Chapter 17: Solstice
On the day of the winter solstice, Dolin woke up like every other day, except feeling more tired and drowsy. He was nervous.
He was familiar with this feeling. It was the same feeling that he had felt before his first nightmare. Like the cold approach of death.
All of this training he had amounted so far would finally be put to use.
For a while, he lay, simply staring at the ceiling. The quiet of the dorm felt heavier than usual, as if even the air understood what was about to happen. His body felt sluggish, but his mind was sharp, painfully so.
There is no avoiding it.
Dolin exhaled slowly and sat up.
The routine carried him forward, eventually leading him out into the hallway. Everything felt the same, but at the same time, completely different.
Students moved through the halls in silence or hushed voices. The casual chatter and laughter that had once filled the academy in previous weeks was gone.
No one was pretending anymore. No one kept up a facade.
They all knew.
Dolin made his way to the cafeteria, picking something good to eat. Well, he had to treat himself. It would be his last day here. Across the room, he spotted Jaren, already eating something and waving at him.
"You look terrible," Jaren said.
"You look even worse," Dolin replied, taking a seat.
Jaren snorted, though it lacked the usual energy. "Didn't sleep much."
"Same."
They ate in relative silence. It was the kind of silence that came when there wasn't much to say and no real way to say it.
After a moment though, Jaren leaned back, glancing around the room. "Feels different."
"Yeah."
Jaren hesitated, then added, "I can't believe this is our last day. You ready?"
Dolin didn't answer immediately. He thought about his training, his aspect. All of the progress he made.
He felt that he hadn't gotten enough time.
"No. I don't think any of us are," he said honestly.
Jaren let out a sigh. "...Yeah. Me neither. Honestly. With the chaos that the Dream realm settlements are in right now. How can this damn spell expect us to go into that forsaken realm."
But then Jaren let out a slight grin, "Well… it doesn't matter now. It's not like we can change anything about it."
Dolin nodded.
It didn't.
***
The gather hall was filled by the time they arrived. Rows of students stood in front of the Awakened Dael, their instructor.
One could say he looked the same today, same calm composure and face like a monolith. But behind that face, was an expression of worry and concern.
Dolin's gaze lingered on him.
Dael didn't speak right away. His eyes moved across the room, taking in every student, every expression.
"Today you will enter the Dream Realm."
No build up. Nothing Dramatic. Simply the truth.
"You've trained for weeks. You've fought, learned, adapted. Many of you improved.
A faint shift moved through the crowd.
"Once you enter, there are no instructors. No corrections. No second chances. Whatever you are… is what you will rely on."
Dolin felt his chest tighten.
Dael turned, gesturing for them to follow.
They moved as a group, following through parts of the academy. To parts they had never seen. The further they went, the quieter it became. The walls turned sterile, the air colder.
Eventually, they came upon a large set of reinforced doors.
Dael didn't hesitate, opening the doors.
Inside, rows of wheelchairs stretched across the room.
In each one, sat a person.
They were still… completely still. Their faces were calm, almost serene… but wrong. Their eyes were open, yet unfocused. Their bodies were upright, breathing even, yet lifeless in a way that had nothing to do with death.
No one spoke, the silence suffocating.
Dolin felt something as he stared at them.
They weren't injured, or truly dead even.
They were just… empty.
Dael stepped forward.
"There is a reason I brought you here."
"Look carefully."
No one looked away.
"Some of you may already know what you are seeing. For those who don't. They are called Hollow. Each one of them was a sleeper. Or an awakened. Some were weak, and some were strong."
Dolin's gaze lingered on one of them, perhaps only a year older than him. Her gaze was calm, almost serene.
Gone.
"Some of them were powerful enough to be considered rising stars."
A faint shift passed through the group.
"All of them entered the Dream Realm, and none of them returned."
Dolin's throat felt dry.
"When the soul is destroyed, the body does not always follow."
A few students stiffened.
"If you are fortunate, you will die. If you are not, you will remain."
Dolin forced himself to keep looking.
To remember.
Dael's gaze hardened just slightly, letting his cold facade crack.
"So don't die out there."
No one spoke as they left, perhaps spooked from the sight or just solemn.
***
The chamber with the pods felt colder than anywhere else in the academy.
Sleepers had been led to a set of rooms, each containing a personal pod.
Dolin spotted Jaren again.
Jaren looked at him, giving a small and crooked grin.
"Well. Guess this is it."
"Yeah."
Jaren hesitated for a second before stepping closer. "You'll be fine," he said. "Just don't over think things."
Dolin let out a quiet breath. "That's kind of what I do."
Jaren let out a laugh. "Then try not to, I guess."
"And don't die"
Dolin nodded. "You too."
Dolin had only known Jaren for around a month. Usually, he wouldn't be interested in having friends. But he truly hoped that Jaren would not die, as sometime during that month, he had truly come to think of Jaren as a friend.
Dolin watched him go.
Then his gaze shifted.
Cecilia stood a short distance away, alone as usual.
He hesitated for a bit, then walked over.
"You ready?" Dolin asked.
A short pause.
"Does it matter?" she replied.
"Dolin sighed. "Not really."
Silence stretched between them for a moment.
"Don't die," he said.
Cecilia turned her head, looking at him properly this time. Her expression didn't soften, but there was no hostility either.
"I won't," she said.
Her tone was calm. Certain even.
Dolin gave a small nod, and then headed away to his pod.
***
Dolin looked at his pod, running his hands over the material. It was smooth, almost silky to the touch.
He stepped inside, sitting down and lying back into his pod. It was comfortable.
It felt as if it was almost tailored personally for him.
The glass canopy lowered with a soft hiss, sealing him inside.
The outside world disappeared.
For a moment, there was only the faint hum of the machine.
Then, the lights dimmed.
Darkness crept in, slow and steady, until he could not see.
Dolin sat still, his breathing steady.
This is it. No turning back.
His thoughts began to drift, going over his past month in the academy.
Training.
Fights.
Progress.
Friendship.
Everything had led him here.
The darkness intensified, heavier and deeper until he felt as if he was sinking into it. He felt drowsier, as if a veil was slowly surrounding his mind.
Then, there was silence.
In the vast echoing darkness, he heard:
[Welcome to the Dream Realm, Dolin!]
He was freezing.
Endless white stretched in every direction.
His skin was bare, chilling him to the bone.
Snow drifted through the air, not falling cleanly, but swirling and twisting like a storm.
The wind howled softly, carrying with it a biting cold that seemed to cut through his very being.
Dolin took a slow breath. The air was sharp, freezing his lungs.
In the distance he could make out dark shapes moving through the blizzard.
He was not alone.