The day had arrived much sooner than Alice expected. She stood outside the Sleep Restoration Institute, the cool evening air brushing against her face, a mix of anticipation and dread knotting in her stomach. Tonight was her first field assignment—something simple, Terra had assured her. Alice wasn't being sent to the frontlines. Instead, she was assigned to oversee the placement of a new Sleep Totem in a village just outside the city, one of many to be deployed in the battle against the Nightmares.
Still, there was no denying the gravity of it all. She wasn't going out alone, though. A small team of guards had been assigned to her, led by none other than Maple Thorncroft, her newfound friend and the ever-confident witch.
Maple gave Alice a cheerful grin as they set out. "Don't look so nervous, Alice. I'll keep an eye on you."
"Easy for you to say," Alice muttered, clutching her alarm clock tightly. It was a comforting weight, but she still hadn't managed to fully merge with it since that faint flicker of power days ago.
"You'll do fine," Maple said, giving her a playful nudge. "Just stay close, and we'll be back in no time. I'll make sure of it."
As the group moved through the dark streets, Alice's unease didn't fade. The world was quiet, unnaturally so, and the faint whispers of distant dreams seemed to float in the air. Nightmares had been growing stronger, their attacks more frequent. Terra had warned them to be on alert, but this mission was supposed to be low-risk. Just place the Sleep Totem and return.
Easy.
But as they approached the village, something felt… wrong.
"Hold up," Maple said suddenly, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the area. The village was silent, eerily still, with no sign of its usual inhabitants. "Something's off."
Alice's heart raced. "What do you mean?"
Maple's expression darkened. "I mean we're not alone."
Before Alice could react, a low growl echoed from the shadows, and then the Nightmares emerged—twisted, dark figures, their forms shifting and writhing like living shadows. Their eyes glowed with a sinister light, and their presence made the air heavy with dread.
"Nightmares!" one of the guards shouted, drawing their weapon. The team quickly formed a protective circle around Alice, their eyes scanning the area for more threats.
Maple stepped forward, raising her hands as green vines and thorns erupted from the ground, creating a barrier between them and the advancing Nightmares. "Stay close, Alice!" she called over her shoulder. "We've got this!"
The guards sprang into action, weapons clashing with the dark figures, but the Nightmares were relentless. Their forms slithered and twisted, slipping through defenses like smoke, their claws tearing into the ground.
Alice stood frozen, clutching her alarm clock tightly, her heart pounding in her chest. She wanted to help, to do something, but her hands wouldn't stop shaking.
Maple was in the thick of the fight, casting spell after spell, her vines wrapping around the Nightmares, binding them momentarily before they broke free. Her usual confidence was there, but Alice could see it—the strain, the slight tremor in her voice as she called out her incantations.
The Nightmares weren't stopping.
One of the creatures lunged at Maple, its claws ripping through her defenses, sending her stumbling backward.
"Maple!" Alice cried out, rushing forward instinctively, but she was too slow.
The Nightmare struck, its claws slashing across Maple's side. She let out a pained gasp, falling to one knee as her vines wilted and the barrier crumbled.
Alice's breath hitched. This was it. This was the moment she had feared—being powerless to stop the Nightmares, to protect the people she cared about.
But then, something within her stirred. A spark. A warmth that spread from her chest to her fingers, and in that moment, the fear vanished.
She gripped her alarm clock with both hands and closed her eyes.
I have to protect her.
The warmth grew, becoming a fire that surged through her veins. Her thoughts focused on the memories of her grandmother, the sense of safety the clock had always brought her. She wasn't powerless. She wasn't helpless.
The clock in her hands began to glow.
The hands, once broken and still, now moved, ticking forward with a rhythm that matched her heartbeat. Time itself seemed to slow, the world around her fading into a blur as the power of the Sleep Totem coursed through her.
And then it happened.
The clock melted into light, merging with Alice, and in her hands, a sword materialized—a blade that gleamed with a soft, golden light, its edges sharp but graceful. It felt right, as if it had always been there, waiting for her to call upon it.
"Waking Hour," Alice whispered, her voice steady.
The Nightmare that had struck Maple turned its glowing eyes toward Alice, sensing the new energy. It lunged at her, but this time, Alice was ready.
With a swift motion, she swung the sword, the blade cutting through the Nightmare's form like it was made of mist. The creature let out a piercing screech before dissolving into nothingness, its shadowy essence evaporating under the light of Alice's weapon.
The other Nightmares hesitated, sensing the shift in power. Alice stepped forward, her grip firm on the hilt of the sword, and with each swing, the Nightmares fell, their dark forms unraveling in the face of the blade's light.
Maple, still clutching her side, looked up in amazement. "Alice…"
The fight was over as quickly as it had begun. The Nightmares were gone, banished by the light of Alice's Waking Hour. The air was still once more, the oppressive darkness lifting.
Alice stood there, breathing heavily, the sword still glowing in her hand. The weight of what had just happened settled over her slowly. She had merged with her Sleep Totem. She had unlocked her power.
And that power… it felt like the natural counter to the Nightmares, like the sword had been crafted for this exact purpose.
Maple staggered to her feet, wincing from her injury but grinning nonetheless. "I knew you had it in you, Alice. That sword…" She paused, eyeing the blade. "It's something special. I've never seen anything like it."
Alice looked down at the weapon, her hands trembling slightly. She could still feel the warmth of the clock in her chest, the power it had given her.
"I don't know what just happened," Alice admitted, her voice soft. "But I think… this is only the beginning."
Maple chuckled, wiping sweat from her brow. "Well, whatever it was, I'm glad you figured it out when you did. That sword's going to come in handy."
As the guards regrouped and tended to the injured, Alice and Maple shared a quiet moment. Despite the chaos of the battle, Alice felt a strange calm settle over her.
For the first time since joining the Institute, she felt like she belonged. Like she could really make a difference.
And with the Waking Hour in her hands, she was ready for whatever came next.