“Interviews…
interviews…
God, I hate administrative interviews.”
Marcus navigated the sprawling hallways of the Awakened Academy, following directions he had gathered from a few students earlier.
Before long, he reached a dimly lit corridor where roughly ten teenagers stood in line, waiting for their turns.
‘Looks like I found the queue.’
Leaning against the wall, Marcus sank into deep tactical analysis.
His primary concern was surviving his time here, and the upcoming interview would set the trajectory for his stay.
The administrators were going to pry into sensitive details specifically his Aspect and rank.
He had two clear options.
On one hand, he could reveal his Aspect’s true rank.
From the doctor’s earlier explanation, he knew a Sacred Aspect placed him near the absolute apex of potential.
Furthermore, True Names were granted only to a chosen few, rarely ever to someone completing their First Nightmare unless they achieved something extraordinary.
‘So I’m a prodigy in their eyes?
How wonderful.’
Establishing a reputation as a Sleeper with a Sacred Aspect and a True Name held obvious advantages.
Deterrence was a powerful shield; potential enemies within the Academy would think twice before targeting him.
On the other hand, the risks heavily outweighed the benefits.
Flaunting high-tier capabilities meant inviting unwanted scrutiny.
If an enemy assumed he was a major threat, they would plan accordingly, using lethal force rather than casual aggression.
For Marcus, whose Soul Essence depletion would forcibly eject his Life Stone and leave his Flaw exposed, taking unnecessary risks was a potentially fatal strategic error.
Before he could finalize his mental checklist, the door opened and his name was called.
Inside the office, an interviewer sat behind a wide desk.
After briefly informing him that a liaison would be checking on his condition every evening, per the doctor’s medical recommendations, she leaned forward and got straight to business.
“Would you mind telling me what type of Aspect you acquired?”
Marcus blinked slowly, keeping his expression entirely blank.
“Would I mind?
Does that imply answering is voluntary?”
The interviewer gave him a deadpan look.
“Yes, it is voluntary.
However, you should understand that all recorded data remains strictly confidential within government channels.
Furthermore, the Academy uses a ranking evaluation system.
Given your memory loss, aligning yourself with capable allies would drastically increase your chances of survival.”
Marcus uncrossed his arms, leaning back comfortably in his chair.
“I see…”
The interviewer clicked her pen, hovering it over her ledger, ready to write.
“I refuse to answer,” Marcus said smoothly.
The woman paused, staring at him for a long moment before letting out a dry sigh.
She adjusted her notes and moved to the next question.
“Would you mind disclosing the rank of your Aspect?”
“Well…
how should I put this?”
Marcus tilted his head with a faint smile.
“I Refuse to answer that as well.”
The interviewer closed her folder with a quiet thud.
“Very well, Aiden.
Your evaluation is complete.
I genuinely hope you survive the Winter Solstice, though given your condition, I wouldn’t bet on it.”
‘Charming bedside manner as always.’
Marcus stood up, left the office without another word, and began wandering through the main corridors.
‘Aiden, huh?
It felt strange when they first started calling me that, but I’m actually starting to like it.’
In the beginning, hearing the name had felt strange.
But gradually, it was becoming comfortable.
In fact, it was liberating.
If he truly wanted to build a new life, put his past military regrets behind him, and seek redemption, he needed to embrace this new identity fully.
‘Nothing wrong with getting used to a new name.’
His steps eventually led him to the massive central cafeteria.
Right now, his new sixteen-year-old body was crying out for a massive, protein-rich meal.
Beyond a few dry crackers the doctor had offered him earlier, he hadn’t eaten a real meal since waking up from his Nightmare.
Approaching the counter, Aiden stacked multiple heavy food trays in a single attempt, drawing an astonished look from the server behind the counter.
For the next twenty minutes, Aiden sat at a corner table, tearing through the food like a starving beast waking from hibernation.
As he ate, he noticed the cafeteria was surprisingly empty a stark contrast to the large crowds of students he had spotted upon arriving at the gates.
Waving toward a nearby cafeteria staff member while swallowing a large mouthful, Aiden called out, is there an event happening somewhere?”
The staff member turned to him.
“Ah, yes.
The main orientation ceremony is taking place in the central hall.
Several instructors are giving opening addresses.”
‘So that’s where everyone went.
I’ll drop by once I clean these plates.’
***
“…That is all for today,” a booming, deep voice echoed across the central hall.
“Next, follow the instructions sent to your communicators to locate your assigned dormitories.
Once settled, you may proceed to the cafeteria for late supper.
The remaining interview rounds will resume afterward.
Get a good night’s rest your official training begins tomorrow.”
Aiden stood at the edge of the auditorium, watching the massive instructor awakened Rock conclude his speech from the main stage.
Looking at Rock’s imposing frame, Aiden silently decided the man was probably the only person in the facility who could rival his own current appetite.
Still, he was glad he had finished eating in time to catch the end of the presentation.
The briefing contained critical logistical details regarding the Dream Realm and survival protocols, information far too valuable to miss over a second helping of stew.
A faint chime echoed from the communicator he had been issued upon entry.
A notification appeared, displaying his dormitory room assignment.
‘Perfect timing.’
***
It didn’t take Aiden long to locate his quarters, which were situated on one of the lowest subterranean levels of the complex a predictable assignment given his complete refusal to provide baseline evaluation data.
To his surprise, the room was remarkably decent.
It housed a sturdy bed, a functional desk, a storage locker, and even a private bathroom.
‘No time to waste.’
Aiden locked the heavy door behind him.
Unlike the average teenager here, he had no need for basic discipline lectures; his past life as a Supreme Commander had drilled operational readiness into him long ago.
But supernatural combat was a completely different domain, and he needed to establish absolute control over his assets.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, he focused his mind, intent on inspecting his Memories in detail.
But as he recalled the floating runes from his status screen, a practical question crossed his mind:
“Now then…
how exactly do I summon them into the real world?”