Noble blinked. The void disappeared and she was suddenly moving at great speed.
Where would she land? Most people who became Masters had their new bodies placed where their old one was left behind.
But she hadn't left a body in the waking world. She had accidentally taken it with her into the Nightmare.
That was unheard of for an Awakened.
Now she could feel herself soaring through space uncontrollably.
In the center of her vision, Noble could see a prick of light. It was small at first, but it grew faster than Noble could process.
It looked vaguely familiar, but before she could register what it was, she broke through a barrier, shattering it like glass.
Noble screamed.
The world around her was suddenly effused with overwhelming brightness and indescribable pain.
Had she died while trying to get home?
----------------
In the bright morning light, the Stone Boar was already hard at work. His nose to the ground, he sniffed around the base of the gate to search for any sign of anomaly.
The Echo could get closer than his master, who watched from a small distance away.
"Find anything?"
The boar lifted his head and snorted before going back to his task. The researcher nodded and marked down the findings.
"Are you almost done Awakened Jeremy?" a soldier called anxiously from the top of the wall.
He didn't like that the researcher was so close to danger. It had been a long time since anything had come out of the gate, and the guard would like to keep it that way.
The man pushed back his dark blond locks and glared up through his glasses. "I will let you know when I am finished."
Jeremy shook his head. 'Does he think research can be rushed?'
Rather than anger one of the vassals of Valor, the soldier simply nodded. "Very Good. Please tell us when to lower the rope to get you out."
Jeremy tipped his chin in acknowledgement and went back to his work. If he were being honest, he wanted to be done with this project as soon as possible.
His usual work with Memories was far more interesting. If not for his boar echo, Jeremy was pretty sure that he wouldn't have been assigned this job at all.
But those he served wanted to know what was special about this gate that made a human be able to pass through it.
They claimed it was 'vital to humanity,' but he doubted it.
Just in case it was, he would do his best to have his echo sniff out anything special that there was to find.
So far, he had nothing to show for his effort.
Not that he minded. No results meant that he would honestly have nothing to report and could get back to the work he enjoyed more quickly.
One more solid sweep of the area would make his conscience clear that he had done all he could.
"Gunther, let's…"
The boar lifted his head and his two stone tusks glowed softly.
"What do you have there, buddy?" Jeremy lowered his datapad and moved closer.
The bottom edge of the gate was wavering slightly more than usual.
"Hmmm…"
"Awakened Jeremy!" The soldier yelled.
"I'm being careful. I know not to touch the gate," the man answered over his shoulder.
But the guard's voice only became more frantic.
"What are you doing?!"
"I'm just looking at an anomaly," Jeremy frowned.
The guard couldn't see the spot from his angle, so why was he acting so crazy?
Gunther grunted again. This time his stone horns shone brightly.
Lifting his head, Jeremy realized why the soldier was concerned. More and more pinches could be seen on the wavering gate.
Stitches were being pulled, causing the tear in reality to become unraveled.
"That isn't me!" Jeremy stepped back quickly and pressed his back against the fortification's wall. Dropping his datapad, he summoned his weapon while Gunther placed his heavy body between himself and his master.
The gate suddenly crumpled like paper before shattering completely.
Jeremy shielded his eyes, but no glass tumbled down.
Instead a screaming Nightmare Creature did.
"What in the Spell?!" Jeremy lifted his shield and axe, preparing to fight.
Only, the Nightmare Creature did not look like anything he had seen before.
Because it was a woman!
She was clad in a surcoat cinched at the waist. Her brown hair fell loosely down her shoulders while her eyes swirled in mesmerizing patterns.
Was he hallucinating?
---------------------
'Blast it that hurt!'
The collision felt like she had been cut by a thousand knives. She instinctively summoned the [Loyal Tabard] to cover any wounds.
"Am I dead?" Noble asked, dazed.
"You are very much alive," a deep voice answered, startled.
Squinting, Noble could see a young man with his back against an impossibly large wall.
"Who are you?"
"Jeremy," he lowered his shield. "Who are you and how did you get here?"
'At least he seems human. That's good. I'm in no condition to fight.'
Seeing no reason to lie, the woman smiled weakly. "I'm Noble. I just conquered a Nightmare and it sent me here."
"Wait...THE NOBLE?!" Jeremy looked like he might drop his axe. "As in Professor Noble?"
Noble frowned, confused by his used of her title. 'Did I have him as a student?'
"Yes, that is me..."
"You are one of the foremost experts on Memories!" Jeremey looked up at the wall and waved off their guns. "Stand down! It is just Professor Noble." The Awakened researcher's eyes lit up as he nudged a stonelike boar aside. "I have been trying to meet with you for months!"
"I've been a little busy." Noble rubbed her head, but the pounding only grew louder.
"And you conquered a Nightmare! Then you are a Master now. Congratulations!" Jeremy dipped his head. "Who would have thought that I would run into you like this? I am one of your biggest fans! I cannot believe you are here!"
"Thank you, Jeremy, but where exactly is here?" Noble looked around at the walled in space.
The young man's eyes opened. "Why, the NQSC of course!"
'I crashed through the gate!' That was why she was experiencing so much pain. The Spell had sent her back the way she came right as the portal collapsed.
Her Awakened body would not have been able to handle the collision, and her Ascended one did not seem like it enjoyed the abuse.
But there was one good thing amidst all the pain.
Noble held her hands to her cheeks. "I...I'm really back.!" Even in the joy, a wave of nausea come over her. She grabbed her head.
'Was the gate that I broke through made of ground?' It had somehow activated her flaw. The intense pain made the world feel like it was about to leave her again.
"Jeremy, can you do me a favor?"
"Of course! Anything." The young man smiled broadly.
"I think I am about to lose consciousness, and I have a bad habit of floating away. Can you make sure that doesn't happen?" Noble glanced up at the men on the wall as sweat began to pour down her brow. She might be able to fly up to them, but her time was running short. "Please, get me to the Awakened Academy as fast as you can."
"Yes, ma'am!" Jeremy bowed deeply. "Master Noble, welcome home."
Noble had no time to respond as her vision slipped to black.
Yet the dreams she had were of sweet anticipation.
Because Jeremy was right.
She was home.