Blaze woke to a world that felt heavy and muted. As he pulled himself from the soft mattress of his Academy bed, his limbs felt sluggish, as if the air itself had turned to lead. He sat on the edge of the frame, staring at his hands—hands that had recently been stripped to the bone in a sea of orange fire.
The last day, huh? he thought, the reality of it finally sinking in. It still feels unreal.
He performed a quick, mechanical wash-up, the cold water doing little to clear the fog of anticipation from his mind. When he stepped into the cafeteria, he was met with a wall of silence. The usual morning clatter of trays and the low hum of nervous chatter were gone, replaced by a suffocating stillness. Hundreds of Sleepers sat over their breakfast, but none were truly eating. They were simply waiting.
Blaze filled his tray and navigated the silent crowd until he found Sunny and Cassie. He sat down opposite the blind girl, nodding to Sunny, who returned the gesture with a sharp, guarded tilt of his head.
"Hi, Cass," Blaze said softly.
Cassie turned her head toward the sound of his voice, her expression serene yet fragile. "Hi, Blaze."
Blaze began to eat, the food tasting like ash in his mouth. He watched the interaction between his two companions with a detached sort of interest. Suddenly, Cassie's "gaze" shifted toward Sunny. Her sightless eyes seemed to bore through him, unnerving the boy.
Sunny looked around, checking if someone else had attracted her attention. After making sure there wasn't anyone standing behind him, he shifted uncomfortably. "W—what?"
Cassia remained silent for a long moment, as though hesitating, weighing words that only she could see. Finally, she spoke:
"Happy Birthday."
Sunny gave the blind girl a strange, startled look. He opened his mouth to retort, perhaps to ask how she could possibly know such a thing, but then he decided to let it go. To him, she was just too creepy to engage.
"Uh… thanks," he muttered.
Blaze looked at Sunny, a genuine, tired smile touching his lips. "Happy birthday, Sunny!"
Sunny shifted his gaze to Blaze, the suspicion in his eyes softening for a fraction of a second. "Thanks."
After finishing the meal, Blaze made his rounds. He went to find Teacher Julius, the eccentric old man who had taught him the secrets of the wilderness. Julius was unexpectedly tearful, clutching Blaze's hand and whispering frantic, last-minute advice about runic pronunciations and the temperament of scavengers. After a brief, solemn meeting with his combat instructor, Blaze felt as ready as he would ever be.
**********
As the sun began its descent, painting the sky in bruised purples and oranges, Instructor Rock gathered their batch in the foyer of the Sleeper Center. He led them outside, through the snowy parks that surrounded the fortress. Other batches of Sleepers were emerging from different buildings, all converging on a single destination: the Academy's medical center.
The building looked less like a hospital and more like a high-tech shrine. Inside, rows of advanced medical pods glowed with a soft, sterile light. This was where their physical shells would remain while their souls traveled to the Dream Realm. Healers moved between the pods, preparing the magical and technological conduits that would sustain their lives.
Whether they would ever wake again, however, was a burden the Healers could not carry.
Instructor Rock stopped before a row of pods, his eyes turning hard and solemn. "There is a reason I brought you all here. Look well and remember. Some of you may know who these people are… for those of you who don't, they are called Hollow."
He gritted his teeth, gesturing toward a group of people sitting motionless in chairs, their eyes open but devoid of any spark.
"Each one of them was once a Sleeper or an Awakened. Some were weak, some were strong. Some were even incredibly powerful. All of them have perished in the Dream Realm."
Their… their souls are gone, Blaze heard Sunny whisper to himself, the boy's face pale with horror.
If the soul was destroyed or devoured on the other side, the body remained—a vacant house with no one left inside.
Instructor Rock glanced at the spot where Caster and Nephis stood, then turned back to the group. "So don't die out there."
As the crowd began to disperse toward their individual pods, the atmosphere grew even heavier. Blaze walked through the hall, observing the various expressions of terror and stoicism. His gaze landed on Cassie. She was struggling, her steps uneven, her face wet with silent tears as she fumbled for the wall.
Blaze immediately moved to her side, catching her shoulder. Cassie shuddered violently at the contact.
"It's okay," Blaze said, his voice steadying. "It's me, Blaze. Let me help you."
Cassie wiped at her eyes, her voice trembling. "Nothing. I'm fine."
"No, you're not," Blaze said gently. "Just let me guide you to your pod, at least."
Cassie didn't reply for a minute. Finally, she leaned her weight against him for support. "Am I going to die, Blaze?"
Blaze didn't hesitate. "No. You won't."
"But my Flaw…" she whispered, her voice breaking. "How can I survive a world I can't see?"
Blaze looked ahead at the sterile corridors. "Well, if we land in the same area, I will help you. And if I'm not there, someone else will. The world might be gray and cruel, Cass, but it isn't always empty."
Cassie fell silent, pondering his words as they reached the door to her assigned room. She turned to him, a small, fragile smile appearing through the dampness on her cheeks. "Thanks for this."
Blaze patted her shoulder. "All the best. You will survive."
"Same to you," she replied. "Don't die."
Blaze watched her enter her room before heading to his own. He stood before the metallic pod, the hum of the machinery vibrating in the soles of his boots. He took a deep breath, clutching the memory of the orange flames in his soul.
"All or nothing," he muttered.
He climbed into the pod. The lid hissed shut, and a cold, sweet mist filled the chamber. Darkness rushed in to meet him.
Then, the Voice of the Spell echoed in the void of his mind:
[Welcome to the Dream Realm, Blaze!]
The transition was violent.
Blaze didn't wake up on solid ground. He plunged into ice-cold, dark water. The weight of his gear threatened to pull him down, but the new strength in his limbs kicked in. He swam upward, his lungs burning, until he broke the surface.
He gasped, shaking the water from his eyes. Above him, there was no sun, no moon, and no stars. The sky was a vast, oppressive void of swirling gray mists.
Suddenly, a ripple in the water caught his attention. A massive shape was gliding toward him—a hybrid creature that looked like a cross between a crocodile and a prehistoric predator, its eyes glowing with a malevolent hunger.
Okay, Blaze thought, his heart hammering. It's the Forgotten Shore. It really is.
He spotted a jagged stone platform rising out of the water nearby. With a desperate burst of speed, he swam for it, his fingers clawing at the wet stone. He hauled himself up just as the creature's jaws snapped shut inches from his heel.
He scrambled to the top of the platform, dripping and shivering. As he looked around the desolate, water-logged ruins, he heard a sound—a soft, rhythmic sobbing.
Tucked into a crevice of the stone was a girl, her knees pulled to her chest, her body shaking with terror.
Blaze moved forward. Hearing his footsteps on the wet rock, Cassie turned around in a panic, her sightless eyes wide with fear, her hands trembling as she reached for a weapon she didn't have.
Blaze stopped, letting out a long, relieved breath. "Hi, Cass."
=====================
I have two things to announce,
1.I am planning to change the true Name to Ghost rider or Demon of Judgement
2.For the part MC's love and a new character:
->I am planning to bring a another character from alternate universe(From RI,LOTM etc)
Here are the choices:
1.Mo Yao(RI)
2.Audrey Hall(Lotm)
3.Alternate SS World with a different choices