Chapter Six.

'It could be worse.' Jack shrugged.

Flaw: [Connected Mind].

Flaw Description: [Your intrinsic form has an infantile mind of its own. Your connection is most potent when transformed.]

'I want to see this baby octopus thing try to hijack my soul.' Jack snickered. 'I was possessing bodies when you were still a sperm in your momma's nutsack, dumbass.'

Jack tried to feel if something was off about his soul or body, but there were no perceptible differences.

'We'll see each other sooner rather than later, I reckon.'

As Jack reflected on possible countermeasures against this new threat, the Spell spoke once again, this time with finality:

[Wake up, Inferno of the Depths!]

The black void spun and disappeared.

-x-

The first thing Jack saw as he awakened was a reinforced ceiling of solid steel. Upon further inspection, he saw he had been taken to the interior of the police station. And to his right side, stood a beautiful, but deadly Master. And an easily recognizable one, at that.

'Soul Reaper Jet... Very nice.' Jack thought with an approving nod. She had short, raven-black hair and icy-blue eyes. Her flawless skin was smooth, supple, and as white as snow. In her dark blue uniform with silver epaulets and black leather boots, she painted an imposing picture.

Currently, she was stretching her arms above her head, clearly bored and sleepy. The gesture forced the thin fabric to tighten, provocatively accentuating her full breasts.

Although he hadn't spent much more than a day inside his nightmare, the Outskirts also wasn't a picnic in the park. All in all, he hadn't seen a woman this stunning up close ever since the day he stepped foot in this world. Her looks were only complemented by her powerful aura.

'Digressions aside... It seems my left arm is back to its pristine state.' Jack felt incredible. All the pains from the constant fighting and small wounds were gone. Even his wounds previous to Nightmare seemed to have healed!

The sudden disappearance of pain, coupled with the new vitality that permeated his body, made Jack almost jump in joy.

"Well, that was quick."

The commentary took Jack out of his mind and to the present. Although his first Nightmare had been intense, with constant fighting from the beginning, it was relatively brief. If he had to hazard a guess, he would say it took no longer than a day.

"That's not something any man likes to hear from a lady," Jack replied with mirth.

The woman stared back at him with a slight smile.

"Then it's a good thing I'm not one."

Jack laughed out loud. "I see, I see. So, Ms. I-am-not-a-lady, can you please help me take these restraints off? They're a tad uncomfortable, as you can probably tell."

She eyed him with a speculative look. Jet no longer found the candid Sleeper as amusing.

"You don't talk like someone from the Outskirts." 

'She read my file, huh? She did have to wait some time here, probably leafed through it to stave off boredom.'

Jack sighed. "Yes, I've been told that multiple times. It's not my fault my peers are all numskulls." Delving a little deeper in her statement, he continued. "You can ask me anything from my file. There's no way a Monster with a possession ability would know any of it. Least of all an awakened one."

Soul-Reaper Jet's smile slowly returned. "I see. A smart one. It will do you wonders in the Dream Realm. Just make sure that sharp tongue of yours doesn't get you in any trouble your legs can't get you out of."

The woman nodded her head.

"In any case, since you're awake - welcome back to the land of the living. Congratulations on surviving your First Nightmare, Sleeper Ripper."

'Sleeper...' That was how people would address him now, at least in the short span of weeks until the winter solstice - after that, he would either return from the Dream Realm as an awakened or not return at all.

'Even though my power is incomparable to normal Sleepers, the Dream Realm can't be underestimated. There's no fairness to be found there.' Jack pondered.

"Thank you, Master..." 

"Jet." She replied. "I am an Ascended, as you can tell by my insignia. You can call me Master Jet. These past few hours I was on watch duty due to your Nightmare."

"Then, thank you, Master Jet. If I'm not still under any scrutiny could please help me with these?" He asked while gesturing towards his restraints.

Although Jack could break them with no great difficulty, since they were made for the containment of dormant creatures, it would do him no good to make a scene at the Police Station. Even more so while an Ascended was closely monitoring him. 

Being polite was often the easiest way out of a pickle.

With a nod, the beautiful woman stood up and approached the reinforced medical bed. With practiced moves, she began to undo the restrain holding Jack in place.

"Are you really from the Outskirts?" She asked as her hands worked.

"Born and raised," Jack answered simply. "But I've always repudiated the idea that my origins should define me - and so, I didn't let them."

Jet's icy blue eyes met his, as she gave him a dark look. "Life is not so simple."

"And yet, here I am. Alive and well despite the odds. Quite a few books under my belt too. In fact, not only was I an Outskirt rat, I was the most vulnerable kind. An orphan. Can't tell you how many times I escaped death by the skin of my teeth." Jack spoke in remembrance.

"I'm not saying life is easy on the Outskirts. Far from it. But if I could dig out of the hole I was born into, anyone can make something out of themselves if they have the drive to do so. Anyone."

And Jack spoke from the heart. Although his situation in this life was greatly assisted by his vast knowledge and resourcefulness, he could vividly remember his very first life. Born of a pariah, he had to kick and claw his way to survival every single day. And life kicked back. Hard. The thing was, it never managed to keep him down for long.

Jet looked at the fire in his eyes and suddenly saw Jack in a new light.

A small smile graced her lips as she opened the final restraint. 

"You have a point. I understand better than you would think." Jet hesitated for a moment, and completed. "I was once in a situation very similar to yours. Never imagined an Outskirt rat like me could survive a Nightmare. And yet, here I am."

Jack feigned surprise with mastery, as he massaged his now free wrists. "You are from the Outskirts? No offense intended, but you absolutely look like you spend seven days a week at a spa."

It was Jet's turn to guffaw. "None taken, kid. That's one of the perks of becoming an Ascended, I guess. No acne."

"You have a little more going for you than healthy skin." Jack stood up, slowly finding the balance of his improved body. "So… what do I do now?" 

"Now comes the fun part. Paperwork." From the look in her eyes, Jack could see he wouldn't be having fun anytime soon.

"Off to an exciting start to my life as a Sleeper." It was not exciting.

-x-

An hour after that Jack finished the paperwork required for recently awakened Sleepers. He was wearing a clean police-issued tracksuit and heading for the cafeteria. Master Jet was waiting for him at one of the tables, with two bowls full of synthetic food in front of her.

"Help yourself."

Glancing at the cheap gruel, Jack decided that discretion was the better part of valor. "I'm not that hungry, thank you."

Jet gave him a weird look.

"That's the first time I've seen someone from the Outskirts deny food."

Jack shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a picky eater."

"Alright. Then I'll begin. As per protocol, I'm obliged to inform you of a few things. First of all, concerning your Nightmare, you are entitled to psychological counseling. No matter what traumatic experience you have encountered, there is no shame in asking for help. Are you interested?"

Jack shook his head. Jet shrugged and continued:

"Thought so. You can also talk to me. Was it very hard?"

"Not at all. Us Outskirts rats go through worse on a daily basis." Jack said simply.

She grinned.

"Someone is confident. That can be as much of a blessing as a curse on the Dream Realm. It is good not to doubt yourself, but be sure to not underestimate your enemies."

Jack laughed and answered in jest: "You should tone down a little, Master Jet, or people might start believing you care a little too much for underaged Sleepers." 

Jet's smile snuffed out.

"But I do care. People from the Outskirts have no one to look for them their whole lives. Now that you got to this point, the least I could do is lend a guiding hand."

The answer took him completely by surprise. He was also a bit annoyed.

'…She completely ignored my joke.'

But at the same time, he knew she was being honest. Although she sometimes showed a tough exterior, during most of the original book, Master Jet was bleeding heart where Sunless was concerned. 'Though she did try to kill him that one time…' 

Jack smiled in gratefulness.

"That's very generous of your part, Master-"

She suddenly continued, cutting Jack mid-sentence: "And besides, every single Sleeper is considered a legal adult, so pedophile jokes don't apply here."

Jack instantly deadpanned. 

Jet's mouth corners trembled slightly and she continued:

"Now, back to the topic. There are some additional hoops to jump through, mostly having to do with your family, but… Well. We already talked briefly about that. The only left is to decide how your preparations for the Dream Realm will go."

She looked at her communicator and sighed.

"Your luck is not great, but it could be worse. There is one month until the Winter Solstice. Not a lot of time all things considered. You have a couple of choices. First, you could spend this time enjoying your life. A final farewell. But I don't think that fits your style."

Jack nodded.

"Thought so. As a Sleeper, you're also entitled to enroll in the Awakened Academy. You'll be provided with food, lodging, and a wide array of preparatory classes. In only one month, what you'll learn will be limited. But it'll still be valuable knowledge while on the field."

She was silent for a few seconds, and then added:

"More importantly, you'll get acquainted with most of the people who will enter the Dream Realm with you. Some of them might become your companions for life."

Jack snickered. "Or put a knife between my ribs while I'm looking the other way."

Jet nodded with a serious expression. "Just as likely."

After a moment of introspection, she completed:

"So, what do you say? Do you want me to take you to the Academy?"

Jack thought for a moment, trying to solve the puzzle of his current situation. 'One month, huh? Jet is also here… The NQSC is simply gigantic. 200 million inhabitants. Enough people to populate a whole Empire. There is no way I could've found her, a member of the main cast, by chance. If I were a betting man, I'd also say Sunless is on the verge of finishing his First Nightmare, and that I'll run into him at the Academy.'

Jack looked at his runes.

Attribute: [Fateless]

Attribute Description: [Fate is a stern and cruel master. Its fabric is unable to restrain you, but unwilling to concede.]

'Unwilling to concede doesn't sound too good. And there's more than one way to control someone.' He looked at Jet. 'Controlling those around him is an obvious option…'

Jack snickered in amusement. 

'I see. So you think this tiny bit of control will stray me into your intended path?'

He looked forward, a cynical smile on his face.

"The Academy sounds like a great plan, Master Jet!"

'Then watch me powerlessly as I break you into tiny little pieces.'