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A frail-looking young man with honey-toned skin and distinctive deep eye bags under his eyes was walking across a park opposite of a police station. He had his hands in his weathered dark brown jogging pants, the ones that barely reached his ankles and were common among outskirt people, nothing like the higher-ranked citizens who had access to large, long pants that reached down past their shoes. The ones he almost had enough for but….
His life could potentially be over shadowed by something out of his control.
Enjoying the warmth of the sun, to what he wondered would be his last time, he slowly took a look around before spotting another pale young man with black messy hair and black circles under his eyes holding a cup of coffee. The young man, almost sensing something, looked up from his coffee to look at the man staring at him and, after what seemed like minutes, plastered a large goofy grin on his face.
Giving him a nod before turning back to stare at the police station, he thought, "What a weirdo." After contemplating that, he reached back, grabbed the hood of his light brown hoodie, pulled it over his head, and sighed.
"Do I have to come here? I mean, these people have never done anything for me. So what if I die and summon some weird creature to attack the city? It's not like they don't deserve it."
He put his hands together and started rubbing them, staring at the police station for what seemed like hours before being snapped out of it by the sound of someone muttering to themselves and walking past him.
Cursing himself and clapping his hands, Lugal started briskly walking while observing the rich people living in this part of the city or nearby. They dashed past the little park on their way to work, staring at him with disgusted expressions. In his dirt-cheap outfit, bleary eyes, unhealthily slender build, and honey-toned skin, Lugal stood out in this city. His unusual height made him even more noticeable—almost towering over everyone, even by their already abnormal standards. To him, they all seemed like midgets. Watching them with an indifferent expression, he continued with a lazy stride.
"Even their three full meals do nothing but fatten them."
He watched as the young man who had passed him threw a cup of coffee toward what seemed like the bin but missed by an amazing margin. Lugal chuckled, watching the boy roll his eyes before walking over, picking it up, and carefully placing it in the trash can. The boy then grinned before crossing the street.
Looking both ways before running across the street himself, he grabbed the door that was swinging shut. Inside, he saw what seemed like a worn-out officer, who then gave him and the boy a quick glance before frowning and showing what seemed like disdain.
"Are you lost, boys?"
Lugal noticed the reinforced armored plates on the walls and the poorly concealed turrets embedded in the ceiling from the corner of his eye before locking eyes with the shabby officer. This was his tenth time in a police station, so nothing felt out of place.
"Hey! I'm talking to y'all!"
Lugal opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, he was interrupted.
"Uh, no, I'm not, but I'm not sure about him."
He then scratched the back of his head and added:
"As demanded by the Third Special Directive, I am here to surrender myself as a carrier of the Nightmare Spell."
The officer, who seemed like he'd yell at a moment's notice if someone wasted his time, changed his expression from irritated to wary before quickly shifting his gaze to me.
"I am here for the same thing. I'm a carrier."
He looked us both over once again, this time with a piercing gaze.
"Are y'all sure y'all are infected? When did you start showing symptoms?"
The boy shrugged.
"A week ago?"
"Me too," I cut in.
The officer became slightly ghastly.
"Shit."
Then, with a hurried motion, he pressed a button on his terminal with shaking fingers and bellowed:
"Attention! Code Black in the lobby! I repeat! CODE BLACK!"
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The Nightmare Spell first appeared in the world a few decades ago. Back then, the planet was just starting to recover from a series of devastating natural disasters and subsequent resource wars.
At first, the emergence of a new disease that caused millions of people to complain about constant fatigue and sleepiness did not attract a lot of attention. But when they started to fall into an unnatural slumber, with no sign of waking up even days later, governments finally panicked. Of course, by then it was already too late — not that an early response could have made any difference.
When the infected started dying in their sleep, their dead bodies turning into monsters, no one was ready. Nightmare Creatures quickly overwhelmed national militaries, plunging the world into complete chaos.
No one knew what the Spell was, what powers it possessed, and how to fight it.
In the end, it was the Awakened — those who survived the first trials of the Spell and came back alive — who put a stop to its rampage. Armed with miraculous abilities earned in their Nightmares, they restored peace and created a semblance of a new order.
Of course, it was only the first of the catastrophes brought upon by the Spell. But as far as Lugal knew, none of it had a single thing to do him — but then a few days ago, he started having trouble with staying awake.
For an average person, being chosen by the Spell was as much of a risk as an opportunity. Kids learned survival skills and fighting techniques in school, on the off chance of being infected. Well-to-do families hired private tutors to train their children in all sorts of martial arts. Those from the Awakened clans even had access to powerful legacies, wielding inherited Memories and Echoes in their first visit to the Dream Realm.
The richer your family was, the better your chances of surviving and becoming an Awakened were.
But Lugal, whose parents died seven years ago, spent most of his time breaking into houses and refining the techniques he had learned from his parents and school before losing them and getting kicked out. Being chosen by the spell presented an opportunity to go back to his barely-poor days, It also gave him the chance to decide when he wanted to die.
========
After a few minutes, Lugal and the boy, whom he found out was named Sunless, were sitting there yawning while watching several policemen put them in restraints. Soon, they were both fastened into bulky chairs that they both commented looked like a weird mix between a hospital bed and a torture device. The room they were placed in was a small basement beneath the police station, with thick armored walls and an intimidating-looking vault door. Some officers stood to the side, gripping automatic rifles with titan-like strength and wearing stern expressions on their faces.
Lugal looked at them with an indifferent expression, only thinking about whether he could ask if it was time to sleep.
But before he could ask, the vault door opened and a gray-haired officer walked in. He had a hardened face and stony eyes, looking like someone who had been through a few tough battles in his life. He then walked over and started checking the restraints, glanced at a particularly nice watch, and backed up to where he could see both of us.
"What are y'all's names, kids?"
Sunny blinked a few times, trying to focus, then shifted uncomfortably before saying,
"Sunless."
The old officer raised an eyebrow.
"Sunless? That's a strange name."
Sunny tried to shrug, but found himself unable to move.
"What's so strange about it? At least I have a name. Back in the outskirts, not everyone even gets one."
After another yawn, he added:
"It's because I was born during a solar eclipse. My mom had a poetic soul, you see."
The old policeman grunted before turning his gaze to me.
"Lugal," I said with a disinterested expression.
"Do y'all want me to contact your family?"
Sunny simply shook his head to the question.
"There's no one. Dont bother."
"Same for me," I added in.
For a second, there was a dark look on the officer's face. Then his expression turned urgent.
"Alright, Sunless and Lugal, How long can you stay awake?"
We replied in unison, "Uh… not long."
The officer sighed.
"Then we don't have time for the full procedure. Try to resist for as long as you can and listen to me very carefully. Okay?"
Not waiting for a response, he added:
"How much do y'all know about the Nightmare Spell?"
Sunny and Lugal gave him a questioning look.
"As much as anyone, I guess. Who doesn't know about the Spell?" Sunny said.
"Probably the same thing, maybe a bit more," Lugal said, "my parents were awakened."
The officer gave him a half-smile and a quick nod while Sunny gave him an odd look before the officer turned his head to address Sunny.
"Okay, what about you? I'm not talking about the fancy stuff you see in dramas and hear in the propaganda broadcasts. I mean, how much do you really know and understand?"
"Don't I just go into the Dream Realm, kill a few monsters to complete the First Nightmare, receive magic powers and become an Awakened?"
The old officer shook his head.
"Listen carefully. Once you both fall asleep, you will be transported into your First Nightmare. Nightmares are trials created by the Spell. Once inside, you will encounter monsters, certainly, but you will also meet people. Remember: they are not real. They are merely illusions conjured to test you."
"How do you know?"
"I mean, no one understands what the spell is and how it works, right? So how do you know that they're not real?"
The officer just stared at him for a moment, but before he could say anything, I did.
"Idiot, you don't get it. You're supposed to think like that so when you have to kill them, if you do, you won't be butt hurt for the rest of your existence."
They both turned to look at me. The officer gave me a wider grin, while Sunny looked down and muttered, "Oh."
The old officer paused for a moment to let us process the information, then nodded and continued.
"A lot of things about the First Nightmare depend on luck. Generally, it shouldn't be overwhelmingly difficult. The situation you're in, the tools at your disposal, and the creatures you have to defeat should be within the range of your abilities, at least. After all, the Spell sets up trials, not executions. Sunny, you're a bit more disadvantaged due to... well... being on the outskirts longer. But kids from the outskirts are tough. Don't give up just yet guys."
"Uh-uh," they both muttered in unison.
For Sunny and Lugal, they were becoming sleepier by the second, and it was getting difficult to follow the conversation.
"About those "magic powers" you mentioned… y'all will indeed receive them if you survive until the end of the Nightmare. What those powers will be, exactly, depends on your natural affinity as well what you do during the trial. But some of it will be at your disposal right from the start…"
The officer's voice sounded more and more distant. Sunny's and Lugal's eyelids grew so heavy that they struggled to keep their eyes open.
"Remember: the first thing you must do once inside the Nightmare is to check your Attributes and your Aspect. If you get a combat-oriented Aspect, something like a Swordsman or an Archer, things will be easier. If it is reinforced by a physical Attribute, then that's even better. Combat Aspects are the most common, so the probability of receiving one is high."
The armored room was growing dimmer and smaller.
"If you're unlucky and your Aspect has nothing to do with combat, don't despair. Sorcery and utility Aspects are useful in their own ways, you'll just have to be smart about it. There are really no useless Aspects. Well, almost. So just do anything in your power to survive."
"If you survive, you will be halfway to becoming an Awakened. But if you die, you'll open a gate for a Nightmare Creature to appear in the real world. Which means that my colleagues and I will have to deal with it. So… please don't die."
Already half-asleep, Sunny felt somewhat moved by the officer's words, while Lugal grew tired of the conversation and just wanted to sleep.
"Or, at least, try to not die right away. The nearest Awakened won't be able to get here for a few hours, and there is two of you so we would really appreciate it if y'all don't make us fight those things ourselves…"
Sunny and Lugal finally slipped into a deep slumber.
Everything became black.
And then, in the darkness, a faintly familiar voice rang:
[Aspirant! Welcome to the Nightmare Spell. Prepare for your First Trial…]
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Please let me know what you all think of this, because I was planning on dropping it. However, I have already completed one chapter and wanted to see people's thoughts on it.