Sleeper

Nero opened his eyes, and was immediately blasted by a cold breeze.

It reminded him of the dark caves, and the darkness didn't make it any better.

His chest started to rise and fall rapidly, his breaths coming in short sharp gasps as if he couldn't get enough air. His hands trembled, fingers digging into his shirt as he clutched himself, desperate for something to hold onto. His wide eyes darted around the room, unfocused, pupils dilated with fear. But soon he realised, that he wasn't there anymore.

His heart grew steady, his breathing now calm.

He was back.

'It's over.. it really is over.'

The first thing he did was open his runes, and was hopeful to see that the [Bond] attribute was still active. Epsilon must be back now too.

Nero looked around. He was alone in that armoured room, still fastened to the steel operating table. He screamed, but it seems like no one was coming for him anytime soon.

'What kind of lazy awakened did they put on guard for us??'

Nero tried to use some of his newfound strength to brute force through the straps, but even that was not enough.

'They were meant to hold back a Nightmare creature I guess...'

Nero did not want to wait here until then, so he schemed on how to break himself free. He figured it would be a good time to try out his dormant ability now that he's a sleeper.

Aspect Abilities: [Darkness Surge]

Aspect Ability Description: [In you is an infinite well of Darkness. Release it as a tangible force, becoming a calamity wherever you find yourself.]

**

The envious police officer was sitting at the front of a desk, hastily working away behind a computer. Every now and then, his eyes would glance over to the man who was sleeping in a chair across the room.

He looked to be in his early 20's with short dark brown hair, and was currently wrapped around in a fluffy blanket, sleeping without a care in the world.

'That bastard.. what the hell am I supposed to do once those three turn into nightmare creatures?? Honestly, awakened are so lazy! How dare he have the nerve to even sleep!??'

He took another quick glance, and this time the man seemed to be snoring especially loudly.

'Damnit! His job is so easy isn't it?? Why the hell didn't I become an awakened?!'

Unfortunately, the officer was 21. Whatever chances he had of awakening, were already long gone.

He resumed back with his usual work, but then a small tremor shook the building, as an explosion wrung out from the basement. The officer yelled as he jumped out of his seat and looked over to the sleeping moron.

'...'

He grabbed his mug, and threw it at him with incredible accuracy. It smashed against his skull, waking the man up.

He seemed drowsy, but at the same time very startled.

"...huh?"

"GET THE HELL UP!"

He looked to the empty doorway, before turning his head back to the officer as he then titled it in confusion.

"WHAT ARE YOU GETTING CONFUSED FOR?? THERE'S A NIGHTMARE CREATURE RIGHT THERE!?"

The awakened looked back at the officer with a blank expression.

"You woke me up for this?"

The officer paled. Quickly he drew his gun from his waist, and pointed it at the dark corridor while shaking. His fingers gently tensed around the trigger, preparing to fire at a moments notice.

He was a little calm and half annoyed at first, but once he started hearing the footsteps echoing out, he began to panic. His heart beated rapidly, sweat trickled down his forehead, and his finger wrapped around the trigger a little too tightly.

A shot was sent flying into the dark, completely missing whatever it was aiming at.

"HEY!? WHAT THE HELL!?"

The officer was surprised at the human voice, but after a little while, a boy ended up walking out of the darkness.

Nero and Epsilon were the first twins he had met in his entire life, so when he saw that boy, he assumed it to be one of them. However, he was surprised at how much he'd changed.

For starters he looked a tiny bit taller, his skin was a little healthier, but most importantly, his once hazelnut brown hair was completely pitch black.

"Um... congratulations??"

"Thanks a lot! How about you shoot me in the head next time!"

He sounded awfully frustrated, but a little cheerful too.

"I apologise.. I thought you turned into a nightmare creature. I guess I should call you sleeper.. what is your name?"

Nero stopped to think about it carefully. There were many benefits to sharing your true name, such as easily being recognised by the entire world for your talent and potential strength. Getting the backing of a legacy clan would be easy, especially from the big ones like Valor, or the Immortal flame clan.

He'd be drowning in money before even stepping foot in the dream realm, and he could even send his mother to the NQSC right away if he asked nicely.

"Nero. It's Sleeper Nero."

'But that name is just too damn cringy!'

He refused to let anyone even be aware of that name, nevertheless, hear him being called it everywhere. If he was going to be famous, he didn't want to do it with a name like that.

Heck, he had more confidence in becoming an awakened rather than telling people that name. If he survives the dream realm, he would be able to move his mother anyway. And even then, he could just tell a clan his Aspect rank, which would alone prove he's worth the investment.

'I'm sure I can survive the dream realm with a divine rank aspect... the most common one was dormant anyway...'

He looked around the largely empty room, and noticed the sleeping man in the blanket who was slumped on a chair.

"Whose that guy?", Nero asked.

"Ah, he fell asleep already."

'Already??'

This guy was quite the sleepy head.

"Well, he has been waiting here 2 weeks now for the three of you.. but I think he's quite the slothful kind too."

'Three of you!? Hang on... 2 weeks??'

If he was recalling things correctly, then he should've been inside that nightmare for just under a week. Yet somehow, its actually been double that amount? The darkness really did a number on his senses...

Oh no his mother! They weren't ready to disappear for this long!

"Anyhow, my name is Wort, and his name is Awakened Cyrus. He was dispatched here by the government in case anyone one of you were to fail. Well, your done now, so there's just your twin brother and that other girl left."

So it looked like that someone else had also succumbed to the Nightmare spell, in the time that the two boys were in theirs. Epsilon must also be stuck in that operating table much like Nero was. Since he hadn't forced his way out yet, he probably didn't have a powerful Aspect like his.

"I think my brother is also awake now. We were in the same Nightmare, so he also should've finished his too."

The officer looked at him, before bursting out laughing.

"Nice joke, stop trying to get me killed."

"No, seriously. I'm not lying, we shared a first Nightmare."

The joke quickly got boring, so the officer stopped laughing. But once he saw Nero's serious face, his spine shivered a little. He looked to the sleeping awakened, and sighed.

Waking him up would be a chore, and besides, he had a sleeper right here. If something went wrong, then he'd be able to protect him somewhat.

"Fine. Let's go check shall we?"