Arjun stood before the Beastmaster, the weight of her presence pressing against the very air in the room. Despite her terrifying reputation as one of the Song Clan's most lethal Saint-rank warriors, she looked at him with a gaze that held a rare flick of genuine familiarity.
"What are you doing here?" Arjun asked, his voice steady despite the overwhelming aura she radiated.
The Beastmaster reached up, her fingers tracing the jagged scar that ran across her face—a trophy from a battle he could only imagine. "Nothing special," she replied, her voice a low, dangerous purr. "I just wanted to see you. Initially, I planned to stay by your side while you slept through the transition, but the life of a Saint is never truly her own. Duties called, and I had to depart. So, tell me… how does it feel? Truly being a part of this nightmare world?"
Arjun's smile was brief, quickly eclipsed by a shadow of gloom as the memories of the red sand and the hollow sockets of his eyes rushed back. "It's overwhelming," he admitted. "The things I saw in that First Nightmare… even now, being back in the Waking World as a Sleeper, it feels like the desert is still under my fingernails."
She stepped forward, placing a heavy, grounding hand on his shoulder. "You were already ready for this, Arjun. You've been ready for a long time. Just… believe in yourself."
Arjun looked at her hand, then back up into her eyes. A thought occurred to him—a way to test the limits of his new divinity. "Hey," he said, his voice dropping. "Can you help me with something? A test of sorts."
******
A few hours later, Arjun stood in a reinforced training hall, the walls lined with shock-absorbent alloy. The room was silent, but Arjun's mind was a hive of activity. Suddenly, a mild, rhythmic ping echoed at the base of his skull. It wasn't a sound, but a sensation—a cold needle of intuition pricking at his consciousness.
The sensation was coming from his six o'clock.
Without turning, Arjun pointed toward a seemingly empty shadow in the corner. "Are you there, Bin?"
The air shimmered as the Beastmaster stepped out of the gloom, a look of genuine surprise crossing her features. "Well," she said, checking a chronometer on her wrist. "I wasn't planning on attacking you for another five minutes. How did you know?"
Arjun exhaled, a sense of relief washing over him. The experiment had worked. Through this session, he had finally deciphered the mechanics of his first Aspect Ability.
Danger Premonition, he thought. It works like a localized warning signal tied to intent. If someone plans to harm me, I feel a pulse indicating the direction and the severity of the threat.
He had discovered its specific parameters: the ability provided a maximum of five minutes of lead time. It didn't matter how far away the enemy was; as long as the intent to kill him was solidified, the "ping" would trigger. It was the ultimate anti-assassination tool, though the five-minute cap meant he still had to be fast enough to react once the danger arrived.
"You're good," Beastmaster said, her eyes gleaming with predatory interest. "Is there anything else you want to try? I'm feeling particularly… inspired." She offered a playful, almost wicked smile.
Arjun scoffed, turning away to wipe the sweat from his brow. "Get your mind out of the gutters, Saint. It's beneath you."
She laughed, a sharp, barking sound. "Boring as always."
"Thanks for the help," Arjun said, his tone softening slightly. "But you don't need to keep visiting me. I'll survive. You're a Saint, aren't you? Go do your duties. I can take care of myself."
The Beastmaster stopped laughing, her expression turning uncharacteristically solemn. "Well, if you're going to be stubborn, at least take these. Lend me your hand."
As Arjun reached out and grasped her hand, a string of gold-lettered notifications erupted in his vision, moving so fast they blurred.
[You have received a Memory: ...]
[You have received a Memory: ...]
[You have received a Memory: ...]
[You have received a Memory: ...]
Arjun stared at the runes in shock. Before he could protest the sheer wealth she had just transferred to his soul, she cut him off. "Consider it a gift for surviving the First Nightmare. Don't make me regret it, Arjun."
He looked at her, then down at his hand, a genuine smile finally breaking through his guard. "Thanks, Bin."
*********
At Ravenheart
Deep within the territory of the Song Clan, the Beastmaster walked through the silent, echoing halls of the Jade Palace. The air here was cool and smelled of incense and ancient power. She was heading toward the heart of the citadel to meet the one person she truly feared.
She entered the Great Hall, where the sunlight filtered through stained glass to pool on the floor like spilled wine. On a throne of polished stone sat Ki Song, the Queen of the Song Clan.
Ki Song looked up, her presence so cold and vast that it felt like standing at the edge of a glacier. "Child," the Queen said. "Did you meet him?"
"Yes, Mother," the Beastmaster replied, bowing low. "I met Arjun. Or, as the Spell has officially designated him: the Heavenly Demon."
Ki Song's lips curled into a thin, enigmatic smile. "A True Name in his first Nightmare. To stand alongside the likes of the Smile of Heaven and the Changing Star… it is a rare omen."
"Mother, may I ask a question?" the Beastmaster asked, her brow furrowed.
"Speak."
"Why are you so focused on him?" the Beastmaster asked. "I've looked after him for years; he was my servant—or used to be. I know you promised his parents you would protect him, but is that truly the only reason you're watching him this closely?"
Ki Song's eyes turned cold, the temperature in the room dropping several degrees. "I promised his parents, yes. But primarily, I am interested in his scenario."
"Scenario?" the Beastmaster repeated, confused.
"You know how a person is infected by the Nightmare Spell," Ki Song said, her voice dropping to a chilling whisper. "It is a virus of the soul that strikes at a specific age, a specific threshold. Arjun was exposed to the same conditions as everyone else in his batch, yet for years, he did not get infected. He defied the timing of the Spell until it finally forced its way in. That anomaly piqued my interest long ago."
The Beastmaster nodded slowly, absorbing the information.
"Tell me," Ki Song continued. "A True Name is a reflection of a person's deepest essence—their role in the tapestry of fate. What do you think his name means?"
The Beastmaster hesitated, thinking of the silver-haired boy who could sense her intent before she even moved. "I have no idea, Mother. 'Heavenly Demon' is a title of contradictions."
Ki Song stood, her silken robes hissing against the stone. "His name has a very specific meaning in the ancient tongue, daughter. It means he is the one who shatters the rules of the world."