Taro sat bound to a chair, the ropes biting into his wrists as he stared at the shadowy figures before him. The longer he gazed, the less human they seemed. Their shadows stretched impossibly far across the chamber's walls, their heads tilting at angles that defied anatomy. Only their eyes were visible—pale, pupil-less dots glowing faintly in the dark, unblinking and cold.
"NERTIS? Ugh, I swear, all you guys have the weirdest names imaginable," Taro muttered, his voice low and strained. The lingering effects of the green energy backlash from Mexus's kick left him weak, his body trembling faintly as he fought to stay alert.
One of the NERTIS leaned forward, its voice a singular thread among the chorus. "Taro, we've all had our eyes on you for a very long while. Do you know why that is?"
Taro gestured weakly, a mix of defiance and exhaustion in his tone. "I don't know—maybe 'cause all you guys are weird as shit?"
The chamber fell silent, the air thickening. Then, a voice—not from one figure, but from all of them at once—rose in a layered whisper, like a chorus from the abyss. "Taro…" The word echoed, sending a chill down his spine. "You are what we call… a Dreamless."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Taro's brow furrowed, confusion clouding his mind. The term was foreign, a puzzle he couldn't piece together.
"Isn't it obvious, Taro?" the chorus continued, their voices weaving together seamlessly. "Every time you sleep, you wake with no memory of dreams. You assume you've forgotten and carry on with your days. But the truth is, Taro, when you sleep… you don't dream."
Taro's breath hitched, his mind racing. *Is the real reason I never remember my dreams because I don't even have them?* he thought. *Even if that's true, why does it matter? How does it relate to this—and why don't I really dream?*
"Hey, just who are you guys anyway?" he demanded, his voice firm despite the weakness, a spark of defiance igniting within him.
A NERTIS responded, its voice devoid of emotion or origin, simply present in the air. "Ahh, I suppose we haven't properly introduced ourselves. We are the NERTIS, responsible for shaping and allocating dreams to every sleeper."
"Wait, doesn't that mean you guys were the ones not giving me dreams?" Taro asked, his tone sharpening.
"No, not at all," the same unidentifiable voice replied. A pause hung heavy before it continued. "How do we put this? We haven't been able to give you dreams."
Taro gasped, the sound cutting through the silence like a blade. His heart pounded as the implication sank in. "But… how is that possible?"
A NERTIS with a feminine timbre spoke, its words deliberate. "Your consciousness and soul don't sleep, Taro—they ascend. Beyond our reach. Beyond dreams. The visions we craft fail to take root, as if your essence exists above the concept of a 'dream,' beyond our interaction."
"Hold up—so you're saying I can't dream 'cause my consciousness or soul won't allow it? Above it?" Taro's voice cracked with disbelief, his mind struggling to grasp the enormity.
"Yes, Taro," the feminine voice confirmed. "When Mexus contacted us, we tried locating your dreamscape but couldn't. Only now do we understand—it wasn't a dream we created. It was one forged by your soul, your consciousness itself."
Taro's eyes widened, a thought forming unbidden. *Wait, if that's true, does that make me a NERTIS in a sense?* He kept the notion to himself, his expression hardening.
"Taro, you're an anomaly," the chorus intoned, their voices darkening. "A hole in the system. But the question isn't whether we should destroy you, Taro… it's whether we can."
Taro gulped, a full-body shiver racking him. The ropes seemed to tighten, the chamber's shadows pressing closer, their pale eyes boring into him. Fear clawed at his chest, but beneath it, a flicker of resolve began to burn.
Suddenly, a familiar voice cut through the tension. "If you don't mind my stepping into the convo, I have a suggestion." From the shadows a straw brimmed hat emerged Mexus, his figure steady as he approached Taro's chair, his presence a lifeline in the oppressive dark.
"It's Mexus!" Taro exclaimed, shock and relief flooding his voice. His eyes met Mexus's, a silent gratitude passing between them as the NERTIS turned their unblinking gaze toward the newcomer.