Jess had never wanted to be infected by the Nightmare Spell. Nor had she ever wanted to be trapped within the walls of the Forgotten Shore.
But life had a way of throwing things at you that sometimes… you just had to make do.
And that was all Jess had ever known how to do.
So when she found herself thrust into the Dream Realm with a not-so-useful Aspect, she expected nothing more than a slow, painful demise.
Unlike her expectations, however, she did not perish.
Instead, she survived—scraping by on the crumbs life had tossed her way. She liked to think that because she had already considered herself dead, she was able to find a way to live.
A paradox she carried for a long time…
Until the day she found comfort within the walls of the Bright Castle.
After that, she craved nothing more than her simple, quiet life.
She no longer dared venture outside the safety of the walls. She knew, deep in her bones, that if she did, she would not come back.
So she settled.
She found a way to be useful without throwing herself into danger.
That was how she became a small secretary within the Bright Castle, someone who recorded the names of all who entered and left.
Her Aspect allowed her to split her focus between multiple things at once, while simultaneously boosting her brain's processing power and accuracy.
Abilities that, in her eyes, had nothing to do with combat.
That didn't mean they were useless.
On the contrary, they were perfect for her position.
Jess could flawlessly recall every name that passed through the gates, along with every corresponding face. It earned her a decent wage, and more importantly, it allowed her to meet people.
Everyone was different.
Twisted in their own unique way by the Spell.
Some returned with tales of victory, achievements, and progress stories of how they were making a difference.
Others were never heard from again…
Sometimes, Jess wished she were different.
That she could be more useful.
So she wouldn't be forgotten.
So she could know what it felt like… to have ambition.
But alas.
She was no Legacy.
Jess found Legacies both fascinating and infuriating.
She knew they weren't all pricks. And she was thankful for that, but… they shared an undercurrent of pride and superiority that rubbed her the wrong way.
She understood why, of course. Who wouldn't?
They were born privileged—raised within powerful clans, surrounded by resources and training most people never had access to. It made them stronger, smarter, more prepared.
Deserving of their arrogance? Perhaps.
That didn't mean she had to like it.
She had spoken to a few Legacies before, but she had never seen one fight. Only heard stories of their accomplishments through others.
So when she saw one of the new Legacies, a small kid named Bari, dragging a Fallen Demon behind him…
Jess could only gape in disbelief.
Her mind registered only a single thought.
What the hell are these Legacies feeding their kids?
***
"Hey, Jess!"
Bari waved enthusiastically at the wide-eyed secretary standing behind her glass window.
Snapping out of her daze, Jess finally greeted him.
"Hey, kid. Whatcha got there?" she asked, pointing at the mandrill-panther hybrid he was dragging along by the tail.
"A Nightmare creature that gave me some trouble," Bari said cheerfully. "I'm gonna turn it into a carpet."
Jess's eye twitched at the kid's enthusiasm.
'Are all kids this energetic?'
"It didn't hurt you too badly, did it?" she asked calmly. "I don't see any injuries—just blood. I'm going to assume that isn't yours."
"Nah. Just some light soul damage," Bari replied, rubbing the back of his head. "I'll be fine by this afternoon."
"I see. Then all's well." She paused. "…You might want to buy a sack or something."
"Hm?" Bari tilted his head in confusion.
Jess sighed and leaned against the counter.
"You shouldn't drag a corpse around, not because it's weird, but because it tends to spill blood everywhere. Especially all over the Bright Castle. I don't think I need to explain how annoying that is to clean up."
Bari froze, looking like a kid caught red-handed. "Uh—n-no, ma'am."
"Relax. You're not in trouble," Jess said flatly, though a small smile tugged at her lips.
"It just means the Castle will assign someone to clean it up as a quest. With how desperate people are these days, it'll probably be done by nightfall."
Bari's shoulders sagged as he sighed in relief.
"You dragged it here the whole way, didn't you?" she added.
He nodded silently.
"Well, try not to do that again," Jess said. "Leaving a blood trail is stupid. Most Nightmare creatures are sensitive to blood."
Bari nodded again, staring at the floor. Seeing his reaction, Jess sighed and softened her expression.
"You said you want to turn it into a carpet. I'm guessing you don't actually know how—and that's why you brought it here, right?"
"Yeah," Bari admitted. "I don't wanna ruin it. I figured I'd bring it to someone who knows what they're doing."
Jess nodded.
"Then go to Nightmare's Kitchen before you head to a smith or anything."
Bari's head snapped up. "Why's that?"
"They'll extract all usable resources from the creature like fur, claws, anything valuable in exchange for the meat. The meat gets used in their restaurant."
She smiled faintly.
"Hells Restaurant. It's pretty popular."
"Thanks, Jess!" Bari said brightly, hoisting the Nightmare creature over his shoulder and heading off.
Jess watched him go, a small smile tugging at her lips.
She was starting to grow fond of the kid.
He wasn't arrogant.
He wasn't rude.
Just curious and patient.
Traits she and her friend Judith both admired. It made things fun.
"…Is it really that easy?" Jess murmured to herself.
"If a kid can do it… why can't I?"
***
Three hours later
Bari dashed backward as countless grey spikes erupted from the ground beneath his feet, bursting upward like fangs before bending midair and giving chase.
His world slowed.
The air thickened, every fragment of debris, every grain of dust froze mid-air before stretching into crystal clarity as his Aspect flared to life.
Bari saw it all, the microfractures in the pavement, the tremor of essence traveling through the grey spikes, the precise instant where solid earth surrendered to something else grey and metallic.
He weaved through the first wave of spikes, his body moving a fraction of a second ahead of each strike.
The spikes didn't simply rise; they responded differently, bending and redirecting themselves as though guided by intent.
It was like fighting a living tide of grey.
With no other option, Bari pivoted and sprinted toward the nearest alleyway, hoping the narrow space would limit their reach.
For a heartbeat, it worked.
The spikes slammed into the building, then slackened.
Bari glanced back just in time to see the rigid clay lose its tension, collapsing into a viscous, liquid-like mass before surging forward, crashing into the alley like a released dam, flooding the narrow space without resistance.
"…You've gotta be kidding me."
Shadows swallowed him as the wave surged closer.
Bari jumped.
He planted a foot against one wall, then the other, springing upward in rapid succession. His boots kicked stone, and in seconds he vaulted onto the rooftops above.
The moment his foot touched concrete, Bari twisted on his heel and sprinted back the way he had come.
Now with height on his side, Bari was granted a few seconds of respite to observe what he assumed to be a park square.
The park was 'usually' just a fountain surrounded by small paths that intersected at the centre. However, that was not the sight that greeted him.
Instead, the entire park was flooded with the clay-metal liquid, surrounding every inch of the area like an ocean.
At its center, atop the fountain, stood a still robed figure, or at least, what it appeared at first glance.
But nothing about it was truly motionless.
Its body was tall and slender, wrapped in a pale, flowing mantle that hung from its shoulders like a ceremonial robe. The surface was smooth and thin, the color of cold ash, yet it wasn't fabric.
Up close, it revealed itself as layers of metal and clay fused together, thin sheets overlapping like poured wax frozen mid-drip.
The cloak did not rest naturally.
It grew from the creature's back, flowing into what had once been the fountain's clear water, now replaced entirely by the clay-metal liquid that flooded the football-field-sized park.
Several long vertical grooves ran from the base of the figure's neck down along its shoulders and spine, revealing deep channels where skinless muscle shifted beneath.
Bari watched as every inch of the mantle flowed with essence like a living tide.
Where a head should have been, there was only a smooth, featureless dome, broken by five narrow slits that revealed bare muscle beneath.
***
Name: Claymore
Attributes: [Durability V], [Strength III], [Strength III]
***
Bari was about to curse under his breath as he realized it was a Fallen Demon, until he was forced to dash sideways as the clay-metal substance surged forward, lunging at him once more.
As he backpedaled, dodging spikes that snapped toward him, Bari caught movement.
In slow motion, he watched Claymore abandon its statue-like stillness and turn its head to face him.
"Easy, they said…" Bari muttered, sarcasm dripping from every word.
Flashback 3 hours earlier...