The Wake of a Nightmare

It had been two days since the world changed.

Two days since whispers of the Nightmareric Entity—or "Nent" as people were calling it—spread through every school hallway, every street corner, every news station.

And here Ron was, standing alone in the back of the gym, watching the impossible unfold before his eyes.

"Summon."

A boy at the center of the gym extended his arm. His hand trembled, but his gaze was steady.

The air around him warped. A shimmer rippled, like heat rising from asphalt. Then—

A crack. A tear in reality.

Something stepped through.

A black, wolf-like shape cloaked in mist, its body flickering between solid and ethereal, glowing red cracks running along its limbs. It growled, lowering its head, baring jagged teeth.

"Damn…" Ron whispered under his breath.

The watching students stepped back, murmuring.

"That's his Nent… a Chase-type," someone said. "I heard he got chased by wild dogs as a kid."

"No wonder…" another replied.

The summoned wolf prowled in a circle around its summoner, protective and menacing at once.

A teacher, standing at the front with a clipboard, nodded approvingly. "Good. Control is stable. Return it."

The boy raised his hand again. The wolf vanished in a wisp of smoke, drawn back into an invisible tether.

Ron's heart pounded.

This is insane…

The gym wasn't just a gym anymore—it was an arena.

After the news broke of the "Nightmareric Entities" appearing worldwide, the school had been forced to adapt fast. Now, every student who had awakened their Nent was called to demonstrate it, to prove control.

And Ron?

He hadn't even felt a flicker.

"Next—Mia Kim."

A girl with short black hair stepped forward. Her face was pale, lips pressed tight.

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes.

"Summon."

A pulse rippled through the air.

From behind her, a massive steel cage erupted out of the floor, slamming shut with a deafening clang.

Gasps filled the gym.

The cage shimmered, then faded into transparent outlines like a fading mirage.

"Cage-type Nent," the teacher announced. "Very solid projection. Well done."

Mia opened her eyes, lowering her hands, but didn't smile.

Ron watched her retreat back into the crowd.

Everyone's getting their Nent…

One by one, his classmates revealed creatures, shadows, weapons—each an echo of their nightmares.

A boy whose arms turned into chains.

A girl with swirling black eyes that made people around her drowsy.

A tall athlete whose shadow stretched into a giant clawed beast.

Ron felt smaller and smaller.

"What's wrong with me?" he muttered.

"Maybe you're just a late bloomer."

He turned. Mia Kim stood beside him, arms crossed, watching the summons with a guarded expression.

Ron hesitated. "You're… not afraid of yours?"

She gave a bitter smile. "I hate it. But it's part of me, isn't it?"

He swallowed. "Does it hurt? Summoning it?"

"Depends on the nightmare."

Her gaze flicked toward the boy with chain arms.

"You heard the rumors, right?" she asked quietly. "The worse your nightmare, the stronger your Nent. Some people… wish they never had one."

Ron felt a chill.

A whistle blew.

"Alright," the teacher called. "Those who haven't awakened their Nent, step forward."

Ron's feet felt glued to the floor.

Slowly, he stepped into the open, alongside five others.

Whispers rippled.

"Wait… he doesn't have one?"

"Isn't he the kid who fought back against some delinquent gang last week?"

"Guess he's powerless after all."

Ron clenched his fists.

Powerless…

The teacher scanned them. "No manifestations yet?"

They all shook their heads.

"Very well. You're dismissed for today. But remember—the Nent lies dormant in those who've had their first nightmare. It will awaken when you're ready."

Ron's shoulders sagged.

As they turned to leave, a sudden loud crash echoed from outside.

Everyone froze.

"W-What was that?" someone whispered.

A second crash.

The gym doors burst open as a panicked student stumbled in. "A Nent went wild! Outside! Someone lost control!"

Chaos erupted.

Teachers shouted orders. Students scattered.

Ron ran to the door, pushing through the crowd.

Outside, in the school courtyard, a massive figure loomed.

A dark giant of bone and shadow, twisting antlers rising from its head, its empty eye sockets glowing faint white. It swung a massive arm, smashing a lamppost into splinters.

A boy lay collapsed at its feet, trembling.

"It's his Nent…! He lost control!" Mia gasped beside Ron.

The giant let out a deep, echoing roar.

Another teacher rushed forward, summoning a barrier—a glowing wall of blue light—but the giant's fist shattered it effortlessly.

"It's a Rampage-state Nent!" someone cried.

Ron's pulse pounded in his ears.

Students screamed, running in every direction.

"Everyone, evacuate!" the principal's voice boomed from the intercom. "Containment squads are en route—"

But the giant turned its gaze toward the fleeing crowd.

Toward Ron.

Their eyes locked.

And in that moment—

A sound filled Ron's mind.

A distant clinking.

Chains rattling.

Crack.

He flinched. Clutched his head.

Crack… crack…

The chains inside him strained.

I'm…

The giant lunged forward.

And somewhere deep inside, something snapped.

A surge of heat flooded his chest.

The air around him shimmered.

His shadow twisted beneath his feet, elongating into bars, lines, forming shapes—

A faint, glowing outline of a cage rose behind him.

Mia stared wide-eyed. "Ron—your Nent!"

But Ron barely heard her.

The giant's fist descended.

And the cage—solidified.

CLANG!

The blow struck the cage with a shockwave, rippling the air. Cracks spiderwebbed across the barrier, but it held.

Ron's breath came ragged. His hands trembled, stretched toward the barrier as though holding it together by will alone.

"…it's real…" he whispered.

The giant pulled back, preparing another strike.

And Ron felt it—chains winding tighter around his arms, around his chest, around his heart.

I've been trapped my whole life…

He gritted his teeth.

Not anymore.

The cage glowed brighter.

And this time, when the giant's fist fell—

The chains lashed out.

Wrapped around the giant's arm.

And for the first time, it faltered.

Ron's eyes burned.

The cage creaked, bent, but stood.

And as the giant roared in frustration, Ron took a shaky step forward.

"…I won't be trapped forever."

He raised his hand.

"…Not by you… not by anyone."

And the chains tightened.