Several days prior…
After Ivan and Cassie formed their bond, they left the small cave and began heading west. Ivan shared his true name with Cassie, who was visibly shocked. She recalled that the only other person she had heard of receiving a true name as a sleeper was Nephis, the last member of the Immortal Flame clan.
Receiving a true name after one's first nightmare was not just rare—it was almost unheard of. Simply revealing such a fact would attract the attention of the great clans. If a sleeper were to join one of these clans, they would be showered with soul shards and granted all the memories they could ask for. Had Ivan not told her he came from a middle-class household, she might have mistaken him for a legacy.
From her previous vision, she had already seen how he looked, and it wasn't far-fetched to think he was in a class of his own in terms of appearance. He almost seemed like a royal from one of the novels or webtoons she used to secretly read.
However, what truly took her aback the most was hearing his true name.
"Okay, let me get this straight… Your true name, which you received after your first nightmare, is literally just 'Adam'?" Cassie couldn't shake the sheer oddity of Ivan's character. First, he had five attributes, which in itself was exceedingly rare, but each of those attributes was of a more mundane nature—nothing like the supernatural traits Cassie was accustomed to seeing in the academy.
And now, even his true name was ordinary. She couldn't wrap her head around it. True names like Immortal Flame, Broken Sword, Smile of Heaven, Wake of Ruin, and the most recent Changing Star all danced in her mind like ethereal stars. Yet among those stars was a radiant, fluffy ball of fur, dancing in between.
Just as she imagined this comical scene, Ivan spoke up. "Even though my true name may seem mundane, we shouldn't underestimate it."
Cassie tilted her head in confusion, her eyes hidden behind her laced blindfold. "What do you mean?"
Ivan continued, "While it's true that my name and attributes are mundane, they could still hold more significance than anything else. For example, the first human's name was Adam. He was the father of humanity and the first to walk the Earth. Receiving the true name of Adam could signify the beginning of something—perhaps the beginning of countless possibilities. After all, humanity has a lot of untapped potential, just as much as it is a tenacious cockroach; it survives no matter the calamity."
Cassie stared at him, her awe evident despite the blindfold. She blurted out, "Wait, the first human's name was Adam?"
"Yes. At least, that's what the Bible says, before the Dark Times. Although, many people have different interpretations of that story."
Cassie was captivated. She asked him a flurry of questions about the topic, and they continued their conversation for some time.
***
Cassie's Mother POV
It has been several days since I received the news that my daughter had entered the dream realm. It all felt like a horrible nightmare, which is quite ironic because many people have to go through a nightmare to awaken.
I couldn't help but wonder if this was her first nightmare. Even though she was already past the age most people experience it and has a family of her own, including a teenage daughter, it's not unheard of for late bloomers to face their first nightmare later in life.
From what I've read online and what I know, the Spell almost always places people in a forgotten part of history to test the sleepers. Right now, she was walking down the road back from the market in NQSC, so it seemed highly unlikely she was in a nightmare trial.
But after my daughter was infected by the nightmare spell, my husband and I became consumed with worry and fear. When she survived, we were overjoyed, but that joy would soon crumble when we learned of her flaw. Cassie's flaw was blindness, and any semblance of hope we had for our family was shattered.
In a couple of months, the winter solstice would arrive, and the sleepers would enter the dream realm for the first time, becoming awakened. For Cassie, however, this felt like a death sentence. Every day, Cassie would shed tears in her room. My husband and I barely held it together, trying our best to comfort her, but the reality of the situation was determined to break us down.
Not long after, Cassie came out of her room and made the decision to go to the awakened academy. She was brave. She put on a strong front and comforted us when it should have been the other way around. But it was obvious what she was doing—she didn't want us to feel burdened, so she chose to walk toward her own destined death.
And I couldn't do anything about it…
Her face crumpled into a grimace. She wanted to shed tears, but what good would tears do for her daughter? After all, according to the spell, the gods were dead—begging them wouldn't help either. But still, she wanted to try. She wanted to hope that a god might answer her dearest wish.
She was going to do whatever it took, even if the end turned out to be hopeless. She opened her bag and pulled out a piece of paper with an address written on it.
Church of Aurora, Saint Aria's Cathedral, 5th Avenue, Dunstan Lane.
Her good friend had given it to her when they met in the market. She was a great friend, someone she could rely on. She had also adopted a daughter a while back, and when she heard about her situation, she had given her the address and told her to go to the church and pray.
Her friend had shared that she and her husband had become believers in the Church of Aurora, followers of the "True Creator."
It was quite surprising to hear this in the current age, especially when the nightmare spell had replaced the idea of worshiping divine entities. Even though there were some radicals and fanatics who still worshiped the nightmare spell, it was much rarer to encounter someone who believed in a deity. After the dark times, most people became atheists or agnostics, so it was safe to say that she was taken aback by her friend's newfound faith.
Her friend didn't force her to believe in this deity, but she did proselytize a little, offering a brief sermon about the "True Creator." Among the things she had said were, "The Lord embodies the truth of this world. 'He' is supreme. 'His' divine grace flows abundantly like the sea. 'He' created everything and shall annihilate everything. 'He' is 'power incarnate.'"
She would be lying if she said she wasn't at least intrigued by this god. What surprised her, though, was the fact that it had been around for over a decade, yet she had only heard its name for the first time today.
Her friend even claimed that this god answered the prayers of their followers and, on occasion, bestowed blessings. If anyone else had told her this, she would have dismissed it as a scam. But coming from her friend, someone who wasn't naïve enough to believe in fairy tales without solid proof, she couldn't ignore it.
After a brief moment of hesitation, she decided to go to Saint Aria's Cathedral.
***
After walking for a while, she had arrived at the address where the cathedral was located, Her breath caught as she gazed up at the cathedral. It was unlike anything she had ever seen in NQSC. The size was overwhelming, especially in a place where space was such a rare and valuable commodity. Despite its lack of towering height, the sheer scale of the building was enough to make it stand out among the more utilitarian structures around it.
The walls were pure white, almost glowing in the soft light of the late afternoon, while the colorful glass murals on the windows told tales of the scriptures with such vividness that they almost seemed to shimmer.
People of all walks of life were streaming in and out of the cathedral, their faces lit with expressions of hope and contentment. It was as if the invisible weight had been lifted from their shoulders. Even the homeless residents from the outskirts of NQSC, who had no reason to smile, seemed at ease.
She hesitated at the entrance for a moment, her hand still holding the crumpled paper with the address written on it. There were no grandiose gates or overly ornate symbols to mark the entrance—just a simple, welcoming door that opened to anyone. The faint scent of incense wafted through the air, mixing with the afternoon breeze.
The moment she entered, the atmosphere shifted. It was quieter inside, but not in a cold or empty way. The floors were polished, the pews well-kept, and the soft golden light of candles flickered in front of a tall cross in the center of the hall.
She moved further in, drawn by an almost magnetic pull toward the cross. The few people still inside had their heads bowed in prayer while they were seated at rows of benches, and others stood, whispering soft words that blended into the hum of the church. She had never seen anything like it. She had never been to a place of worship before, only heard about them from her father and her now dead grandfather.
She felt a lump rise in her throat as she approached the cross. The tears she had been holding back, the ones she had swallowed over the past few days, threatened to spill over. She didn't know what she believed, but in that moment, she desperately wished for something. For Cassie.
It was then that she noticed a figure in front of the cross, someone she hadn't noticed before, as the cross had captured most of her attention.
The figure was a woman, likely in her mid-twenties, younger than herself. Her brown hair cascaded down her shoulders, and a translucent veil covered her head, falling in front of her face and barely concealing her eyes.
A dozen or so people sat on the front benches, not in prayer, but listening intently to the woman's preaching.
"The Red Angel is the Lord's rage, the Lord's punishment. His appearance over the land means war is at hand…"
The woman's voice carried with a presence that captivated her. The words seemed to describe an angel that served the "True Creator."
She continued to gaze forward, her thoughts drifting, when she heard someone call her from behind. Turning around, she saw a man in his forties, dressed in simple but neat attire, approaching her with a kind yet respectful expression.
"Madam, Lady Aria is currently in her preaching session. It can be a little distracting to stand in the center aisle and stare. Would you kindly take a seat here?"
His voice was soft, but carried the weight of respect for the sanctity of the space.
He had adorned a black clergyman robe, and a crucifix hung on his chest, he had light grey hair.
After hearing the man she nearly blurted out loud in surprise, but had managed to control her voice before asking, "that was Aria? As in saint..".
The man smiled "indeed, this cathedral was named after her, however she isn't an awakened saint, a lot of people confuse it, so rest assured the saint is simply a virtuous title given to the most devout here", he explained.
He then asked a question of his own, "say madam, i am not familiar with you, are you new here?".
She then explained her situation to the man in front of her who seemed to be a high ranking priest of this church. She didn't explain in detail simply the things that are eating her from the inside and the pain of a mother.
The man listened intently, surprisingly he was an honest man, he did not give her false hope like telling her as long as she prayed and believed in the "True creator", her daughter would be miraculously saved, he did his best to console her and it did help her sooth her mind from the whirlwind of emotions to a certain extent. He told her that life is a test and that with every hardship, ease will follow. He told her to be patient and to try praying in one of the benches, she didn't have to convert or believe in their god, just praying would do.
She didn't expect any great help from the man or anything to be honest, but she decided to listen to the man's advice, it wouldn't hurt to pray, after all everyone prays in some form or another whether consciously or not.
She sat in of the more secluded benches, she kept the groceries on the side, For a moment, there was only silence, the distant hum of the woman's preaching barely audible as she gathered her thoughts.
Then, her soft voice resounded as she whispered the honorific name the old man had told her.
"The Lord that Created Everything, The Lord who Reigns Behind the Curtain of Shadows, The Origin of all Living Things…"
She inhaled deeply, the words leaving her lips in a gentle whisper. she continued, her plea growing from the depths of her soul.
"I beseech Thee, please save my daughter, Cassie. Please, save her from the cruelty of the Dream Realm. Please, shield her from the darkness that haunts her, the torment that awaits her.."
Her throat tightened, but she forced the words to keep coming, as if voicing them might release some of the weight on her chest.
"Please, ease the burden on our family. Lord. We still have hope, though it fades with each passing day. Please, grant us the strength to endure, to carry on without succumbing to despair. Let Cassie feel your grace, your presence in the darkness."
Her voice faltered slightly, but she pressed on, her hands gripping one another with desperate conviction.
"Make it so that she might be freed from this curse, and that she may return to us, whole and unharmed. I beg of you, True Creator, grant us a miracle. Let her know she is not alone in this struggle. Let her feel the warmth of your protection."
The words hung in the air, her prayer lingering between her and whatever force might be listening. There was no answer but as she finished, she felt a shift in herself. A small sense of calm, like a fleeting whisper had settled in her heart. She wasn't sure what it was or if it was just the quiet of the cathedral, but for the first time in days, she felt just a little less alone.
She lowered her hands slowly, unsure if her prayer had been heard.
When she raised her head, she was not greeted by the familiar hall of the church, rather she found herself standing on air on top of what looks like a coral labyrinth, the environment started to move or rather she started to move, the surrounding became a blur, she didn't even get time to be surprised, everything seemed to happen in an instant.
Soon the surroundings became clear, she was scared, she didn't know what what was happening, she looked around, it looked close to evening time, the coral labyrinth had an eerie red glow, she frantically tried to move but she couldn't, she only remained standing, just then she noticed something.
She noticed figures seated on a highly elevated rock formation. Then, she saw someone she thought she would never get to see, except in a hollowed body.
It was Cassie, her only daughter. She had her hands to cover her mouth, and an indescribable feeling surged in her heart. Tears started to form in her eyes.
She wanted nothing more than to run up to Cassie, to hug her and hold her tight, but at that moment, her movements were restricted.
In that instant, she felt as though her wishes had been granted. God really existed. God hadn't forsaken her daughter.
The preaching woman's voice rang in her head,
"God loves the world."
...
She looked at Cassie more clearly. Cassie wore a dress that fit her perfectly. The lace-up front added a subtle touch of elegance, accentuating her slim figure. The deep purple fabric cascaded down in soft, flowing folds. Cassie had donned a black lace blindfold over her eyes, but rather than hiding her beauty, it only seemed to accentuate it more.
She then noticed that Cassie was talking to someone, though she couldn't hear what was being said. She could tell from Cassie's animated expression that she was speaking with excitement and curiosity. She turned to look at the person.
The person Cassie was talking to was a boy. He had golden hair and sharp golden eyes. His appearance was striking—he could easily be an icon among his peers.
She wasn't sure how to feel about the situation, with a boy and a girl being together alone, but she reminded herself that this was the dream realm. Another matter was Sleepers didn't take their clothes with them the first time they entered the dream realm, so it meant this boy had saved Cassie and provided her with those clothes.
At least she could tell that this boy had no ill intentions toward Cassie. Just by looking at him, she couldn't help but think of him as a sun appearing in the darkness. It was exactly what she had wished for.
Just as she was thinking this, the boy with golden hair seemed to notice something. He didn't interrupt Cassie, who was still talking; he simply raised his head and looked in a specific direction.
"What the—"
He didn't look at just any random direction. He looked straight at the spot where Cassie's mother was watching from.
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A/N: Its me again. an early chapter here! which was suppose to come out tomorrow, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as this will be one of the setting I set for future event's, if you like my work give a vote and add it to collections and comment your thoughts, I read all the comments, your thoughts are important to me as it gives me motivation and helps me cover my flaws for future works.