1: strange event

In a region unexplored by mortal eyes and desolate of all pure life, the sky seemed fragmented as hundreds of winged creatures flew overhead. The skies appeared to be shattered by fissures that broke reality itself.

Colossal giants, comparable in size to mountains, rose high as they made the earth tremble.

In the midst of the chaotic world, slowly being surrounded by the colossi and winged abominations, two small beings stood atop a circular structure of white marble.

One of them had a dignified and imposing figure, radiating an aura of exceptional royalty that made him seem detached from all the chaos around him.

His distinctive features, such as his clothing, hair color, or skin tone, were inscrutable.

The only thing noticeable about this figure was his eyes; the radiant gold in them seemed to impose a mysterious and magical authority over the world around him. Those very eyes appeared to be the threshold of what a mortal could achieve, as if they were close to the divine.

Those magnificent golden eyes shifted from the colossal figures and dimensional fissures to gaze at the other silhouette beside him.

This one, however, seemed completely out of place in this apocalyptic landscape.

He was a teenager with black hair and eyes, his terrified gaze under the scrutiny of the other figure. His body was a bit thin but not malnourished, his clothes were simple torn rags, revealing scars on his pale skin.

He was dirty and in poor condition.

"Look, wretch. Isn't it splendid?"

The voice of that supernatural being was tied to an authority that made the poor, miserable boy tremble.

The boy couldn't respond. He couldn't even look into the eyes of that being, his body shaking under its voice and gaze.

His thoughts were blank, but the fear that the being could observe his true thoughts gnawed at the depths of his soul.

"With this, it is done. It's time for you to go."

The boy looked at his hands, covered in calluses from the hellish training he had undergone since he could remember.

The being placed a hand on the terrified boy's head, and a myriad of colors appeared in the air, covering a large part of the sky.

Whatever that was, it mercilessly tore through all the colossal and winged abominations that tried to attack them both.

Everything was consumed as the creatures writhed in pain, being mutilated by the myriad of colors that pierced their tough skins effortlessly until they were dead.

A second later, the two figures disappeared from the place, leaving behind a large part of the land covered in the remains of corpses and dust in the air.

...

The myriad of colors slowly faded, but not before consuming the souls of all those creatures.

The dust of the colossal corpses settled on the broken earth and covered the white marble, now a grayish tone due to the ashes.

Hours passed in that desolate, lifeless wasteland, at least until reality seemed to tremble.

Hundreds, maybe thousands, of creatures began to be expelled from the dimensional fissures splitting the skies.

From the darkest depths of the earth, dozens of colossi emerged, surrounded by darkness that cloaked their titanic bodies.

The abyss literally trembled as all the chaos returned to the land.

***

The darkness was slowly pushed away by light as he opened his trembling eyes.

His hands moved instinctively, grabbing his head as his face contorted in pain.

It took about a dozen seconds for the pain to begin to subside, allowing him to think again.

Where was he? He looked around and noticed three things: clean streets, tall, luxurious buildings with some food or drink shops, and lastly, the spot where he was standing.

A pale, emaciated boy with black hair and eyes was in front of him, watching him with caution and confusion.

Who is he? Who… am I?

Before he could continue his thoughts, he was interrupted by a voice coming from his right.

"Are you lost?" The voice of the officer sounded irritated as he looked at the two pale, grim boys standing outside the police station.

What's happening—? Suddenly, an overwhelming fatigue assaulted his body and mind, nearly causing him to collapse, asleep and unconscious.

The officer noticed this sudden change and gave him a cautious look.

Before the officer could say anything else, the boy in front of him began to speak.

"As required by the Third Special Directive, I am here to surrender myself as a carrier of the Nightmare Spell."

The officer's expression instantly changed from irritated to cautious. He quickly glanced at the boy and then at the other beside him, a slight hesitation in his eyes.

"And you, boy?" The officer asked, his voice now tinged with concern.

Grey began to search through his memories when… he realized again that he didn't know who he was or why he was at that police station.

But one thing was clear: he was carrying the Nightmare Spell just like the other boy in front of him. The symptoms were as clear as day since he felt the sudden pull to sleep.

"I-I think I'm also a carrier of the spell." His voice sounded strange, as if he hadn't spoken in a long time; it was hoarse and unsteady.

The officer looked at both of them before asking, "Are you sure you're infected? How long have you shown symptoms?"

"A week," the other boy answered first.

The officer seemed to become alert as he directed his gaze to the other pale boy.

"And you, boy?"

Unable to remember anything, not even when he was infected, he had no way of answering truthfully.

"Uh, I—I don't know. I don't remember anything before getting here."

The officer frowned, turned around, and started shouting.

"Attention! Black code in the lobby! I repeat! BLACK CODE!"

***

A few minutes later, the boys were surrounded by several officers who were busy strapping them to a strange mix between a hospital bed and a torture device.

The room they were in was located in the basement of the police station, with thick, armored walls and a formidable-looking vault door.

Other agents stood near the walls, with automatic rifles in their hands and somber expressions on their faces.

Finally, the vault door opened, and a gray-haired police officer entered. He had an experienced face and a stern look, and he seemed like someone who had seen many terrible things in his life.

After checking the restraints, the officer quickly glanced at his wristwatch and then turned to the boys.

"What are your names?"

The boy beside him blinked a few times, concentrating on not falling asleep.

"Sunless."

The old officer raised an eyebrow.

"Sunless? What a strange name."

Sunny tried to shrug but found himself unable to move.

"What's so strange about it? At least I have a name. Not everyone in the outskirts has one."

After another yawn, he added:

"It's because I was born during a solar eclipse. My mother had a poetic soul, you know?"

The old officer nodded and looked at the other boy.

"What's your name, boy?"

He thought for a moment, struggling against the sleep that was pulling him ever deeper.

But how was he supposed to remember that? He didn't seem to have any memories of any kind.

However, just when he was about to tell the officer he didn't remember anything, not even his name, something shifted in Grey's mind.

A memory. A distant and strange one surfaced in his confused mind.

A woman in her twenties was holding his hand while her silhouette was blurry and almost indistinct, hiding her features.

That woman seemed to be in a panic, her body moving as she ran, clutching the hand of the smaller boy beside her.

For a moment, a name could be heard coming from the blurred mouth of that woman as she screamed at the smaller figure.

"GREY!"

His eyes opened slightly as an almost unnatural pain began to reach his heart.

His mouth moved to automatically respond to the officer.

"Grey, my name is Grey."

Before the officer could continue asking questions, Grey felt the pull of the spell even stronger, and just as he was about to fall asleep, he warned the officer.

"I'm about… to sleep… I can't hold on…"

The officer's eyes widened slightly with anxiety as he crouched down and told him the most important thing to do when entering his nightmare.

"Remember, the first thing you need to do is look at your runes!"

Without further ado, the voice of that officer faded away as Grey fell unconscious.

[Aspirant! Welcome to the Nightmare Spell. Prepare for your first trial.]