Flaw: [Clemency]
Flaw Description: [You cannot kill anything that is significantly weaker than you.]
'Well, that's shit.' Ash sighed.
Reading the description of his Flaw made him feel strange. His plans of simply living by killing Awakened creatures slowly to get stronger had been shattered into pieces.
Of course, there was the option of simply remaining as an Awakened. After all, there were thousands of Awakened; what difference would one more make? And it's not like he literally couldn't kill.
Only God knew that this was indeed a troublesome Flaw.
If he got stronger, he would have to fight against strong things to kill them. Something he knew well was that holding back was much harder than killing. If he was an Awakened, he could fight against any creature of the Awakened, Fallen, and Corrupted rank. But as a Master, he could only fight against enemies of the Fallen rank. And he wouldn't be able to kill Awakened Beasts.
If he was a Transcendent, he would only have to fight against Fallen and Corrupted creatures.
Ash sighed.
This Flaw would be problematic if he became a Supreme; he could only fight against Corrupted, Great, and Cursed things. And God knew if he became a Sacred being, he'd at least have to fight against Cursed and Unholy things.
Though it's not like he planned to get that far in life.
He was happy simply not having a purpose. He had no interest in joining the circus of the protagonists and their group. They could die and it wouldn't affect him in the slightest.
Even if he ran into them, he could simply ignore them.
"Yeah, that's what I'll do," he murmured, feeling more cheerful.
Having reached his conclusion, Ash heard the voice of the spell in his mind.
[Awaken, Dream of Oblivion!]
The world spun for Ash, and for one last time, he felt like he was falling... upwards? Or downwards? He really didn't know.
...
Ash opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was a ceiling with an aesthetic he couldn't quite describe. Also, the air was different. It felt heavier and more polluted, unlike the pure air of his world or the place where his nightmare had been.
'Seems like I'm really here.' Although he already knew he had been sent, he still held onto the hope that it was just a bad dream and he would wake up lying in his bed, getting ready to go back to writing and deleting stories – after all, he only studied on Saturdays.
Ash pushed those thoughts away. This was a new chapter in his life, or what was left of it. He could easily die when he went to the Dream Realm.
Turning his head slightly, he observed that someone was sitting on a cheap plastic chair next to his reinforced medical bed. Sitting there was a woman – to his relief, it wasn't who he thought it might be.
The woman had chestnut hair, light cinnamon skin, and brown eyes. Her skin was flawless and smooth.
Her general appearance was that of a woman who had just entered adulthood. She wore a well-fitted dark blue uniform. The jacket of her uniform had all its buttons done up.
The woman had a slightly bored and somewhat drowsy expression. On her chest were two stars. Although Ash didn't know much about the ranks of Awakened in the government, he guessed the woman was an Awakened.
"What are you looking at, kid?" she asked in a calm tone.
"Are you an Awakened?"
"Yes," the Awakened responded.
The government Awakened began to loosen the restraints that kept him immobilized against the bed.
"Well, welcome to the land of the living. Congratulations on surviving your first Nightmare, Sleeper Ashfall."
"I'm Vicky, an Awakened. But you can call me Vicky. For the last three days, I've been on standby because of your Nightmare."
"Let's talk later. First, go take a shower and get your head straight," Vicky advised.
Ash sat up in bed and nodded without saying a word.
...
A few minutes passed, and Ash was enjoying the sensation of a hot water shower. As the Awakened who received him had said, taking a bath helped him relax and finally assimilate everything that had happened to him in such a short time.
From his strange encounter with Nothingness, how he somehow ended up in the Nightmare Spell, then everything he did until finally awakening in his own altered body upon becoming a Sleeper.
After a while, he turned off the faucet and approached a towel rack. Casually, he caught his reflection in the mirror.
The physical changes were notable. His skin, once tanned from the sun he got at his job, had cleared up, leaving a light olive complexion with a healthy appearance. His hair, which used to be unruly and greasy, had become more fluid and silky, falling downwards instead of sticking up, turning the color of ash. His face had also become sharper and more attractive. His brown eyes had become lighter than before, appearing almost golden.
Overall, he was handsome, but not as handsome as those cultivator stories he sometimes read.
Ash yawned, feeling somewhat sleepy.
"Alright, let's see the runes again."
Name: Ashfall
True Name: Dream of Oblivion
Rank: Sleeper
Aspect: Phantom
Aspect Rank: Divine
Phantom Core: Dormant
Soul Fragments: [94/1000]
Aspect Ability: [Guide]
Aspect Ability Description: [Your intuition leads you towards where you wish to go, whether it be a hidden treasure, a person, or an uncertain destiny.]
Echoes: —
Memories: [Fang of Mist] [Nebulous Bow] [Mantle of the Mist]
Attributes: [Nothingness] [Souls] [Blessing of Nothingness] [Spark of Divinity] [Shadows]
Flaw: [Clemency]
After looking at the runes, Ash put on a clean police tracksuit and headed to the station's cafeteria. Upon arriving, he saw Vicky waiting for him at a table with two trays full of steaming food in front of her.
Sitting down, Vicky slid a tray towards him.
"Eat."
Grabbing the tray, he began to eat. After a constant battle where he had to eat just enough without getting full, he was starving.
It only took him a few minutes to devour the plate of food and drink the glass of fresh water.
"Are you done?"
"Yes," he replied with a satisfied smile.
"Then I'll begin. According to protocol, I'm obligated to inform you of a few things. It's more of a formality. Firstly, about your Nightmare..."
Vicky looked at him for a few moments before continuing.
"You have the right to receive free psychological counseling. No matter what traumatic experience you've lived through, there's no shame in asking for help. Your mind is as important as your body: it's only fair to keep it healthy. Are you interested?"
"No."
"Whatever you want. You can also talk to me. Was it very hard?"
"Uhm. It took me by surprise. It was worse than I expected, but also strangely enlightening."
"That's a good attitude. I won't pry further."
"Is there anything else?"
"Well, basically that's it. There are some additional hurdles to overcome, mostly related to your family, but... well, according to your files, I know that doesn't apply here. The only thing left is how you'll face your first journey to the Dream Realm."
"You can choose to prepare on your own, or not prepare at all. Just celebrate until the lights go out. You're unlucky because the solstice isn't far off."
"How long until it?" Ash asked, looking at the Awakened.
"About four weeks."
Ash felt his heart sink.
"Every Sleeper has the right to enroll in the Awakened Academy. It will provide you with accommodation and a wide selection of preparatory classes. At this point in the year, you won't be able to learn much. But it's better than nothing."
Vicky remained silent for a few seconds, then added.
"The most important thing is that you'll meet most of the people who will enter the Dream Realm, and some might become your lifelong companions."
Ash understood what Vicky said, and more than that, even though she didn't say it, the implication that someone might kill him in the Dream Realm was clear.
"So, what do you say? Do you want me to take you to the Academy?"
"Yes. I want to go to the Academy."
...
Ash looked in front of him at the enormous, indestructible red gates of the Awakened Academy.
The Awakened Academy, as far as he knew, was a city within a city with accessible facilities. The defenses were state-of-the-art, enough to make even Terrors think twice about invading.
Ash simply observed and waited for the gates to open. He already had his plan, which was quite simple. Learn to wield a weapon and survive. If he survived and became an Awakened, he'd think about what to do next. He had four weeks.
Ash watched as the snow fell slowly to the ground. It was cold, and it was silent. He liked the cold; it made him feel comfortable.
Hearing footsteps, Ash turned his head slightly, seeing a girl a few years older, maybe two or three years older. She had a distant look on her face, as if she didn't belong to the world. Her eyes were a pristine silver, as was her white hair. And like him, she wore a police tracksuit. On her head, she wore old-fashioned headphones.
Ash said nothing. He simply ignored Nephis of the Immortal Flame Clan. As much as possible, he didn't want to get involved with the other Divine Aspect bearer.
His plans were simple: get a house, simply anchor himself in a quiet Citadel. Maybe Ravenheart or Bastion sounded good. And when the world went to hell, he'd build a nice house in Bastion to have a pleasant view every day.
That was his life plan. A perfect one, if he did say so himself.
At least ten minutes passed. Ash had his hands in the pockets of his hoodie.
Hearing a vehicle stop, he turned his head slightly, seeing a short boy using a police tracksuit with a calm, perhaps somewhat cautious face.
Ash simply looked forward again.
'Not my problem,' he thought without saying anything, feeling the gaze of the most treacherous protagonist he had ever read about.
Finally, another minute passed until the gate began to open. The enormous sheet of reinforced metal descended slowly, creating a long bridge. Ash looked ahead with tired eyes. Honestly, all he wanted was to simply sleep.
Once the reinforced sheet had fully descended, creating the bridge, Ash began to walk with calm steps. He had already thought about which classes he would take.
First, he would take wilderness survival classes, and then combat classes. Those were the only two classes that interested him.
Upon entering, Ash headed to the Sleeper section of the compound. It only took him a short time to find it. It was in the southern part of the Academy, surrounded by training fields and parks.
The building was low and modern, constructed with reinforced materials. Like most Academy buildings, most of it was hidden underground, leaving only a couple of floors above ground. The building's facade was a pristine white with large windows.
Once inside, he noticed the building was spacious and well-lit. An Academy staff worker waited for them, beginning to guide them to a large hall where there were about a hundred young men and women, all Sleepers from the same unfortunate event of passing their Nightmares that day or days before.
Once inside, Ash simply began to walk, observing the curious faces of the gathered, beautiful young people. Some were talking among themselves, others were tense and withdrawn into corners.
Ash simply stayed in a corner, silent, with a feigned angry look on his face – a technique he learned so that no one would approach him to talk.
After half an hour, he was somewhat amused by the mention of the pervert who gained everyone's hatred in record time.
Ash simply waited for a while, letting out another slight yawn. He observed as the door opened and a man who resembled a bear stepped onto the stage. He introduced himself as Rock, an Awakened.
The instructor gave the basic information that he already knew by heart, so he simply didn't pay attention. Instead, he just checked his mobile, or "communicator" as they generally referred to it.
The communicator was an old, ancient model that worked to send him all the information and directions he would need during his stay at the Academy.
Although Ash was still slightly confused about how he even had documentation and registration with the government to begin with. It was practically impossible.
Well, not entirely. After all, this world was governed by fate, and a Spell doing something like moving an existence from one world to another wasn't impossible.
Feeling a headache coming on, Ash pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind.
Rock the Awakened had finished his long, roughly twenty-minute chat, letting them go to their private rooms to rest.