Meeting at the Gate

As I opened my eyes, I found myself in a vault-like room, chained to the bed. I turned my head toward the voices I heard nearby and saw a boy and a woman talking. The boy was Sunless—the protagonist of the novel in which I would now be living. The woman was breathtakingly beautiful, just as the novel had described. Master Jet, in the flesh.

Before I could register what they were talking about, I saw Sunny get slapped—and instantly, pain flared in my right cheek.

"So this is how it feels... Better put on the blindfold."

As I summoned my memory, I sensed both of them turning their attention toward me.

"Hello, my name is Christopher, but you can call me Chris," I said.

"You woke up just in time. This way, I only have to say it once," Jet said matter-of-factly.

"Since you're both awake, welcome back to the land of the living. Congratulations on surviving your first Nightmare, Sleeper Sunless, Sleeper Christopher," she continued.

"I am Ascended Jet. You can call me Master Jet. For the past three days, I've been on watch due to your Nightmare."

I was in disbelief—there was no way I had only spent three days in my Nightmare. It had felt like years.

Sunny and Jet spoke exactly as they did in the novel, and I listened quietly from the side. After a few minutes, she sent us to take a shower, saying we "reeked of the Nightmare."

Taking the first warm shower I'd had in what felt like years, I finally relaxed. After finishing, I looked in the mirror and saw myself for the first time. The same starlike eyes—just like my teacher's—light brown hair, a moderately handsome face, a six-foot-tall frame, and a body packed with muscle that spoke volumes of all the training I had endured.

When I stepped out, Sunny was already eating, while Jet seemed to be waiting for me to say something.

"I was wondering earlier—why exactly do you wear that blindfold?" Sunny asked.

"It's related to my flaw," I replied.

"Okay, enough about that. Now that both of you are here, let's start the procedure."

"As per protocol, I am obligated to inform you of a few things—mostly formalities. Regarding your first Nightmare..." she paused for a moment. "You are entitled to receive psychological counseling. There's no shame in asking for help. Your mind is just as important as your body. Are either of you interested?"

We both shook our heads.

"As you wish. You can also talk to me. Was it very hard?"

Sunny was the first to answer. "It was simultaneously much worse than I expected and exactly as bad as I expected."

After him, I said, "It was just what I needed."

"That's a good attitude. I won't pry any further..."

She then mentioned being an outskirt rat and went on with her speech. After a brief exchange between Sunny and Jet, she finally concluded the briefing, saying that all that was left was to decide what to do until our first journey into the Dream Realm.

She informed us of our bad luck—that the winter solstice was only about a month away. While we were free to do anything, she advised us to go to the Awakened Academy. Both of us agreed.

On the way there, I spaced out, thinking about what I should do with all the knowledge I had. In the end, I decided to wait and see where I would end up.

When we arrived, someone was already there.

I knew her as well—Nephis, of the Immortal Flame clan.