At supper, Hermes met up with Nephis and grabbed his food tray.
He walked up to Sunny and Cassie's table with Nephis in tow.
"Hello there, my good friends!" Hermes cleared his throat and offered a quick greeting.
"Hello," Cassie replied.
"Hmph. Finally decided to butter me up as well?" Sunny asked with a sneer.
"Hehehe. My friend Sunless, I can do more than butter you up—for the right price. If you know, you know. Wink, wink." Hermes said smugly, not actually winking, and took his seat. Nephis sat beside him.
Sunny blinked, taken aback.
"Alright, since you two won't do it, I'll handle the introductions myself." Hermes gestured toward Sunny. "Nephis, this is Sunless. He's a fellow outskirts rat like myself and a big pervert."
"Who are you calling a pervert?!" Sunny's voice jumped an octave.
"Am I wrong?" Hermes asked, utterly shameless.
Sunny's mouth opened, then closed. His Flaw demanded honesty, and he visibly struggled before answering.
"Deep down, everyone is a pervert," he admitted through gritted teeth. "But you're the biggest one I know."
"Hehehe. Thanks for the praise." Hermes beamed.
Sunny looked like he'd just lost a battle he hadn't agreed to fight.
"And this is Cassie." Hermes gestured toward the blind girl. "I don't know much about her since we only met today, but we're already best friends. Of course, Sunny is still my best best friend—we go way back." He paused. "I can call you Sunny, right?"
"We have known each other for three days," Sunny said flatly.
"Yes. Way back." Hermes replied back shamelessly.
"…Whatever." Sunny pretended to be bitter, but internally, something warm flickered. He had connections with the Changing Star because of this pervert. He could tolerate the pervert.
"And she needs no introduction, but this is Nephis." Hermes swept his hand theatrically. "The Changing Star. The number one ranked Sleeper in all the Academy."
Silence.
Everyone sat there, doing nothing. Even their food remained untouched on their trays.
"...Okay." Hermes leaned forward. "Since I got all of you together, I'll help break the ice. How do I go about this?" He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "How about favourite dinosaurs? Mine's the Carnotaurus. What about you guys?"
"Dino—sors?" Nephis tilted her head.
"I don't know what that is either," Cassie added.
"Neither do I," Sunny admitted.
"What?!" Hermes stared at them like they'd just admitted to never seeing the sun. "What do they teach in schools these days? How do you not know about dinosaurs? You're missing out on life, man."
He shook his head sadly, stuffing food into his mouth.
"It's okay. Let me enlighten you with the most magnificent beasts in all of history." His eyes lit up with genuine enthusiasm. "Dinosaurs were reptilian creatures that existed way before mankind. There were dinosaurs of all sizes—some as tall and big as a hundred feet! And some as small as one foot long." He gestured wildly. "Oh, by the way, Carnotaurus means 'meat-eating bull.' Also, reptiles are—wait, you wouldn't know what that is either since everything's extinct now." He paused, recalibrating. "Reptiles are cold-blooded vertebrates with scales. Vertebrates are animals with backbones. Humans are vertebrates too." He waved a hand. "Ah, forget it. Let me just tell you my top ten dinosaurs, and you can decide which ones your favourites are."
—
Days flew by like nothing, and soon four weeks had passed.
Hermes had learned to fight with the spear under Nephis's guidance. She was an excellent teacher—patient when he stumbled, demanding when he needed pushing. He wasn't a master by any means, certainly not "one with his spear," but he finally knew what he was doing.
He felt a twinge of guilt watching Nephis practice alone in the dojo after lessons ended. But he'd been honest with her about everything, and she'd made her choice.
His runic sorcery hadn't been neglected either. He'd concocted countless spells he couldn't wait to test in the Dream Realm—nowhere safe to practice here. He'd trained his water spell in his room, limiting output to a trickle, practicing aim until he could hit headshots consistently and consecutively. He'd also mastered writing runes in the air with soul essence, just like Charles had shown him. It now took him one second to write a single rune. A significant improvement from his First Nightmare.
His relationship with the cohort had deepened into genuine friendship. And the cohort themselves were closer to each other than in the original timeline. Why had he done it? Partly for his own benefit—he was certain Sunny would invite him to clear the Second Nightmare alongside the others. But also... wish fulfillment. Who wouldn't want to be friends with the main characters of one of their favourite stories?
He'd felt guilty at first, like he was using them. That guilt faded when he realized he'd been honest from the start. He'd told them his intentions straight to their faces. And somewhere along the way, the pretense became real. He genuinely cared about them now.
He knew all their favourite dinosaurs, after all.
Sunny's favourite was the Tyrannosaurus Rex. His reasoning? It looked cool. Hermes had drawn him an illustration and explained the name's meaning. Sunny had been delighted to learn it meant "Tyrant Lizard King." His expression when Hermes casually mentioned the T-Rex was also known as an "eight-ton chicken" and that chickens were its distant cousins? Absolutely devastated. Hermes had laughed until his stomach hurt.
Nephis favoured the Spinosaurus. When asked why, she'd simply stated it was the most versatile—a semi-aquatic creature that hunted both land and water. Hermes had told her the name meant "Spine Lizard," and she'd interpreted that as a sign of courage and 'conviction'. He hadn't corrected her. He also hadn't mentioned the Spinosaurus's recently discovered, significantly less impressive appearance.
Cassie's favourite was the Ankylosaurus. She'd said it sounded cute when he described it—a peaceful herbivore that could still fight off even the mighty T-Rex with its clubbed tail. He'd wisely withheld that it might have been an omnivore. When he told her its name meant "Great Belly," she'd pouted and feigned anger at him for not sharing that earlier. Her reaction had been adorable.
—
Before anyone knew it, the winter solstice arrived.
Hermes woke feeling tired and drowsy, the weight of the day pressing down before he'd even opened his eyes. He went through his morning routine like a ritual.
He made his way to the cafeteria, grabbed his tray, and joined Cassie and Nephis. Despite the dreadful atmosphere hanging over everyone, Cassie was smiling, seemingly in good spirits.
"Cassie, you seem unusually upbeat this morning." Hermes studied her. "Spill the tea. Now."
"Well..." She hesitated, then brightened. "My parents are coming to meet me today. I get to see them after a month." She paused meaningfully. "Also, it's Sunny's birthday."
"Hoh." A mischievous grin spread across Hermes's face. "We have to sing 'Happy Birthday' when he gets here. You guys in?"
"Hmm!" Cassie nodded happily.
Nephis sighed, but the corner of her mouth twitched upward. "Sure."
They waited.
Soon Sunny arrived, coffee in hand, and sat down at the table.
They began.
"Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday to dear Sunny~ Happy birthday to yooooou~"
They finished in harmony.
Sunny was bright red. Bright red. His ears burned, and he looked like he wanted to sink through the floor.
"Hehehe. He looks like a tomato," Hermes wheezed.
Cassie laughed. Even Nephis smiled.
Everyone else in the cafeteria stared at them like they'd lost their minds. None of them cared.
"You guys..." Sunny said helplessly, but warmth bled through his embarrassment.
"Thank you," he added more quietly. "I never expected to make it to seventeen."
"But you did." Nephis's voice was simple, certain.
"Yeah." Sunny looked at his coffee. "I did. I'm going to celebrate my birthday every year from now on. I'll try my best in the Dream Realm and come back alive."
Nephis nodded approvingly.
"We'll all make it back together." She raised her cup. "Here's to our successful return."
"Here's to our successful return!" Everyone followed, raising their cups. Sunny helped guide Cassie's hand, and they all clinked together.
For just a moment, guilt flickered across Hermes's face. He suppressed it quickly, but it had been there.
Silence settled over the table—not awkward like before, but peaceful. Calm. Everyone ate, or at least tried to.
"What are your plans for today?" Hermes asked. "No classes and all."
"I'm spending the day with my parents," Cassie said softly.
"I'll be training in the dojo," Nephis stated.
"I'm visiting Teacher Julius." Sunny glanced at Nephis. "I might join you afterward, if you don't mind."
"Of course. You're welcome."
"I'll join too," Hermes added.
They trained until a notification summoned them to the Sleeper centre's foyer.
It was time.
Instructor Rock led them to a deserted floor, then opened the doors to a spacious gallery bathed in the beautiful crimson rays of the setting sun.
Rows and rows of wheelchairs stretched before them. In each wheelchair sat a person with a blank, strangely peaceful expression. They were utterly silent, motionless, still. They showed no reaction to the Sleepers' arrival.
They seemed... empty.
Hermes activated Oculus Sapientiae and looked at them.
Nothing.
The absence where a soul should be sent chills down his spine.
Instructor Rock regarded the empty people with solemn eyes.
"There's a reason I brought you here. Look well. Remember." His voice was heavy. "Some of you may know who these people are. For those who don't—they're called Hollows."
He gritted his teeth.
"Each one of them was once a Sleeper or an Awakened. Some were weak. Some were strong. Some were incredibly powerful." He paused. "All of them perished in the Dream Realm."
He continued.
"If you're lucky, when your spirit is destroyed, your body dies with it. But if you're not..." He gestured at the rows of empty shells. "You become like them. Hollow."
"So don't die out there."
After that, each Sleeper was led to their personal room to prepare for the pods. Hermes wished his friends good luck and bid them farewell.
He stood before his pod and felt fear—cold and real and honest. He'd done everything he could. He was prepared.
He stepped forward and climbed inside.
The lid closed.
In the vast echoing darkness, a voice spoke:
[Welcome to the Dream Realm, Hermes!]