The morning light filtered through the dormitory windows of the Awakened Academy, casting long shadows across the sparse room that had become Aeric's reality.
He sat on the edge of his narrow bed, staring at hands that weren't quite his own—younger, unmarked by the years of paperwork and courtroom battles that had defined his previous existence.
*Previous existence.*
The thought still felt surreal, even after three weeks of waking up in this body. Three weeks since Marcus Chen, senior litigation attorney, had somehow become Aeric, a seventeen-year-old sleeper preparing for his first Nightmare.
Three weeks of grappling with memories that belonged to someone else, of navigating a world pulled straight from the pages of a web novel he'd once read during sleepless nights between cases.
A sharp knock at his door interrupted his brooding.
"Aeric! Get your ass moving, or we'll be late for Professor Slate's class again!"
The voice belonged to his roommate, Kai—a stocky boy with perpetually disheveled brown hair and an easy grin that somehow made the impending doom of their situation feel less oppressive. In the original sleeper's memories, Kai had been his closest friend here at the Academy, the kind of person who could find humor in the darkest circumstances.
"Coming," Aeric called back, though his voice carried none of Kai's natural enthusiasm.
As he pulled on the standard-issue Academy uniform—a practical gray ensemble designed more for short use than style—Aeric's mind wandered to the cruel irony of his situation.
In his previous life, he'd specialized in personal injury cases, fighting for compensation for those whose lives had been irrevocably altered by circumstances beyond their control. Now, he was living that reality in the most literal sense possible.
But this wasn't just any world. This was the Shadow Slave universe—a realm where humanity teetered on the brink of extinction, where Nightmares could devour souls, and where the distinction between hero and villain was often measured in shades of necessary brutality.
And he was about to enter that world in just two days.
"Aeric, seriously!" Kai's voice was more insistent now, accompanied by the sound of footsteps in the hallway.
Aeric grabbed his bag and opened the door to find his friend already walking away, muttering something about "brooding drama queens." Despite everything, Aeric found himself almost smiling. Kai's irreverence was a welcome constant in a world that seemed designed to crush hope.
The Academy corridors buzzed with the nervous energy of students who knew their time was running short. Conversations carried undertones of forced bravado, and more than once, Aeric caught glimpses of fear poorly hidden behind confident facades.
These were children—brilliant, talented children who would soon face horrors beyond imagination.
The thought sent a chill down his spine. If he was right about the timeline, then somewhere in this same building, Sunless was probably struggling with his own fears, unaware that he would soon become one of the most formidable figures in this world.
Changing Star—Nephis—would be maintaining her perfect composure, hiding the crushing weight of expectations and legacy that drove her forward.
Cassie should also be around, he knows that people are avoiding her like the plaque, i mean who want to even interact with a person destined to die... or so they think
Professor Slate's classroom was already half-full when they arrived, students filing into their seats with the subdued energy of those attending their own wake. The professor himself stood at the front of the room, a tall, severe man whose awakened status was evident in the casual confidence with which he carried himself.
"Settle down," Professor Slate commanded, his voice cutting through the murmur of conversation.
"Today, we're going to discuss what awaits you in just two days' time."
Aeric felt his blood run cold. Two days, so less time for so much to happen, he already knows he will end up in the forgotten shore due to the way the nightmare spell works, his fate was interconnected with all the main characters here... well that was hard to say for now
he let his thoughts sink inward and summoned his runes. He yearned for any sign of ability or advantage, anything to offset the terror building in his chest.
But all he saw was the same imposing message, cold and final:
[Your Fate is shattered and weaving itself back together.]
Nothing else. No attributes, nothing about strength, agility, or soul fragments. Just the endless darkness and that bitter line, as if the world itself was reminding him that he was fundamentally broken, alone, and unprepared.
Aeric's fear grew. At least those with low stats might have hope, or a direction; he had neither. Not even memories from this body's former owner, save for that blade and the vague sense of growing up fighting in streets no one cared about.
"The Winter Solstice approaches" Slate continued, his gaze sweeping across the room.
"this will be your first Nightmare. and I know many of you are afraid. This is natural, and arguably healthy—fear keeps you alive in the Dream Realm."
A few students shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Aeric noticed one girl near the front—a petite blonde with intelligent eyes—gripping her pen so tightly her knuckles had gone white.
"However," Slate's voice took on a more encouraging tone, "I want you to remember that every Awakened in human history has survived their first Nightmare. The Spell doesn't send you somewhere you cannot survive—it tests you, yes, but it doesn't execute you outright."
'If only you knew' Aeric thought grimly. The professor's reassurances, while well-intentioned, were built on incomplete information. The Spell might not send you somewhere you couldn't survive, but survival came in many forms—and many of those forms were worse than death.
"Your training here has prepared you for this moment," Slate continued. "Trust in your knowledge, trust in your instincts, and remember—the goal isn't to be a hero. The goal is to come back alive."
As the professor continued his lecture, covering basic survival tactics and common Nightmare scenarios, Aeric found his attention drifting to the broader implications of his situation. He possessed knowledge—dangerous, valuable knowledge about the future of this world. He knew about the Forgotten Shore, about the Dark City, about the Song of the Fallen.
He knew which seeds would grow into the most powerful forces in this reality.
But knowledge without power was just another form of helplessness. And in a world where strength determined survival, being a mere sleeper made him little more than cannon fodder.
'Unless I play this very, very carefully.'
"Mr. Aeric?"
Professor Slate's sharp voice cut through his contemplations, and Aeric realized the entire class was looking at him.
"Perhaps you'd like to share what's so fascinating about the window that you felt it necessary to ignore my lecture?"
Aeric straightened, meeting the professor's stern gaze. In his past life, he'd faced down hostile judges and aggressive opposing counsel—this was nothing new.
"I was considering the psychological impact of extended isolation in the Dream Realm," he said smoothly. "How quickly does social conditioning break down when survival becomes the primary concern?"
A few students looked disturbed by the question, but Professor Slate's expression showed grudging approval.
"An astute observation. The Dream Realm has a way of stripping away the civilized veneer we wear in the waking world. Many awakened find that their greatest enemy isn't the Nightmare Creatures—it's the person they become in order to survive."
The weight of those words settled over the classroom like a shroud. Aeric felt a chill of recognition. The professor was describing the fundamental tragedy of the Shadow Slave world—that survival required becoming something monstrous, that the price of living often meant sacrificing everything that made life worth living.
As the class continued, Aeric found himself studying his fellow students with new eyes. How many of them would survive their first Nightmare? How many would emerge changed beyond recognition? How many would never return at all?
'And what will I become?'
When the lecture finally ended, students filed out with the subdued energy of mourners leaving a funeral. Kai fell into step beside Aeric, his earlier cheerfulness notably dampened.
"Heavy stuff today," Kai muttered. "Makes you wonder if all this preparation is just elaborate theater before the slaughter."
Aeric glanced at his friend—this earnest, well-meaning boy who had no idea what was coming. In his memories of the original sleeper's life, Kai had been a constant source of optimism and support. The thought of losing that to the Dream Realm's cruelties was almost unbearable.
"We'll survive," Aeric said, surprised by the conviction in his own voice.
Kai looked at him curiously. "You sound pretty sure about that."
"I am."
It wasn't entirely a lie. Aeric would survive—he had to. Not just for his own sake, but for the knowledge he carried. In a world teetering on the edge of apocalypse, information was the most precious resource of all. He knew things that could save lives, prevent disasters, maybe even change the course of human history.
But first, he had to navigate his first Nightmare without revealing what he knew.
As they walked through the Academy halls, Aeric caught sight of his reflection in a window. The face looking back at him was young, unmarked by the cynicism and weariness that had defined his previous existence. But the eyes—the eyes held depths that didn't belong to a seventeen-year-old boy.
'Two days' he thought
'Two days until everything changes.'
For the first time since arriving in this world, Aeric felt something other than confusion or despair. It was a dangerous emotion, one that had no place in a rational person's response to the Shadow Slave universe.
It was excitement.
The thought of entering the Dream Realm, of testing himself against the very horrors he'd once read about, sent a thrill through him that was both terrifying and exhilarating. This wasn't the safe, predictable world of legal briefs and courtroom arguments. This was a realm where wit and will were tested against impossible odds, where every decision could mean the difference between life and death.
And despite every rational objection his lawyer's mind could raise, Aeric found himself... eager for the challenge.
As evening settled over the Academy and students retreated to their rooms for what might be their final nights of peaceful sleep, Aeric sat by his window, staring out at the city beyond. Somewhere out there, Sunny was probably wrestling with his own fears about the approaching Solstice. Somewhere, Nephis was planning and preparing with the methodical precision that would eventually make her a legend.
And here he sat—Marcus Chen, former litigation attorney turned teenage sleeper, carrying knowledge that could reshape the future of human civilization.
The irony wasn't lost on him. In his previous life, he'd fought for justice in a world where justice was often an illusion. Now he was in a world where justice was decided by strength alone, where the only law was survival.
A slow grin spread across his face as he contemplated the challenge ahead. It was a dangerous expression, carrying none of the innocence that should have belonged to a seventeen-year-old boy facing his first Nightmare.
It was the grin of a man who had spent his life navigating complex, high-stakes scenarios and had just realized he was about to play the ultimate game.
'Two days' Aeric thought again, his reflection grinning back at him from the dark window.
'Let's see what this world has to offer'
The Academy slept around him, full of students wrestling with their fears about the approaching Solstice. But Aeric felt no fear—only anticipation.
After all, he had spent his entire previous life preparing for battles where the stakes were someone else's future. Now, for the first time, he would be fighting for something that truly mattered.
He would be fighting for himself.
And win or lose, it was going to be extraordinary.