"What, are you planning to add the Prince of Nothing to your little retinue of misfits and madmen? I approve, if you feel like holding it up to a vote."
'Come now Sasrir, I might have some grand ideals and expectations for myself, but no way in hell do I have what it takes to convince that psychopath to work alongside me. Hell, even if I became a true Hypnotist he could probably brute force his way through it with his will. Mordret basically has Main Character inner strength.'
"So no Mirror Man, got it. In that case, you want to kill him?"
'Well, I wouldn't say that either...who knows, I'll take things as they come. I'm definitely heading to the Chained Isles after Awakening, if only to steal from the Ebony and Ivory Towers. but getting Bone Weave or other stuff like that will take more planning out.'
After giving us his talk, the Awakened led us to our sleeping pods, prepped and ready to become our coffins at any given time. Charming. The air in the preparation bay was cold and smelled of antiseptic and ozone. The low hum of machinery was the only sound, a stark contrast to the frantic energy that had buzzed through the Academy just hours before. Now, it was all business.
Instructors moved with a grim efficiency, doing final check-ups on our pods. A woman with fingers that glowed with a soft, diagnostic light ran a scanner over my chest, her expression unreadable. "Vitals are stable. Essence levels are optimal for a Dormant. You're as ready as you can be, Sleeper."
As ready as I can be. The words echoed in my head. It was a coin toss. Half the known Dream Realms could kill you in days. Some, like Godgrave, could do it in minutes. All the training, all the theory, it all came down to the luck of the draw. I tried to channel a bit of that cold 'Justice' logic—statistically, my preparation had to improve my odds—but it was hard to feel statistical when your mortality was on the line.
I caught a glimpse of Ben being sealed into his pod, his face pale but set in determination. Lena was already inside hers, her eyes closed in meditation. I wondered how many of them would be here when—*if*—I woke up. The thought was a cold stone in my gut.
My pod hissed open. Time to get in.
I lay back on the cool, contoured surface, the lid beginning to lower. The drowsiness hit almost immediately, a warm, chemical wave that promised to pull me under. It was a fight to keep my eyes open, to hold onto the waking world for just a few seconds more.
Well, this is it, I thought, the mental words slurring. No turning back now.
"Finally," Sasrir's voice was a clear, sharp thread in my fading consciousness, a welcome anchor. "I was getting bored. This place has terrible acoustics for brooding."
A weak laugh bubbled up in my mind. 'You're just excited to finally use your powers on something that isn't a punching bag.'
"A man can only pummel synthetic leather for so long before he yearns for a more… organic crunch." His tone was dry, but I could feel the underlying current of readiness. He was poised, a drawn blade in the shadows of my soul.
The lid was almost shut. The world narrowed to a sliver of light.
'Hey, Sassy… try not to let us get eaten by a Great Titan in the first five minutes, okay?'
"Please. I have standards. We're holding out for at least ten minutes before being devoured by an unspeakable horror." A beat of silence, then his voice softened, losing its edge for just a moment. "Relax, Adam. I am literally a part of you. My only purpose is to ensure our survival. I will take care of it. Of us."
The promise was simple, absolute. It was the least friendly and most comforting thing I'd ever heard.
'Thanks, man.'
The lid sealed with a final, soft hiss. The light vanished, replaced by utter blackness. The last thing I felt wasn't fear, but a strange, shared resolve.
Then, I slept. And my second adventure began.
…The Fool.....Era...
.....Omniscient Lord....Everything...
....Calamity...Origin of.....
...Endless Disorder...
...Singularity...All
...Deviants...Source of...
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...Who am I?
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