It was a cold night on the city streets, and a young man was walking through them. He was an average young man, perhaps a bit taller than most, but still within the standards. He was slim and had somewhat tanned skin. The boy was heading to the nearest police station.
"I wanted to deny it, but there's no doubt: this is definitely *Shadow Slave*," thought the boy with dismay.
I was a college student in my last years of university. In my free time, I liked to read web novels, and one day I came across *Shadow Slave*. I liked its characters, fights, and power system.
When I was reborn, they named me Cris. I was born like a rat on the outskirts. Being reborn was difficult, and even more so in the outskirts. As someone from the outskirts, I had no privileges but many chances of dying. But against all odds, I am still alive. I don't know if it's luck or destiny. Returning to the point of why I was out at night: I am infected by the Nightmare Spell and was heading to a police station.
The Nightmare Spell first appeared in the world a few decades ago. Back then, the planet was just beginning to recover from a series of devastating natural disasters and subsequent resource wars. The emergence of a new disease causing constant fatigue and drowsiness didn't draw much attention at first. But when people started falling into an unnatural stupor, showing no signs of waking even days later, governments panicked. By then, it was too late; although an early response wouldn't have made any difference.
When the infected started dying in their sleep and their corpses turned into monsters, no one was prepared. The Nightmare Creatures quickly overwhelmed national armies, plunging the world into total chaos. No one knew what the Spell was, what powers it possessed, or how to fight it.
In the end, it was the Awakened (those who survived the initial trials of the Spell and returned alive) who put an end to its rampage. Armed with miraculous abilities obtained in their Nightmares, they restored peace and created the semblance of a new order. Of course, it was only the first of the catastrophes caused by the Spell. But I didn't really care; that's in the past. What matters to me now is that I'm about to enter a nightmare. To say I was nervous is an understatement. I was an ordinary person in my previous life. It's obvious I would be nervous if I had to enter a world as dangerous as the world of dreams, but I just have to resign myself.
When I arrived at the station, an officer came out and asked me curiously:
"What are you doing here at this hour, boy?"
And in a calm voice, I said, "I'm here to turn myself in because I'm infected by the Spell."
"I see, follow me."
***
I was sitting in a metal chair, probably an alloy. My hands and legs were tied to the chair. The room I was in was relatively small, gray in color, and had no windows. It was probably underground.
"What's your name, boy?"
"Cris."
"Cris? Strange name."
"I wasn't the one who gave it to me," I said indifferently.
"Whatever. Do you know what the Spell is?"
"Yes, who doesn't know these days?"
"Good point there, boy."
"Do you have any family to contact?"
"No, I'm an orphan."
"Ok, we don't have time for the full procedures. Listen carefully. Once you fall asleep, you will be transported into your First Nightmare. Nightmares are trials created by the Spell. Once inside, you will encounter monsters, of course, but you will also meet people. Remember: they are not real. They are just illusions conjured to test you."
I already knew everything he was telling me. I was up to date with the novel, but it's never bad to have a reinforcement of information.
After a few minutes, sleep was overcoming me. I am about to enter a new world. What will it be like?