(Audun's POV)
After that fiasco was over, Cory gave me a brief run down of the situation before promptly telling me to go clean up in one of the police station showers.
I certainly thought I needed a good cleaning too.
I had been wearing what I could only assume to be rags, the fabric worn and frayed, and I reeked of Sadness, poverty, and an odd scent that Cory could only describe as "Nightmare".
Hanging up a towel alongside a clean tracksuit given to me by the police, I tore off the rags I had been wearing, turning on the shower.
I was alone in the bathroom, the hot water cascading down my back, as I got lost in thought.
The initial shock of the encounter had temporarily distracted me from my more pressing concerns.
Apparently, I had been asleep for about a week, the time frame confusing me, as I hadn't spent more than three days fighting the abominations of the forest.
All of this was a lot to process, frankly, I was quite disoriented.
Originally, I had thought that the forest I had been stuck in during my "First Nightmare" was the world I had been reborn into, and technically I wasn't wrong.
If we're being more technical with the definition, I had been reincarnated into two worlds instead of one. I had been born in the waking world, but the nightmare realm had become easily accessible as a result of the nightmare spell manifesting in humanity a couple of decades back, people possessing the spell being able to freely travel between the two.
I as a posseser of the nightmare spell am now a resident of both the waking world and the nightmare realm.
I'm lacking most of the general knowledge that one would have naturally acquired by growing up in this world, which definitely isn't too great.
I need to fill the gaps in my knowledge about the nightmare realm and the history of both worlds, but I have no idea where to start.
Stepping out of the shower, I headed towards the rack with my towel and tracksuit.
Drying myself off, I caught a glimpse of my reflection in one of the mirrors.
I was pale, an almost alabaster white, and quite lean.
Lacking muscle in most areas, I was quite skinny, too.
My head was a mess of shoulder-length straight, silky wheat blonde hair.
My features were quite gentle looking, two lavender eyes staring back at me, the gentle curve of my eyes making me look harmless.
Overall, my body looked practically the same as the one I had in my past life, my face and features a perfect replica of the "Star of Solidarity" who roamed the battlefield of stars, just lacking the scars and the typical muscles you'd expect from a swordsman.
It looks like I retained my seemingly flawless, transcendent appearance, one that's only grown more and more perfect as the years passed.
Normally, one would be happy with such a gorgeous visage, but I had one major complaint.
I sighed slightly in resignation.
It wasn't like I hated being good-looking, it's just that handsome isn't the word I'd use to describe my face.
I was less handsome and more pretty, it wasn't a stretch to say I was beautiful.
In short, I looked more woman than man, especially now that I lacked the sculpted physique of my previous life.
Well, no use complaining now.
I finished drying off, putting on the tracksuit before walking out of the showers.
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It seemed like Cory was nicer than I had originally thought.
We were now sitting in a nice looking café, the ambience comfy and inviting.
I had a glass of water in front of me, a contrast to the colorful drink that Cory had ordered.
He had given me a brief run down of how my life would change now that I'm a sleeper, his words carrying a more professional tone, a stark difference to the casual greeting and relaxed demeanor.
"If you're up for it, the government provides free counseling for sleepers that might have had a particularly traumatic experience during their first nightmare. Although, generally it's meant for kids who've been pampered since birth. You're a bit of a rare case since you're from the outskirts, but I'd still consider it." He said with slight concern on his face, an almost pitying look in his eyes.
Shaking my head, I denied him wordlessly.
At this point, I could keep up my poker face indefinitely, but the moment I opened my mouth, I encountered problems. Even with my attribute active, [One who Stood at the Peak] couldn't mitigate the full effects of my flaw. I had spent a couple of hours with Cory, and even then, there was a constant unease and nervousness that was building in my chest. If I opened my mouth to speak, I could feel my palms start to sweat, eyebrows quiver, and my tongue start to malfunction.
Hopefully, if I spent more time with him or anyone else, my flaw would ease up a bit. It'd suck if I was stuck with a merciless stutter and crippling anxiety whenever I was in the presence of another human being.
Cory continued to talk.
"We're almost done, I just need to confirm one more thing."
My eyes sharpened with interest.
"I've seen from the file I received that you don't have any family left. As a sleeper, you are eligible for enrollment into the Awakened Academy. In my opinion, if I were a sleeper in your position, it'd probably be the best place to go. The Academy provides free food and lodging, as well as a vast array of classes that'd prep you for your next venture into the nightmare realm. It's still relatively early in the year, so you'll have a pretty comfortable amount of time to prepare, about half a year or so."
He continued.
"So, Sleeper Audun, would you like to enroll into the Awakened Academy? You could of course prepare by yourself, but with your limited resources, I think that the academy is genuinely your best shot at survival."
He was certainly laying it on pretty thick, his words carrying the same tone as someone advertising some kind of luxury resort.
Honestly, there wasn't really much to think about. It's literally free food and shelter, and I have nowhere to go if the information he has on my background is correct. They should have a library too, right?
Not waiting any longer, I nodded my head in agreement.
Cory's eyes brightened a little bit as he went into more detail about the academy and some of the classes that they'd provide.
"Wilderness survival is probably one of the more essential ones, especially for someone with no prior education. Knowledge can be the difference between life or death, and teacher Julius is someone who can teach you everything that you need to know to thrive in the nightmare realm. Combat classes will help you get a better feel for your aspect, something that'll give you an edge when fighting the nightmare creatures or any other foes you may encounter."
Taking a sip of his drink, a thin layer of foam coating his upper lip as he continued a little bit more seriously.
"From what I've seen of your personality, I don't think that you're one for making friends, but please, if there's anything that you should take away from our talk, it's this. The most important thing though, more important than classes or equipment, is making allies. Most of the time, if you end up challenging the second or third nightmare, you'll be doing it with others. Some of the people you meet in the academy could become your allies for life, people that you can trust your back with. Having someone you trust watching your back is a 100x better than a powerful memory or strong echo. Humans have always stuck together, and in the nightmare realm it's no different."
I paused, considering the words.
It wasn't like I against making friends, it's just hard for me.
I was more of a social recluse in my first life, and in my second life I had just been trying to survive before I locked myself away in the battlefield of stars. There were of course people that I was kinda close with, the knights of the round table, Merlin, King Arthur successor, and the sword masters of the empire, but there was always something preventing me from opening up, a mental barrier I had unknowingly constructed for reasons I didn't fully understand. By the time I had broken down that wall, by the time I had become comfortable with the idea of friends and being around people, the forces from beyond waged war on humanity, and I had perished before I could ever really connect with them.
I had made a silent vow to try and do better if I had another chance, to finally open up and let at least one person know who I truly was, but once again I was being stopped, this time with a flaw that made it incredibly hard to even hold a conversation.
Now that I'm thinking about it, my title as the Star of Solidarity couldn't be more fitting.
In response to Cory's sincere concern, I could do little more than just nod my head in gratitude.
We sat in silence for a little while, both of us finishing up our drinks, before Cory paid the bill.
Gesturing for me to follow, we loaded into what he called a PTV, starting the drive to the Awakened Academy.
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(A/N: sorry for not dropping a chapter yesterday, I spent most of the day just correcting minor grammatical and spelling errors I had made in earlier chapters. Just to clarify, this fic is taking place about a year and a half before Sunny enters his first nightmare, so Audun will entering with Kai and Effie's group. Please tell me if I messed anything up timeline wise, and I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!)