Sunny opened his eyes.
The armored ceiling of the police station's vault hang above him. Only now did he realize how much he had missed the real world.
The sight was safe and familiar. In addition, Sunny felt incredible.
He slowly looked down and then froze, a tear rolled down his cheek.
Jet was next to him, still waiting for him to wake up.
"What are you looking at?" she said, not a gram of humor but relief in her voice.
"Just... a very beautiful woman."
The woman slowly smiled with a gleam of happiness in her eyes. Without any warning, she moved across the room and tightly hugged Sunny.
Sunny was tied up both arms and legs, but he still tried to return the hug.
The two of them stood like that for a few minutes, which Sunny didn't mind since he had his head resting on her breasts.
Then, Jet untied Sunny from his reinforced bed and told him to go take a shower, because, as she said, he smells like a nightmare.
A few minutes later.
Sunless went out of the shower. He was alone in the police station's bathroom.
He soon look at the mirror in front of him.
The changes in his physique were very noticeable. His pale skin seemed much more healthier and smooth, his muscles more pronounced. He looked slender and lean instead of emaciated and frail, as he did before. There was a slight luster to his dark hair and a shine to his eyes.
'Now we are talking!' Thought Sunny satisfied with himself.
Sunny quickly turned around, piercing his shadow with an easy look.
"Hi gloomy. Nice to meet you!"
The shadow froze, it didn't expect to be discovered so quickly.
However, it greeted his master with a nod.
At the edge of his mind Sunny started to feel a new sense.
He could sense the shadows around him, but not only that. He could also sense their emotions and see through them. The shadows recognize him, and among them he could sense his was deeper and darker from the others.
'Mmm! Interesting.'
There was another detail of his ability. He seemed to clearly distinguish the shadows of the living from inanimate objects and felt he could give the former orders.
'I need to look into this further later.'
He also chose to claim the Memories of his aspect legacy after he settled into the Academy.
After all, he already knew what they were.
After getting ready, Sunny put on the tracksuit given to him by the police and left the bathroom.
Sunny found Jet sitting at a table in the station lunchroom, opposite her sit a girl of the same age as him.
Looking at the stranger, there was only one question who lingered in Sunny's mind.
'Who the f*** are you now!?'
The girl had long, shiny black hair with an icy-blue line reaching down her back. Her eyes were clear blue, her face small and delicate. Her skin was pale, almost like Jet's skin, she looked more like an ice statue than a person, and she herself seemed to emit an icy aura. She was wearing a dark blue shirt and a blue skirt that matched her eyes.
Sunny had to admit it, she was very pretty.
As he approached the table, the two girls turned to him.
Jet handed to Sunny a tray full of food.
"Eat, you must be hungry. Oh! And this is Yuki by the way. She went through her first nightmare with you at this station, she arrived here after you fall asleep."
"Thank you, Master Jet."
Then Sunny turned to the girl.
"Nice to meet you, Yuki. I'm Sunless, but you can call me Sunny if you want."
Yuki remained silent, then nodded in greeting.
'What are you? An ice-Nephis?'
Sunny, without another word, sat down at the table next to Yuki and began to eat.
The three of them sat in silence. Yuki didn't eat anything, but just observed Sunny.
He felt like he hadn't eaten in months. After eating, he asked to Jet:"How long was i in the nightmare?"
"Two days. You sure take your time." Answered Jet with great shock from Sunny.
'Two days? How two days? Are you k... I've been there for ONE DAMN WHOLE MONTH!'
Sunny rubbed his temple to the news. He thought that the time spent in the nightmare is the same in the waking world, just as it was in the Dream realm.
He sure had still a long way to go.
"Also, by protocol i have to offer you psychological counseling. Was your first nightmare too hard?"
"It was hell. But i finally got over it. Maybe another hug would make me feel better."
"I'm glad to see you're okay."
Jet concluded with an amused tone. Then she turned to Yuki.
"I'm good." She said.
"Now what?"Said this time Sunny.
"Now you can either go to the Academy and prepare for the Winter Solstice before entering the dream realm.
Personally, I'd advise you to enroll, i don't know Yuki but we outskirt rats don't have the education to face the dangers that await us in that hellhole. Even if i have already give you some lessons in the subject. Plus, they'll give you free food and shelter.
No bad, right? So, do you want me to take you to the academy?"
"Free food and shelter you said. Why not? Let's go to the Academy then."
Sunny turned to Yuki, waiting for her to say something, but she just stayed silent and watched him.
"Yes, i also want to go to the Academy."she finally answered after few seconds, her voice was cold and quiet.
The three of them got up from the table and headed out of the building, when Sunny suddenly remembered a promise made before this to Jet.
"Now that i think it. You owe me a kiss, aren't you?"
Jet blushed a little and Yuki raised and eyebrow to her. Jet remained turned away to hide it from him but he noticed it.
Before Sunny could do the next move, Jet hit him in the forehead with two fingers and said: "Don't test your luck too much scoundrel!"
Sunny tried in vain to suppress his laughter and in response Jet hit him even harder.
Yuki continued to watch them with a silent amusement.
On their drive to the Academy.
Jet and Sunny sat in the front, Yuki in the back.
Sunny stared out the window of the PTV at the city streets. Not being a registered citizen, he had never entered the inner city of NQSC; it was truly a world apart from the outskirts.
From time to time, Sunny glanced back at Jet, who was driving, and Yuki in the back. His [the Heart] attribute seemed to react to something inside them, but the feeling was as if veiled by a wall of fog, so he couldn't figure it out.
Halfway there, Jet offered the two some advice.
"Listen Sunny, and you too Yuki. There are some things you need to know once you get to the Academy."
"Hm?" Sunny turned to her, abandoning his thoughts.
Yuki remained silent.
"First: they'll try to offer you psychological counseling again. Forget it, even if they'll offer you Soul Shards as a reward."
"They just want to expose our flaws and weaknesses, right?" Sunny interrupted her.
"Smart! Yes, as you well know, the best way to defeat an Awakened is to exploit his flaw. Once two people know a secret, it's no longer a secret.
Second: you can take several courses at the academy, but it's only a month until the Winter Solstice. So, only take Wilderness Survival."
"Okay." Sunny nodded, then turned to Yuki to hear her answer.
Oddly, the ice beauty remained silent the entire time, simply nodding.
'You truly are an ice-type Nephis.'
"Third." Jet continued. "And this is the most important thing: no one can survive in the Dream Realm alone. So get along with your peers."
Then she turned to Sunny.
"Especially you, Sunny. I know how shameless you can be, especially with girls, so try not to scare them."
"I don't scare girls, and it's not my fault. My charm is both a blessing and a curse." Sunny said, his hands raised in defense.
Yuki still didn't say anything, but she looked at Sunny with a questioning look.
The PTV finally arrived at the academy. Yuki opened the door herself and got out of the car.
Jet opened the door for Sunny.
"This is as far as i can take you, little devil. The rest is up to you."
"Thanks, Jet," Sunny said, then hugged her tightly. She hesitated for a moment but then returned the hug.
Sunny got out of the PTV when he heard Jet call his name again.
"Sunny..."
He turned to her, waiting for her to speak, but Jet didn't say another word, her gaze lost in thought, a strange gleam of doubt and resentment in his beautiful blue eyes.
Sunny had never seen her with that expression. He didn't want to say 'hi' to her like that and saw that the hesitation was hurting her.
So, Sunny gave her a shameless smile and said: "If it's because you want to give me that kiss now, i can close my eyes. Besides, we won't see each other for a while."
Jet grimaced and with a slight blush on his cheeks said: "Get out of here right now, you scoundrel! Before i decide to hit you again!"
"Whatever, but if i were you, i'd make my move now. When i get out of there next time, you might find me with a beauty in each hand. Oh! But don't worry, you will always be the first in my heart."
"As if!" Jet laughed in disbelief.
Satisfied, Sunny said goodbye to Jet and headed toward the academy's enormous door.
He watched Jet drive off on the PTV, but not before casting a last glance at Sunny and waving an hand at him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Leading her PTV, away from the Academy.
"Yes, the boy successfully overcame his first nightmare. He's at the academy right now. His attendant is there with him."
Jet hung up the call and resumed focusing on driving his PTV.
"I'm sorry, Sunny." She said to herself in the car. "I wish i could tell you the truth. I really care about you. But i can't go against his orders."