Going by thousands of buildings in a flash was a new experience for him, but not an unwelcome one. The expensiveness of the car made up for all its downsides — namely the fact that Sunny kept jumping at any sort of sound.
He didn't notice his amplified senses before, with his mind being in such a scramble. Now though… well, anytime a strange noise came out from the PTV, it was like the scream of the Mountain King, reverberating around his head.
I'm going to have a headache because of this, aren't I? He thought, frowning as the ventilation of the vehicle hummed beside him, quite loudly at that.
How can the wealthy even live like this? I'm the last person who would ever praise the outskirts, but… it is clearly superior in this aspect. At least it isn't as monotone as this.
But then… he heard a slight shift before him — must be Ascended Jet. "Thinking about the PTV, aren't you?" She scoffed, her voice sharp, loud. He flinched. "Hey, don't look at me like that. It was clearly written all over your face."
Damnation! He thought, the effects of [Cognitive Clarity] hadn't shown up previously, so why now?
"Sunny?"
Why was everything so… loud?
"Sunny? Are you here?"
He focused on the hum of the ventilation — the lesser of two evils, desperately hoping that the pain from his head would go away.
"If it helps… I had the same reaction back then. But you get used to it, the comfortable seats, the smooth ride, and that hum of ventilation which constantly accompanies you. It might seem strange, but—"
Before she could finish, he interrupted her.
"It's not that!" He snapped, glaring at her, "I don't need your pity!"
Ascended Jet was silent for a while, before he heard the rustling of clothes.
Sunny was almost afraid that something was going to happen to him — what was he doing? Angering an Ascended? She could kill him any second—
Slap! At that very second, Master Jet slapped his cheeks, pain reverberating through him.
He stifled a shout.
What… what was that?
"I'm sorry… but you were clearly in a sort of haze. Awakening would usually have this effect when your senses grow sharper."
Huh, now that he thought about it… The ringing in my head stopped?
"I'm not trying to guess your Aspect or investigate into it, but… those who get an Aspect tailored to the more physical type would usually experience a sharp increase in their senses, and they aren't always used to it."
Sunny leaned into his chair, enjoying his brief stint of clarity.
"...Will this last forever?"
"No," Jet replied, shifting back onto her seat, "As you grow more experienced, you'll learn how to control it."
He hesitantly nodded, and didn't say much. With that, silence once again reigned, and he fell back onto the steady rhythm of the ventilation, pain still coursing through his blood stream, silently culling his hearing.
After a while, Sunny couldn't contain his itch any longer — this should be enough silence as respect!
"Why did you help me?" He asked, voice cutting through the air, "You could've just done nothing and watch me suffer."
"...I don't know," She says, after a period of silence, "Just— just think of it however you wish. It could simply be nonsensical mutterings from an overworked Ascended."
He frowned, that couldn't possibly be the reason. No Outskirt Rat would do that. Help wouldn't be given out so easily— there's no free lunch in this world.
"You don't believe me, do you?" A hollow laughter escaped from Jet, "Well… that was in my expectations, I suppose. Say… I'll tell you someday."
Someday. Someday.
…Someday implies he'll be back, he'll survive whatever hell the Spell throws at him.
Did she believe he'll live? Even at the face of his blindness?
It was at that moment that Sunny made an impulsive decision:
"...Sunny," He whispered, voice almost unhearable, "My name is Sunless, but my family and friends call me Sunny," He said, before proceeding to grumble, "Not that I have any family, or any friends."
"Sunny," Jet spoke, his name rolling satisfyingly off her tongue, "Sunny."
A huff escaped from Jet's mouth. "That makes so much more sense… Well, that's enough chatter for the day, let's get started with the 3 pieces of advice I've prepared, Sunny."
And for the first time in a while, he wasn't just addressed as 'you' or 'rat' or any sort of insult, but his actual name, Sunny.
Sunny was standing before the Academy gates, waiting for the Awakened to fetch him… And he wasn't about to waste any time while Master Jet was still here.
"What's the last piece of advice then?" He asked her.
Ascended Jet was silent for a while, before she spoke at last.
"No one survives the Dream Realm alone," She said, patting his shoulder, "Try to get along with your peers, even if they don't treat you well. It might save your life."
Sunny swallowed, taking the knowledge in:
Never tell anyone the details to his AspectChoose wilderness survival — the biggest threat is the wildNo one survives the dream realm alone.
"...Thank you," he said after a while.
"That's the only thing I could have done, and… we outskirts rats have to look out for each other." She replied.
However, He didn't fully believe her. The three pieces of advice she had shared on the road to the Academy was valuable, something money couldn't buy.
Is this what pity is? Sunny thought, it's not like I'd expect myself to survive.
Well… he would take anything that increases his chances of survival.
A few moments later, a beep— emerged from the gate, and footsteps echoed around him.
"Welcome to the Awakened Academy, Sleeper Sunless." A young, sharp voice cut through the air, distinctively female, "I'm Awakened Seth— your guide for the rest of your stay here."
"...Hello," He whispered, whipping his head to the sound of the voice.
" I've heard about your particular condition, and special classes have been arranged for you to adapt. We also provide advice on how to live with your Flaw, and I believe it'd be best for you to attend— Not that I'm saying it's a requirement of course! The Academy is a place which values the freedom of Sleepers, and this is simply a choice."
"Thank you."
"I hope you'll enjoy your stay at the Academy." Awakened Seth said, before walking a few more steps, "Thank you for your service, Ascended Jet. The Academy will now take care of the Sleeper."
"Alright," Master Jet said, "Seems like it's time to leave."
Then, she ruffled his hair one last time.
"We've arrived early… so you should be able to take a brief rest before it, time to process what's happening. You've done well to survive until now, so make some friends, and Awaken — that way, you can enjoy the benefits of life."
Sunny smiled, his hands clenching onto his tracksuit, "Who do you think I am? I'll live even if I have to crawl my way back up!"
Master Jet laughed, her voice crisp, "Of course, what else would I expect?" Her hand left his head, and her voice grew softer, the ice cold hue gone from it, "See you someday, Sunny."
And with that, she was gone, the PTV whirring into the distance.
"Well, let's go Sleeper," Awakened Seth voiced beside him, clenching his hands.
He twitched.
Sleeper. Sleeper.
"I'll be bringing you to your quarters for the time being, Sleeper Sunless."
Awakened Seth said, breaking him out of his stupor.
She then clasped her hand around his. It's warm, He couldn't help but think, it was the opposite of Master Jet's, whose grip was chilly as ice. I still prefer Master Jet though.
"There'll be an orientation in an hour, when the new Sleepers have all safely arrived. Usually, everyone would stay in the hall, waiting for the last of the batch to arrive, but I thought it might be better to explore your quarters first, since we'll be starting with lessons right after the orientation."
Sunny… he didn't quite know what to think about that, being treated specially?
"And… I'll be your guide for the rest of your stay here, so pardon me for asking this question, but… how did you get the Soul Reaper to dote on you like that? She's cold as ice, really! And emotionless!"
Huh? Sunny thought, putting two and two together, Soul Reaper Jet? Emotionless? But she was so nice to me...