Fors was having the worst week of her life.
It started like most of her weeks. In her room writing fanfiction and web novels. Then she started getting tired, but no number of naps or amount of coffee would help, and soon she was diagnosed as a carrier of the nightmare spell.
Fors knew a lot about the nightmare spell as it was a core component to a lot of her works. In fact, her current book was a romance novel set in the Dream Realm, between an ambitious legacy princess named Nephis and a distrustful outskirts kid named Sunless.
But now it would have to be cancelled or at least put on hiatus until she got back from the Dream Realm, though Fors did not like her chances.
She knew how terrifying the Dream Realm was from all her research, and if she didn't land near a citadel she would be eaten alive by some terrifying abomination.
She had gone to a good school, since her parents were doctors, and even took classes on Dream Realm survival. The issue was Fors never paid attention in class, instead choosing to write smut of famous saints and masters for Wattpad readers.
She also turned down the optional combat class in favor of literature classes.
So now she was sitting on a bench in the corner, lamenting her life choices of being a shut-in writer, because in four weeks she would probably die.
The only silver lining Fors could find was her runes.
Name: Fors Wall
True Name: Ms. Door
Rank: Dreamer
Soul Core: Dormant
Soul Fragments: 0/1000
Memories: [Traveler's Tunic], [Magician's Orb]
Echoes: --
Attributes: [Apprentice], [Trick master], [Astrologer], [Gray Fog], [Mark of Divinity]
[Apprentice] Attribute Description: "You are not a teacher, but you are a good learner. You learn faster if someone is teaching you."
[Trick Master] Attribute Description: "You are a master of misdirection and sleight of hand. All manner of people fall for your tricks."
[Astrologer] Attribute Description: "You are attuned to the stars, and possess knowledge of celestial bodies, giving you a strong affinity for astrology-based divination."
[Gray Fog] Attribute Description: "A divine kingdom will protect those who bear it's power, shielding you from mind and soul attacks."
[Mark of Divinity] Attribute Description: "You bear a faint scent of divinity, as though someone briefly touched by it once, a long time ago."
Aspect: [Sefirah Castle]
Aspect Rank: Divine
Aspect Description: [Above the Spirit World resides a great castle, forged from fog and mystery. It is a divine kingdom embodying everything strange, elusive and deceitful. You have been blessed as one of its hosts. You have inherited it's secretive and magical aspects, granting you powers considered mystical and evasive.]
Innate Ability: [The Exiled Ancestor]
Ability Description: [Before you there was another. One who was on the cusp of becoming truly divine. He may be gone, but his wisdom and knowledge remain. Under the bright moon you will be able to hear his spirit and talk to him.]
Aspect Ability: [Door Opening]
Aspect Ability Description: [You can open all manner of doors around you.]
Flaw: [Abraham's Curse]
Flaw Description: [Every full moon you will hear the voices of the incomprehensible.]
Fors had nearly fainted when she received a true name. The divine aspect left her too stunned to speak. She was so dumbfounded that she didn't say a word until the awakened dropped her off at the academy.
A true name was unheard of among sleepers, and yet she received one. Out of everyone it was some shut-in author.
Fors would have felt like the main character in one of her novels if it wasn't for two issues.
Firstly, getting a true name and divine aspect, didn't magically make her a master combatant or instill any survival knowledge into her. Her chances of survival were still rock bottom.
Secondly...
What the hell is that aspect ability!!?
I can open doors! Everyone can open doors that's how they work!!
Her aspect ability was apparently garbage and ruined any hope she would return home.
She knew aspect ability descriptions were typically vague, but she didn't see how anything related to doors could be useful. She especially didn't think her true name should revolve around them.
Ms. Door!? Thats a horrible true name! Changing Star, Lost from Light... now those are good names. Do I seriously have more creativity than the spell. Is that why I got a useless ability.
Fors couldn't help but let out a defeated sigh.
"Why me...? I just got into contact with a publisher too..." she couldn't help but complain out loud.
It wasn't like anyone was sitting near her anyway.
She had tried talking to the various groups of sleepers, but spending her days holed up in her room writing, did horrors for her social skills. So, she wound up in a corner alone.
At least until a young man sat down next to her. He looked around her age with brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a police issued tracksuit which was strange, but he seemed nice enough.
"Sorry to bother you, my name is Klein Moretti," he introduced himself.
Why is he talking to me?
"Fors Wall, it's a pleasure to meet you."
The conversation hit an awkward pause as neither knew what to say next. Eventually Fors came up with something to ask.
"Can I ask why you're talking to me?"
"Oh, well... the master who watched over me during my nightmare said I should try to make friends before entering the Dream Realm, because you'll never know who you end up with... So, I thought I'd strike up a conversation."
He was embarrassed by his explanation, probably not having the best social skills like Fors herself.
"Wouldn't it be better to talk to other sleepers, like the legacies, though? I mean they're the ones who will make it back."
"I thought about that, but randomly joining a group seemed scary, so I decided to talk to another loner instead," He explained.
However, unknown to Fors that was only part of Klein's reasoning. The main reason he decided to talk to her was because the moment he stepped foot in the room, his [Clown] intuition alerted him to two people.
The first was the young Fors Wall who he was talking to right now. The other was a black-haired sleeper with a broad forehead. Unlike everyone else who were dressed in regular clothes, this guy was wearing black wizard robes with a matching hat, and a silver monocle on his right eye.
The young man was wandering around various sleeper groups, and by the looks of it, charming everyone.
Klein however, had a gut feeling to not associate with him. He didn't know why, but he has long learned to trust his instincts.
So, here he was chatting to the brown-haired lady instead.
"That's only if you want to talk of course. I know some people would rather be left alone after going through their first nightmare."
Klein knew that just because his instinct pointed Fors out doesn't mean she'd want to talk to him, and it would be rude to try and force a conversation due to obscure intuition. However, she instantly waved off his concern.
"No, no, it's fine. In fact, I'm glad I have somebody to talk to. It was getting lonely over here."
"I'm kind of surprised you were sitting over here by yourself. Didn't you try to talk to the other sleepers?"
"I did, but... it didn't go well. I hate leaving my house, so I don't have much experience talking to others."
"What do you do, staying home all the time?"
...
As the two sleepers conversed, neither of them noticed the gaze staring at them from across the hall.
Adjusting his monocle, Amon's lips curled into a faint smile.
"Interesting..."
***
Author's Note
Fors and Amon are here. Might be a few chapters before Amon POV, don't know, haven't decided.
Might make the next chapter a short Amon POV of him talking to the sleepers, so you guys get to see his runes, but let me know what you think.
I think I wrote Fors pretty well, but if she feels out of character just let me know.
Hope you liked the chapter, thanks for reading.
***