The heavy curtains swallowed the stage, muting the scattered applause that lingered beyond. In the dim backstage light, Aether stepped away from the props, fingers tugging at the powdered wig until it came loose.
Then he washed his face from all the make up, looking at himself in the mirror.
Aether has black raven hair that falls down to his shoulders. Neatly styled bangs cascade over his face, reaching past his eyebrows. His skin was pale, and he did not bear any moles on his body. His eyes were sharp, one of his eyes was green and the other one was gray.
The gray one was an artificial eye, he had lost the original in an accident a while ago.
He had low cheekbones and a sharp jawline. Standing at 1.78m, he had a lean but a toned body. Although his looks were below average for the awakened standards, he was considered handsome amongst the mundane.
He had been acting since he was 14.
At first he had started it for some quick-cash, but he realized his talent in acting and decided to keep rising.
It was not long before he acquired the title of 'The Great Performer.'
The play he had just played was his final performance. So he had decided to end his career with a bang. Even though his face stayed stoic, he was actually very proud of his acting.
The character he played was relatable too.
A bit too relatable.
'Anyways..'
At this rate he was going to enter his first nightmare soon. He had not been sleeping for a few days now, and that play had taken a lot from him.
He had to head to the university too to fill in a notice.
After checking that no one was around, he headed out the building.
No farewells. No lingering in the laughter of the cast. The night air felt colder once he stepped outside, as though it too knew the performance was over.
The streets blurred past in muted shapes as he made his way to the university. The building loomed in that hollow way only half-empty campuses could, its glass catching a faint reflection of him as he entered.
It was one of the best universities in NQSC, he had worked his ass off just to enter here.
Inside, he went to the management room, he filed the notice: 'Unable to attend the next semester.' A simple form, a few words typed, and the matter was sealed.
First-year criminology student, taking a break no one would question too closely.
He sighed as he put the pen down.
All that hard work was for nothing after all. Even if he survived his first nightmare he would quit the university.
Sure the awakened got much more money than detectives, but still quitting left a sour taste on his mouth.
Without lingering much around the university, he headed outside and started walking in the direction to his home.
On the way, he paused at a flower stand tucked between two shuttered stores.
"Hi, Aether! What do you want to buy this time?"
"Good evening miss. White lilies please."
Without any questions, the young woman gave him a bucket out lilies. After paying, he continued his way home.
His house sat at that strange border where the city's hum softened—too far from the center to be restless, too close to the outskirts to be truly still.
Once inside, he filled a glass vase with water, placed the lilies inside, and set them down on the low table by the window. Beside them rested an urn, plain and gray, its presence quiet but heavy. His mother's ashes.
"I am either going to visit you, or him soon. Which one would you prefer?"
He spoke to his mothers picture.
However no response came.
"Typical of you to not answer. You never did."
With a jagged smile, he put the picture frame down so the picture inside was hidden from view.
After clearing his thoughts, he headed to the bathroom.
The bathroom tiles were cold under his feet. He turned the taps and let the water fill the tub, its surface slowly rising and rippling under the warm stream. His gaze was rather hazy.
While it was being filled, he pulled out his phone and started typing to one of his professors. Someone too busy to see his message right away.
'I was infected by the nightmare spell a while ago. I will be succumbing tonight.'
Then he turned off his phone and put it on the counter.
Clothes fell away in silence, pooling at his feet. Climbing to the bathtub, the water welcomed him in with a shiver, the world narrowing to its quiet embrace. He let his head rest against the rim of the tub, eyelids drawing shut as the sound of the running tap faded into stillness.
[Aspirant! Welcome to the Nightmare Spell. Prepare for your First Trial…]
***
Aether dreamt of a village inside a snowing forest. The village seemed to be in ruins, no life was in sight.
However the blood stains along the snowy grounds of the village made it look haunting.
Especially the one armed figure walking down the pathway dressed in black robes.
And then the dream was abruptly over.
Aether's senses were suddenly overloaded with multiple sensations.
He opened his eyes, and found himself in what he would call a wreckage.
It was a room, however it was in ruins. The white walls had web cracks all over them, the table in the middle of the room was shattered into pieces.
Aether also felt very cold, it was almost as if his body was on the point of freezing. He was hungry too.
'What kind of a situation is this?'
As far as he knew, every nightmare had a conflict that needed solving.
But he was in a room, already tired.
Was the conflict himself? Did he need to fix himself?
[Aspirant! Welcome to the Nightmare Spell. Prepare for your First Trial…]
"Huh..?"
The spells voice broke him out of his daze. Clearing his mind out of unnecessary thoughts, he got up to his feet.
'I am being too hasty.. I need to evaluate the situation.'
He needed to explore. After that maybe he could complain about the complexity of the first nightmare, which was supposed to be easy compared to the others.
Slowly he got up from the ground and examined the room, once he looked down at himself, he realized he was wearing some tattered black flowing robes.
'Better than nothing.'
It seemed to be a bedroom? If it could be called that since it was in ruins. Most of the furniture was broken.
The only thing that stood tall was a nightstand next to the bed, and top of it..
Aether's lips pulled up into a smile. It was ancient gun with shimmering runes over it. Without wasting any second, he took to examine it. The gun looked like a 'flintlock'. A weapon that was created in the ancient past.
And the runes over it seemed to say 'Destroy.'
Aether was actually very proficient in runic language. He had taken classes in preparation for his first nightmare. He knew all about the history of the dream realm, well part of it that was public of course. He knew how to traverse different realms, and many survival skills.
Other than those he was talented in swordsmanship and shooting.
Placing the gun on his belt, he finally summoned the runes.
***
Name: Aether
True Name: -
Rank: Aspirant
Soul Core: Dormant
Memories: -
Echoes: -
Attributes: [Complexity], [Trust], [False Sight]
'The names seem simple.'
[Complexity] : The spell runes are easier for you to decipher.
'Huh?'
He raised an eyebrow to the description. It was rather vague, what was there to decipher in the spell runes?
'Memory enchantments perhaps?'
With a sigh, he diverted his focus to the other attribute.
[Trust] : You appear more charismatic to others, even to the abominations.
"Um..."
Even to abominations..?
So he looked more delicious to them?
'That's... not a very good attribute is it..?'
[False Sight] : Your sight has improved.
Aether nodded, he had already realized his sight had improved. And unlike his original body, this vessel had two functioning eyes.
He had missed having full eyesight. Living with one eye was not that pleasant.
Aspect: [Clarity]
Aspect Description: [Your killing intent is able to affect others.]
Aether did not dwell on his aspect much. Unless he needed to kill humans, it was not going to help him much. Why would nightmare creatures be scared of some humans puny killing intent?
After finding a backpack and some food inside the house, he headed out.
Cold.
That was the first thing he observed.
The whole pathway was covered in white blanket. The roofs of the ruined houses and the trees. Everything seemed to be white.
The village was not very big, and there was no blood around like he had seen in the beginning.
He took his first step, and that was when he finally heard something.
Cries of an infant.
After locating which house the sound was coming from, he took his gun into his hand. His steps sank into the snow as he walked forward.
Pointing the gun forward, he reached out to the handle and pushed it abruptly. His finger ghosted over the trigger, ready to shoot anytime given.
However the room was empty.
Other than the baby crying and wailing around the bed. When she saw him, she started to cry even more loudly.
Aether walked forward. Why was a baby here? Why had they left her behind?
There was no way she was going to live. So...
Raising the gun, he pointed it at the infant.