Ghost opened his eyes.
The armored ceiling of the police station's vault hung above him.
He remained still for a while, then allowed a smile to form on his face.
He looked down and saw Awakened Jet staring at him with… fury?
"Awakened Jet, it's good to see you again."
Awakened Jet remained silent, creating a tense atmosphere between them. Then she smiled—not a natural smile, but more of an "I want to punch your face" smile.
"Congratulations on surviving your First Nightmare, Sleeper… Ghost."
She was clearly ashamed even saying his title. Honestly, even he felt embarrassed by it.
"A whole week in your first nightmare. That might be a record!"
'So that's why she's angry…'
He continued smiling, which greatly annoyed Awakened Jet.
The police officers entered the armored room and removed his restraints. After a 'joyful' conversation with Awakened Jet, he excused himself to the showers.
Looking at himself in the mirror, still smiling, Ghost clenched his fist.
His body was filled with scars from the ring, working under Edward, and finally, under the revolutionary army.
This body had endured everything to survive, and now… the world had thrown away his efforts as if they were nothing.
Ghost's smile began to crack, and suddenly he punched the mirror. The glass couldn't injure him, thanks to being a Sleeper, but the pain was still there.
"What do I do…?" he muttered.
Ghost felt despair creeping in. He'd spoken confidently inside the Spell, but in reality, he had no idea what to do.
He talked of achieving immortality—but was that even possible?
Even the gods weren't immortal; they too died. The god of death himself had died!
Throughout his miserable life, no matter how much he suffered, there had always been some faint glimmer of light at the end.
But now… there was nothing but darkness. He saw no path to follow, no hope to cling to.
Life had crushed him—but it hadn't destroyed him completely.
If there was no light… then he'd create it himself!
He wouldn't stop. No matter what fate threw at him, he would continue to strive until he achieved his goal.
"If the heavens want me dead… then I'll bring them down!"
Ghost looked toward the ceiling and spoke again. "I'll be the demon that shatters the heavens!"
He walked toward the new clothes provided by the police. After changing, he exited and returned to where Awakened Jet was waiting.
Reaching her, he sat down across from her.
The two discussed what would happen to him now that he'd conquered his first nightmare.
Awakened Jet looked at him and sighed. "Are you sure about this?"
Ghost nodded firmly. "Yes, I'll go to the academy."
She shrugged, disappointed. "Well, it's your choice. I'll have someone take you there."
He nodded and thanked her.
After a few hours, a car parked outside. Ghost left the police station and entered the vehicle.
His reason for going to the academy wasn't to learn or train. It was already too late for that. The Winter Solstice was in two months, and at that time, he would be sent to the Dream Realm.
No matter how much effort he poured into training under an Awakened, it wouldn't be enough for him to survive—especially with his [Heaven's Curse] attribute.
At the academy, he would instead use his Aspect—and he'd already chosen his target.
Her arrival at the academy was well-known to everyone who lived in NSQC.
She would arrive tomorrow.
The car stopped in front of the academy's large red gates. He exited and stood before them. After a few minutes, the gates opened, and he crossed the ridiculously long bridge before finally entering the academy.
The person who welcomed him explained the layout of the Sleeper section of the compound.
He was then taken to an interrogation room, where they asked about his Aspect, Flaw, and True Name.
He remained silent, refusing to answer any questions—except the one about his True Name.
Afterward, he was taken to the room assigned to him.
Entering the room, he closed the door behind him, tossed his jacket aside, and collapsed onto the bed.
He was so exhausted that he didn't even bother checking for cameras or microphones.
Ghost closed his eyes and drifted into sleep, with no clear future ahead.
In a hall filled with teenagers no older than eighteen, Ghost sat alone at a table.
He didn't particularly want to talk to these city kids—and they clearly didn't want to talk to him, either.
He still wore the clothes the police had given him, making him stand out awkwardly at this welcoming party.
Even though he wasn't speaking with anyone, his enhanced hearing allowed him to easily overhear their conversations.
"I heard she's coming today!"
"Yes! I can't believe I'm meeting someone from the main clan!"
These teenagers always seemed to talk about her.
At that moment, the door opened, and the entire hall fell silent.
Through the doorway walked a beautiful girl with wavy black hair cascading down her back and crimson-red eyes that reflected the light. She wore black trousers and a matching shirt, with a red cape hanging from her left shoulder, partially covering her left arm. On the cape was a sigil of an anvil with a sword embedded in it.
The screens shifted, displaying the rankings of the Sleepers—and at number one was…
"Name: Caelia of Valor."
The daughter of Madoc of Valor, second-in-command after Anvil, the head of the Valor clan.
And Ghost's golden egg.
***
Will Ghost succeed in killing Caelia? What will be his rewards? And what will be the consequences of his action? Find out in the next chapters.
Leave a review on this fanfic, chapter and some power stones, so more people can read it.
And see you again tomorrow.