Aisling spent his days at the academy as a pariah.
Although there wasn’t much he could do about it, changing the contempt of others into even the slightest consideration required a strong impression – an impression he wasn’t prepared to make.
With a newfound resolve to live a long life, he kept to himself and focused solely on learning and understanding his own strengths.
The other Sleepers had already formed their groups and friendships; he couldn’t interfere, nor would they let him.
Aisling didn’t want to either.
If he formed alliances, secrets would be more vulnerable, and he didn’t want anyone to know he ate humans.
He could barely get used to the perception that food disgusted him.
His first visit to the cafeteria became an unpleasant memory.
Walking in with his pleasant demeanor:
“Did you see him?
That guy’s a delinquent.”
“I hope he doesn’t come near us with that dirty hair.”
Looking for a breakfast worthy of an Awakened like himself:
“Why the long face?
If you don’t like it, don’t come, trash.”
And responding to others with nobility and politeness:
“My hair?
It looks a little dirty, but not as bad as the shitty face you were born with.”
“It’s not that I don’t like food; I just thought if you used a little of your brain, it would be better, though you don’t seem to.”
The looks he received were unpleasant, and he always seemed to be the one to blame, no matter the situation.
Furthermore, although he didn’t seem to be trying, he was working hard to keep his tongue from loosening more than it should.
But his senses were overwhelmed, preventing him from acting properly.
The most annoying thing was the smell and the revulsion he felt for food.
Aside from recognizing that a certain sweet was chocolate, he saw it as a huge piece of excrement.
“This is tough.”
His whole life changed with a body and abilities he didn’t consider his own.
“But doubt will kill me.”
He had already accepted death once, and it was denied to him.
His life felt the mortal void, the precipice where life is gone, and a profound rejection of that heartbreaking feeling.
He would keep living, even if he had to do horrible things, all to show the Spell that not letting him die when he wanted was his worst decision.
If only he knew people as wretched, he would be so happy and so willing.
───
Just when Aisling thought his Awakened future couldn’t get even worse, he reviewed the Memories he had received.
He had tried not to look at his Runes, although that, clearly, wasn’t going to get him anywhere.
He was running away for a moment, he knew it.
It’s just that exposing himself immediately frustrated him.
He decided to rest and sort out his thoughts.
If he tried to decipher his Runes hastily, without any consideration for himself, he would only die from not being able to cope the situation.
He thanked Master Jet for her company, which helped him forget, and for her gift, which was too perfect.
‘Who wouldn’t like a woman like that?’
If it weren’t for the blood bag, he’d already have to pounce on some student at the academy and do things to them that he didn’t want to keep imagining.
It was temporary, but he could handle it.
Maybe it was because he’d just escaped the Nightmare and had eaten a whole person before arriving.
Blood is part of the body, so it counts.
A week passed, and he felt calmer, calm enough to look at his Runes again.
Taking a breath, he glimpsed his Runes.
Name: [Aisling]
True Name: [Hollow of Inevitability]
Rank: [Dreamer]
Soul Core: [Dormant]
Soul Fragments: [1000/1000]
Memories: [Insidious Robe], [World-Loving Doll].
Echoes: —
Attributes: [Supernatural Body] [Supernatural Mind] [Supernatural Soul] [Enemy of the World]
Aspect: [Devourer]
Aspect Rank: [Dormant]
Aspect Description: [Your crime has no redemption.
You will be treated as a monster, all for going against the world.]
Innate Ability: [Negation]
Description: [You are a fugitive who enjoys freedom.
You nullify unwanted anomalous intentions.]
Aspect Abilities:
Aspect Ability: [Body Consumption]
Aspect Ability Description: [Uses bodies to become whole.
Pain is the core of your strength.]
Flaw: [Cannibal]
Flaw Description: [You can only feed on your own kind.]
“To use my Aspect, I have to consume bodies.
Even though it says “consume,” eating, in theory, is still the same thing.”
Simple, but the fact that they were human bodies still didn’t sit well with him.
Was his first thought.
So he simply didn’t know how to proceed; he wasn’t willing to continue with this, but he had no choice either.
Looking at the blood bag: that was part of someone’s body, but he didn’t feel any change, and the Spell didn’t manifest.
With his True Name, he didn’t complain.
Hollow of Inevitability sounded very good, even though he didn’t understand it.
Perhaps it was simply because he was a hollow guy, that inevitably was unable to escape his situation.
Maybe he was destined only to suffer.
He didn’t understand his own Innate Ability.
It called him a criminal and granted him the freedom he believed he had; the second part made it seem like a defense, without knowing exactly what it protected, and it was still unclear.
He went on to see his Attributes.
[Supernatural Body]: Your body is a sacrifice, a resource that resonates with the world.
[Supernatural Mind]: Your mind is simple; it discerns the truth of the world.
[Supernatural Soul]: Your soul is insignificant; it shuns corruption.
[Enemy of the World]: You are a little of everything and a little of nothing.
The Gods and Fate disregard you, and you will be despised by the world.
Going through them one by one.
Supernatural Body, one of the Attributes that had devolved, still had the function of the previous one: his body was very sensitive.
His senses were very sharp.
In recent days, a student shouted at the slightest thing, and his ears hurt; When it was night and he stubbed his little toe, the pain was too intense, and he writhed for several minutes, trying not to scream.
What was the rest about?
He didn’t know.
Supernatural Mind: He simply didn’t understand it; nothing had changed since he returned, he just thought the effect was very different from before.
Supernatural Soul: He didn’t even bother to understand it and moved on to his attributes.
‘Couldn’t they at least tell me how to use it?’
He looked at the last one, which had just appeared.
[Enemy of the World]
Who would think of giving him a Flaw as an Attribute?
They were telling him that the impression he gave to others was terrible.
He sighed in relief that Jet was better and didn’t let it get to her, although, given the ranks difference, she might have simply ignored it.
In fact, that attribute was his biggest problem at the academy; He didn’t even have anyone to talk to, except for Master Julius, with whom he was able to break through that barrier.
He learned a couple of things: the contempt they felt for him could disappear if he convinced them otherwise.
What was all that wordiness about?
He didn’t know.
Sighing and irritated, he turned his attention to his Memories.
[Insidious Robe]:
Memory Rank: Dormant.
Memory Level: IV.
Memory Type: Tool.
Memory Description: [An Angry Man created a hole to hide food and endure the journey on the backs of great Knights.
He managed to survive because the Knights forgot about him.]
Memory Charms: [Secret Compartment] [Forgotten Child] [Support]
This was the Memory he had received upon killing the Kind One.
Strange, because the description called “Angry” at the one he had categorized as kind.
He was a follower of the World’s Enemy anyway, but he seemed the furthest from it.
What could the Enemy of the World be?
He didn’t think it was a being that sought to destroy the world, but neither did he believe it sought to save it.
Being someone’s enemy implies many things.
In the outskirts, the environment was the enemy; survival was the only way.
Being the Enemy of the World itself meant being everyone’s enemy.
Everything is in the world after all.
“As expected… easy to deduce.”
He scratched his nose, trying to hide his pride from no one in particular.
It was night, and he was just sitting cross-legged on the bed.
Seeing the Kind One’s attitude, he didn’t seem to be seeking destruction or causing chaos, and his belief in the Enemy of the World was very honest and unwavering.
“Wait…”
On second thought, the fact that the Nightmare Spell treated him badly could be related.
It wasn’t saying he was special; others could receive the same treatment.
The difference was that he received it because the Spell despised him.
Although it didn’t make sense, because the Spell treated him like a joke even before granting him the Attribute.
Could it be that he already possessed it but it hadn’t been reflected in the Runes?
He didn’t think it was possible.
What being could have the power to conceal it?
Putting aside the matter of the Enemy of the World, he looked at the enchantments of the Memory:
[Secret Compartment]: This robe contains countless protective pockets to withstand being lost.
[Forgotten Child]: The robe is shy; it hides itself so as not to attract attention.
[Support]: You can equip it on any armor or garment.
“Not bad.
I’d stop receiving such demeaning looks.”
He didn’t want to say it like that, but it was true.
Wanting to test the Memory, he tried to put it on his uniform.
Particles of light fell around his waist, forming a silver cord.
There was no difference in the uniform’s appearance, and that made it even better.
He put his hand in his uniform pocket, feeling the same as always: a small gap in the fabric.
He experimented and discovered something.
It had pockets everywhere.
He could touch any part of the uniform and his hand would pass right through the fabric, accessing a Secret Compartment by activating the Memory.
It was very interesting; it seemed to have no limit, although he didn’t have much to hide either.
Just by wanting to take something out, whatever he wanted would come out.
He felt a little better.
To survive in the Dream Realm, this will definitely be useful.
HIs spirits quickly plummeted again upon seeing the next Memory.
‘What is this?!
This has to be a joke!’
[World-Loving Doll]:
Memory Rank: Dormant.
Memory Level: ??
Memory Type: Charm?
Memory Description: [Who knows the world better than one who loves it?
Its enemy.
She resolved never to let go; not even death would part them.]
Memory Charms: [Eternal Bond] [Foreboding] [Jealousy] [Power of Love?] [Obsession] [Lover] [??]
[Eternal Bond]: They are bound by an indistinguishable thread.
[Foreboding]: Warns of potential danger.
[Jealousy]: You cannot have Echoes.
[Power of Love?]: Despite being of low rank, she cannot be destroyed by common methods.
If she is destroyed, she can be restored.
[Obsession]: She must be the best companion; she will follow your progression.
[Lover]: She curses depending on the severity of being treated by another.
Hollow of Inevitability is her only lover; he must learn to keep her.
[??]: …
bond …
soul…
corrupted…
‘I already have a girlfriend and didn’t know it?’
He wouldn’t be bothered if it weren’t for the outrageous marriage proposal she made and, simply, because she’s a Memory.
Ignoring more than half of its Enchantments, even the last one which was definitely strange, it focused on two in particular.
[Foreboding] and [Jealousy].
One had an effect that he could at least somewhat understand, and the second was very clear.
He can’t have Echoes!
He was about to summon the World-Loving Doll, but hesitated; Something deep inside him told him not to.
Not because of the danger—or perhaps it was—but for a more singular reason.
‘I must be delirious.’
Calming his nerves, he summoned the Memory.
A delicate pain pierced his soul, reaching deeper, to unknown corners of himself.
A beautiful, loving laugh whispered softly.
Something entered and settled in with brazenness, extremely familiar to him.
Before he could understand, the pain ceased instantly, along with the feeling of invasion and the mysterious laughter.
In his hands, formed of shimmering particles, appeared a small porcelain doll.
It was about ten centimeters tall, very small; he could hold it in the palm of his hand without any problem.
It wore an elegant, simple white dress.
Its eyes were replaced by two dark orbs, and its mouth was cut from ear to ear.
Its hair was ash-gray and dirty, very similar to Aisling’s, with one small difference: the doll’s was more dazzling and enchanting, with a shine that was hard to ignore.
The doll had a fragile appearance, with skin as white as marble, though it conveyed a strange, more dangerous feeling.
Like a murderer disguised as an old man with sciatica.
‘What kind of example is that?’
Even with certain grim details, the doll…
“It’s pretty.”
Aisling vaguely remembered a doll her mother had kept, whose clothes she would dress and whose hair she would comb.
He had long forgotten why she had kept it.
After his mother’s death, the doll was simply burned.
That doll had nothing like the Memory he received, but it was still pretty.
Suddenly, the doll’s head lifted, looking Aisling in the eyes.
“Is this how dolls work these days?
I’ve heard toys are more advanced these days… or so said the tramp who lived in a barrel.”
The doll stared at him and lowered its head.
To Aisling, it seemed sad, as if its reaction wasn’t what it wanted.
‘Does this understand me?
It’s a Memory.
It’s not supposed to move on its own.’
Aisling was a complete novice when it came to matters related to the Spell; since he didn’t know, it was best not to offer an opinion.
He raised his finger and placed it on the doll’s head, stroking its soft gray hair.
The doll shuddered and jumped slightly, disappearing instantly.
Literally.
Aisling didn’t see it dissolve into particles of light, but he dismissed the thought.
Nothing bad could happen because of something so small.
Then, he ventured into his soul sea.
A space he didn’t fully understand, but which every Awakened person possessed.
He looked around and saw…
only white.
There was nothing.
Utterly empty.
Up, down, left, right, everything was white.
He frowned slightly at the stark, minimalist space.
“I’m supposed to have a bright, beautiful soul core here.
Where is it?”
Could it be that, being white, the core wasn’t visible due to the white space of his soul?
He didn’t know, and he had no reason to find out.
‘Doesn’t matter, at least it is peaceful.’
───
The weeks flew by, and the day of the solstice arrived.
With it, his entry into the Dream Realm.
“I just have to survive long enough to find other Awakened… Easy.”
Without any faith in his luck, he sighed resignedly.
He hadn’t made any friends or anything like that; he couldn’t even talk to others without them frowning.
Legacies… Spoiled brats…
At the academy, he only encountered classmates of legacy clans.
For that day, he decided to return to the cafeteria, which was more tense than usual, at least enough that others didn’t seem to mind his presence.
He sat at the table farthest away and discreetly pulled out his blood bag.
He placed it on the table and, as quickly as it appeared, removed it.
‘It’s not decent.’
He looked around; everyone was lost in their own thoughts and difficult emotions, trying to compensate for the urgency of entering the Dream Realm.
Aisling felt the same urgency, so he moved with agility.
He walked between the tables normally, or so he wanted to appear.
He moved carefully, making sure not to cross paths with the tables laden with food and avoid feeling too guilty, ending up right in front of the idiotic individuals serving the food.
However, he didn’t focus on that; he actively rejected it.
He had his own focus, taking a glass they allowed you to use if you didn’t have your own—simple and of average size.
Having accomplished what he had come to do, he didn’t retrace his steps like a child just learning to walk.
He changed course, returning to his table and sitting down in silence.
He restrained himself from smiling, proud of his movements!
He placed the glass on the table and poured himself a sip of blood.
He stared at it for a few seconds, narrowing his eyes at the deep color and snorting in annoyance.
“What one has…” he whispered, bringing the rim of the glass to his lips.
“…and what one allows oneself.”