Almond opened his eyes.
"Welcome back," Madam Ruby said with a smile.
"How long I was out for?" Almond asked as he blinked, feeling something more than usual. He could see flickering white motes with hazy golden hues to them, appearing and vanishing.
"Eight hours and that's impressive."
"Eight hours only?" Almond raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "I don't know how long I spent in the Paradise of Nightmares. The concept of time I spent there is blurry."
"That's normal. What matters is that you've awakened your soul magnificently and even gained a Soul Trait, which you will eventually discover in the Academy once you get more familiar with the new path of power you've stepped on."
Almond looked around, blinking and focusing, "I sense something new."
Madam Ruby stood up and said, "That's alright. But your time here is up. I am going to send you to the Academy. Survive for fifteen days, and you can go home."