Rei finally calmed down and drifted into sleep.
Then his body jerked violently.
He shot upright, clutching his head as his thoughts spun wildly.
"Ugh… I really need to see a doctor."
He muttered.
Still half asleep, he stood and glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand.
2:00 AM
He sighed.
"Six hours… Better than yesterday."
Dragging his feet to the bathroom, he turned on the shower. Hot water hit his skin, washing away the lingering dread clinging to his thoughts. When he stepped out, towel around his shoulders, he caught his reflection in the mirror.
Pale, hollow eyed, and exhausted.
"...Yeah,"
Rei murmured.
"Figures."
The reflection warped.
The glass rippled for just a second, his face stretching unnaturally before snapping back to normal.
Rei exhaled slowly.
"Too early for hallucinations."
He walked to the closet and opened it.
Everything was pristine.
Uniforms lined neatly, white shirts, black ties, pressed black pants. Below them, shoeboxes stacked in with military precision. A drawer labeled SOCKS sat perfectly aligned.
Rei blinked, then let out a tired laugh.
"Whoever set this place up really thought of everything."
He slipped into the uniforms, adjusted the collar, and studied him in the mirror.
"...Not bad."
Cracking his neck, he turned to hear.
"Morning, Rei."
His breath caught, Rei spun around.
"Who's there?"
A shadow condensed near the desk.
A dark silhouette took shape on the chair, legs crossed casually. Two violent eyes ignited within the darkness, lips curved in a lazy knowing smile.
"Oh,"
The figure said lightly.
"Just an old friend."
Rei stumbled back.
"W-What are you?"
The shadow laughed amused.
"Ha. You're scared of me."
The eyes flared brighter.
"Good. You should be."
The figure stood, its presence warping the air around it.
"Some call me the Seventh Prince,"
It said.
"Others, the Sin of Sloth."
Rei swallowed.
"But you,"
The shadow continued, voice dipping into something almost ceremonial.
"You have the luxury of knowing my name."
The room felt heavier.
"Vaelion Noctyrr."
It paused.
"Seventh Prince of the Fractured Sin of Sloth."
Rei steadied himself.
"What… What do you want from me?"
Vaelion sighed dramatically and dropped back into the chair.
"So many questions. You really are boring."
He vanished.
Then whispered behind Rei's ear.
"I'm bound to you now."
Rei froze.
"The moment you accepted the Covenant everything was sealed,"
Vaelion said softly.
"Fate. Will. Consequence."
He reappeared in front of Rei, eyes level with his own.
"And yet…"
Vaelion tilted his head, amused.
"...how tragic. I have no true dominion over you."
He paused.
"And you,"
He added, smiling wider.
"Have no idea what you're hiding from yourself."
The lights flickered.
Vaelion snapped his fingers.
Gone.
Rei stood alone in the room, heart pounding, his reflection staring back at him.
For the first time.
It felt like something was staring from behind his eyes.
Rei stood expressionless, memories of yesterday replaying in his mind. Accepting the Covenant. Nearly dying, twice. Creatures he couldn't understand. The facility he was trapped in. None of it made sense, yet he had accepted it.
Rei… how long… how long will you hide behind your own delusion?
The voice lingered.
A knock on the door snapped him back to reality. Rei exhaled and opened it.
Tōma stood there, dressed neatly in the same uniform.
"Morning, Rei."
He said with a faint smile.
"It's Six. Let's grab breakfast before class at seven."
Rei blinked.
"Sure… yeah. Let's go."
Wasn't it just three a moment ago? How much time passed.
The cafeteria was already busy when they arrived, students eating quietly, the atmosphere controlled but calm. Rei and Tōma collected their meals: steamed rice, scrambled eggs, grilled fish, miso soup, an apple, and tea.
Rei stared at the tray.
"This doesn't feel like a military facility. We're eating this well?"
Tōma chuckled lightly.
"Strict meal plans. Stabilized blood sugar, prevents early manifestations, reduces mental fog. You'll get used to it. I've eaten this for years."
As they searched for seats, a voice called out.
"Hey, Rei! Over here!"
Ayame waved from a table, sitting alone. They joined her.
She smirked.
"Look who made a friend."
Rei laughed awkwardly.
"This is Tōma. He kinda followed me back to the dorms and never left me alone."
Tōma frowned dramatically.
"I thought we were friends. You're making me sound like a stalker."
Ayame laughed.
"We're all friends. We just haven't figured that out yet."
After breakfast, the three headed to Classroom C-145. All twenty six students were now in the room. Some looked excited. Others looked nervous. A few stared ahead in silence.
Even the injured students from yesterday sat there, fully healed.
Tōma took his seat beside his sister at the back.
"Morning, brother."
Setsuna said.
"How'd it go?"
"As planned."
Tōma replied calmly.
"We're acquainted now. Nothing to worry about, unless he becomes a wild card."
Setsuna's gaze lingered on Rei.
"He's powerful. Better as an ally than an enemy."
The door slid open.
Mugen stepped in, standing at the front of the class.
"Morning, recruits."
He said.
"Today, you'll learn about the creatures you fought yesterday."
Mugen placed his hand on the desk. The room dimmed as a holographic screen flared to life, projecting distorted humanoid figures, some tall and skeletal, others bloated or warped, their forms refusing symmetry.
Mugen spoke calmly.
"These entities are classified as Nullborne. Beings born from nothingness, entirely outside existence."
The image shifted to a rotating human brain.
"They resemble us, Somniarchs, only in function. Where we stabilize, they erode. Nullborne feed on human consciousness, thoughts, emotions, memories, life force. Anything rooted in the mind."
The screen changed again, showing recorded footage of soldiers clashing with the Nullborne amid collapsing terrain.
"You're likely wondering why you're never seen them in public."
The room fell silent.
Mugen smiled faintly.
"The government is very good at keeping secrets. You may have seen them before, you just won't remember. Higher-class Somniarchs can reconstruct reality and overwrite perception."
A wave of gasps rippled through the classroom.
Rei's breath caught. The cafeteria. The distortion.
So it wasn't a hallucination.
The hologram shifted to a classified file marked ORIGIN: UNKNOWN.
"Even the Bureau doesn't know where the Nullborne come from."
Mugen continued.
"They emerge through fractures in reality, bleeding into our world. Our task is simple: capture, contain or eliminate."
He stepped back and pressed a switch.
The wall behind him split open, unfolding into a long stretch of reinforced lockers, each marked with a number.
"Inside these lockers is your field gear."
Mugen said.
"Precisely tailored to fit you perfectly. You'll receive them when deployment begins."
Rei's gaze drifted, then stopped.
At the far end stood a single locker marked 0.
Mugen noticed.
"Mizunagi Rei."
The room turned toward him. Ayame smirked, nudging his arm.
"Due to insufficient data,"
Mugen said flatly.
"The Bureau has assigned you a different classification."
He met Rei's eyes.
"Mizunagi Rei. Tier Zero: Zero-Class."
The screen flashed, displaying Rei's profile. Most of the text blurred together, but one word burned clearly at the center.
STATUS: UNSTABLE