Deep underground, a loud sound of steam broke the silence.
In the middle a certain room, a sleeping pod suddenly sprang open and a young man gasp loudly. As if he had just been pulled from deep underwater.
Immediately, a nurse checking something nearby dropped what she's holding in shock. Other doctors and nurses inside the room scattered in panic as they watch the young man slowly pull himself up.
"Go… go call the Father! Young master Dein has woken up!"
Hearing them, Dein groaned, massaging his sore head.
'Ugh… I feel shit…'
*****
A few hours later. Dein found himself laying in a hospital bed. He's in a different room now, maybe few floors higher than he was earlier but still in the same building.
He groaned, a few doctors seems to be running a test on him. Seeing them still engrossed in watching his vitals. Dein barked, getting annoyed.
"Tsk, can you guys stop now? I said I'm fine!"
It's already been two hours and they're still studying him nonstop. Taking blood samples and other stuff. Although he's used to this kinds of treatment, it's still annoying how he wasn't even given a time to breathe first.
Hearing no response from the doctor, Dein tried to stand up.
"Hey, are you guys deaf? I just got back! At least give me something to eat firs–"
But as he was complaining, the door suddenly exploded as a beautiful woman wearing government uniform angrily went inside. Her long, dark hair contrasted her pearl like skin.
The woman gritted her teeth.
"You morons, what the hell are you doing! Let Dein get some rest first!"
It was Freya. Dein's older sister.
Dein froze when he saw her. He felt conflicted emotions rising up his chest. He watched as his sister slowly drive the doctors before closing the curtains. She even broke some listening devices and caremas scattered everywhere on the room.
Finally, she sighed and approached Dein.
He tried to avoid looking at her eyes but before he could say anything. He felt his sister's warm embrace shrouded over him, shocking him for a bit as he felt an ache in his chest, slowly crawling its way out.
"W-what are you doing? Dumb-Freya…"
He said, his voice trembling and a bit embarrassed. But instead of answering, or making fun of him, or scolding him for his words, Freya simply hugged him tighter.
When she spoke, Dein heard her voice shake for a bit. It was his first time seeing Freya, his magnificent sister and a Saint as that, so vulnerable and worried.
"I'm so glad you're okay…"
She said. Hearing her words, Dein felt an ache crawling up his throat. He tried to reject it, responding to her despite his trembling voice.
"W-what are you saying? Of course I'll be fine…"
His sister hugged him tighter, nodding. Speaking in her soft voice.
"Yes, you'll be fine… you're fine now. You're safe now…"
The crawling ache permeating Dein's body finally broke free from him as tears started falling from his eyes. For the first time in a while, he finally felt safe.
"Mhm… " he nodded.
The feeling that was rejected to him ever since he entered his first nightmare and even after waking up finally dawned on him. Dein is fine now, he's safe. He doesn't have to fight a whole tribe of people and survive anymore, he doesn't have to brave the fog and run from the fire either. He's… safe now.
His muscles slowly relaxed and he finally let his emotions washed over him. The crawling ache slowly dissapearing from his chest.
The pain, the guilt, the fear, everything he had experience in his first nightmare. He let them all out as he cried in his sister's arms...
*****
A few minutes later, Dein sat on the hospital bed. Wiping his tears and maybe a few snots from his face. His sister was sitting in a chair beside his bed as well. Her eyes were slightly red but she's smiling now.
"Well, that's embarrassing. I can't believe you cried like a kid in your big sister's arms!"
She laughed, making fun of him.
"S-shut up, Dumb-Freya… aren't you crying as well?"
He said that but Dein really does feel a lot better now. And so does Freya it seems. She must've been really worried.
The courage Dein had built up inside the nightmare to face its trials were all melted away just like that. Simply by his sister's hug…
He bit his lips. Suddenly remembering Clara's last moments and the memory she left behind [A Sister's Embrace].
Seeing the shadow ran on Dein's face, Freya's laugher dissapeared. Replaced with a warm smile. She reached out to his hand. Pulling Dein from his thoughts.
"So… wanna tell me what happened in your nightmare?"
Dein looked up at her, seeing his dark expression. Freya retracted her words.
"Oh, but it's fine if you want to!"
Seeing her worried expression, Dein giggled for a bit.
"No, it's fine. I'll tell you… it's just so weird seeing you, all worried like that."
This is definitely the first time Dein saw his sister showed much emotion. Before, she simply laughs and makes fun of him, she was never a distant figure as the two of them were pretty close but from time to time, Dein would only see her as a radiant Saint protecting the world from abominations.
She had never showed her true emotions to him before.
Until now that is, so Dein really wants to tell her everything that had happened.
He sighed, looking at his deeply worried older sister, Freya.
"Well… where should I begin? First when I arrived on the Nightmare the whole world seems to collapse and break, I thought it was bugging at first but later, I found out it was because I have four souls inside my body! Oh, but we'll get to that later…"
In the next hour, Dein locked himself in extreme story telling of what had happen in his whole first nightmare. He told Freya about the world breaking apart, how the Spell sent him inside a Nightmare creature, how he was caught by Lei and Clara, how he met the little girl and so on.
Freya's face kept turning from shock to horrified as she listen intently. She was surprised when she heard Dein set his own cage on fire and proceeded to defeat a muscular old man.
From time to time she'll asked questions and Dein would answer her.
He told her about the fire and the fog, about the fate the tribe's people met because of Dein. About Clay… how he killed Gi, an awakened.
And two more after that.
He also told Freya how he almost died fighting the two, how he was gutted, and cut in half but still wouldn't die because of his attribute [Distasteful]. And then, how he was eaten alive…
"Really, it was so gross! The moment my body–well, half of my body, technically–were swallowed, I slid down the monster's sticky esophagus and down to it's stomach. I really thought I died when I saw the light but as it turns out, it was my potential awakening right then and there."
He paused, contemplating for a bit as he watched his sister's complicated expression.
"Then the spell spoke. Congratulating me on finishing the nightmare. It was unexpected really, because I already accepted death at that time. But as it turns out, Quin and the others finally perished somewhere in the fog. Finishing my trial of having to destroy the whole tribe."
He finishes with a dark tone. For a while, the room turned silent.
Then finally, Freya let out a heavy sighed.
"Haa, now that's… a tough Nightmare? I really don't know how describe it. I never heard of a first nightmare being like that. It's almost too one sided and impossible to complete and you completed it, I'm proud of you…"
She said, placing a hand on Dein's shoulder. However, her tone turned a little bit darker the next second, confused.
"That said… if it only took you four days to complete your first Nightmare… then why the hell did it take two whole years for you to wake up?"
Hearing that, Dein's eyes widened.