The presence was overwhelming; it felt as if a general had just arrived.
Eylan watched, already knowing who it was—but even so, the sight left him stunned.
'Morgan of Valor? What is the Princess of Valor doing here at the academy?'
The reaction was similar among the other Sleepers: some were in shock, others lowered their heads in reverence.
She walked among the students, who immediately made way for her.
So elegant, with pride burning in her gaze.
She was dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, entirely black, with buttons and cufflinks forged from silvery steel. Her hands were covered by leather gloves—but Eylan knew it wasn't because of the cold… it was to avoid cutting whatever she touched.
His knowledge of Morgan was decent, to say the least. Most of the attention usually went to her brother, Mordret, the Prince of Nothing.
What he remembered about her was simple: an Aspect that made parts of her body sharp, and the mind of a brilliant strategist.
After all, the Valor Clan were descendants of War itself, carrying the gift of battle in their blood.
As she stepped onto the stage, Morgan cast calculated glances across the audience. Silence quickly fell.
Eylan held his breath, afraid that the princess's gaze might land on him.
However, she simply smiled at the students and said:
"Hello everyone. I believe you all know who I am.
I am the Awakened Morgan of Valor, niece of the Whispering Blade."
When she finished her introduction, the students applauded enthusiastically.
Her smile was radiant, but her eyes… cold. There was a hidden chill in the depths of her gaze.
Eylan applauded as well, trying not to stand out. He shot a quick glance at Ravon.
Ravon was clapping, but his hands were trembling. Beads of sweat ran down his forehead, and his eyes avoided Morgan as if he were afraid to meet her gaze. His foot tapped against the floor, restless.
It was truly abnormal for him to react so strongly. Eylan knew how dangerous the daughter of the King of Swords was, but reacting like that…
A thought flashed through his mind. A ridiculous, but amusing idea.
'…Could it be that he's in love with the Princess of Valor? Love at first sight, huh… he dreams big.'
Amused, he smiled and kept clapping.
When the applause died down, Morgan said:
"Welcome to the academy."
Absolute silence followed.
"In a few months, you will be summoned to the Dream Realm.
Some of you may think you are well prepared. You are wrong. The Spell is ruthless and cunning. The moment Awakened begin to think too highly of themselves, they die. I have seen countless Sleepers like you lose their lives. I have also seen experienced Masters lose theirs. Not even my Uncle Madoc is guaranteed survival."
Madoc, the Whispering Blade, was Anvil's brother and the nominal leader of the great Valor Clan. A legendary warrior, a champion of humanity.
His achievements were worthy of legend.
A veteran of wars, leader of the Knights of Valor in endless campaigns through the Dream Realm…
But Eylan didn't care much about that.
In a few years, during the Black Skull battle in Antarctica, three category-four Gates would lead to his unexpected death.
'His greatest achievement was severely injuring the Beastmaster… and dying shortly after. What a waste of a character…'
Changing the future would be interesting…
But that was still outside Eylan's plans. To change history, he would need to be at least a Master. And even then, it might not be enough.
Morgan continued:
"You will receive training from the best instructors in the world. However, do not be deceived by their fame: in the end, if you return from the Dream Realm alive, it will depend on only one person—yourself. The responsibility to survive is yours, and yours alone."
The atmosphere in the hall grew heavy.
"If it brings you any comfort, those who survive will return stronger, capable of deciding their own destinies…"
At that moment, a loud noise echoed from the doors. Two enormous men entered, carrying a gigantic silvery cube, heavy like raw steel.
They placed it on the stage. Morgan removed her gloves, raised her hand, and brought it down like a guillotine.
The cube was split in half.
A perfect cut. The two pieces fell apart as if sliced by a laser.
Gasps of astonishment and admiration filled the hall.
'She hasn't even become a Master yet… and she's already this strong? There's a reason she's Valor's heir.'
Eylan smiled, now with irony.
'Too bad all that talent will be dragged through the mud, right?'
He snorted.
Morgan then began to speak about her experiences during the winter solstice.
Eylan knew those experiences were either fabricated or derived from an existing one—being the daughter of a Supreme, there was a strong chance she had been taken directly to the Dream Realm.
Even so, he listened attentively.
True or not, it contained important information. The novel didn't have much content about the Dream Realm itself; it focused more on Sunless's adventures.
As he listened, something caught his interest. It didn't involve the Nightmare Realm, but real life. She mentioned cults after the descent of the Spell.
"Legacy clans rose during that dark era, fighting against evil. Some dictators and lunatics emerged. But most importantly—cults of worship."
Her tone was serious as she emphasized that point.
The moment she said it, Eylan felt a subtle movement beside him. If not for the Tidal Impulse, he wouldn't have noticed it at all.
He tried to observe discreetly, but whoever had moved had already withdrawn.
A suspicion formed in his mind.
'…Is this why Morgan came here? To find cult members?'
A line of reasoning began to take shape.
'That would explain why such a prestigious Legacy would come here just to speak to students…'
However, before he could continue, doubt interrupted him.
'But something doesn't add up. None of this happens in the main story—or at least, it's never mentioned…'
In Shadow Slave, it is said that the Nightmare Spell first appeared in the world several decades ago. At the time, the planet was only beginning to recover from a series of devastating natural disasters and the subsequent resource wars.
At first, the emergence of a new disease that caused millions of people to complain about constant fatigue and drowsiness didn't attract much attention. But when people began to fall into abnormal sleep, with no signs of waking even days later, governments finally panicked. Of course, by then, it was already too late—not that an early response would have made much difference.
When the infected began to die in their sleep, their corpses transforming into monsters, no one was prepared. Nightmare Creatures quickly overwhelmed national armies, plunging the world into complete chaos.
No one knew what the Spell was, what powers it possessed, or how to fight it.
In the end, it was the Awakened—those who survived the first trials of the Spell and returned alive—who put an end to its rampage. However, not everyone saw it that way.
Cults of mass destruction arose, ideologies were created, and massacres on a massive scale occurred.
Fortunately, most were exterminated. The remnants went into hiding.
'The only "cult" mentioned recently in the novel is the one that worshiped Asterion…'
'Is that it? Did Anvil send his daughter to look for Asterion's followers? But why send his own daughter instead of some subordinate?'
There were many questions. And no answers.
After some time, Morgan's speech ended. She left to applause.
In her place, a government Awakened—huge, bear-like—took the stage.
"Students, I hope you sincerely appreciate the visit. The experiences of a Legacy are very valuable."
With a brief nod, he began explaining the essential points the students needed to know.
"Now, let's talk about the difference between Nightmares and the Dream Realm…"
Nothing was new to Eylan. The speech was almost exactly the same as described in the novel.
But with his Flaw, forgetting parts was common—so hearing it again never hurt.
Nightmares are illusions created from the past, events that occurred long ago.
"The Dream Realm is a world. It is vast, mysterious, and largely unexplored. It is also dead. There is no life there, except for Nightmare Creatures and corrupted ecosystems. Ruins of destroyed civilizations can be found across its land."
"There are four main differences between the Dream Realm and Nightmares. First, it has no 'story.' There is no predetermined conflict you are forced to resolve. You can move freely and explore, as long as you have the strength to stay alive in the wilderness."
"Second, there are no people in the Dream Realm, except those who came from the real world. There are only monsters. Some of them can imitate human appearance."
"Third, unlike the First Nightmare, no Nightmare Creatures will appear in the real world if you die in the Dream Realm."
"And lastly, but most importantly. Unlike Nightmares, which are limited by the rules of fairness, there is no limit to what kind of creature you might encounter in the Dream Realm. You may come face to face with something many times more powerful than you."
At the end of the presentation, he spoke about the winter solstice:
"When the solstice arrives, you will be drawn into the Dream Realm. The exact location where you appear cannot be predicted in advance, but there is a high chance many of you will find yourselves near each other. Band together and head toward the nearest human Citadel. Each Citadel is built around a Gate. Once you reach it, you will be able to return."
Gates were special portals that served as exit points from the Dream Realm. When Sleepers reached such a portal, they could escape back to reality and become Awakened. Their cores would evolve, and they would also receive a second Aspect Ability. After that, they would return to the Dream Realm whenever they fell asleep.
"If you cannot locate or reach the nearest human Citadel, look for an unclaimed Gate. It will usually be inside or near the most prominent landmark in the region. Work together to defeat its guardians and return alive."
The Sleepers—except for the Legacies—grew uneasy.
"That's all for today. Next, follow the instructions sent to your communicators to find your assigned lodging. After settling in, you may go to the cafeteria for a late supper. After that, there will be a round of interviews to prepare your suggested resumes. Rest well. Your training begins tomorrow."
Eylan wasn't as restless as the others. The chances of him landing somewhere inhospitable or dangerous were small. After all, he didn't have the [Fated] with him.
And even if he did, with enough preparation and a Divine Aspect, he could survive.
Except in absurd places like the Hollow Mountains, the Burned Forest, or the Nightmare Desert… those places were the peak of mortality.
'I also can't forget the Eternal City… where the Nightwalker is…'
He took a deep breath.
'Why did the author create so many deadly places?!'
Still, there was nothing he could do about it.
He could only focus on what mattered now:
Dinner!
He felt a sense of déjà vu.