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The image still clung to the edges of my consciousness—the man standing atop a mountain of corpses, his silhouette etched in blood and smoke. Even awake, I felt as though his gaze drilled straight into me, as if he were waiting… or judging.
Rias shifted closer, the warmth of her body grounding me back to reality. Her fingers brushed my cheek, gentle but firm enough to pull me out of the lingering haze.
"Issei," she whispered, concern threading her voice, "was it the dream again?"
I exhaled slowly. "Yeah."
Asia murmured something in her sleep, curling against my arm. Her soft breathing contrasted sharply with the grotesque scene burned into my mind.
For a moment, I stared at the ceiling in silence, letting the weight of the dream settle.
"It's been happening every night… ever since the fight," Rias said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Ever since you took in a piece of Vali's Sacred Gear."
I didn't deny it because that's true.
"Maybe I pushed too far," I said lightly, though the humor didn't reach my eyes. "Maybe ripping out a chunk of Albion's power comes with side effects. Nightmares included."
Rias frowned. "Issei… this isn't a normal dream. The way you jerk awake, the aura I feel from you afterward—it's almost like… like someone is forcing you to see something."
I turned my head toward her, meeting her gaze. Her blue-green eyes were steady, serious—far too perceptive for my liking at this hour.
"He felt real," I admitted quietly. "Not like a hallucination. Like he was… there."
Rias swallowed. "Describe him again?"
I closed my eyes, and the scene replayed instantly, vivid as ever.
"A tall man," I began. "Human… maybe. Or something beyond that. His clothes were drenched in blood—not splattered, but soaked. Like he'd been bathing in it."
"He held a severed head in his left hand," I continued, my voice low. "And a spear in the right. And behind him… hundreds—no, thousands—of bodies. Impaled on stakes. Like a forest of death."
The image flickered behind my eyelids, sharp as a blade.
"And his eyes," I added, "glowed red. Not normal red. A murderous red. Like he'd seen too much and cared too little."
Rias' fingers tightened on my arm.
"When I woke up," I murmured, "I felt like he was looking at me. Like he knew me."
Rias slowly sat up, sliding her hand to my chest as if reassuring herself I was still me.
"Issei… This doesn't sound like a nightmare. This sounds like a message. A warning."
She took a breath.
"Or a memory."
"Sacred Gears don't just contain power," she whispered. "They contain history, fragments of their hosts, remnants of the dragons, traces of the legends tied to them… You didn't just steal Albion's power. You ripped out a piece of its existence, its lineage."
I stared at her.
"And now something inside you is trying to surface."
While it's true it's a memory, it's not a memory from Sacred Gear; instead, it was my past. I can't confirm it but all my instincts are telling me that, it was the past. The one born out of blood.
I let out a slow, dry laugh. "Great. So I'm dreaming about mass murder because I upgraded my gear."
"It isn't funny," Rias scolded gently, though she leaned closer, placing her forehead against mine. "I'm worried."
Asia shifted again, hugging my arm tightly, face peaceful despite our conversation.
I breathed out through my nose, calming myself. "I'm fine, Rias. It's just a dream. I'm not losing control. Not becoming someone else."
It's my past memory unlocking itself after the sacred gear, Upgrade. I don't know anything other explanation that could make sense.
"You say that," she murmured, "but every time you wake up, your aura spikes. Violently."
"That's just adrenaline."
"Issei."
Her tone tightened—firm, emotional, unyielding.
I sighed, lifting a hand to brush her cheek. "Look… I'm not scared. Whatever that thing is—dream, memory, dead warrior—it's not stronger than me."
Her lips softened. "You always act brave."
"That's because I am." I gave her a small grin.
She huffed. "Idiot."
But she lay back down, resting her head against my shoulder, her arm slipping around my waist.
"Promise me you'll tell me if the dreams get worse," she whispered.
"I promise."
~~~
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