THIS IS EXTREMELY LONG YOU CAN READ IT IF YOU WANT IF YOU EVER GET CONFUSED, BUT IT WILL BE REVEALED SLOWLY THROUGH THE STORY ANYWAY.
Insomnia, The Law of the Sleepless
Insomnia is a forbidden power born within the Realm of Slumber, the dark fantasy nightmare of a sleeping god that intruders are dragged into while the world sleeps.
Those who survive do not gain strength by the usual blessings, systems, or all of that destiny. They gain it by killing the god's dream bosses and enduring what comes after. Every slain Dream Boss leaves behind a dying remnant that burrows into the soul, reshaping the wielder from the inside.
Insomnia is never granted freely, and those who walk this path become bound to Unknown Spectators, unseen entities that observe the Realm for reasons no one understands. These Spectators watch, judge, invest, and gift.
Growth only occurs when a Spectator finds the wielder worth continuing to observe. Refusing to entertain them, becoming predictable, or stagnating can halt advancement forever.
Progression begins when a person survives their first descent into the Realm of Slumber and awakens within the nightmare.
The first rank is Waked. A Waked individual has opened their eyes inside the dream and retained consciousness instead of being devoured by it. They gain awareness while dreaming, minor resistance to fear, and an instinctive sense for the presence of Dream Bosses. The cost is immediate and really cruel though, temporarily, their sleep becomes restless, shadows linger after waking, and some sounds and whispers from the dream bleed into their reality. At this stage, the Spectators notice the wielder for the first time, though they remain distant and silent still. Most Waked die quickly, and those who survive are already no longer fully human.
The second rank is Hollow, achieved after killing a lesser Dream Boss and binding to its dying essence. A Hollow's body and mind are enhanced within the Realm, allowing them to weaponize fear, darkness, or symbolic traits inherited from the slain enemy. Small fragments of the dream can manifest in the waking world for brief moments. At this stage, a single Spectator forms a loose Bond. It doesn't speak at all, they never do, but its presence can be felt.
The third rank is Grim, reached by killing a Dream Boss that actively hunts sleepers. Grim individuals develop fragments of a personal dream domain, a recurring motif or battlefield shaped by their own will and nature. Their dream abilities sharpen into lethal tools, and their presence alone can suppress weaker entities. The cost is psychological, while violence becomes instinctive, and the line between mercy and weakness fissures to a certain extent. Multiple Spectators now observe, and their Bonds begin to pull in different directions, each expecting a different outcome. At Grim, the world starts calling you a monster, and for the first time, the title fits.
The fourth rank is Pillar , attained by dominating a powerful Dream Boss rather than simply killing it. A Pillar commands authority over the rules of the nightmare, possibly bending gravity, warping time, and enforcing fear thresholds by will alone. They can overwrite sections of the Realm temporarily and command lesser dream entities as soldiers or tools. At this rank, Spectator Bonds becomes explicit. Some attempt to influence the Pillar through visions or temptation; Pillars are warlords of sleep, and most are killed by rivals who covet their authority.
The fifth rank is Calamity, reserved for those who massacre multiple high-tier Dream Bosses and survive the compounded backlash. A Calamity destabilizes the Realm simply by existing. Their aura spreads across large regions. They can forcibly drag others into the Realm of Slumber, and their power scales with chaos, conflict, bloodshed, and of course calamity. Spectators begin placing metaphorical bets, strengthening some Bonds while violently severing others. Calamities are considered walking boss fights.
The sixth rank is Abyssal, achieved only when the sleeping god's nightmare acknowledges the wielder directly. At this stage, power rivals the architects of the dream itself. An Abyssal can permanently scar the Realm, alter its structure, and exist partially as a concept rather than a body. Spectators finally reveal fragments of their intent, and some fear the Abyssal. Others desire their failure so catastrophic it reshapes the story itself. An Abyssal is no longer mortal in any meaningful sense.
The final rank is Null, a state whispered about but never confirmed. A Null holds absolute authority over Insomnia itself, with the power to wake the sleeping god, kill it, or replace it entirely. Existence bends and rewrites itself around their will. But the cost is total erasure. Personality, memory, and self may cease to exist altogether, and at this stage, Spectator Bonds collapse or merge into nothingness, and the Spectators stop watching….because the story is over.
Insomnia is a mechanism of observation, escalation, consequence, and punishment. Power is earned through slaughter, growth is judged rather than granted, and fate is something to be fought for or against.