dropped low, steady, and filled with quiet power.

"And the strongest freedom is the courage to break them."

Chapter Text

Cassie's Mom POV

It's been nearly over a month since I joined the Church.

Saint Aria occasionally calls me to the cathedral to inform me about Cassie's situation. And as a mother, knowing how my daughter is doing in a death zone… it's beyond important. It's everything.

But there's a problem.

I have no idea how they're getting that information. Sure, they could be receiving divine revelations—but it doesn't quite make sense to go through all that trouble for a single mortal girl. By now, I've already become a devout believer. I kneel before the Holy Cross and cry until my chest caves in. They don't need to work so hard to win my faith anymore.

That means… someone must be there.

Someone capable of communicating with the outside. But not powerful enough to bring back the sleepers trapped in that realm.

That's a possibility.

Honestly, I don't care how they're getting the information.

All I care about is that my daughter comes back—alive, healthy, and well. And from the sound of it, that's almost guaranteed.

Even the Pope himself, known as The Friend of God, said, "She will return healthier than anyone you know."

That was a relief, to say the least. Other than that, my life has felt… brighter than it used to.

NQSC is naturally gloomy. Most days, the sun never appears, and the air is always heavy. This darkness seeps into people's lives like slow poison. But even so, we all strive to live bright—or at least decent—lives.

That is, until the Nightmare Spell comes… and takes one of your own. For most—everyone except the legacies—it's the final hammer that strikes the nail into the coffin. Many sleepers who get marked by the Nightmare Spell don't make it.

And those who do… they return changed. Sometimes traumatized. Sometimes… unrecognizable.

"Hey! Wake up, Madame Helena will be coming soon…"

The stranger's warning fell on deaf ears as I drifted further into my thoughts.

Cassie's case was different. She lost her sight. That was the most obvious.

Her once bright personality had shrunk into the cusp of what it used to be. It dimmed, like a flickering candle on its last breath.

That much was expected. But the second reason…

POW.

A soft thud broke my train of thought.

"…Ow." My thoughts shattered as I rubbed the back of my head.

Turning, I saw two girls standing beside me, dressed in the same priestess uniform. Each of them held two or three books, thick and weathered.

One of the girls, with black hair and sharp grey eyes, leaned close and hissed, "What are you doing spacing out?! DO YOU WANT TO GET CAUGHT?"

Another one, pale with dull blue eyes that seemed to reflect nothing, whispered, "If Madame Helena finds out, we will be in big trouble."

You wouldn't get caught if you didn't sneak into a restricted library, I wanted to reply, but bit my tongue.

After all, who was I to talk? I let myself get dragged into this just as willingly.

How did I end up here, you might ask?

Well… long story short: every new priestess has to go through mandatory foundational classes. Surprisingly, these include not just Bible studies, but advanced mathematics and science.

And because I didn't join through the normal process, things were complicated.

I'm in my 30s, while most of the other girls have just reached their 20s. I was worried—worried that I wouldn't fit in, that they'd be uncomfortable with an "old woman" attending class with them.

And to make it more difficult, our instructor was Madame Helena (The librarian).

Haaaa…

I sighed deeply.

At my age, I should be listening to teachers complain about my children's mischief—not committing mischievous acts myself.

Yet here I was, sneaking around in a restricted library like a student. And strangely enough…

I'd forgotten how fun this was.

Of course, I shouldn't be doing this. But it's just this once, and as long as we don't get caught…

My eyes scanned the room. It wasn't very large—five rows of shelves in total.

One row stood at the very end, spanning the entire back wall, while four others stood in neat order in front of it. This wasn't an ordinary library.

It was called the Preservation Library—a sealed archive where books, magazines, hard drives, and even devices from the Dark Times were stored.

Why they preserved these things, no one really knew. But this place was important enough to be restricted to only a few.

He must've been from the older generation… right? But no, he looked far too young for that. Unless… he's a Saint.

Saints live long lives, of course—how long exactly, no one knows. Death is always waiting around the corner.

Still, if he considers this place worth protecting, then he must be quite old indeed. I wandered toward one of the shelves, opposite from where the other girls were gathering.

Near the bottom, I spotted something unusual—a colorful magazine.

Kneeling down, I pulled it out.

It was from the Dark Times. The cover was vibrant, bold, practically glowing with color—so unlike the monotone tomes surrounding it. Must be just an old entertainment mag, I thought

—but I was wrong.

My expression froze for a moment as I stared at the cover.

Then, without saying a word, I gently pushed the magazine back into the shelf…and made sure it went deeper this time.

Standing up, I dusted my knees and turned toward the next shelf.

One thought echoed in my mind: "No matter the era, and no matter the age… a man will remain a man."

While the girls busied themselves taking pictures and copying passages into their communicators, I made my way to the final shelf—the last in the four central rows.

Most of the material here was dry: old scientific papers, archived studies, data logs, encyclopedias—remnants of pre-Dark Time academia.

Other than a few interesting novel titles, the tour had been mostly boring… until—At the very top of the final shelf, a collection of books caught my eye. They looked ancient. Their spines were thick with dust and they were separated from the others by a thin metal divider.

I carefully pulled the whole set out and began scanning the titles:

[King of the Undead Scourge]

[Queen of Lust]

[The Forgotten]

…

Weird titles. They seemed like fantasy novels… and perhaps they were. But one in particular caught my attention:

[Mysteries of 3-6-9]: Author: Keter As.

My breath hitched. A book written by the Pope?!

I was just about to open it when—

Creakkkkkk…

The unmistakable groan of the heavy wooden door echoed through the archive. We all froze like statues.

A tall shadow darkened the doorway.

It was none other than—Madame Helena.

She looked at the three girls, who had stopped mid-scan with their communicators halfway raised.

Her eyes narrowed as she took a slow step inside.

as she did that, she spoke in a low voice, "you girls have alot to explain".

***

Madame Helena wasn't holding back.

She had given the two girls a generational scolding—the kind that leaves your soul questioning every life decision you've ever made. All the poor duo could do was stand outside the archive room, heads lowered, taking it like drenched kittens caught in a monsoon.

Surprisingly, she didn't unleash the same fury on me.

Maybe because I was new? Or maybe… something else?

Madame Helena was my age, but far more refined than anyone I'd ever seen. If someone looked at her, they would never guess she was the same age as me. Perhaps she was also an Awakened.

She had a strict, commanding presence. Her face was sharp, and she wore rectangular gold-rimmed glasses. Even beneath the priestess robes, her figure was hard to ignore—elegant and ostentatious. Her chest was especially… prominent, drawing attention without effort.

I glanced at my own chest briefly before shaking my head inwardly. Get your head out of the gutter. I threw those thoughts aside and stood up straight.

Soon, the duo was dismissed, and Madame Helena turned to look at me. As she did, her chest bounced slightly. She crossed her arms beneath it and narrowed her eyes.

"You haven't been here long, and you're already getting into this kind of mess?" she asked, clearly expecting an explanation.

"I was pulled in before I could even do anything," I answered quickly. When facing a superior, it's best to get to the point and avoid excuses.

Madame Helena sighed deeply. "Since it's your first time, I'll let it slide. But next time, you'll be answering to the Pope himself."

"I'll make sure this never happens again," I said promptly.

"Yeah… make sure it doesn't. I don't have the energy to scold you again," she muttered.

"After all… you're my age."

"You're still my senior, Madame," I replied respectfully.

"Just call me Helena."

"Alright… Helena."

And with that, we were just about to go our separate ways when someone walked in.

His hair was white with a golden hue, cascading down his back. This time, it had been combed and trimmed to shoulder length.

Of course, it was none other than the Pope of the Church.

Madame Helena and I were both caught off guard.

She was the first to react—dashing into a bow. And as she did, her chest bounced again.

I, who was following her, noticed… and the only thought that came to mind was:

"How the f—"

Before I could finish the thought, a powerful yet soft voice cut through the air.

"Please don't bow. I don't like it," he said, raising one arm in a gentle stopping gesture.

Chapter Text

Cassie Mom POV

"Please don't bow. I don't like it," he said, raising one arm in a gentle stopping gesture.

I lifted my head at his words, and as our eyes met, something strange happened—my focus slipped. Without realizing it, I found myself staring at his hair, the way it now draped over his shoulder. He was smiling, enigmatic as ever.

He didn't speak right away. Instead, he glanced between Helena and me, then slowly turned his head toward the door that led into the library.

None of us said a word. A few seconds stretched into what felt like an eternity.

Then, with an amused expression—as if he understood exactly what had just happened—he looked back at us.

"So, I presume you trespassed into my library? Hm?" he asked, the inflection in his voice playfully teasing.

He's more lively today… did something good happen? I wondered.

I stole a quick glance at Madame Helene. Her usual stern presence had cracked; she looked unsettled. But she quickly composed herself and stepped forward.

She quickly explained the situation, but it only left me more perplexed. Madame Helena sounded clear-headed, but her body told a different story. I'm not particularly skilled at reading people, but even I can recognize the basic nuances in someone's posture and expression. And in Madame Helena, everything pointed to one thing:

She was afraid.

"But why?—"

Then something she said snapped me out of my haze.

"Please forgive her. She's new here. I'll make sure she becomes properly acquainted with the rules…"

Huh? What? Wait—what was she saying? Alarmed, I forced myself to tune back in. Damn it… I was so focused on Madame Helena that I didn't even notice what she was saying.

After Madame Helena's plea for forgiveness, the Pope's expression shifted—mild surprise flickered across his face, his brows lifting slightly. Then, he turned and looked straight at me.

His eyes narrowed, and a playful smirk crept across his face.

"It hasn't even been that long, and you've already gotten yourself into trouble. You both really are so similar—doing the exact same thing."

What? What did he mean by that? Which both is he talking about?

Before I could piece together the thought, he turned back to Madame Helena and offered her a strangely comforting smile.

"Don't worry about it. I won't hold it against you. Just make sure it doesn't happen again, hm?"

A pause. Then his tone sharpened.

"Have I made myself clear?"

What is going on here?! But before the thought could take form, he dismissed Madame Helena with a casual wave. She didn't wait—clearly eager to leave—offering a quick nod before stepping aside and walking away.

I stood frozen, unsure of what to do.

Without a word, he and Saint Aria began walking past me. I instinctively moved aside to let them through.

Then he stopped, glanced back, and said:

"What are you doing? Follow me."

And in that moment, I understood why Madame Helena had seemed so unsettled.

Even though his words were soft, they landed like a command—and one word echoed through my mind with chilling clarity:

Death.

***

We walked in silence for nearly a minute. Neither of them spoke, and the quiet was starting to eat at me. I didn't know where they were leading me, but I had no choice except to follow and trail behind.

This wasn't like the Pope I met a month ago. He felt… distant. Cold. Almost ruthless.

After several turns through long corridors, I couldn't hold it in anymore.

I cleared my throat. "Sir Keter—"

"Just Keter is fine," he said, still walking. "You don't need to add honorifics. I'm not that old, you know?"

His voice had a bit of his usual energy, lighthearted even. But it felt hollow.

"How old are you then?" I asked.

"Old enough," he replied dryly.

"That doesn't tell me anything…"

Judging by looks alone, he might've been two or three years older than Cassie. But plenty of Awakened looked just slightly older than my daughter, so that didn't mean much. His behavior was a better clue—and right now, something was off.

Even though his tone seemed lively, there was a cold edge underneath it. Detached. He wasn't like this before. Then it hit me—this was the first time I'd seen him outside the Inner Church.

Of course. This was the version he showed the public. A front. I hadn't even considered it. It must be exhausting, keeping up that mask all the time.

Before the silence could settle again, I asked, "Where are we going?"

"Hm?"

He sounded like he hadn't been listening. But before he could answer, Saint Aria cut in.

"We're heading to the garage. His Highness the Pope is departing soon for… work."

"I told you not to use titles," Keter said, glancing over his shoulder. He didn't stop walking.

"My apologies, sir…" Aria replied, her tone polite—but not particularly sorry.

The Pope is leaving? For what? And alone? Questions pressed against the back of my mind, too many to focus on.

"Where exactly are you going?" I asked before I could stop myself.

He didn't answer—because just then, we arrived in front of a large set of doors.

He glanced at me with a smug little smile.

"I'm going to Egypt."

…

Silence.

Saint Aria closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Like this wasn't the first time she'd heard something ridiculous.

I just stared at him, trying—and failing—to place the name. Egypt…? Was that even a real place? The word rattled around in my mind with no context. Was there ever a place called that?

He noticed my blank expression and raised an eyebrow—then caught himself.

"Ah. Right. You wouldn't know." He scratched the back of his head, sheepish. "It's in North Africa."

Something clicked. Memory resurfaced. And then came the shock.

"What?! Africa?" The words burst out of my mouth before I could shut them down.

The African Quadrant was ridiculously far. Weeks away—assuming you could even get there. And he was talking about just… going?

Before I could ask anything else, Keter pushed open a pair of massive metal doors.

Inside was a long, dimly lit chamber—lined with rows of vehicles. But these weren't the standard PTVs that roamed the streets of NQSC. No, these were… different.

As we stepped inside, I slowed to a stop, staring.

"What are these?" I murmured, still half in disbelief.

Keter turned, chuckling. "Right. You're probably not used to seeing these bad boys."

He walked ahead, hands in his coat pockets. "Let's just say they're antiques. From before the Dark Times."

My eyes widened. "No way…"

I took another sweeping glance. Their shapes. The paint. The solid steel. Real wheels.

"These are pre-Dark Times PTVs? And they're in perfect condition?"

It didn't make sense. Everything from before the collapse was either destroyed, decayed, or buried out in the dead zones. Nobody had working tech from that era—hell, most people didn't even believe it survived.

Then Keter added, almost casually, "They cost me a fortune. But I collected them anyway."

Wait. I blinked. All of these PTV's… belong to him?

My thoughts stalled as he approached a particularly aggressive-looking PTV—sleek, low-bodied, black chrome with crimson accents. He opened the door and slid inside.

"Wait—wait!" I hurried after him. "All of these PTV's are yours?!"

"It's a muscle car," he said, fiddling under the wheel. "And yes."

He inserted a key, gave it a turn—and the engine roared awake like a beast breathing fire.

I flinched at the sound. It wasn't anything like the quiet hum of modern drives. This had soul—violent, raw, and real.

"How did you even get it?" I muttered, barely loud enough to hear over the noise.

But Keter heard me anyway. His grin turned wry.

"How else?" he said.

"I'm rich."

Chapter Text

Weeks had passed, surprisingly or unsurprisingly, I have come to experience things that kept catching me off guard, not in the sense of danger or hidden threats, but in sheer details of my surroundings. 

Yes, when I first opened my eyes in this world, I was slightly overwhelmed by what was happening, excitement, heat of the adventurous spirit, worry and fear dominated most of my perception in the beginning. 

I had awoken in a police station as a freshly awakened sleeper, I had no idea how, but I was happy. I considered myself to be blessed with endless fortune because I didn't have to face the horrors of the first nightmare. 

And obviously when I saw my aspect and my abilities, I was beyond ecstatic but also more worried, because of the nature of my aspect and attributes, but thankfully my worries were unfounded, my abilities were only limited by its rank, and didn't seem to cause any major risks.

Of course, it would lame to say that I wasn't sceptical, awakened with 4 cores, 5 attributes related to the "God Almighty" pathways, with the ability to envision as a sleeper, and more strangely being able to utilize all the abilities without proper use of essence. 

It is a given fact that sleepers cannot utilise essence until they become awakened, I did experiment, quite a bit at the academy, but it resulted in a fruitless attempt. I concluded that my low sensitivity to essence is what stopped me from discovering anything new. 

After all, only after being awakened can one start to feel essence and start trying to move it. But that was not all, protagonists in transmigration and isekei genres would have accepted this and moved on from here. But I didn't.

Yes. The wall between fantasy and reality may have crumbled, but the reason for a real person 'like myself', was much above the protagonists in stories. While I was suspicious, I decided to enjoy this new experience. 

And with the help of police officers, I reached the Academy, I had to confirm something. When I saw it, I was over the 'moon'.

Of course, the reason was none other than Cassie, this was good news for me, it gave me an idea of which point in the story i was located in, and gave me the chance to meet the character I held dear. Perhaps the only one I held dear.

At the same time, I also started planning. I wasn't foolish to believe I could actually survive in the dream realm, but more importantly, I was formulating how I would navigate the story. 

At the time, I chose to stick strictly to the main story line for 2 reasons. Firstly, it would give me the advantage of information, by not interfering with the story, I was making sure I could profit from the information of the novel, and secondly, it was safe. 

It's impossible to fully stay 100% in the story line, changes will inevitably take place due to my presence, just the act of approaching cassie would have led to new variables, but i surmised it would on a manageable level and not too drastic.

And I was right to some degree, a lot of details, and actions changed due to my slight interference. But not to a degree that it would cause the story to change in a different direction. 

The most change that happened caused by my action is without a doubt, Cassie.

When I met her for the first time and spoke to her, I was bewildered. 

My [ Spectator ] attribute allowed me to see things with an entirely different kind of vision. It wasn't super natural vision, but just the sheer amount of details I was noticing at once. 

The twitching of the eye bros, the most slight movement of the pupils, the twitch of the lips, how they hold a cup, how they sit, how they move their heads and even a strange heat emanating from their body, all together combined into one. 

It felt like intuition, and the combined information painted almost a perfect picture of a person's state of mind so clearly that it seemed like it was pasted on their faces.

And when I saw Cassie, I saw death. 

The novel only described the air around her to carry the weight of impending death. But that wasn't entirely correct.

 It wasn't death, instead it was hopelessness and despair. To explain it with an example, it is common knowledge that if you surround yourself with a happy group of people, you would naturally be happier, and if you're surrounded by a group of exhausted people, you would be exhausted even if you are full of energy.

You are affected by the emotions and actions of surroundings. 

So the air around Cassie which seemed like death, is actually not death, but the sheer weight of her hopelessness and despair, and combined with the feeling of distance and abandonment of the sleepers around her, magnified it to resemble death. 

And also deteriorating her mind close to the breaking point. Anymore and she would have become mentally broken and unresponsive. 

That was how a spectator saw the world, it's hard to describe what I felt at the moment. I felt amazed but more than that, I felt very sad.

I was amazed at the fact that despite all this Cassie persevered and reached great heights and achieved great feats, and I felt sad that she did it without anyone supporting her mentally or emotionally. 

Then I decided that I would support Cassie fully, I was already planning too, but now I felt like I had to do more.

And so, I approached her, cheered her up, held her hand guiding her through the academy, greeting her in the mornings, making not so great jokes, and ate meals together, while placating her.

Result?

We grew closer, she started opening up more, and began accepting her situation, but this time not with despair and sadness but with hope.

And fast forward, we entered the dream realm, and as I expected, I also got transported to the forgotten shores, thankfully, my [ Sailor ] attribute was made for the waters.

But that was just what made the horrors more dreadful, granted nightvision, I saw for the first time, the kind of horrors sleepers of the forgotten shore had to face.

By great luck, Cassie was nearby so she didn't have to suffer in the waters. It was from then my suspicion began to bloom even more.

Originally Cassie should have been saved by Nephis instead of me, resulting in her trusting Nephis with everything she had at time, and influencing her to make the most important plot decision. 

With me saving her, I had basically gotten 120% of her trust in me, this was quite a dilemma.

I was worried that the future might change and my advantage would be lost. 

But I kept this dilemma hidden, I carried Cassie through the crimson labyrinth, luckily our encounters with nightmare creatures were very minimal, and we were able to escape most of them.

It was then, I really began getting clues. 

Nephis had arrived, and her actions gave evidence to a very unpleasant prospect. 

Nephis true to the novel plot, approached our safe camp, and gave a hand to Cassie, as if offering help. 

Her eyes were vacant, almost in a dream-like state, then I understood, I could never change the future to begin with. Everything would have gone according to how the novel went or to be more accurate, how Fate wanted it. 

With that evidence I was quickly able to surmise that fate was forcing events into motion, not bothering with any variables. 

Soon after more evidences began surfacing, to my horror, my presence was not even registered, people would constantly forget of my being, but strangely the only exception was Cassie, who seem able to remember me, but even she isn't spared from grasp of fate, she would interchange between my real name and true name.

These were all unnerving if I was truly being honest. I had no clue on how to handle these matters. 

After much thought, I came to another conclusion, if fate is indeed forcing the events to go in a predetermined order, it wouldn't matter if small minor details changed.

Of course I still didn't come to terms with the mystery of existence, but I at least found motivation and freedom, within its confines.

Using this, I pushed both Nephis and Cassie to move earlier than expected, leading to the duo meeting sunny much earlier, reaching the ashen borrow and the soul devouring tree much much earlier than initially planned, and as expected fate gladly accommodated it. 

Although it wasn't easy, and I myself was near death more times than Cassie herself. Granted I was actually fighting as an inexperienced fighter who never once touched a weapon.

The mental state of the other 2 wasn't very good either, but it was still miles better than Cassie's was when I first met her. For my and Cassie's sake I placated them and improved their mental state.

I was also surprised that I unaffected by the soul devouring tree, this was news to me, because there was huge rank disparity, between me and the soul devourer, yet, I remained unaffected for the most part, but my cassie wasn't

She was in fact the first to fall into its influence. I tried placate and other abilities like bardic songs, but it only served to slow it down. 

The worst part was this time, she didn't get the required vision to warn sunny, this was important, because it was the instance where trust was being forged and the point where seeds of an unintentional betrayal would be planted.

 So I whispered to her, my plans, she was already halfway into being enthralled, but with my help she resisted and managed to warn sunny of "5".

Using this opportunity, I envisioned a life boat, I decided it was pointless to wait and let things play out so, with my superior strength, i subdued Nephis, whispered sunny to climb the tree and finding blood weave, I grabbed Cassie who was offering me the fruits, because maybe she trusts me more now, she didn't fight back.

But it wasn't the same for Nephis, in fact, had I not said "Aster Song Vale", I would have really died with a broken neck.

Once sunny came back I envisioned tnt's and exploded them as we surfed the waves off its shores. 

Soon we reached the dark city, and weirdly enough Effie was still present there, so I assumed that was her residence till the moment the cohort reached the dark city in the novel.

Things were progressing just as the original.

We reached the bright castle, and that's when I decided to test out another theory.

Like the original, Sunny and Cassie were supposed to stay in the bright castle while nephis ventured into the slums.

But I intervened and made both of them go, it was hard convincing them both, considering they were very distrustful still despite learning from each other, they gave in regardless.

So I envisioned an entire bag of soul shards, which guaranteed us a few weeks in the bright castle. Harper wasn't present, this time, I assumed he was working, otherwise I would have tried something with him and maybe get more information. 

But regardless I told the girl at the desk to keep the change, and took Cassie to our room, strangely she insisted on sharing a single room, even though soul shards weren't a problem. 

But in the end she won, or rather I conceded. It was hard to fight against her with her puffed cheeks. 

Eventually it was time to eat, and instead of sunny, I guided Cassie.

It was then I noticed gazes.

It was the gaze of a beast in heat. And they were directed at none other than Cassie. 

It was no secret that in terms of looks she could go toe to toe with the awakened as well except for masters or saints.

So it was granted that she would be the target of attention, which I expected, but not once did I accept such revolting gazes. 

Being sensitive to gazes, and my environment, I felt it all too well. Being away from civilization, constantly at death's door, had caused the beasts in the room to be depraved to new levels, even though they hid it well, they couldn't hide it from a spectator.

They looked like they would jump on her the moment my gaze was away from her, at this point my build was on the tall slender side, i didn't have the weight of my size to look intimidating. 

But other than disgust, I felt extreme annoyance and anger. I envisioned a clock that covered Cassie's back and modestly, putting hand on her shoulder, then I turned to look around.

My eyes were that of blazing gold, I glared at the beasts, I kept myself expressionless but my eyes said it all. 

Only then did, they all kept to themselves, giving the two of us much needed space and rest.

A week passed, Cassie and I decided it was time to meet up with Sunny and Nephis.

As I expected, Sunny and nephis had yet to get into the awkward relationship they had, perhaps because I forced this moment, causing fate to act against it.

So that means, unless I force it to go as fate wants it, nothing I do will work that well.

And so we moved to tents, I did not interfere much anymore, simply letting things go as they are supposed to, when I saw that apparition for the first time.

I saw myself, or rather something looked like me, if not for the Deep Black hair with gold accents at the roots, and his ornate black clergy men robe. 

I went full out, I didn't hold back, as if by instinct but my attacks simply passed through, he explained himself, and then I remembered, Sin of Solace…

It was similar, he revealed himself to be the hanged man version and revealed information that crumbled everything I thought was real.

I was extremely suspicious of him, I neither believed any word he said, but after talking for a while, I felt hope leaving my soul. 

At that moment, I saw my memories flashing before my eyes, and I thought to myself, is anything real? 

He comforted me with not so helpful words, but at least it killed my bad mood slightly. And so I began to trust and work with myself, to save myself and things that I held dear. 

I think so Atleast, I hope I am right. 

***

I opened my eyes, I was seated in a lotus position, on top of a corpse of a nightmare creature. 

Over the last weeks, I had been training myself to be a better fighter, I had to do at least this much. I had also become less reliant on my envisioning. 

It was hard and excruciating, but it was worth it. Of course in terms of fighting power, I would be amongst the weaker sleepers of the forgotten shore but at least I was strong enough to defend myself without relying on excessive cheats. Combined with my abilities and everything in my disposal, I am as strong if not many times stronger then Gunlag and Nephis at their peak.

"HEY! Are you done yet?", a furious voice snapped, jarring me back to reality.

Turning around to see a girl with black hair and limpid eyes, approached me with smokes of irritation fuming from her head.

"Ah you're here? Did you get the memory?", getting straight to the point. 

"piece of shit, making me do all the work, why don't you just go and die? HUH? Maybe you should go up your mothers ### and #### you ####" the girl continued to bark out insults that would make even the most hardened of French shed tears of blood and vomit out their entire stomach.

I simply deadpanned, and waited for her insults to drain out, I am not really affected but it does sting, a complete stark contrast to when I first met the girl.

Her name is "reena" from her looks and her skin color I could tell she is of south asian descent. Which explains her sharp tongue, which is made worse by her flaw, which seems to make her irritated and constantly angry.

Because of that, she suffered a lot and could not join any groups or cohorts because he could not help but spew out gut wrenching insults that sometimes even worked against nightmare creatures surprisingly. 

She was lonely and barely surviving, when I found her after Cassie's therapy walks. At first even though I was caught in the fire, I would have been the Number 1 advocate of gender equality had it not been for my spectator instincts showing me more than I heard.

She is actually very timid, but her flaw makes it so that any signs of it are impossible to notice and everyone only notices her sharp tongue. 

Realizing this, I felt bad for her. In the past weeks I helped her stand on her two feet, and taught her how to navigate through her flaws. Of course she couldn't get rid of them, but she learned to use them. 

I then taught her negotiation (via envisioning's help T-T ), as it turned out, she had a neck for it, and her sharp tongue made her a very hard opponent to counter negotiate. 

She is now my personal negotiator, I sent her to get me memories.

I smiled, as I waited and in a few seconds, her face had a blush on her cheeks, her flaw did indeed make her look like a wailing ghost, but other emotions like embarrassment and happiness can show itself on her face, only in a bit of a twisted manner. Making her look a bit evil.

"Ugh!! Whatever, I got a sword as you asked, this is the third one this week!! At least get this one right.. Ptui." she spat.

For some reason that spit felt genuine insult…

I closed my eyes and got up, I was tired, fighting an awakened monster with limits on myself is my limit. 

The reason I had her get me swords is because of a glaring problem that I realized too late.

From the very beginning I had relied on my envisioning, for weapons, clothes and anything I needed. So I never really had the need for memories. 

But once I readied myself to face the dangers and grow stronger without, I was greeted with a truth I could not believe I had not recognized sooner.

Any memories that enter my soul sea disintegrate, or become so worn out that it would shatter against the hides of the nightmare creatures. 

I myself could not enter the soul sea, because of the pain I felt the first time, the pain of having nails hammered into your flesh while being roasted alive.

But I never thought that even memories would not be able to remain in my soul. 

Because of that, all the memories i thought i had in the journey to dark city, had at one point become unusable trash. 

I tried getting higher grade memories, it seemed that stronger memories can last longer in my soul sea, but it would still be damaged and it would gain any healing or self fixing properties of the soul sea. 

Sigh

Well there is no point in lamenting. Because there is a small loop hole in this.

"Ok give it to me, i will get it right this time." I assured her as I looked her in the eye. 

"Hmph whatever, just get this over with", she snarled as she put out her hand.

I readied myself then..

As soon as I grabbed her hand, I felt a slight tug flowing into me, and immediately, I started summoning the memory.

Particles of light began forming, immediately. 

"Quick! Quick! Quick! Quick! Quick!", I desperately pushed out the memory.

In a second the particles solidified into a sword, it was a curved sword, reminiscent of the middle eastern styled swords.

However it wasn't unscathed, there were burned marks, on the handles and on the upper edges of the blade. 

Still, it's in much better condition than my previous attempts. 

"There you have it! Hahaha!" Reena laughed, relieved that it didn't go to waste. 

Yes I am happy as well, as I looked at the runes. 

—---------------------------------

Name: Sword of Saba

Memory rank: Awakened

Memory Tier: I.

Memory Type: Weapon.

Memory Description: [ A king sought to conquer the horizon, but his blades broke before the dream. In fury, he cast out his smiths and wandered far. By a lake's edge, he found whispers of a sword beyond dreams. He returned with steel that knew no equal—his armies swept the world. Many chased the secret. All failed.]

Memory Enchantment: [ True Cut ]

Enchantment Description: [ It will Kill ]

—---------------------

So this sword is a replica of those legendary swords, I wonder which part of the dream realm this story took place in. 

As I contemplated, Reena nudged at my shoulder. 

"Hey! Don't keep me waiting.. Tell me how it is?" she asked dryly.

"It's a very good sword, I am very pleased, thank you for getting this for me"

"You have a good hand for memories as well" 

Complimenting her, I took out a bag of soul shards and handed it to her. 

"Take this as my thanks and the fee for your efforts"

Reena simply stared at the bag, a rare glint of surprise plastering on her face for a brief moment. 

Anyone would be surprised, the bag has enough soul shards to last month and half in the bright castle. In terms of wealth I am the wealthiest here, maybe after gunlag. 

As I thought of gunlag, I turned to look at the direction of the bright castle.

Reena fixed her expression, returning to the usual stern expression. 

As she was about to say thanks, her mouth moved on its own.

"#### you ##### f***"

That broke me off my sudden stupor, my eye brows twitched and corners of my mouth couldn't help but curl up. 

Sensing something was wrong, reena immediately grabbed the bag and ran in the opposite direction, as she did she turned around.

"IF YOU NEED ANYTHING JUST REACH OUT TO ME YOU #####" and with that she ran away in a looney toon manner.

Watching all this, I let out a sigh. 

"Ho ho ho" 

Just then I heard a chuckle, turning my head to side, I saw a man in a black clergyman robe with gold inlays, his hair was deep black with gold accents in the roots. 

It was none other than Hanged Man Adam.

"She is a funny one, though her sharp tongue is.. Well sharp.." 

Ignoring his remark. I asked a question.

"Where have you been this entire time?"

Adam was still looking at the direction Reena ran off too, before turning to me.

"Nephis is going out to get the shards, everyone is gathering now."

Chapter Text

So they are going for shared memories..

My memory regarding the forgotten shore is very cloudy, but I can safely say that the timing and most details are only similar if looked from a far away. 

Essentially, these are new details to me, tch. This is just the worst.

Crossing my arms, I walked back to the corpse of the nightmare creature, ignoring Adam. I planted the sword of saba on the Nightmare Creature and sat down beside it.

Adam walked up to me, with a carefree expression as usual.

"You already experienced these, right? What do you suggest at this moment?"

Looking at me, he thought for a moment, his eyes slightly blurring as it lost focus.

"It's hard to say, all I can say is. Do what you must, follow the flow", he answered.

"That is the least helpful advice I got this entire year, why don't you just tell me what you're hiding?" I probed.

"I wish I could but your just not ready yet, and as I mentioned it's not a matter of corruption or proving worth, it's just the information is locked and can only be told to you only if you achieve what "he" wants", he explained before walking around the corpse and sitting on the other side to see horizon.

I looked a little puzzled but also shocked, from the beginning I was very sceptical of his intentions, so I assumed that he was actually malevolent and was hiding something. 

To my surprise, he didn't even bother lying and told me that he did have a secret he was lying and the secret was related to me, but he couldn't tell me because it would only be allowed to be revealed at a certain time.

So from that I guessed that, it was some information that could only be revealed after a certain point in the story.

But now he tells me that it's information for me, but I have to satisfy some requirements for me to know it.

Rubbing my chin as I contemplate this, I decide to ask the obvious.

"Can you tell me what I have to achieve?"

"No not really, even to me It's elusive, if i had to make an educated guess, based on what I know about ourselves, It would…"

He paused.

"Dicerning the truth."

 …

Discerning the truth? What kind of truth?.

Questions sprang up in my head, but none of them had a viable answer.

I did have some ideas, but they are merely hypotheses so it can't be confirmed and looking at Adam who was now back to enjoying the scenery, it likely meant that he wouldn't answer any more questions.

I should keep this matter aside for now, from his reaction it doesn't seem that urgent, so I can think slowly.

Back to the matter at hand. 

There are differences that I have discovered in this version of the story.

Firstly all the shard memories are accounted for except for the dawn shard.

Yes..

That means, the story that is living has changed, or is different. 

Right now, the zenith shard, the starlight shard and the dusk shard are in Effie's possession.

While the midnight shard and the moonlight shard somehow is in Sunny's possession.

And the sunlight shard is in Seishan's possession. 

All that leaves is the Dawn shard, which would fall in Nephis's hand, in this upcoming expedition.

This is quite uncomfortable, at this point all the shard memories except the dawn shard are accounted for, but why? 

Turning to Adam, I posed another question, even though I can guess the kind of answer he will give.

"Did you mess with the shared memory locations?" 

"Hm?" he turned to me with a slightly confused expression.

"All the shard memories except for the Dawn Shard are in 3 people's possession so early on in the story, are you the one responsible for this?" I pressed. 

He simply closed his eyes and turned his head back straight as if bored. 

"No I didn't, if i did, i would have told you, but this was news to me as well, but i am not too surprised, whatever our main body has been doing all this time, it's bound to create small changes in the overall story."

Hmm.. that is true, there is no certainty that all details will remain the same, with fate forcing the main events to go as the novel went and the unknown variables rising from my main bodies existence, this is the minimum to expect. 

Instead it's more surprising that there aren't more changes.

Let's not jinx it, this works out well for me.

I looked back at Adam, I looked at him for a while. Sighing I turned to look back at the outskirt of the bright castle, I should join the meeting. 

Nephis and Sunny should have met at the alley by now, sunny should be guiding Kai into the base.

Haaaaa… letting out a deep sigh. 

I am getting tired.

Isekei is not fun anymore.

Getting up, I started walking back to base. Cassie will probably be hungry, she is begging me to envision some fast food, I wonder which one we should have today?

"Thinking about Cassie again?" Adam asked as he appeared beside me like a ghost. 

"I was.. Before you interrupted me" I chided with narrowed eyes.

Understanding my displeasure, he increased the distance between us, hands in air, feigning innocence.

"Ok ok, jeez, i was just asking" Adam complained.

"I don't want to be asked questions, my mind is already preoccupied.." 

"tch .. The old you was better." Adam grumbled under his breath.

"What was that?" 

"Nothing nothing!"

Adam hurried forward, walking ahead of me.

He then asked a question without turning back.

"You have changed quite a bit, you seem more irritated than usual.."

I stared at his back then asked "mind elaborating?"

Then he stopped walking. I stopped as well as he turned to me. 

"Its just that, you don't seem like yourself, like something bothering you.. As spectator i would assume that for you it would easy to keep emotions in check, but now some negative emotions are leaking out"

I simply listened. 

Then without answering I walked past him.

As I did, I whispered. 

"I just remembered some unpleasant memories from earth..".

Chapter Text

After a while of walking, I reached the ruins.

Adam and I didn't talk, we only minded our own business.

We aren't close but we aren't the type to bicker or anything, we are surprisingly neutral, or should I say Adam is…

I am an extremely biased person, no doubt, that is exactly the problem, I can't relate with him, if my other selves are out there, I would want to live and be the dominant one. I would never willingly merge and have this me disappear, even if that's not entirely true.

I do not know what life he lived, but he had definitely seen a lot.

According to him, the history he lived has happened for him, but hasn't actually happened yet. At the same time, it's the same but also vastly different, So that means, it was like a nightmare.

Wait…

What was my first nightmare like? 

I secretly cast a glance at Adam.

Since the beginning not once had he talked about the first nightmare.

I had a strange hunch, could the secret be related to the first nightmare?

What really happened in the first nightmare?

If I think about it logically, my abilities are directly identical to that of the Lotm Novel, but it is reliant on this world's ascension system.

That means, while it's similar in shape and power, its underlying function is greatly different.

That means the first nightmare is an irreplaceable point in the power system.

That means…

No way..

NO NO, there is a point that doesn't match up!

It's impossible to have just completed the first nightmare, and just casually showcase such a level of planning. 

It's simply unreasonable, no matter how I place it! Damn it, why didn't I think of this! 

Myself and the other me's might not be the result of an intentional plan, but a forced one!

Is it like mordret? But instead it mirrors its personalities?

My main body must have realized this before he got his own flaw and then somehow by some means, arranged all of this WHILE BEING IN THE FIRST NIGHTMARE!

A sense of horror and dread washed over my body as my pupils trembled at the sudden realization.

No way! No way! No way! No way! No way!

But how is this even possible?!

Just what on god's green earth is my main body!

No No..

Could it be? Natural ascension within a nightmare itself?

I had a sudden urge to laugh like I had gone mad!

OF COURSE! If I remember the novel plot and story, there is no doubt my main body would too!, he must have attempted Natural Ascension WITHIN THE FIRST NIGHTMARE!

It's not impossible… in the tomb of Ariel, the 6 plagues had been defiled and had become of the Corrupted rank, so in theory it should be possible within the first nightmare as well.

Then the question lies.. How far did he ascend while being in the first nightmare?

If I had to guess… Transcendent? 

It could be, the ascension method for transcendence has been revealed by ananke, so without a doubt he would reach transcendence.

I would have been more realistic and say the peak of Master, but that would not match with Adam's story.

So that means..

Haha.. hahahaha..

I laugh self deprecatingly in my head.

Hundreds of years must have passed in the first nightmare, and…

We -avatars- are actually persona's and correspondent memories of the true body that split, after the trial was over. 

Whatever separates will definitely converge, and whatever converges will definitely separate.

This makes more sense, It really made no sense for having 5 avatars, only for them to have a Hunger Games. It had to happen because it was an inevitable result of a flaw. 

…

These new realizations like domino effect lead one after another of information that should have been obvious to a fervent reader of novels like myself.

But there are still unexplained elements, like why are there 5 pathways abilities, how did my main body acquire it? 

My main Aspect is Envisioning, then Adam's ability will likely be degeneracy, the others Tyranny, Sun, white tower accordingly. 

This is directly by name reference to the God Almighty pathways, but why? They should be different universes, and both of them are vastly different with only few similarities.

Adam also mentioned 'Error', so that means Mysteries Pathways also exist.

Are Lotm and Shadow slave universes related? 

No, a strong gut feeling is telling me I am wrong.

I will have to be patient, simply realizing what I just realized is mind blowing. If anyone were to hear this they would lose their mind.

There are many questions, like how did my main body make all these arrangements while within a nightmare? It shouldn't be possible.

No answers came for these questions, only..

But the biggest question, I slowed down, letting Adam walk slightly ahead. 

"It wasn't a lie.."

No he wasn't lying, it was a misguided truth. 

I should have realized why he has been so cooperative. 

Adam's flaw is forced honesty as well…

Heh, I wanted to laugh, but I couldn't. I kept my expression neutral and simply walked at a steady pace.

One of my main bodies' arrangements is forcing locks on Adam's knowledge because he likely knows a lot of information not suited for my rank.

By doing so, I wouldn't be corrupted and the plans would go smoothly, while keeping room for changes.

But Adam, just like Sunny, also learned to go around it and adapt. 

The hanged man pathway also has control shadow right? Do all shadow related beings have flaws related to honesty? That has to be looked into later. 

The story Adam had told me was not the past, but the FUTURE!

It was a Prophecy!!

—--

Of course, my gut tells me it's not the full picture but I am close enough. This was joyous news.

I had been battling with guilt for weeks, I had avoided the cohort with all my might out of guilt and only found comfort in Cassie.

But now this truth has freed me of that chain, my mind is free..

My path for the future is now clear. I am going to change my own fate. 

"You're in quite deep thought.."

"Huh?" breaking out of my stupor I turned.

Adam was a few steps behind me.

I was confused.

"Cassie's room is about thirty steps back," he said, pointing behind me.

Only then did it hit me—I had walked past her room without noticing. Not just missed it—I had no memory of passing it at all.

I turned, my face calm, though something cold had curled deep in my gut.

"Sorry," I said lightly, "I guess I was just lost in thought." I walked past him again, retracing my steps toward Cassie's room.

His voice came softly, just behind me.

"What were you thinking about?"

The tone was flat, colorless but something in it scraped at me, like fingernails on wet glass.

I didn't answer.

I couldn't.

The hallway felt longer than before. The light—just a little dimmer.

As I passed him, I caught a glimpse of his eyes—still, unblinking, fixed straight ahead.

Too still. Too long.

I told myself it was nothing.

But a prickling chill ran up my spine.

And for one breathless moment, I had the distinct, awful feeling

that I hadn't passed him at all.

That he was still behind me.

I had to think of something.. Anything!

I simply replied non-chalantly.

"I was thinking about what your secret might be and that Discerning Truth dilemma, I was also considering what I would do for the future"

It was an honest answer.

"Oh, did you figure it out?", he asked.

"I think so, partially, but I have no confirmation so they are up for questioning." 

Replying while I resumed walking back to Cassie's room.

"I see.. Alright" Adam finally said with a sigh.

But at the same time, very light inaudible whispers could be heard near his ears. 

He narrowed his eyes as he muttered in a low voice, 

"He still hasn't figured it out yet?"

With that he followed behind Ivan back to Cassie's room.

Chapter Text

In a distant Desert, where 3 mighty pyramids cast their shadows, a PTV can be seen speeding the sands of the scorching desert near in the distance.

It is a car from the Pre Dark Times, in almost pristine condition, as the car bellowed through the sandy road, it created a cloud of rising sand behind it.

"So they are getting ready for the dawn shard expedition.. Good" 

A man of white could be seen, in the driver's seat with one hand on the steering wheel while the other rested on the reclined window.

There was no one beside him, yet he still talked as if there was someone listening. 

"For now just survive and wait for the war on the crimson spire."

And with that, the mysterious conversation ended.

The man looked out the window at the distant long forgotten pyramids of Giza.

The man was none other than keter. 

"They say the air outside is toxic, but this is strangely comforting…" 

That was the last thing he said before turning his head back to the steering wheel as the engines bellowed.

Keter drove off to the distance, towards a ruined Ancient Egyptian Temple.

***

I soon arrived at the room—a shared space where Cassie and I spent most of our time.

There was no door, so I simply entered, only to be greeted by a very entertaining scene. 

It was Cassie. Today she wore a plain white tunic, simple and neat, while her enchanted bluish one remained tucked away in her soul sea—probably sulking there like an expensive coat no one ever wears indoors.

But none of that mattered.

Because Cassie… was dancing.

…

She had a pair of earbuds in, the cord trailing down to a little music player.

Nightingale songs filled her ears, and her expression was so serene you'd think she was conducting an orchestra of angels.

For a moment, it almost looked holy—until her body started to move.

Her movements, however, were anything but grand.

She rocked side to side like a tree that wasn't quite sure whether to resist the wind or just give up and topple over.

The rhythm was there, but only in the same way a toddler has "rhythm" when banging on pots and pans.

Every so often, she lifted a hand in the air and gave it a shy little wave.

It was the sort of wave you'd give if you were greeting an invisible crowd of polite ghosts—courteous, awkward, and strangely formal.

Her head tilted with the music in slow, careful nods, as if she were afraid nodding too hard might accidentally declare war.

It wasn't flashy. It wasn't wild.

It was the kind of dance that whispered: "Please don't look at me, but also… I'm really feeling this beat."

Endearing, yes—but also strangely infuriating to watch.

Was she imagining herself on stage, dancing with an actual nightingale at her side?

The thought made me clench my fists for reasons I couldn't explain.

I shook my head, forcing myself to simply enjoy the performance instead.

And of course, Cassie had no idea someone was watching her.

Right behind her, I stood, bearing witness to every try-hard model pose, every hesitant air-wave, and every awkwardly adorable "yes-I-am-dancing-but-no-you-can't-prove-it" move.

It was like stumbling into a secret rehearsal for the world's shyest, most unintentionally comedic concert.

—

Her mental state has improved a lot.. I thought

I moved to the side carefully avoiding her amazing dance performance which was like candy to my eyes. 

Her state of mind has reached the point where she can afford to let go of some weight and break character like this.

I smiled, not only did my weight of guilt was lifted but she also has finally broken free of the first chain.

Having enjoyed the amazing performance, I approached her dancing figure, anymore and I might get killed by her. 

When I was just 2 feet away, I spoke in a hushed voice, directing my voice to her ears. 

"Can I join you?" I said in a sing-song voice. 

"Yes, sure!!" she replied in ecstasy as she turned to face me. 

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" a noiseless scream escaped her small mouth opened wide with her jaws dropping to the nether realm.

Every color of her being was being sucked away by an imaginary ghost behind her as it shook its head in pity.

"Y-you, YOU!! WHEN DID YOU GET BACK!!!" She Finally Screamed.

But before I could explain, a delicate hand sped to my face at speeds that should not have been possible.

SLAP!!

—-

A few moments later we sat side by side on Cassie's bed and leaned on the wall.

From a distance the scene was like an elaborate oil painting of two people in a dream world… only if there wasn't a comical red hand print on my face.

I looked to my side Cassie was looking away from me, she looked like she was very angry, but she couldn't hide the glowing red lights her ears were emitting.

More than the minuscule anger she was embarrassed of showing that side of her.

Hehe, this is exclusive to reality the novel could never-

"How long were you watching?"she asked, barely hiding the embarrassed tone underneath.

"Ah uhhh…" I trailed off trying to come up with a satisfying answer.

"Say it!" She brought her head closer, narrowing her eyes appearing to look threatening.

To me how ever, she looked more cuter then every (T-T)

Then from the corner of my eyes I noticed Adam (the apparition), hr first showed a cross with two arms then a double thumbs up.

Like telepathy I understood the meaning: "this is your chance, shoot!"

Should I ignore him? I moved my gaze to Cassie's lap where the music recorder is placed with a tangled ear bud piece, the same one I envisioned for her.

I felt a sudden irritation again..

—

All the sudden I moved my face closer to the side of Cassie's face whispering directly to her ears.

"Time doesn't matter… what matters is that I regret I didn't see more.."

Cassie shuddered at the touch of my breath on her ears but more than that at my words.

"Ah- ahhh" she blabbered some incoherent words trying to process everything.

Over her head smoke could almost be seen.

While I just watched with a victorious smile.

This is the first time I made a move on a girl!

Hahahaha

Yes I mentally celebrated this momentous occasion, I noticed Adam (the apparition) face palmed himself.

He then approached me.

"You're hopeless… Tch" he said in a disappointed tone.

"What do you mean?" I thought I nailed it.

"I mean that you're hopeless when it comes to romance, now don't ask me any questions" he motioned his hand stopping me from asking any questions.

"Let me regret in peace… hm?" As he pretended to be regretful he seemed to have noticed something.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Well it looks like the meeting is about to start… get ready because.."

"Nephis is coming".

Chapter Text

Hearing that Nephis was coming, I got up.

I turned to Cassie, who was still steaming smoke from her head.

I smiled. The smile was for many reasons—one, it was for myself, the pride of helping someone escape their troubles; and second... It's better to keep that to myself for now.

I informed Cassie that Nephis would be arriving anytime now. That seemed to catch her off guard, as she hastened to prepare herself.

Although she didn't need to, she insisted it was important.

I simply chalked it up to girl behavior. They all seemed to have things that mattered to them in ways I couldn't quite understand.

She asked for a comb and several other things. The situation wasn't exactly bizarre, at least not anymore. After arriving in the Dark City and settling down, she had started asking for a lot of basic items.

Things like combs, toiletries, portable showers, hair ties, wipes, blankets. 

It wasn't anything extravagant, but it was a lot to keep track of, especially in a place like this.

But I envisioned them for her regardless, of course, I made sure, she promised to keep this herself and never mention it outside.

It would have been a nightmare in a nightmare, if the others were to hear of this.

The forgotten shore has its fair share of female sleepers, and if they were to hear of this luxury, it wouldn't be long before they start marching to this room to capture me and forcing me to envision all sorts of things for them. 

And that would simply be the start of the nightmare, if word got out to the bright castle, Gunlag himself might jump into action, using every bit of strength and resources at his disposal to get his hands on my abilities. 

Naturally, I would be able to defend myself, but the problem would be Cassie, I didn't bother to hide the fact that I show a lot of fondness for Cassie, so for someone like seishan figuring this out would be an easy task.

And if they were to target her, even with all my capabilities, I would not be able to handle them all and inevitably lose. 

My envisioning as it is now, is nowhere near as powerful as it should be for a battle of that scale. Not only does my flaw get worse the more envisioned, it gets even more worse, if I try to envision something powerful.

There is also the limited number of envisionings I can use…

That's the most frustrating part. I have 7 envisionings, yet of those, I can use at most 5, and even that pushes me to my limit.

Any more, and I can feel my flesh writhing, as though worms and insects were crawling under my skin.

I tried pushing it to my limit, but that was only partially successful.

To use my envisionings to their maximum capacity, I would have to allocate 4 of them to elevate my [Telepatist] attribute to sequence 6 [Hypnotist], and my [Bard] attribute to sequence 7 [Solar High Priest].

This combination ensures that I wouldn't succumb to the madness brought about by my flaw, but it's also incredibly risky. 

It's like connecting the power plug of a multi-plug extension... but instead of plugging it into a wall socket, you're plugging it into the extension itself, which is powered only by some magical force and my willpower.

If I were to falter, even just slightly, it would all come crashing down on me. I would turn into a monster.

Runes appeared before eyes. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[ Would you like to envision A comb ] 

[ Would you like to envision A wet Towel] 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With a bitter expression I replied mentally. 

Yes. 

Just then a wave of inexplicable emotion washed over my mind, my body did not feel like my own, I had the sudden urge to destroy everything around me. 

I simply shook my head, and endured it, by now I was already used to this much maddened ravings.

A new set of runes appeared before my eyes as the madness only became background noise in my head.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Attempts: [ 5/7 ] 

Currently Envisioned: [ Light Armour ], [ Comb & Wet Towel ] 

Timer: [ 4:56 ]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Regardless, I decided to keep the matter in the back of my mind for now.

Handing the envisioned items to Cassie, I sat back down and closed my eyes for a moment while she took care of her business.

Before long, she was finished, and I ended the envisioning—though I couldn't help but watch her with a touch of awe.

She had tied her hair into a low bun with a ribbon, draped herself in a blue cloak, and wore a black blindfold.

Despite the blindfold, she exuded a striking, almost otherworldly beauty.

Even after all this time, it's still hard to get used to.

Not even the Forgotten Shore could dull that extraterrestrial grace.

Just then, I noticed a presence at the doorway.

It was a woman with silver white hair, and greyish white eyes, wearing a name-less armour. A tier 6 awakened armour that should have been given to Cassie, early in the story. 

Of course it was none other than the Glorified Autistic Blowtorch. 

Nephis of the Immortal Flame. 

Pretending to be mildly surprised, I waved at Nephis who was just standing at the door way.

"Oh! Hey neph! When did you arrive? Come in, come in"

I gestured for her to come into the room.

She didn't immediately enter, she first scanned the room for a short moment only then did she enter. 

Hmm? She is a bit more distrustful than usual..

Then I remembered… Han li caster..

She is still being pursued by that assassin from the Hanli clan.

I don't think she distrusts Cassie, but rather she distrusts me.

She looked around the room, which was much cleaner than any other available in these ruins. It was also well-hidden, so nightmare creatures didn't appear very often—an ideal place to take refuge.

Then she gave me a nod and turned to Cassie.

"How do you feel?" she asked, wearing her usual nonchalant expression.

"Oh? I'm doing great. How have things been on your end?" Cassie replied with a smile.

"There have been… a lot of setbacks. But we should be able to proceed."

Cassie nodded in response.

Setbacks—as in rallying all the Slum Sleepers while simultaneously watching for the assassin hunting her.

By now, she should have an idea on who her assassin is supposed to be.

Reading the meaning behind her words, I spoke up.

"You're planning to take Cassie along on the expedition, aren't you?" I asked, despite already knowing the answer.

She turned to me, held my gaze for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes. I—"

"I'm sorry," I interrupted, cutting her off.

"But I can't let you take her."

Chapter Text

"What?" Nephis's expression didn't change, but a sharp glint flashed in her eyes, her jaw tightening ever so slightly.

Judging from the minute details, the twitch of her fingers, the flicker in her gaze, the contraction of her pupils, the thought in her mind was clear, almost tangible.

It was hostility.

Yet while intuition revealed only that much, a [Spectator] would perceive it differently. There were layers to her emotions, something indescribable woven into the storm of negativity.

A theory flickered to life in my mind.

After the third nightmare, Sunny had been destined to lose his fate and be forgotten. 

Later, however, it was revealed that people hadn't truly forgotten him, rather, some force had prevented them from remembering.

Could that same force be acting on her now, against me? But why me in particular?

Then again, I was not… normal. Could it be tied to the nature of the first nightmare my main body had survived?

Meeting Nephis's eyes, I forced myself to end the train of thought. I needed to focus on my current plans—on getting out of this place.

I swept my gaze across the room before speaking.

"Did you not hear me? I said you can't take Cassie." My eyes narrowed as I declared it.

Nephis reacted instantly. Her hand unclenched, motes of light spilling from her palm. She was summoning her weapon.

Her voice, cold as frost, followed.

"Are… you going to stop me?" Her eyes flared with white flames.

"Yes." My answer was firm, without hesitation.

I met her gaze without flinching, staring into the blazing abyss of her eyes.

Nephis had lost all reason.

Runes shimmered to life before me, awaiting my command. I braced for combat.

Just as Nephis, wholly consumed, prepared to charge—

"STOP!"

The shout ripped through the air.

Cassie.

She stood in front of me, her left hand pressed against my chest to hold me back, her right hand outstretched toward Nephis.

"Stop it, both of you!"

I froze. In the next moment, clarity returned to Nephis's gaze. The light of reason flickered back, confusion flashing across her features before her usual stoicism reclaimed them.

My eyes narrowed. I committed every shift to memory, comparing what I saw now to what I had witnessed before.

Cassie turned to me.

"Ivan, please… listen to what I have to say."

…Hm?

She had used my real name, not Adam.

So I was right. Something was happening here, something I couldn't see, couldn't feel.

She spun toward Nephis, her voice rising like a whip.

"Neph! What's gotten into you?! How can you just attack out of nowhere? Can't you see his rejection came from his worry for me?!"

Nephis remained silent. Her expression was unreadable as ever, but the faint twitch in her hand and the slight slump of her shoulders betrayed her. Subtle signs of distress.

Cassie's scolding had struck deep, like needles piercing her stoicism.

Interesting… that was a new side of her. Even in the novel, Nephis rarely revealed such cracks, rarely showing herself vulnerable to another's words.

The one example would be after she came out of the second nightmare, I think?

Before Cassie could turn back to me, I stopped her.

I caught her by the elbow and pulled her closer, locking my gaze onto hers.

She felt it, her breathing grew heavier, uneven, as though the weight of my stare pressed against her chest.

"Cass," I said, my voice low and urgent, "this is too dangerous. I cannot allow you to go. What if—"

"It's my choice," Cassie cut in.

"What?"

"Adam… I—I want to be of use. I don't want to be carried around like some helpless damsel."

Her voice shook, but the conviction behind it was real.

"You, Neph, even Sunny, you're all fighting, struggling to find a way out of this place. And me? I've just been dragged along like a porcelain doll."

Her hands clenched at her sides. "I don't want that!"

"But Cass," I shot back, my voice hard, "there's no guarantee the shard is even where they say it is. For all we know, it could be in the opposite direction!"

"No." Her reply was sharp, final.

"It is there. I know it… because I saw it in my visions."

My eyes widened. The revelation struck like a hammer, and a question burned in my mind, Did the original Cassie ever have a vision about this in the novel?

Tch, I really should have memorised the entire novel, these gaps in knowledge are annoying

My gaze drifted past Cassie, to where Nephis stood with her arms crossed. A faint crease marred her brow, as though she was struggling to recall something.

Beside her, the apparition Adam simply watched, studying her like an artist examining a half-finished painting.

I forced my attention back to Cassie.

Placing both hands on her shoulders, I gripped them firmly.

"Cass, I—no. Why are you doing this? Don't tell me it's just out of goodwill. No amount of goodwill is worth risking your life like this."

"I—" Cassie began, but I cut across her.

"I'm not doubting you. Cassie, I know you. Even though it's only been a few months, I've seen who you are. You're kind, strong, more than anyone gives you credit for. I don't doubt that for a second. But I also know you value your life as much as anyone else does. So why? Why are you pushing yourself this far?"

Cassie faltered. She bit her lip and swallowed hard, once, then again, as though something heavy was lodged in her throat, blocking the words she wanted to say.

My grip on her shoulders tightened.

"You can trust me, Cassie. Just… tell me what you're holding back."

After saying that, I felt something stir on my left hand.

"I made the choice…" she finally answered in a whisper, her eyes now covered in shadow.

With a confused expression, I asked, "Made the choice?"

Cassie turned her head to the left.

She stood facing me, her back to Nephis, so when her gaze shifted, I knew exactly where she was looking.

I followed. My eyes landed on Nephis, who only stared back with a questioning look. Beside her lingered the apparition Adam, grinning as he always did.

I turned back to Cassie. Her head remained angled toward Nephis.

"So you chose her…" My voice carried the weight of understanding.

Her body gave a small jolt, stress, worry or maybe both.

I loosened my grip on her shoulders, then rested a hand gently on her head, brushing my palm over her hair in a soft pat.

Cassie lifted her head. The shadow clouding her expression seemed to lighten.

I offered her a small, reassuring smile. "It must have been a hard choice to make…"

Her lips trembled. She swallowed, then forced out a whisper, barely stronger than a breath. "Y-yes."

"Are you willing to see it through?"

Cassie froze. The silence stretched, heavy and fragile. Her fingers twisted in the fabric of her sleeve, knuckles whitening with hesitation. At last, she gave the smallest of nods.

I closed my eyes for a breath, steadying myself. When I opened them again, I met her gaze with all the conviction I could muster.

"Then I will believe in you to the end," I said, my voice firm but gentle. "So believe in yourself, just as I believe in you."

A loose strand of her blonde hair had fallen across her cheek, catching the faint light. I reached up and tucked it carefully behind her ear, my fingers lingering for a heartbeat against her skin.

"I can't promise the choice you made is the right one," I admitted softly. "But I need you to understand something…"

From the corner of my eye, I caught Adam's apparition wildly waving both arms, his expression practically screaming, hurrying it up. I ignored him.

"No matter what path you choose, I'll be with you," I continued, my voice dropping lower, steadier. 

Cassie's lips parted as if to speak, but no sound came out. Her throat worked in a tight swallow. 

Her eyes shimmered, caught between relief and disbelief.

Her fingers curled into the hem of her sleeve, twisting it nervously, but despite the fluster in her face, a small, unsteady smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

I let out a quiet breath and turned back toward Nephis. She was waiting.

I walked slowly, stopping just a foot away from her.

Hands on my hips, lips pressed into a thin line, I stood in silence for a moment, weighing the words.

The apparition Adam, surprisingly, remained quiet, content to observe.

At last, I spoke.

"Cassie can go."

This time Nephis's eyes didn't turn feral. She nodded once, sharp and deliberate.

"But—" I stepped closer, voice hardening.

"I'll be going with her."

Chapter Text

Once Nephis agreed to my terms, unsurprisingly, I had Cassie go with her first.The morning was nearing its end, and noon was about to bloom.

"Are you not coming to the meeting?" Cassie asked.

I turned my head toward the exit. She was holding Nephis's hand for guidance now.

"I've got some things I need to take care of. Go on ahead—I'll join you shortly," I assured her.

"Okay… I'll wait for you."

With that, Nephis and Cassie walked out.

"Quite the performance, I must say. Unexpected, though," the apparition quipped.

I shifted my gaze toward him before replying.

"I was simply trying to gauge the limits."

"Limits? You mean the limits of that strange force acting on them all?" he asked.

I ignored his question and countered with one of my own.

"Do you know anything about it?"

Adam only shrugged, smiling easily.

"You were watching Nephis with a lot of interest when she was about to lose control. Don't tell me you didn't notice anything?" I pressed.

The apparition wandered toward Cassie's bed and sat down. As he settled, he looked at me and made a soft tsk-tsk sound.

"Oh, Ivan. You of all people should know how to read the room. I've lived far longer than you, and I've seen far more, but in all that time I haven't managed to grasp even the faintest clue about these phenomena."

He turned away, resting his head on Cassie's makeshift pillow, one hand tucked behind his head. Closing his eyes, he continued:

"Asking me is like asking a barista about quantum physics."

"But… you're not a barista," I replied.

That remark made the apparition's eyes snap open against his will. He looked at me with an incredulous expression.

"What? Did that autistic blowtorch finally manage to infect you with her autistic responses?" he asked, his expression hanging somewhere between cringe and amusement.

"Not in the slightest," I replied coolly.

"I simply find it hard to believe that someone like you, who clearly experiences more, wouldn't be able to figure out the secrets behind the phenomena acting against changes."

I let my gaze wander momentarily before I added:

"After all, what kind of Whisperer are you, if you can't hear the whispers of hidden secrets buried in this novel world?"

The last part seemed to have triggered something in him. He turned to his side, raised his head, and rested it on his right arm. His usual easygoing smile dimmed a little.

"What are you insinuating, Ivan?" he questioned, his brows slightly furrowed.

"I am saying that you're either lying or hiding information that I need. I'm getting tired of waiting. The longer you hold back information, the more of a disadvantage it becomes for me." My expression darkened considerably as I snarled.

The apparition got up and sat cross-legged on Cassie's bed.

He eyed me for a moment… then two.

"What is it that you want to learn?" he finally asked.

My eyes shone a shade of gold.

"The first nightmare, what really happened in there, and why you skipped through it. I know you know things, and I have a feeling you know—or at least have some idea—why our presence is so bizarre."

The apparition stared at me for a moment. His expression was unreadable—even for me—but his eyes carried a shadow of emotion.It was melancholy.

"I would have much preferred if you asked about something else," he remarked."But alas, it can't be helped."

"Why do you say that?" I questioned.

He shrugged.

"Well, it's because it's very complicated to explain."

"Complicated?" I repeated, my expression tightening.

"Yes. But before that, let me explain our timeline in this world."

Now we were getting somewhere. Thinking that, I remained silent and nodded for him to continue.

"You already know that we come from another world. That's no secret, right?"

He gestured with his eyes, waiting for me to confirm.

I nodded.

"We came to this world about four years before the main story at the age of twelve."

"Four years!?" I asked in mild shock.

"Yes. Before you ask, let me clarify: the memories of the four years after we got here are a mystery to us all," he explained.

"That's absurd! Just how much is being hidden?! It makes no sense to erase memories like these—JUST WHAT IS THE GOAL?!" I shouted in frustration.

The apparition, seated on Cassie's bed, looked at me with an expression of understanding.

"I don't know," he replied."I wish I did. I really do. But I don't know why or how this information was hidden. Our main body most definitely had a reason to take such extreme measures…"

"But aside from the considerable part of our past being a mystery, there are snippets of information," he added.

"Snippets?" I whispered softly.

"Yes. For example, our entry into this world was not an isekai but instead a transmigration," he said, a bit more cheerfully.

As if a bit of the fog had cleared, I started to connect dots with everything I already knew.

"Yes… surprisingly, our main body was actually somewhat prodigious. He was already done with school by then and had become an assistant professor at one of the educational institutes in the eastern parts of NQSC."

My eyes widened slightly, both in surprise and awe.

"Wow…" I couldn't help but mutter.

Now that I thought about it, Cassie did say at the academy that I had a kind of scholarly vibe to me.

"Indeed. However, that's where everything ends," he said in a grim tone.

Because two years after we came into this world, we entered our first nightmare—at fourteen years old.

At that, my eyes widened in horror.

"You!?... Don't tell me…" I asked, my voice shaking.

He nodded grimly.

"Our first nightmare lasted two entire years."

…

The silence stretched into infinity as I struggled to process the information.

Without giving me time to adjust, the apparition continued:

"Remember when I first told you about our main body's nefarious deeds?" he questioned.

Still reeling from the shock, I looked at him with a grim expression and nodded.

"Yeah… about that. I might have twisted the truth a bit, and hid some small key information… but here is the truth: all of that stuff happened within the first nightmare," he revealed.

I could only stare blankly at the apparition. All those deeds within just the "first nightmare"??

A part of me was also glad, because in reality I did not harm anyone—only in the fake reality that was the first nightmare. I thought sadly.

The sheer scale of the truth was mind-bending. Stories of heinous actions, all happening within the span and scale of just the first nightmare…

I tried to wrap my head around the absurdity of the claim, when something didn't add up.

"Wait a damn minute! If everything you told me happened within the first nightmare, then that creates a contradiction. Nightmares are supposed to take place within history that has already happened, and the spell evaluates based on how much you stray from that already defined history! So how can something like this be possible?"

The apparition looked a bit surprised, then gave a small knowing smile.

"I was about to get to that point. What you said is true, 100%, no doubt. But as it turns out, it's not entirely true, because our first nightmare was anything but normal."

"I don't know the exact details, but the characters of our first nightmare were the cohort and a few other important characters whose names remain in the dream. Which means…"

"Our first nightmare was likely the present future for our main body," I finished for him.

He looked at me, then nodded to affirm my statement.

"The rest is a mystery. All I know is that our main body, while the same age as us, is likely decades older mentally," he concluded.

I absorbed everything he said, my bright golden eyes peering into the apparition's.

"But then why are we here? No! wait. How did our personas come to be? And what about you? You seem to have awakened much earlier. If we did awaken from our first nightmare at sixteen, according to the timeline, then you should be in the same boat as me—clueless—yet your behavior and knowledge don't match your story," I asked, suspicion creeping into my tone.

The apparition chuckled lightly as he uncrossed his legs and rested them on the floor.

"That's where you're wrong. You and I are not on the same boat, because I awoke inside the first nightmare," he revealed.

My eyes widened. "Y-you awoke inside the first nightmare??"

The surprise was evident.

"Yes. Well, to be more accurate, the very end of the first nightmare. That should explain the disparity between you and me," he corrected.

"But then…"

Sensing what I was about to say, he completed: "Yes, I am the first person to awaken. While the rest awoke outside of it, with you being the last."

"Then how old are you? Mentally, I mean," I asked.

The apparition smiled, then casually replied, "I spent a little more than half a decade in the last part of the nightmare, so… I should be about 21–22 years old—mentally, of course."

This time I didn't express anything. My face remained blank, my mouth tight in a thin line.

I walked forward and then sat beside the apparition.

"Then you met the main body?"

The apparition nodded.

"The first nightmare ended in the Tomb of Ariel?"

The apparition replied, "Yes."

"I assume the main body is there, somehow?"

"Yes," the apparition confirmed.

"The error you spoke of?"

"A synonym for a mistake," the apparition admitted.

I turned my head and looked at him as he did the same.

"Why are you helping me?" I asked the final question.

He held my gaze for a moment before breaking it, then stood up. Looking at me, he replied:

"It's the only viable path forward, whether we like it or not."

And with that he smiled wryly. "Now that's enough questions. You'll figure out the rest. The future isn't that bad, so we should look forward instead of back. Plus…"

He smiled mischievously. "You don't want to keep our dear Cassie waiting now, do you? Come on! Let's go!"

Hearing that, I gave a small smirk.

"You go ahead first. I'll just digest all this for a moment, and then follow you."

The apparition shrugged. "Suit yourself. I'll be going ahead to see the drama."

Saying that, the apparition started walking and soon left the room.

I gazed at the doorway for a moment longer with narrowed eyes.

Then sighed, as I stood up to follow.

But as I walked toward the doorway, I dismissed the runes in front of me.

As I crossed the doorway and closed off the room, the last of the runes shimmered.

[ Currently Envisioned: Sequence 6 Notary ].