"I was an orphan-"
But before Wren could say further, Nephis stopped him.
"You were an orphan?"
Wren looked at her, with a dumfounded look he asked:
"I think I told everyone about that?"
Sunny and Cassie nodded. Seeing their approval, Wren turned to Nephis, who coughed and then said:
"I thought you were lying."
Wren stared at her, then sighed.
"Leave it, this is something I should have expected. At least from you. Anyway I should continue right?"
Everyone nodded, Wren took a deep breath and started:
"I was orphan, and stayed in a orphanage supported by the Valor Clan. I know it is surprising as it is not known by everyone. Each year when few children between the age of nine to eleven that have enough talent are taken to Valor Clan by a saint."
Everyone were looking at him, prompting Wren to continue:
"I was eight years old, when I started my training. An year after, Saint Tyris of the White Feather Clan came to the orphanage. I was selected to be personally trained by her while the other four children were send to other branches."
Sunny raised his hand, and asked:
"You said, you trained for a year on yourself. What was this training consisted of? And how did you exactly trained yourself without a mentor?"
Wren looked at him, and smirked.
"Hmm, I trained my physique to it's limit well, how much my nine year old body was capable of. I also learned various combat arts. These things didn't require a mentor but I needed illustration and found many books related to it in my orphanage's library. Many of the combat arts I learned were actually used by the people of the past when the Nightmare Spell didn't descended."
"And surprisingly many of them were very useful, for example you remember when I was fighting Nephis, and how she was lifted to mid-air?"
Sunny nodded, while Cassie and Nephis especially listened carefully.
"Aikido, a combat art that uses the opponent strength against them. Nephis at that moment used her punch to attack me, which I simply used her strike's power against her by grabbing and rotating her arm, shifting her whole body to mid air. If it was past, she wouldn't have been lifted to that much height but this is the era of Awakened."
"What about the technique you used against Caster?"
This time Nephis was the one who asked the question.
"Oh! that was something I created, currently don't have a name for it. It is a very complex technique, you see what I did against Caster, was that a single attack of mine was actually not a single strike."
Everyone, was momentarily confused. Wren grinned and said:
"It is very impossible to explain it properly in words, and I can't give you practical application as you can see my condition. All I can tell, is that a single strike of mine consisted of multiple attacks."
The confusion was not really visible on their faces before, but they were now showing it very clearly.
"I really don't understand what are you saying, maybe a practical application is the only option."
Sunny was confused and at the same time was very eager to learn it, Nephis had similar thoughts mixed with some strange comment.
'Ah, it is a huge loss. That I can't learn his technique, not that it was my fault. He went towards me, so I just attacked him, so that I can be sure about my survival. Yeah, it is not my fault.'
Sighing Wren continued.
"So I was taken to the Dream Realm, a seed of Nightmare was sown in my soul..."
Sunny interrupted in between.
"A seed of Nightmare was sown in your soul?"
Wren stared at him and then shook his head.
"Yes, that is how the Legacy clans make their children challenge the First Nightmare. Nephis would have also followed the same method."
Sunny turned his head for confirmation, and Nephis gave him a nod.
"My master's citadel the Sanctuary of Noctis in the Chained Isles is where I spend most of seven years training. I was mostly isolated to the Waking World. My life wasn't like everyone else, sure it wasn't harsh like Nephis and Sunny but still I sacrificed my free time just to grow stronger."
"And that thirst, got an attention of someone from the main family. She also became my first friend, although she was a battle maniac but that made her more interesting."
Sunny raised his brow, and asked with interest:
"And who is this "she" you are talking about?"
Wren looked at Sunny's sudden spark of interest. He chuckled and then said:
"Oh! Her name is Morgan. She is the princess of Valor Clan."
Nephis on hearing Morgan's name had a surprised expression while Cassie and Sunny were stunned.
"Her sudden interest started a chain of reaction, causing many Saints to become interested in me, one of them were Saint Madoc, also known as the Whispering Blade. I was also stunned by his sudden interest like you guys, but that interest also become bit too much for me."
Although nobody asked him the reason, the silence was enough for Wren to continue:
"You see, he actually offered me a chance to spar against him, and dumb like my usual self I accepted. I knew that he would wipe the floor with me but I still accepted. Just for personal experience, I was overwhelmed but was also able to stand my ground barely even if he was holding back. I was able to just graze the tip of my blade against his forearm and loosed my consciousness after it."
"Because of this I was adopted to the main family, not even the side one. Even I don't know why did that happened, perhaps he was impressed or there was some other reason. Three years had passed after it and I entered my First Nightmare on the day of my birthday."
Wren stopped for some time, nobody answered there was only silence, and that's what Wren hated the most. Though nobody answered their thoughts were rampaging like a mad being.
Sunny was bewildered. He knew Wren had talent but this was something off charted, his sword although didn't harmed the Saint it still was able to graze it.
'All this while he was a mundane human, what would happen if he became a Saint?'
Nephis felt many emotions. Her whole body was stunned from fear no it was not Fear what she felt was true dread. But this dread didn't wavered her conviction, rather this dread fueled the conviction to burn like her white immortal flames.
'Another stepping stone in my path, but can I really defeat it? ... No I will, nothing can stop my revenge, not even you.'
The white flames burned furiously in her striking grey eyes, as Nephis looked toward Wren. But then another though appeared in her mind.
'He... how did he knew my Flaw, no he even knew it's name. Is he like Cassie?'
Meanwhile Cassie face was pale, deathly pale. As an oracle, her ability allowed her to see the fate of people. Although she can only see it to certain point considering her limit as a Sleeper. The strings of Fate which she perceive wrapped around people, many were wrapped normally, sometimes they are wrapped very tightly and sometimes they intertwined with other strings to an huge extent. But in case of Wren...
'They seem to avoid him, as if they don't recognize his existence. They seem to hate him, loathe him so much that, they don't want to even touch him. It was not only this, even his runes I wasn't able see them, all I could see was eternal darkness, and that darkness seems to aware of me, as if what I was seeing was not the darkness but ... the void itself and in that void was someone who always tell me to not pry.'
Wren then suddenly coughed, and said while scratching his head:
"Please don't make the environment awkward, I hate silence if you want to ask something just ask it."
Sunny and Nephis were drown in their thoughts, so Cassie answered for them:
"Uh... Wren tell us more about your First Nightmare? Was it really hard?"
Wren sighed, and then said:
"I was a king in my First Nightmare, my army was in siege to destroy a temple of an unknown god, all the six gods somehow seems to hate that particular god. They hated him to the point, that if I destroyed his temple they would give their blessings to me or the one who I possessed, that is what I heard. In reality, the king died by the hands of an mad shadowspawn including his army, but that didn't happened in my case I barely won against it, that bastard even though he was a Awakened Devil, he fought like an Awakened Terror. Still I won, when I obilirated both of his heart in a single strike."
Cassie and Nephis listened Wren carefully, understanding his words meanwhile Sunny he was...
'Ahhh! Damnation why the heck was he a king and why I was a slave, how the heck can someone be so lucky, Fuck this [Fated] attribute of mine.'
"How did your Nightmare ended then?"
Wren looked toward Nephis, and sighed.
"I entered that temple, and then "boom" a sudden huge flash of light appeared and then the Spell said that the Nightmare was conquered."
Everyone stared at Wren, showing signs that they didn't believe in him. But then they didn't ask him, considering that everyone present had some secrets with them. Still the description of his First Nightmare ignited some curiosity about the unknown god whom even the other six gods seem to hate.
Sunny's eyes were glowing with an curiosity of an explorer.
'An unknown god? That one which was mentioned in the description of my attribute [Mark of Abyss] are they similar to the one in my [Blood Weave] attribute? ... No it was clearly written in it that they were one of the -unknown-, hmm so there are many of them but why does the Spell refuse to translate them?'
Many new question filled in Sunny's mind, suppressing his curiosity, he asked:
"What was your appraisal then? There also one thing I didn't understood why were you here in the academy when the Valor Clan can easily provide the support?"
Wren looked at him, and then slightly smiled.
"Uh... not gonna tell you but it was very good. Anyway, I wanted to join the academy so they allowed me although it was really hard as I had to give an excuse that I will recruit people with talent which now, I am forced to do."
Everyone just stared at him, their expression were strange, they showed both surprise and amusement.
"Why did you wanted to enter the Academy?"
Nephis sudden question brought new curiosity in everyone eyes, looking at them Wren simply sighed.
"I mostly spend my time in the Dream Realm, so maybe it was a desire of mine to connect to the Waking World, a part of mine that I had sacrificed to grow stronger. So basically, I had come to make some friends, Morgan is my best friend but you know I am greedy as hell. So I wanted to find more people, that I can trust with my back. Although it is my rule, to not believe someone blindly. Maybe, I just want to be free of this rule of mine, a simple desire maybe."
Sunny stared at him for few moments, not just him but also Cassie and Nephis. All of them had the same thought.
'Weirdo!'
Wren looked at them, he understood that they were thinking that he is a weirdo, it was visble on their faces. In reality, he actually wanted to have some friends apart from Morgan. There was also another reason behind it, in reality it was because of his Flaw, second Flaw actually. Of course, he didn't understood why he received two Flaws instead of one, but both of them just fueled his Aspect destructive capabilities.
His first Flaw the [Split Personality] allowed a being named Ark that is battle frenzy, and loved slaughtering people or Nightmare creatures it didn't matter to him. Whenever he used his Aspect, Ark would try to take control of his body. Although he achieved a half state where he can suppress his maniactic desires and use his abilities, weaker than what it was capable of.
His second Flaw [Emotionless monstority] unleash a monster, an unconscious Wren who is now controlled by his instincts, would start wreaking havoc and destruction everywhere. To control that, he need anchors for his emotions someone who will stop him if he ever goes into that state.
'Ah, what a way to get and also doom your new friends.'
Now that his small story was completed, he looked at the cohort and said:
"Now that my story has finished, it is our time to discuss about when to enter the human citadel in this Forgotten Shore."
As the night has ended following was a new day with the receding of the Dark Sea. Everyone turned around, behind them was a dark expanse of land was rising above the slope of the colossal crater. And on it, a tall city wall built of grey polished stone was towering over the giant chasm of the abyss. It looked ancient but still impenetrable, able to withstand the crushing pressure of the dark sea for a thousand more years, They've made it.
They had found the human castle.
"Before you guys mindlessly rush toward that citadel, we need to make some plans."
Everyone turned around and looked towards Wren. Sunny smirked and said:
"Well, what is the plan?"
Wren grinned.
"Oh, it is same as our usual. Sunny will collect information using his shadow, based on that we will move. I don't want crush your hopes but I think you should know, Cassie said that there were humans in the citadel, but Nightmare Creatures still lingered in that are which means either they had not found the Gateway or they had found it but were not able to kill the Gateway guardian. Since this region is undiscovered it is mostly likely those in power are temporarily controlling it."
Everyone after hearing that had somber expression, but there was still hope in them. Wren sighed when he noticed their expression, he then continued:
"I know it is hard to swallow but this is the truth that even I don't want to believe. Anyway, after Sunny will acquire information, we will start our rebellion there, with Nephis being the leader while Cassie will be the second in command. Sunny has already a role, and this way he can also hide his power. As for me, I will hide my identity too, well as a ...."
The last words from Wren regarding his role in their soon to or may not happening rebellion, left everyone stunned especially Nephis, as his undercover was related to her. His reasons sound both reasonable and at the same time dumb.
"With this, we shall now embark the start of our new journey."
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A/n : I am sorry for not uploading chapters for a whole week, as my health was really I mean really bad. And I have to apologize for future too as I have would not be able to upload till 14 december, my exams are coming so have to take out the books that are eating dust somewhere.
See you in the next chapter.
-Grey