"Oh, I'm sorry, that stoic face of yours reminded me of someone I used to know"
'Nephis…'
Here she was. Alive.
Sunny was not sure how to feel. He had already processed her loss, more times than he was willing to admit, and was extremely happy to see her again. But at the same time… He was also extremely sad.
'You're not my Nephis…
I can't genuinely love this version of you, not yet at least, perhaps never.'
How could he? He was a grown man, who saw horrors and lived lives no human should live.
'I'd be a weirdo that's for sure, like the protagonist of that damn novel I found this year.
What was his name again? Rufeus? Rumeus? Something like that. Absolute insanity.'
The doors opened and Sunny started pacing behind her.
He did not place himself there for not knowing how to act, instead he did so as affirmation.
He'd be there, behind, in the shadows. Making sure everything flowed correctly.
Yes Sunny wanted to be known by the world but he was not fit to govern, he was fit to kill.
Nephis would continue being the star that the world needed.
It was also important not to undermine her domain.
'I don't need the admiration of humanity to grow stronger.
Still, a little prank won't hurt right?
… I wonder if the letter worked'
Once inside the hall Sunny began looking for familiar faces.
He still looked like an Anomaly, in the past he came here with a police issued tracksuit, looking like a rat, and had no belongings.
Now he was wearing simple but fashionable black clothes, and his demeanor screamed awareness.
He looked like a legacy.
'Of course I do, mine was the best clan of all!
The benefits and pay were so good I felt like I was being robbed.
And Aiko dared to ask for a raise!
That must've been her flaw, there's no other explanation.'
All his belongings were in his backpack which he wore with only one sleeve to his shoulder.
'So uncomfortable, when will that new Memory arrive?'
Kai had always wished for Sunny to buy a bag instead of going around with a backpack.
Not managing to succeed he made it his mission to at least make sure Sunny used the backpack in a "fashionable manner".
'Whatever that means.
Can't wait to shock that beautiful bastard with all my stories.'
He spotted Cassie sitting alone in a corner, a bubble of lingering death still present around her.
He spotted Caster already creating his group of legacy thralls.
'I'll make sure to leave you breathing this time around'
The shadows deepened at his feet, agreeing with their prince.
His frustration was cut short by the sound of awakened Rock getting on the stage.
The giant man had wide shoulders, an athletic build, and a gorgeous brown beard. His eyes were calm and serious.
After reaching the center of the stage, he gave the Sleepers a long look. Sunny was sure he double checked both him and Nephis.
"I am Awakened Rock. Sleepers, welcome to the Academy."
"In less than a month, you will be summoned to the Dream Realm. Some of you might think that you are well prepared.
You're wrong.
…"
'Is this actually a script he reads every year?'
Well, he understood the instructor's purpose.
He had to make young Sleepers afraid, because fear was the only thing that would keep them alive.
Knowing the content of the speech already, Sunny began wandering off with his mind.
He had only four weeks to spend here before venturing into the Dream Realm.
And yet he was full of things to think and do.
Training, the meeting with the house of night, experimenting with the new changes in his aspect, fighting in the colosseum, saturating some of his core, planning the arrival in the dark city…
'How the Spell are humans supposed to live with only one body?!'
***
Soon, he found himself in a small office, sitting across from an administrative worker.
The worker was very friendly and started the interview right away.
Being able to not respond when needed was a great boon.
"Would you mind telling me about the type of Aspect Ability you received, as in combat, sorcery, or utility?"
"My aspect ability is both combat and utility oriented.
I can use my shadow to increase my overall power and detach it from myself for scouting possibilities."
"That's amazing! Are you able to deal damage directly with your Ability?"
"I am not able to deal damage directly by using my aspect but I can deal damage by using my aspect legacy"
"Aspect legacy?!" She quickly checked the machine at her side and was genuinely happy for him when it did not detect a lie.
"Amazing again! Do you mind telling me what it is?"
"Sure here he is"
With that Serpent flowed from his arm to the floor manifesting itself using [Soul Beast] form.
He hissed greeting its master. Sunny reached and cuddled his head.
It looked ridiculous, a Sleeper petting an Echo. One that seems stronger than him too.
"Hey there buddy, we finally can talk freely huh?
This is Serpent, It's an echo that can also turn into a black odachi when needed.
He's an Awakened Beast."
While it seemed that Sunless was giving a lot of information he was actually retaining the most important parts.
Now on the database, it appeared his legacy was only an awakened beast.
It was a great way to undermine Serpent's true power and it gave him the advantage of surprise.
"Sleeper Sunless this is great! Is there anything else you'd like to share?"
"Yes, I have also been bestowed a True Name"
The assistant froze.
'A… Another one?'
"Vicar of Mercy"
Quickly composing herself she continued.
"This year's batch is full of prominent figures.
Well thanks for your time, good luck with the solstice and I hope to keep hearing great things about you."
***
Nephis was sitting in the cafeteria at a table with her headphones.
She would have preferred to be alone but it didn't matter as long as nobody came to bother her.
She looked up and noticed that a lot of Sleepers were gathered around the large screen hanging on the wall of the cafeteria, their faces filled with excitement and awe.
On the screen, a list of names was displayed, ranking the new Sleepers from weakest to strongest, most likely deduced from the results of the interviews.
Not particularly interested, she quickly found her own name at the top.
'Second?'
"Name: Nephis"
"True Name: Unbreakable Star"
And right above her in the first place:
"Name: Sunless"
"True Name: Vicar of Mercy"
Her gaze travelled the room finally landing on the boy from this morning.
He was looking at her too, amused.
'Of course it's him'
The room exploded with bewilderment.
"Two Sleepers with a True name?!"
"This is unheard of! Who are they?"
"Maybe they lied?"
"As if it was so easy to fool them, why don't you go ask?"
The room fell silent, all eyes on the two figures.
"Lady Nephis. I am Caster from the Han Li clan. I see that your trial went well?"
'Han li… Its Valor right?'
She smiled feigning ignorance.
"It is what it is."
Caster awkwardly returned the smile.
"I see. I am very glad that you returned unharmed. Uh… not that I doubted your abilities."
She nodded.
"Thank you."
Nephis had no idea how to finish the conversation, thankfully she was saved by a notification that rang on all communicators.
The notification read:
EMERGENCY ALERT
EMERGENCY ALERT
GATE ACTIVITY DETECTED IN YOUR PROXIMITY
GATE CATEGORY :
2 (69% probability),
3 (28% probability),
HIGHER (undefined).
ETA: 7 MINUTES
EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY!
Before chaos could erupt, a teacher was already giving instructions, saying there was no worry and that the academy grounds were safe.
Nephis kept looking at "Sunless", and what she saw was not what she expected.
'He is actually smiling.'
Sunless started using his communicator, and after a few rings, someone answered.
"Hey, Jet, I'm going to help close the gate that will open."
"…"
"What are you talking about? It's most likely only a category two gate, I'll go nowhere near its Guardian, don't worry."
"…"
"And give up on saturating my core and all the contribution points? How could I?
Just make sure to add my name in the rewards report."
'Only a category two, he says.'
"That's your reasoning?" She asked accusingly.
"Spell yeah," he responded without looking. After seeing who asked, he quickly added: "I mean, that is the duty of an Awakened, is it not?"
"I see, then I must come as well."
"Just don't steal my kills, I spent a fortune today already."
She acknowledged his request and introduced herself, hoping to gain some information about him.
"I am Nephis of the Immortal Flame, Unbreakable Star."
"I am Sunless from the outskirts, Vicar of Mercy."
"Outskirts?" She asked, tilting her head.
Sunny lightly sighed with a hint of humor.
"Doesn't look like it, right? I'm the brother of Soul Reaper Jet, so life has gotten better now."
Nephis nodded and realized something strange. She was amused.
'A man who claims to be from the outskirts, ready to drown in a sea of monsters, was not something I'd expect to find today.'
She would remain vigilant nonetheless.
There were two reasons she wanted to go. One was to evaluate his strength, and the other was to see the way he fights.
'Could he be the one who sent me the letter?'
Meanwhile, all sleepers were looking at the two of them, incredulous.
Caster stared, thinking the same thing for the last 2 minutes
'What?
Are they actually for real? And who the fuck is that guy? Why does a rat like him have a True Name?! A mongrel!'
His core was already saturated, and he did not need the mere government points.
A blonde girl was also listening to their dialogue, confused.
'Are they brave or just insane?
How can they be so confident after going through their first nightmare?
Would I have gone had I not been blind?'
'No, no, I wouldn't.'
Despite her effort, she couldn't help but tremble, grasping the cloth of her pants tightly.