"They won't be as kind as me," was all Sunny could hear. He was still reeling from his first Nightmare, and Ascended Jet appeared like… a Jet. She had asked her questions in such a rapid fire way that he didn't even have time to process anything.
Just like that, his secret was out, and the government knew it. But… What could he have done anyways?
Out of the corner of his eyes, he briefly saw a flicker of light — his runes — more precisely, [Child of Fate] flickered, as if waiting for him to activate it.
Well, what's the worst it could do?
With that thought in mind, Sunny gulped, before activating his attribute.
In an instant, strings of raven black extended from him, emerging into view. They crisscrossed into each other in an intricate web, each one telling a story of times long past.
Yet Sunny's eyes were caught on only one — a shimmer of ice blue within the hauntingly beautiful weave. It was special, shining with a kind of lonesome light.
He lunged for it.
Flash. Colour seeped into his world, reds, yellows, blues. Again and again.
His head throbbed, yet it wasn't as painful as it had been in his First Nightmare — like its impact was lessened, a key locking the power behind it.
But he sees, Sunny sees the beginning of this—
Another flash, and the colours redacted, leaving the same prophecy on its lips.
A whisper of a forgotten sound,
Forbidden dance in the gusts of wind:
A rumble in a sea of silence.
A horn of a herald lost to time.
And the second of surprise before the chime of time.
An echo from the lost bell !
The silver from the ringing sounds,
A reminder for the wayward son,
Of a home long gone to the wild.
He returned back with a gasp, Jet's voice a mutter behind him.
In the darkness of his world, something flickered.
[Child of Fate.]
[Child of Fate.]
[Child of Fate.]
…Seems like I won't be able to see anything until it tugs on me.
…
…
…
"Sleeper Sunless? Are you there?"
"Huh?"
"As I was saying, any family, friends?"
Any family?
RAIN.
.
.
.
She didn't need him.
.
.
.
He shook his head, he didn't feel like talking after everything.
"This makes it simpler then," She sighed, "As per protocol, I'll be asking you a few questions. However, I suppose you would want to do it more… comfortably."
By that, Master Jet meant the cafeteria apparently. In a few minutes, he was whisked off and carried by the shoulder to the place — wherever that was. Walking felt… foreign. Sure, Sunny still remembered how to, but with the entire blind thing going on, he felt helpless, unconfident, that even walking was a great task to him.
"You okay?" She asked, and he… well, Sunny didn't respond. Not a nod or a shake of his head.
Ascended Jet sighed, "It would've gotten out sooner or later, don't be so hung up on it. I know we sure are stubborn when it comes to vengeance, but… tone it down if you can, you don't survive the Dream Realm by antagonizing everyone."
He didn't budge.
"I'll give you a few tips then, compensation?"
Sunny narrowed his eyes, stopping for a moment. "...What tips," He croaked out.
Don't get him wrong, he was still vengeful after her stint, but… He didn't know anything about the Dream Realm, or being Awakened at all. Plus, he was now blind, as good as dead. Yet there was a still a brief flicker of hope within him, which pulled him through anything, clawing for survival.
He wanted to live, and there was no excuse that could undermine that principle.
"For one, go to the Academy. Even if the Winter Solstice is fast approaching and there isn't much time to learn, we don't exactly have anything left in the outskirts. Another advice… don't tell them everything. Your Aspect, your Flaws… well, maybe your Flaw, you can't exactly hide that after all."
He frowned, "Why? What consequences does it pose?"
Jet laughed, "If someone knows your secret, it isn't exactly a secret anymore."
"The world's dangerous Sleeper Sunless, the government will bind you to them if you're useful," The Ascnded said, an edge to her tone, "And you're from the outskirts — feral, dangerous," And if Sunny wasn't blind he was sure he'll see it, a grin on her lips. "We have no training, but you survived, and thats a feat of its own."
"...my nightmare could've been easy for all you know."
Jet stopped beside him, "Perhaps, however, the Spell is fair — it gives as much as it takes. And you, Sunny, are blind; a Flaw greater than anything else I knew."
"It could be a ruse—"
"Careful, Sleeper. There's a step before you."
He lifted his legs higher, "It could be—"
"Shh," Jet said, her voice shrill, "We've arrived at the cafeteria, and we're not exactly alone."
He glared.
She laughed.
"They're defiant, those eyes of yours," She picked up her pace, and Sunny struggled to keep out, "And that's why, I know you'll survive."
He heard the scraping of chairs before her voice — ringing, it was, everything seemed louder.
Jet's voice echoed through his mind,
"Have a seat, Sunless."
—
Surprisingly, synthpaste tasted… good, excellent even! Sunny had gobbled up 3 bottles almost immediately — who cares if it left a metallic taste on his mouth, when it could fill his belly up?
"You enjoying that?"
Sunny raised his head, wiping his mouth with his hand, "I never knew synthpaste would be this good."
"Well, that's the effect of a horrific Nightmare," He heard a metallic click, must be cutlery he thought, and a shuffle of something before him. "You're almost done I assume?"
He nodded.
"Then I'll begin: as per protocol, I am obliged to inform you about a few things. First of all, because of your First Nightmare, you are entitled to receive psychological counselling. No matter what traumatic experience you had, there's no shame in asking for help," If Sunny could see, he could almost imagine the rise of her brows, testing him about this, "So would you want to receive counselling?"
He shook his head.
"As you wish. You can also talk to me, was it hard?"
He hesitated.
"...Yes," He said at last, his head lowered — shadows of the chains around his ankles still lingered, and if he closed his eyes, he knew he will see the bleak, white landscape of the Black Mountains, feel the cold biting into his skin, "It was harder than anything else."
"Even the outskirts?"
"Even the outskirts," He huffed, "There's no abomination chasing you around there."
"Aren't humans worse than abominations?"
He blinked, "...Sometimes."
"Well that's a good attitude for someone who grew up in the outskirts, I won't pry, but us outskirts rats are more resilient than people think."
"They aren't blind."
"Yet you survived," She said, a humorous tone in her voice, "As far as I know, there's only me and you who lived to see another day in this decade."
Sunny was silent for a while.
"Does that mean there was someone else back then?"
"We'll never know," She took a sip of something, the clang of her cup hanging around them as she continued, "You've probably heard of the time where the Nightmare Spell first infected humanity — everything was a mess, there weren't records being kept. It's only because of the great clans do we have the world today."
He nodded, the weight of her words seeping in — he was lucky to survive his nightmare.
"That's enough heavy subjects for a day," Jet chuckled, "Now do you have anything else to ask?"
"...when's the Winter Solstice?"
"In a month."
She sighed, "I must say, luck must have something against you. There's not much until you must make your decision. First of all, you can be free to do whatever you want, spend your last days partying and all that. No one's forcing you to make a certain decision."
…Sunny wasn't well versed in partying.
"However, I'd advise against that. As a Sleeper, you can also enroll in the Awakened Academy. You'll be provided with food, lodging, and a wide range of preparatory classes. This late into the year, and your devastating flaw, you wouldn't be able to learn a lot. But it is better than nothing."
She stayed silent for a while, before adding:
"Most importantly, you will get acquainted with most of the people who will enter the Dream Realm with you. Some of them might become your companions for life."
And some of them may try to end that life once we enter the Dream Realm, Sunny added, reading between the lines of what Master Jet had said.
"And… they help Sleepers who—"
Ascended Jet hesitated for a moment,
"—who struggle with their Flaws."
Was he that pathetic?
"...So what do you say, do you want me to take you to the academy?"
…
…
…
…
…
….
Who struggle with their Flaws.
Lost lamb.
Lamb.
Lost from light.
From sight.
Blind.
"Yeah."
He smiled — it was wide, forced, the ends of his lips trembling — A ridiculous smile, yet appropriate all the same.
"I want to go to the Academy."
It felt forced, a decision already made.
It tasted bitter on his lips.