"Got you!!!"
Logan's vision jolted as he instinctively grabbed the arm around his throat, only to realize who it was.
Johnny Sins stared down at him with eyes glittering with pure mischief. His grin was wide and shameless, while his bald head reflected the overhead lights. It looked like it was personally proud of itself.
"Let go of me, you bastard!" Logan complained, struggling to break free.
It was useless.
The chubby boy was far stronger than he had any right to be, especially after awakening. Logan could feel it clearly now. Johnny's grip was absurdly solid, filled with a strength that had not existed just hours ago.
"Hahaha! Feel that?" Johnny laughed proudly. "That's the power of awakening!"
Logan clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Johnny's Nightmare was a Bloody Succubus, and judging by the ridiculous strength behind that hold, she had easily granted him at least twenty points in Strength alone. And that probably was not even her main forte.
This idiot had awakened as one of the top Walkers of his batch.
His future was annoyingly bright.
After what felt like an eternity of struggling and muffled curses, Johnny finally released him, still laughing as if he had just won some great battle.
Logan did not waste a second.
The moment the pressure was gone, he lunged forward and grabbed a handful of Johnny's excess belly fat, twisting it mercilessly.
"OW!!! OW!!! STOP!!!"
Johnny yelped on the spot, tears instantly forming in his eyes as he flailed helplessly.
"I am sorry! I am sorry! I swear I will never do it again!" Johnny pleaded desperately. "If you want, you can even have my succubus for a night!"
Logan's hand froze as he heard those words. His face twisted slowly as he released the grip and stepped back.
"…You are disgusting," Logan said flatly.
Johnny collapsed onto the floor, clutching his stomach and sniffing loudly, still grinning despite the pain.
'Johnny and Pervy Sage…'
Logan sighed deeply.
'Why do perverts surround me?'
For a brief moment, Logan seriously considered whether there was something fundamentally wrong with his life choices… or if the universe was simply mocking him.
The two of them talked for a while longer, exchanging casual remarks and half-joking banter, until the flow of students around them gradually thinned.
Eventually, they bid each other farewell and went their separate ways, each carrying very different expectations for what the future might hold.
***
A short while later, Logan stood just outside the academy gates.
The towering iron structure loomed behind him. Sage was perched comfortably on his shoulder, showing no intention of leaving, despite the curious stares that followed them wherever they went.
Logan shifted uncomfortably.
"Why do you not return to card form?" he grumbled under his breath, keenly aware of the attention they were drawing. The owl had come out on its own a while ago and refused to go back.
Sage did not even look at Logan.
"I have no intention of doing so," he replied calmly, his golden eyes fixed on the world ahead. "That card is nothing but a white, silent void, stripped of sensation, movement, and purpose."
Logan hesitated, then asked, "And that is a problem because…?"
Sage tilted its head slightly, and when it spoke again, its voice carried an unexpected weight, as though it were reciting a truth forged through decades of observation.
"I have lived long enough to understand that existence is defined by what we choose to appreciate," it said slowly. "Beauty is fleeting, desire is instinctive, and awareness of such things is proof that one is still alive."
It paused, then leaned forward just a little.
"And there are no big butts inside that empty white space."
Logan stiffened at those words realizing Sage was just fooling around with him.
Sage's gaze followed a girl walking past them, his attention unwavering and unapologetic. The girl noticed the stare, her steps faltering as colour rushed to her face. A moment later, she broke into a sprint, fleeing the scene with surprising speed.
Within seconds, she had vanished from sight.
Logan remained frozen for a brief moment before finally letting out a slow breath.
"I did wrong by naming you Sage," he said flatly. "You are a menace."
Sage let out a pleased hoot and settled more comfortably against Logan's neck.
"History has never been kind to those who speak uncomfortable truths," it replied serenely.
Logan closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, already feeling a headache beginning to form.
Nightmares were permitted to remain outside their cards in public spaces, largely because they had become an essential part of modern society.
As long as they did not harm others, cause excessive disturbance, or possess a size too large to be safely accommodated, their presence was tolerated. It was a rule born from necessity rather than comfort.
Unfortunately, judging by Sage's behaviour, Logan was fairly certain that tolerance had its limits.
At this rate, it would not be long before both of them were dragged away for repeated accusations of harassment, whether intentional or not.
"Pervy Sage, control your eyes," Logan warned quietly as he raised a hand and signalled for an approaching taxi. "I do not want to be forced to send you back into the card."
Sage let out a low, thoughtful hoot before replying in a voice that carried unsettling confidence.
"Child, patience," the owl said solemnly. "One day, when you have tasted the forbidden fruit, you will understand the truth behind my words."
Logan chose not to respond.
He stepped into the taxi without another glance, shutting the door behind him as Sage finally settled down and folded its wings. The driver turned slightly in his seat, studying Logan through the rearview mirror with mild curiosity.
"To where, young man?" the driver asked.
Logan straightened and answered without hesitation.
"Please take me to the Walker Association!"
The driver nodded once, said nothing more, and eased the taxi into motion as the city streets stretched out before them.
The taxi rolled forward smoothly, merging into the steady flow of traffic as the academy faded into the distance behind them.
Logan leaned back against the seat and turned his gaze toward the window, watching the city unfold outside.
The streets were wide and reinforced, clearly designed to endure far more than ordinary vehicles. Walkers, civilians, and Nightmares moved through the city side by side in a strange but carefully maintained harmony. What would have once been considered chaos had long since become routine.
Towering buildings lined the roads, their surfaces etched with reinforced alloy.
Some structures bore scars from past incidents that told silent stories of battles fought and disasters narrowly contained. Digital billboards hovered above intersections, displaying recruitment notices, safety advisories, and live updates from the Vast Expanse.
Nightmares were everywhere.
Some were small and discreet, perched on shoulders or trailing behind their Walkers like obedient shadows. Others were massive creatures.
Logan spotted a towering stone-skinned beast crouched near a checkpoint, its walker speaking calmly as enforcement drones monitored the area. Nearby, a sleek wolf-like Nightmare padded alongside a teenage girl, its eyes alert but restrained.
This was normal now.
Logan exhaled slowly as he took it all in.
The Vast Expanse had torn the old world apart, but in doing so, it had forced humanity to adapt faster than ever before. Power was no longer a myth or a privilege reserved for legends.
Yet not everyone had it.
Logan's fingers tightened briefly against his knee as his thoughts drifted.
'Only those who can contract a Nightmare get to step onto the path,' he thought. 'The rest are treated akin to dogs.'
He glanced down at the reflection in the glass, then at the faint outline of Sage perched beside him, unusually quiet for once. Compared to the monstrous beings outside, his own Nightmare looked harmless, almost laughable.
Weak. Small. Underwhelming.
Logan's lips pressed together.
'But even the weakest Nightmare is still a key,' he thought. 'And I have one.'
Just then, the taxi arrived before a heavily guarded district, where towering gates marked the boundaries of official organisations. Emblems of the Walker Association were etched into reinforced walls.
Logan straightened as he got out. The taxi could go no further.