19:Long Night

Their eyes met for a second, just before they both disappeared from the view of the other sleepers.

Grey's body glowed faintly, barely noticeable under the dojo's light, as he launched himself at full speed toward Caster.

In the next instant, their eyes met again, this time just inches apart, when their fists collided with a crash that echoed through the entire hall.

Grey's skin hardened at the last moment, just before the clash of forces. Both were pushed back, taking distance.

'He's strong too!'

His senses sharpened to the maximum; he felt every detail of his surroundings and kept his gaze fixed on Caster, who was quickly approaching with a serious expression.

'And fast!'

Caster managed to dodge Grey's blow aimed at his jaw with a swift move. Taking advantage of his slight speed advantage, Grey slid behind him and threw a powerful punch at his ribs.

Caster reacted immediately, covering himself with his right arm. The impact was brutal, reinforced by the speed and darkness that had spread just before contact. Grey, with his amplified senses, could hear the faint crack of something breaking inside Caster's body.

Caster fell to his knees several meters away, his right arm hanging while his left hand pressed against his ribs. Grey watched him for a moment, his expression empty, before charging again at full speed. He connected a kick to Caster's stomach, sending him flying out of the ring.

...

'That was exciting. Both Nephis and Caster are very strong. I'd like to fight them again. I think it's the first time since I became a Sleeper that I feel tired; I should sleep.'

Grey walked through the academy corridors. After his fight against Caster, Nephis had disappeared from the dojo, and he hadn't had a chance to speak with her. As for Caster and the other sleepers, they were probably in the dojo showers.

Grey, on the other hand, preferred to shower in his room and then rest. Today he had missed his first wilderness survival class, so he wanted to wake up early to attend tomorrow and then train in combat classes at sunset.

*Grrrreg.*

The growl of his stomach pulled him from his thoughts.

'That's right, I haven't eaten anything all day, and I've been straining my brain and body continuously. Should I order something to my room? Yes, that would be best. I'm still sweaty from the fights and exhausted. Ordering food to the room will be best.'

He used his communicator to check the available food options while he made his way to his room and took off his clothes for a hot shower that, at that moment, seemed to be the closest thing to paradise.

***

Lying on his bed, satisfied after a light meal, Grey tried to close his eyes and let himself be embraced by sweet sleep. However, something stirred in his mind, something that wouldn't let him relax.

He was afraid.

During the day, he had pretended to be fine, to stay calm, and to observe his situation with an almost cynical coldness. He sought solutions, investigated everything he could about what was happening to him. But deep down, a silent fear had begun to grow, like a lurking shadow.

It was the fear of not being himself when he woke up. To open his eyes and discover that he had stopped being human, that he had become an irrational beast, trapped in a body he would not recognize as his own.

The thought tormented him. It was like an invisible crack running through his mind, threatening to open completely. He didn't know how to face it, how to fight against something so intangible and unknown. The uncertainty was the worst part; there was no clear enemy he could strike, no obstacle he could overcome with strength or speed.

Grey took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but the fear remained, persistent. He closed his eyes tighter, trying to force sleep, but his mind kept turning the same thought over and over. What would happen if, upon waking, he was no longer Grey, but something... different?

...

Hours passed. The shadows dissipated, and the light covered his body with the false sun from the simulated window. Grey, however, had not been able to sleep all night.

'This... this can't be good. But is it so bad? I'm not a normal human; I have a divine aspect, and I'm a dreamer... A dreamer who does not dream. I think I could endure without sleep.'

Another hour passed. Grey kept staring at the ceiling, trying not to think about anything. Finally, he looked at his communicator, and a long sigh escaped his mouth.

"At least... at least I should take some classes."

He slowly got up and walked to the bathroom. He wasn't particularly tired or fatigued, but he also didn't feel like doing anything.

'A cold shower might help, right?'

When the cold water touched his skin, a shiver ran from his feet to his head, waking him up a little more. It might not have been the best solution, but at least it helped him clear his mind.

...

Walking through the academy's hallways, he no longer needed to use the GPS on his communicator; he just followed the other sleepers heading to the cafeteria.

It wasn't long before he arrived.

The atmosphere inside was cheerful and lively. Many groups of students laughed and chatted among themselves, happy and seemingly without worries.

'That... that would be nice. Not thinking about anything and just enjoying like them. Carefree, without the fear of not being themselves...'

He shook his head slightly, pushing those dark thoughts away, even if only temporarily.

After choosing his food — meat with some vegetables and rice — he headed to a specific table. There, he saw people he knew, including his first friend at the academy.

'Did those two become friends too? That's good.'

"Sunny, good morning. You too, Cassia, good morning."

Sunny and Cassia turned their heads and greeted him back.

"Good morning, Grey."

"Good morning."

He stopped in front of the table and looked at Sunny.

"Can I sit?"

Sunny looked at the empty benches and rolled her eyes before responding with a sigh.

"Sure, I don't think there's anyone in all those empty benches."

A faint smile appeared on Grey's face.

He sat next to her and began to eat. Sunny turned her gaze away and remained silent while her shadow watched him from head to toe, not missing a single move.

Cassia, looking without really seeing, directed her pretty blue eyes toward Grey, curiosity visible on her face.

"Grey, didn't you have breakfast yesterday? Or didn't you come to the dining hall?"

Grey froze for a second upon hearing the question. An unpleasant memory surfaced with it.

"N-no, I didn't come to the dining hall. I went to the library in the morning and was in the combat class in the afternoon."

"Oh, and what were you reading in the library? Do you like comics, or did you go to read novels? I used to like novels a lot... at least when I could read them."

Grey remained silent, unsure whether to respond truthfully or quickly change the subject.

Luckily, Sunny intervened at that precise moment.

"Hey, I didn't think you had a real name. Are you secretly a Legacy?"

Grey glanced at Sunny sideways while a light sigh escaped his mouth.

"What do you mean? I don't know what a Legacy is."

Sunny looked at Grey with a complicated expression, unsure if what Grey said was a joke or if he truly didn't know about the three great clans, the pillars of humanity in the world of dreams and wakefulness.

"You... Are you serious? The great clans are the ones who protect humans in the realm of dreams."

Grey looked a bit confused.

"Sunny, did you forget I have no memories of anything? I said so when we were with Master Jet."

Sunny squinted her eyes, recalling everything discussed with Master Jet. A second later, she remembered; he had certainly said so.

"Uhm, yeah, I remember now."

From the other side, Cassia listened to their conversation with interest and, after hearing about his memory loss, wanted to ask about it.

And, of course, she did.

"Grey, is it true that you lost your memories? Even of your nightmare or your family?"

Turning his attention back to Cassia and leaving Sunny alone, Grey responded without much emotion to Cassia.

"No, I do remember my nightmare. I lost all memory of my past since before I appeared in front of a police station next to Sunny."

Cassia's expression softened after hearing that, and her blue eyes became more tender and compassionate.

"I... I'm sorry for asking, it must be hard not to remember your family or who you were."

Those last words spoken by Grey made his body react. His expression changed to one of nausea as bile began to rise from his stomach to his throat.

He quickly covered his mouth with both hands before swallowing the awful bile and getting up abruptly, surprising Sunny and Cassia.

"Hey, you made my food fall!"

"W-what happened? Grey?" The expression of the blind girl shifted from compassionate to worried in an instant as she turned her attention to the source of the sudden noise.

Grey looked at Cassia and Sunny for a moment before speaking, his voice low and hesitant.

"I-I don't have an appetite. I have to go."

After saying that, he quickly left the cafeteria while most, if not all, of those present turned their gaze to him.

***

Here's the English translation of your text:

**Note:** Well, how about this? I want to give Grey some development, as well as add depth to his character and the ones around him. Whenever I read other fanfics, their characters felt very flat and overly perfect, so I wanted to give Grey his own unique personality.

Anyway, this also puts my fic in a bit of a complicated situation with readers. Many people might just be looking for something quick to read, but I really want to create an OC that feels like a real character, not just something flat and meaningless.

In any case, I hope you enjoy it. I think there will be around 4 or 5 chapters left to wrap up this mini academy arc before moving on to the coast.

Don't forget to give power stones so the fic gets recommended more. And if you're feeling generous, could you also leave a review?