Dream Realm

My eyes gradually open, and it takes a moment to adjust to the blinding red lights in my room. Being rich comes with certain perks, and a better room than most of the less privileged students is one of them. My room boasts a high ceiling and a singular window that spans the entire wall. Sometimes, it reminds me of my Trial, as every time I wake up, that damned window is the first thing I see.

Half-awake, I sit up, the blanket sliding off me. I realize that I'm nearly naked. "Did I throw another party or what?" I mutter, scratching the back of my head. I run my fingers through my golden hair, which is disheveled for some reason.

I hear the shower coming from the bathroom. Someone is keeping me company. Is it Eve or Andromeda? I chuckle to myself, saying, "If Seraph walks out of that bathroom, I might kill everyone in this building."

With the shower still running, I walk over to the curtains and pull them open. The room is bathed in fresh sunlight. I give a voice command to turn off the lights. I notice scattered clothes around, mingled with empty beer bottles, confectionery wrappers, and small plastic bags used to store... well, something I've borrowed from my parents.

"What day is it even?" I ask myself, massaging my temples as I head towards a black and gold table where my phone rests. On the way there, I grab a silk yellow shirt and throw it on, leaving some buttons unfastened. I crave the sensation of fresh air on my skin.

Looking at my phone, a wicked smile crosses my face. The winter solstice is today.

I sit back down on the bed, and vivid memories of the day when I lost control flood my mind. After my mind went blank, I woke up in my room with Andromeda at my side. According to her, I nearly killed a student. Seraph and Raijin intercepted me and knocked me down. Then a Saint suddenly appeared. Andromeda informed me that it was Raijin's mother, which left me stunned. The Saint calmed me down with something and instructed the teachers to place me under house arrest, though, of course, nothing happened.

If not even my parents ever gave me a house arrest, why should they? My parents own most of the defense system here. They don't have the nerve to do anything to me. I could even kill that bastard, and they wouldn't do a thing.

The students and teachers gave me strange looks, and they still do. But the incident has made them respect and fear me even more. I could probably force some of them to kneel before me

"Actually... when I think about that," I say, but I dismiss the tempting thoughts as a particular person walks out of the bathroom.

It's Eve.

The stunning beauty walks over to the table with a towel wrapped around her body and starts picking up some clothes.

"After you change, you'll have to explain to me whatever the hell happened yesterday. I probably blacked out," I tell her, and she gives me a playful smile before returning to the bathroom.

Five minutes later, she emerges, wearing a crimson knit sweater which is a bit too large for her. Beneath the sweater, she clothes a golden turtleneck that hugs her neck tightly and jeans matching her sweater's color that emphasize her figure.

"Not only are you wearing my sweater, but you've also donned my turtleneck? You've got no shame whatsoever," I jest, pulling her close by her sweater. She only reaches up to my chest. Her blonde hair cascades over her shoulders and some fall onto me.

Suddenly, my phone buzzes in my back pocket of my black sweatpants. I retrieve the phone and see it's from Andromeda. 

"You can take the sweater and all of that. Go prepare yourself for the winter solstice or whatever", I tell Eve as I walk to the other side of the room and answer the phone. Eve walks out of the room with an annoyed look on her face.

"Hey, what's up?" I ask, putting the call on speaker and changing my pants into golden trousers. I tuck my shirt into my trousers after buttoning it.

On the other end of the phone, Andromeda greets me and says, "I've prepared everything. Gale came yesterday while you were having fun with Eve and transferred me two armor-type Memories and some other useful Memories. I bought some Memories to create warmth and cold resistance, as you asked. I've also arranged a VIP room for you."

There's a hint of jealousy in her voice as she mentions Eve. It's almost amusing.

"Come to my room now. There are still things left to discuss," I tell her before ending the call.

After I wash my face, brush my hair and teeth, I give a voice command for someone to clean my room, not bothering to hide or throw away the plastic bags that stored drugs. I have more authority here than some teachers. The only drawback is that I can't access the teachers-only cafeteria.

Taking any items I might need for later, I leave the room to meet Andromeda, who is already waiting for me outside the door. On this special day, she's wearing a long dark brown skirt that goes down to her ankles, paired with a white blouse. I embrace her warmly before extending my hand, signaling for her to transfer the memories.

Andromeda takes my hand, and I can feel her soft, cold skin against mine. There's something comforting about her touch. She closes her eyes and focuses on transferring the memories to me. Nothing unusual happens during the process, and I realize that she's finished only after she nods.

I delve into the Soul Sea, where three new spheres of light spin around the crimson sun. The large sphere containing the Echo still gives me chills every time I see it. I command the Runes to appear and inspect the new memories I've received.

First, I summon the runes for the earring:

Memory Name: [God's blessed]

Memory Rank: Awakened

Memory Tier: I

Memory Type: Tool

Memory Description: [this earring was one a necklace worn by an ancient priest who ventured deep into the snowy mountains to find salvation with the Divine. On his journey to the mountain peak the Priest got blessed by a God so he wouldn't freeze to death before reaching it. After reaching the mountain peak, the priest slipped down and fell to his death.]

Memory Enchantments: [Divine Frostward]

Enchantment Description: [This earring grants the wearer a high resistance against cold]

I summon the earring, which materializes on my right ear. It's shaped like a cross and made of silver.

Next, I summon the armor's runes:

Memory Name: [Kissed by the Sun]

Memory Rank: Awakened

Memory Type: Armor

Memory Description: [The last of the Gnomes created this armor for his king. To make this armor, a Sun was taken down from the sky by the king.]

Memory Tier: V

Memory Enchantments: [Dragon's breath], [Enhanced Durability]

Enchantment: [Dragon's breath].

Enchantment Description: [Allows the wearer to summon fire from the holes and cracks in the Armor. The wearer can control the power of the fire and the amount.]

"Incredible… Gale is really investing in me. I'll try the armor on in the Dream Realm," I say, still smiling. Finally, I summon the runes for the third sphere, the weapon.

The runes tell me the following:

Memory Name: [The Kings Spear-Sword]

Memory Rank: Awakened.

Memory Type: Weapon.

Memory Description: [A weapon wielded by a two-headed King. Each head preferred a different weapon. One a Guandao and the other a Tang Dao. The King summoned the greatest Forgemaster and ordered him to create this golden beauty]

Memory Tier: III

Memory Enchantments: [Molten Gold].

Enchantment Description: [You can shift the Weapon between a long golden Guandao and a silver Tang Dao at wish. The change happens instantly.]

With a grin, I summon the Spear-Sword, and in my hands appears a golden Guandao. It's about 6 feet long and has blades on both ends: one on top wide enough to cut and one on the bottom long enough to pierce.

"I'm more into polearms anyway," I mutter as I spin the Guandao in my hands. I throw it up into the air and concentrate on using the [Molten Gold] ability to change it into a long and guardless Tang Dao. It transforms in the blink of an eye, as if it had always been that way. I catch it as it lands in my open palm. The hilt is cold to the touch, and the blade is wide and long, double-edged. Before recalling it, I change it back into a Guandao and feel a significant drain of energy.

"This takes a ton of energy," I think, panting slightly, before concentrating on returning to the real world. Andromeda is still holding my hand, waiting for me. Seeing her like that stirs something inside me. Not fear, but excitement. She belongs to me, and no one else. She would die for me if I told her to.

I gaze into her beautiful eyes and place my second hand on top of hers. "Promise me you'll come back. Without you, I might completely lose myself," I whisper. She gives me a small nod and replies, "I will do my best," with a slight smile.

***

The sun is close to setting, and many other Sleepers and I have gathered on a vast snow-covered field, with snow still falling from the heavens. An Awakened is giving us some information about the Dream Realm, but my thoughts are fixated on my future as I fiddle with the earring on my right ear. It's more for fashion than for protection against the cold. I love the cold, even though my body doesn't tolerate it very well.

The Dark Prince has provided me with vague information about everything he knows so far. First of all, it's now confirmed that I will be heading to the 'Ninth Circle of Hell.' Second, I know that Raijin, Lionheart, and Seraph will be landing somewhere near me. I just need to find them once we're there. Third, he told me that if we don't run immediately after landing, we're in trouble-

I navigate my way through the crowd of Sleepers with Andromeda at my side. Raijin is my target, and I find him relatively quickly. There's plenty of space around him since everyone is afraid of accidentally touching him.

"Yow, kiddo!" I call out to him before reaching him. He looks over at me, and I say, "When you land, immediately look at the sky." He doesn't ask why; he simply nods. He probably doesn't even care. For the past few months, he has been training relentlessly, working on his abilities and physical strength. 

While Eliot, Raijin, Lionheart, and everyone else were honing their physical skills, I spent most of my free time enjoying myself and reading books. This is why I need Raijin to find me as soon as possible to compensate for my lack of physical strength.

I have speed and intelligence, but that's about it. I could potentially summon the Echo to gain physical strength, but as I learned a while ago, it's energy-consuming and risky. The Echo, even if divided by the Dark Prince from himself for me to use, is still a part of a Prince of Hell, a being challenging to control.

A few weeks ago, I attempted to fully summon the Echo. When the Pentagram appeared on the floor and the Echo began to materialize, one of its massive arms immediately lunged at me, scraping off part of my stomach. It took nearly the entire night to regenerate while lying in a pool of my own blood. The Dark Prince explained that it's the remnants of his personality trying to escape control. He told me that there's no way to fully control it, so I should summon it only partially.

*

After the Awakened finally finishes talking, he guides us to our rooms with Pods. Before entering the room, I give Andromeda one last hug and a kiss on her cheek, saying, "Survive." Tears well up in her eyes as she parts with me and goes into her own VIP room.

I enter the room, which is located in the Medical Center, and glance around. There's not much inside, just the Pod and a table with computers and monitors connected to it. A sudden wave of tiredness hits me, and I feel myself tensing up. I'm scared for some reason, even though I know I'm strong, one of the strongest. But still, something inside my body is aching. After all, I'm just a kid, and it's only natural for me to be scared.

Taking a deep breath, I gather all my strength and lie down in the white Pod. It has a soft floor that feels comfortable, perhaps too comfortable.

***

Suddenly a luring voice woke me up:

[Welcome to the Dream Realm, Dante!]