The wing designated for the Sleepers was one of the smallest in the Academy complex, located in the southern region of the campus and surrounded on all sides by parks and training fields.
The building was modern and low, made of reinforced materials. Like most of the Academy's structures, much of it was hidden underground, with only a few floors visible above ground. The white walls, made of a pristine metallic alloy, and the wide windows reflected light elegantly — it must have looked beautiful in summer, in contrast with the surrounding greenery.
The interior was spacious, clean, and well-lit. Kaelis descended to the underground levels to reach his dormitory and leave the box with his belongings. He didn't stay long; soon after, he left toward the great hall where the welcome speech for the new Sleepers would take place.
Sunless and the girl with white hair were probably already there. Kaelis had taken a short detour just to store his things.
He crossed a well-maintained courtyard, filled with gardens, benches, and a few people — Academy staff and some students, all busy with their own routines.
When he opened the doors to the hall, Kaelis was met with a crowd: over a hundred youths — men and women — who shared the same temporal fate. All were eagerly awaiting the start of the induction ceremony. The mix of tension and excitement in the air was palpable.
The Academy's administration lived in constant chaos. The Nightmare Spell didn't follow any fixed pattern: it appeared whenever it pleased, infecting individuals unpredictably. Because of this, it was impossible to organize stable batches of Sleepers for a traditional educational schedule. Some had an entire year to prepare for the Dream Realm; others, only weeks… or days.
Ceremonies like this were held monthly at the beginning of the year and weekly as the winter solstice approached. Some of those present had been there for days, waiting for induction. Kaelis, however, had been delivered to the Academy just a few hours before the event.
As soon as he entered the hall, many eyes turned toward him.
And then, for the first time… Kaelis felt how his Defect reacted amidst the crowd.
The Choir of the Silent whispered, murmured, screamed — transmitting desires, thoughts, and intentions through the gazes that followed him. A cacophony of voices pierced him like a shard of glass.
'What a beautiful wing…''Why is only one of his wings big and beautiful? That's strange…''He looks arrogant… Bastard.''So lucky to have received such a power. Having wings must be amazing!''I hate him.'
Kaelis forced a smile. The headache caused by the voices and swirling emotions pulsed at the base of his skull.
He also felt the collective joy, excitement, and anxiety around him. The young people wanted to talk, to share experiences, to discuss Nightmares and expectations. They wanted to be heard. They wanted to be seen.
So, it didn't take long for a few to approach.
A group of four girls and five boys made their way toward him. Most seemed around his age, maybe two or three years older.
"Hi, nice to meet you! I'm a new Sleeper, just like you. May I know your name?" — asked a smiling boy, extending his hand.
Kaelis shook the hand, trying to ignore the growing mental pressure from the Defect.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Kaelis—"
Before he could finish, the group burst with reaction.
"Kaelis?! The boy who received a True Name during his First Nightmare?!" — exclaimed one of the girls, visibly excited.
Immediately, a flood of people and questions came: about his Nightmare, about the Spell's evaluation, about his family. Kaelis answered everything vaguely, avoiding details. As he spoke, he could still hear the voices.
It seemed that the Academy, even trying to suppress information about Kaelis, hadn't managed to contain some of the news leaking online.
Admiration.Desire.Envy.Resentment.
The girls wanted to touch his wings. They thought they were beautiful. They thought he was handsome. The boys envied him — some subtly, others with obvious hostility.
That was when one of the girls built up the courage to ask:
"Kaelis… may I touch your wings?"
She seemed embarrassed, sincere, without ill intentions.
Kaelis blushed slightly, offered a calm smile, and nodded.
"You can. But only the right wing, alright?"
The girls smiled and stepped closer excitedly, carefully caressing the white and silver feathers. It was the first time someone other than his family had touched that new part of his body… It was a strange sensation. Intimidating. Almost vulnerable. But somehow… did he like it?
Despite being able to enjoy that moment, even if just a little, Kaelis wished for it to end soon. The Choir of the Silent roared in his mind — now fueled by male anger and unrestrained jealousy.
"Your feathers are so soft… Hey, Maelis, come here and touch them too!" — said one of the girls, calling out to a friend watching from afar.
Kaelis followed her gaze toward the mentioned Maelis… and lost his breath the moment he saw her.
Apart from the group, the girl was… stunning. After the First Nightmare, the bodies of the Awakened became stronger, more beautiful, and imposing. But Maelis was a step above. Her beauty was comparable — perhaps even equal — to that of Master Jet, an Ascended.
Pale skin. Hair as black as night, straight and falling to her waist. Eyes red like rubies. A slim yet athletic body, and somehow, delicate. She wore a simple black dress with dark tights, but even so, it was impossible not to notice her presence — the perfect combination of grace, beauty, and strength.
Kaelis stood still.
He remembered a piece of advice from his father, Elias. He used to say: "When you're choosing someone, look at how she behaves. See how she dresses, how she speaks, how serious she is. Your mother… from the day I met her, she was like a queen."
And there she was — Maelis. In a single glance, Kaelis saw all the qualities Elias saw in his mother… and even more.
"Beautiful… Too much? To the point of seeming… dangerous?" Kaelis thought, unable to take his eyes off the girl.
The moment she met his gaze, he shuddered involuntarily. Her face was serene, unshaken, holding a firm look that radiated self-confidence… until, suddenly, that serenity fell apart… replaced by—
'Contempt?!'
The girl's gaze, once calm, now carried a flicker of restrained hatred. And like a whispered blade in the dark, the Choir of the Silent spoke through her:
'Filthy womanizer.'
The words, laced with anger and scorn, struck Kaelis like an unjust accusation. Then, without saying a word, she turned away and walked to a secluded corner of the hall.
Kaelis was paralyzed. It hit him deeper than he'd care to admit.
"Womanizer"? Him? Kaelis had never even had a girlfriend in his sixteen years of life.
He hated that he'd made that kind of impression. It was already hard enough to deal with the silent judgment from the boys around him — and now even someone like her despised him? The beautiful stranger who radiated everything his father had taught him to admire in a woman… already hated him.
But even setting that aside, the headache grew like a pounding drum. The Choir of the Silent wouldn't shut up for a second, and the emotions of so many people were beginning to affect Kaelis's mental state.
Exhausted, he gently retracted his wings and turned to the still-smiling group of girls.
"Sorry, but… I need to find a friend right now. I'll talk to you later."
He forced a polite smile before quickly walking away from the crowd. With each step, the hum of voices — other people's thoughts and feelings — became more distant. But the pain… the pain remained.
His vision was blurry, and fatigue weighed on his bones like lead.
"Yeah… That wasn't even close to a good experience," he thought. "And those were just thoughts. I don't even want to imagine what happens when an entire crowd shares the same feeling."
On the other hand…
"At least it's nothing compared to what I felt on that cursed floor of living flesh in the Inverted Cathedral."
Finally free from the crowd, Kaelis spotted Sunless and a blonde girl sitting together, seemingly unfamiliar with each other. But he knew Sunless — enough to know he could approach.
As he walked over, both of them turned their eyes to him. Kaelis looked at the girl sitting next to Sunless.
She was graceful, discreet, and surprisingly beautiful. She wore simple yet elegant clothes, with almost golden blond hair, big blue eyes like crystal, and features so delicate they resembled a porcelain doll. Her beauty was subtle, but enchanting.
Kaelis forced a smile, trying to hide the throbbing pain tearing through his mind.
"Hey, guys… I really don't want to be anywhere near that damned crowd. Mind if I sit here with you?"
Sunless raised an eyebrow and answered, blunt as a punch to the stomach:
"Really? 'Cause it looked like you were having a great time over there."
Kaelis fell silent for a few seconds, surprised by the brutal honesty. He hadn't expected Sunless to be so… direct.
'Does this guy have no filter?'
Even so, Kaelis smiled and let out a light laugh. It didn't sound mocking — it just felt like… pure sincerity.
"You're actually kind of funny, Sunny. So… is it okay if I stay here?"
Sunless let out a tired sigh and replied:
"No… It's fine."
Kaelis smiled at the two of them and took a hesitant step toward the blind girl, then asked politely:
"Hello. Nice to meet you. Sorry to bother you, but... may I sit beside you?"
The girl turned her face in his direction. Her eyes looked straight at him, but there was something strange in that gaze… As if, despite facing him, she couldn't actually see him?
"Oh... Yes, of course. No problem."
"Thank you." he replied, sitting next to her on the bench.
Kaelis watched her in silence for a few seconds. She kept her eyes lowered, but didn't seem to be focusing on anything. He noticed her beautiful blue eyes — lovely, yet vaguely distant, almost vacant.
Then, he understood...
The girl was blind.
But... not since birth. If she had lost her sight before the First Nightmare, she would never have survived. That could only mean one thing: she lost her vision as a result of the Evaluation. It was her Flaw.
A cold sensation spread through Kaelis's chest.
No matter what Aspect Ability she had received in exchange for her sight, a disability like that in the Dream Realm was almost a death sentence. Blind, with a core still dormant… In practical terms, that girl was already doomed.
'That's her Flaw? And I thought mine was bad... I was being selfish...' he thought, deeply saddened.
He averted his eyes and looked around at the other Awakened scattered across the hall.
At the far end of the room, closer to the stage, were two distinct small groups. Their posture was different — confident, calm, alert. They were the Legacies, children of the elite in the Awakened world, trained since childhood to survive the Spell. They had the highest chances of success.
Right next to them was a larger group of well-dressed, animated but visibly nervous young people. Children of aristocrats, businessmen, politicians — their families could afford the best preparation, including Awakened tutors. They had good chances of survival.
Most of those present, however, were middle-class youths. Some had received basic training; others had relied solely on public education, which, though limited, offered solid preparation for the Spell. With effort, courage, and luck, many of them could still survive. They were tense, but there was hope in their eyes.
Finally, Kaelis saw a lone figure leaning against the wall, separate from everyone. A girl with silver hair, closed eyes, and headphones. Unlike the others, she seemed detached from the tension in the air.
But putting that aside... when is the ceremony going to start?
As if the universe had answered his question, a man appeared on stage.
He was tall. Tall enough to be called a giant.
With broad shoulders, a military bearing, and a well-groomed brown beard, the man exuded authority. His eyes were serious and calm. When he reached the center of the stage, he cast a slow, calculating gaze over the Dormant. When his eyes passed over the corner where Kaelis, Sunless, and the blind girl were sitting, both boys instinctively stiffened.
But the giant paid them no attention. He turned his gaze back to the front rows and then spoke, his deep voice echoing through the hall:
"I am the Awakened Rock. Dormant, welcome to the Academy."
Silence fell over the hall.
"In less than a month, you'll be summoned to the Dream Realm. Some of you might think you're ready. You're wrong. The Spell is cruel and treacherous. The moment an Awakened begins to feel too safe, he dies. I've seen countless Dormant lose their lives. I've also seen experienced Masters and even Saints fall."
"Over the next four weeks, we will do everything in our power to increase your chances of survival. You'll be trained by the best instructors in the world. But don't fool yourselves: in the end, if you come back alive from the Dream Realm, it will be thanks to one person — yourselves. The responsibility to survive lies with each of you, and no one else."
Most of the Dormant exchanged tense glances, fear rising on their faces. Only the Legacies maintained firm expressions.
Awakened Rock continued:
"You are no longer children. It's a shame, because you should be. But the Spell decided otherwise. You've already faced the First Nightmare. You know what awaits you. Your parents, your teachers, your friends… none of them will be able to save you in there."
He paused. The silence was heavy, like a rope about to snap. Then, with a slight nod, he resumed:
"Now, let's talk about the difference between Nightmares... and the Dream Realm."