Ch.1 Lost sight

[All power has a price.]

[You have received a Flaw.]

[Your Flaw is:…]

Sunny read the runes, and his eyes widened with horror. The glee he had for receiving his aspect retreated deep into his mind, buried under layers among layers of worry.

'Oh, no. No, no, no…'

He closed his eyes, then opened them again, hoping that this was just a dream, or a revelation. 

But his flaw had already taken effect. With a single whisper, the spell had taken everything from him. 

The runes were still there, shining brightly, as though mocking him.

Flaw: [Veil of Shadows].

Flaw description: [You cannot see the world, for it doesn't welcome those who peer at its secrets.]

Sunny stared at it, before raising his head and looking around. There was nothing he could see, nothing in his sight, except those shimmering runes. 

'Can't see. I can't see? Me? How am I supposed to live if I'm blind!'

Sunny's very survival was predictated on his ability to read people, then deceive and outsmart them. How was he supposed to do that blind? 

Not to mention, how was he supposed to walk? How was he supposed to run? How was he supposed to escape? 

It would be like learning how to walk all over again.

"Sh…"

Sunny was about to curse, but at the moment, the spell whispered.

[Wake up, Lost from Light!]

The black void spun and disappeared.

—-

Sunny opened his eyes.

He was met with nothing but an endless void, sniffling any hope that this was just a sick joke by the spell. He really was blind. 

Sunny was hit by a wave of nausea. His sight was taken from him, taken from the darned spell. Hadn't he suffered enough? Hadn't he survived against all odds in that damned nightmare?

That didn't matter, he had to survey his surroundings, he had to access the danger. Sunny filtered out the thoughts of his blindness, instead reaching out to his other senses such as hearing and touch.

The sounds of ventilation hummed in his ears, and he could feel the soft touch of the quilt. A faint smell of cleanliness hung in the air, which Sunny greedily took in.

'Is this what richness feels like? Clean, filtered air even in a police station near the outskirts…' 

It was at this moment, Sunny knew if he ever survived and Awakened, he wouldn't mind working endlessly killing Nightmare Creatures if it meant breathing such fresh air each day.

The restraints the officer had put on him stung, yet it wasn't the chains in the slave caravan. It was metal, cool and clean, designed to strap the Sleeper should they fail their Nightmare. The restraints weren't cold and heavy, they didn't make his feet and wrists burn, and he didn't have to find solace from the heat radiating from his blood. The bite of the whip was gone from his back, and he could breathe without feeling the sharp edges of his broken ribs cutting deeper and deeper into his lungs. 

The cold that threatened to freeze him in place was replaced by the warm air, and instead of the hard floor that he had slept on, he could relax under the comforting presence of a bed and a blanket. 

Only now did Sunny realise how much he missed the real world.

He didn't have to fear for his life in an unknown terrain, and there was no constant fear of torturous death.

It was home.

The sudden disappearance of pain, coupled with the new vitality that permeated his body, almost made Sunny forget about his new found blindness. 

He had survived. 

But at what cause? To live for a few more days?

"…How long until the winter solstice?" Sunny wondered, how long until his presumed death.

"Four weeks," A feminine voice coldly said in reply. 

Sunny blinked in surprise. Did the women read his thoughts? Was she another Nightmare Creature? Where was that voice even from? He only remembered it came from the left of wherever he was.

The woman sighed, "You spoke your thoughts out loud."

Oh. He didn't realize that. His eyes widened with horror, what else had he said? Did he give out something else?

"No, you didn't."

"How…?" He croaked, his throat burning from the stark difference in his Nightmare and reality.

"It was written all over your face." The women starkly replied, "Are you awake now?"

Sunny nodded, his face heating up in embarrassment. He had made such a stupid mistake. 

"Good. In any case, since you're awake —- welcome back to the land of the living. Congratulations on surviving your First Nightmare, Sleeper Sunless." 

Sleeper Sunless.

He was a Sleeper now. People would address him as so, in the short span of days until the winter solstice — after that, he would either Awaken, or not return at all.

It felt strange to have a title put before his name. In the past, Sunny was rarely even addressed by his name. People mostly called him things like 'boy', 'punk, 'brat' or 'hey you!'. But now, he even had a title!

Sleeper Sunless…

He'll have to get used to it.

Scrap! The sound of the chair scraping the floor echoed across the room. And with steady steps, she approached the bed. With practiced ease, she started undoing the restraints holding Sunny in place. 

"I am Ascended Jet. You can call me Master Jet. These past three days, I was on watch duty due to your Nightmare."

Huh? Why was a Master watching over him? 

A Master…

"Master Jet? I have a question."

"Go on."

"Why would a Master be put on watch duty? Isn't it… below your pay grade?

Jet stayed silent for a while, "You're smarter than you seem. Recently, there was a lot of Gates opening in this sector. Most of the local Awakened are either wounded or occupied with the clean-up. Or dead. It's always like that close to the winter solstice."

She opened the final restraint, and took a step back. 

"Plus, there's not a lot of Awakened who, like me, directly work for the government. It's by far the least lucrative or glorious carrier one of us can choose. Would you abandon wealth and fame to work abysmal hours and risk your life, fuelled only by altruism and sense of duty?"

Before he could think, Sunny spat out, "Of course not, if it meant not making money!"

Jet let out a laugh.

"See, I was right. You really are smart."

"So… What now?" Sunny asked, hesitantly.

Jet let out a sigh, "You reek of Nightmare… But I suppose that's to be expected. Go take a shower." She said.

'How am I even supposed to take one!'

Sunny grimaced. 

'Well, this is the outskirts all over again… it's kill or be killed. Adapt to survive.'

He had so much he wanted to say, so much he wanted to ask, but instead, he simply said:

"Where's the showers?"

They could talk later..

"I'll bring you there," Jet curtly replied.

Sunny wobbled out of the bed, his hands reaching into the air with uncertainty. He could get used to this, the feeling of freedom, where there was no Awakened Tyrant he had to escape from, and no chains weighing him down as he escaped for his life.

Where had Master Jet been? Surely, she was standing near the door? The last time he had her voice was at the left of the bed. Would that mean she was here?

He slowly walked a few steps, and directly collided with the chair. 

'How do the blind even navigate across a room?'

Sunny cursed as he stumbled a few steps back, eventually regaining his balance. He suddenly had an increase in respect for those blind people.

'At least it wasn't as painful as getting your ribs broken?'

He extended his hands again, and better avoided the chair. But Sunny didn't estimate how much space it took up, and tripped over it again. 

This time, he wasn't so lucky, and landed face first onto the floor.

'Damnation! Fuck this flaw!'

He immediately tried to stand up, trying to ignore the pain as much as possible. 

'This— This is no where near having your lungs slowly destroying from the insides—'

'Get up, Sunless!'

Wincing, he stood up slowly, one step in a time. 

'You survived the Nightmare, this is nothing compared to it!'

Sunny was interrupted with a cough from Jet, the sound coming from a few metres from where Sunny was, "So I was right." She said.

"Right about what?"

"About your flaw. It made you blind, didn't you?"

Sunny was shocked, he didn't expect someone to figure it out so soon.

'But I suppose it would have come out anyways, being blind is quite obvious to those who can see…'

Sunny bitterly thought.

"I had a suspicion since the start, your slower than normal reactions, not looking at me in the eye, and so on," Jet continued, "But you hid it really well. For those who didn't pay close attention, I suppose you could have fooled them."

"They would have found out sooner or later, I can't fake sight, I don't have any experience navigating life without it," Sunny spat, "There's nothing I can do, I'm a walking corpse."

Sunny hated this feeling, he hated his powerlessness, he hated the spell for stealing one of the only cards he had. Even if his Aspect was powerful enough to beget such a flaw.

Thump! Thump! Jet walked over, her hand comforting Sunny in the back, and couldn't help but melt into it. 

"Usually, I would have asked you to take a shower, then go over the procedures and be done with it, but I'll give you some advice, if you want to accept it that is."

Master Jet said awkwardly, as if she was waiting for another outburst.

"As per protocol, I am obligated to inform you of a few things. It is mostly a formality. First of all concerning your nightmare, you are entitled to receive free psychological counseling. No matter what traumatic experience you have encountered, there is no shame in asking for help. Are you interested?"

Sunny shook his head, he didn't need anyone to pry into his secrets. 

"As you wish. You can also talk to me. Was it very hard?"

It was. Much worse than he expected. 

Sunny looked away. He did the motion of it at least.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"That's a good attitude. I won't pry further, but I suppose I already know a lot by finding out your flaw. Us outskirts rats are more resilient than people think." Jet said, a humorous tone laced in her voice. 

"Master Jet… you grew up in the outskirts?" 

To say that Sunny was surprise would be an understatement, he was beyond astonished, who would have thought that an Ascended would have come from the outskirts? 

"What? You can't tell because of my exquisite manners and polished exterior?" She chuckled.

He blinked a couple of times, surprised.

"I couldn't tell at all."

After thinking for a while, Sunny added:

"Are there a lot of people like us among the awaken?" 

"No, there's not," Jet said in a somewhat grim tone, "In fact, they can be counted on one hand." 

As expected. Odds were really stacked up against people like them.

"Enough of that," Jet said, lifting her hand, "What I had been wanting to talk to you about is — don't be so concerned over your flaw. I would know, my flaw is cruel. Why do you think I joined the government in the first place?" 

This made Sunny wonder, what was Master Jet's flaw? What was the story behind the Master from the outskirts? 

But Jet had been more than nice to him, and he should respect her boundaries. She respected his as well. 

"But, a cruel flaw is usually accompanied by a stronger than average aspect. The Nightmare spell is cruel, but it isn't unfair." Jet continued, in an awkward attempt in consoling him. 

Sunny nodded in return, "I understand Master Jet," He smiled at presumably where her voice had come from, the 'thank you' left unsaid, "But I want to live." 

He surprised himself, being completely honest and all. Sunny wasn't exactly known as honest. 

Jet sighed, "You'll want to lift your head more," And at Sunny's confused gaze said, "You were staring at my nose, lift your head a few degrees higher for looking into another's eyes."

Jet then linked their fingers together, causing a slight blush to bloom on Sunny's face.

"Don't be so bothered," She waved him off, "How are you supposed to walk to the showers then? You'll trip and fall."

"I'll have to learn somehow…" Sunny muttered under his breath but didn't protest any further, letting Master Jet guide him to clean off himself.

—

Sunny was enjoying a hot shower. He was enjoying it very, very much. The water splashed onto his skin, and he could feel the way it glided across his body, melting into this solace in a world of darkness. Suny could almost imagine how this would have gone if he still had his sight, how the water fell onto his skin, warming it and cleaning the scent of bloodshed and despair that lingered around him.

'Ah, I'm in heaven,' Sunny thought. 

He was alone in the police station's showers, relaxing under the streams of hot water. 

Here, where the world wasn't watching, Sunny allowed himself a second of weakness, a second of respite. Even if someone walked in, they wouldn't be able to tell here under the water.

For the first time in years, Sunny shed a few tears. 

That was just an understatement though…

Under the cover of the water, streams upon streams of tears fell from his onyx black eyes. It was unrecognisable under the cover of water, as Sunny silently mourned over the loss of his sight.

Sunny didn't realize how much it was affecting him.

'Why am I crying so much?' He thought, 'Stop Sunless! Stop crying! Master Jet's expecting you! You can't spend your whole time here!'

Yet his eyes weren't listening to him, it was like they had a mind of their own. 

Sunny wanted to punch the spell in two, for taking away what was his. Summoning the shimmering runes, the only source of light in the eternal darkness, he raised his hand, and instilled as much of his strength as possible.

"Damn it!" Sunny punched the runes, tears streaming down his face, "Damn it! Damn it! Why?! Why did you take away my sight!?" He bellowed, but the runes were still there, unbroken, still illuminating the darkness.

Panting, Sunny slapped his cheeks, and grabbed ahold of his mind. 

"I swear, I'll kill you one day! I'll spite you till the ends of the earth!"

The last droplet of a tear fell from his face, and he stood there, silently, for the rest of the time, under the comfort of the water.

—-

After some time had passed, Sunny reluctantly turned the tap off, and slowly made his way out. Sunny lifted his foot one step at a time while waving his hands around maniacally, careful not to trip over stray belongings onto the floor. He didn't want to fall face first again.

Remembering the directions Jet had told him on how to get to the tower rack: 15 steps forward, 7 steps left, 18 steps forward, then reach his hands out, Sunny carefully did so and got the tower off, wiping his body from the water droplets. 

Coincidentally, his thoughts strayed off to his achievement of becoming a Sleeper. Besides getting his flaw that is.

'I've heard that Awakened get a makeover after the spell… I wonder if I got one as well…'

Sunny remembered the heat that came from his Aspect being unlocked, his bones, muscles, organs and blood vessels being rebuilt to something better, stronger. Too bad he couldn't even use those now that his sight was stolen. The spell gave him a new body, yet took the one thing he used to navigate it.

How was that fair?

Sunny was curious though, very, very curious.

'I wondered what changed.'

He quickly looked around, forgetting he was blind for a few seconds. Sunny then tried listening, and he could only hear droplets of water falling from the showers. He was confident that no one was here 

'Alright, since there's only me… I suppose I could… research the changes.'

Ignoring how he would look to others, Sunny moved his hands, and started exploring his body.

Heat immediately crept up his cheeks, and he swore under his breath.

"Damnation! I better get this over with!"

Finishing quickly, he hid his head in the towel, ashamed.

'When did I even stoop so slow…'

Sunny grimaced, his thoughts a mess.

'Pure thoughts! Pure thoughts! Sunless, it's for research purposes only!'

Repeating the mantra in his head, he analyzed the changes from before the Nightmare and after: Sunny had evolved from the emaciated and frail outskirts kid into someone slender and lean. His muscles were more pronounced, and he didn't look so malnutritioned anymore.

But there were some things that would never change…

'Why am I still so short, damn it!' 

Not exactly the picture of masculine handsomeness that the awakened usually were, to say the least.

"I'm still a boy," Sunny grumbled, "When will I ever be recognized as a man…"

Sunny sighed, he best not think about that.

Wiping his body clear of water, he walked another 7 steps left, and exited the shower. Almost immediately, the change of friction between the slippery shower floors and the dry floors of the clothing rink assaulted him, and Sunny almost slipped.

…if not for the metal bar nearby that he desperately held. 

The coolness of steel stung in his hands, and Sunny was a hundred percent sure that there'll be a bruise later on.

Gritting his teeth, Sunny released his hold on the bar and continued onwards, one step at a time. When his hands finally found the soft fabric, he almost wanted to celebrate his achievement. It took so long just to find some clothes.

Feeling where the zipper was, he pulled it down, and slowly put his feet into the trousers, relishing in the softness of the fabric.

'If police-issued tracksuits are so comfortable, I wonder how normal clothes would feel…'

Sunny hooked the tracksuit over his head, and struggled for a while, trying to find the sleeves. Putting his hands inside, Sunny zipped the tracksuit, and put on the provided shoes. 

A few minutes after that, Sunny was slowly heading to the cafeteria, trying to remember the route in his head. 

Once he arrived, he heard Master Jet call out to him, and he tried to avoid the obstacles and arrive beneath her in one piece.

Sitting down, he could feel the steam flowing from what he presumed as food.

"Help yourself," Jet said, pushing the tray towards him, "Your fork is right in front of your left hand, while the knife in front of your right."

Sunny hesitantly raised his hands, and took hold of the culinary, before proceeding to wolf down the food. It tasted like the cheap gruel that Sunny regularly had back in the outskirts, which made Sunny sigh. He had expected something more lavish as the first meal he had after becoming a Sleeper.

Still, it was food.

And Sunny was very, very hungry.

After a while, Master Jet asked, "What are you thinking about?" 

Sunny stopped eating, pondering on the answer. 

"How to live with my flaw." He eventually said. It was not a lie, but not the complete truth. He couldn't possibly tell Master Jet he was thinking of what to do before he died.

"Alright. Are you almost finished with your food?" Jet asked.

Sunny nodded.

"Since we have already talked about the boring stuff back in the room, there's only the important bits left —- how you will be preparing for your first journey into the Dream Realm."

And like that, the conversation turned from grim to grimer.

Master Jet looked at what Sunny presumed to be a communicator, the beeping sounds and all, before sighing, "I must say, your luck is exceptionally bad. There's not a lot of time at all. First of all: you are free to do what you want. No one is forcing you to make a certain decision. That is to say, you can prepare on your own, or not prepare at all, party until the light's out." 

Sunny was not well versed to partying.

"However, I would advise against that. As a Sleeper, you are also entitled to enroll in the Awakened Academy. You'll be provided with food, lodging, and a wide range of preparatory classes. This late into the year, and your devastating flaw, you wouldn't be able to learn a lot. But it is better than nothing."

She stayed silent for a while, before adding:

"Most importantly, you will get acquainted with most of the people who will enter the Dream Realm with you. Some of them might become your companions for life."

'And some of them may try to end that life once we enter the Dream Realm,' Sunny added, reading between the lines of what Master Jet had said.

"So what do you say, do you want me to take you to the academy?" 

Sunny thought for a moment, looking, or more accurately, feeling, his now empty tray. He made his decision.

Free lodging and food, you say?

"Yeah, I want to go to the Academy."

—

On their drive to the academy, Sunny didn't speak much, with him straining his ears to hear as much of the city as possible. This was his first time sitting in a PTV: most people in the city couldn't even dream of getting a license and purchasing a vehicle like that, having to make do with public transportation.

He had ridden on the back of a police cruiser once or twice, but that was a completely different experience.

Here, he didn't have to bear the glare of the police officers, or squirm uncomfortably as the cruiser hit the many bumps in the outskirts. Here, the journey was smooth, so smooth that he felt like he was sitting still, not at all in a PTV moving at high speeds.

At some point, Master Jet must have looked at him and said:

"Since we're both from the outskirts, I'll give you four pieces of advice. Whether you listen to me or not is your business."

Sunny turned his head, lifting it slightly above where the voice had come from.

Jet laughed, "You have to lift your head higher, you're currently looking just below my eyes."

Ignoring the embarrassment, Sunny did as told, internally marking down how much he'll have to lift his head.

"Alright, that's perfect," Jet said, "Now, let me start. First: once you're registered in the academy, they'll offer you phycological counselling again. There will also be a valuable reward for sharing your experiences in the Nightmare and the details of your Aspect. You'll be able to receive a soul shard, maybe even several of them."

Sunny tilted his head, "Are you trying to make me visit a psychiatrist again? I'm fine, I've accepted the reality of my flaw."

"No," Jet shook her head, at least that's what Sunny thought, "I'm telling you to refuse."

Sunny understood what she was talking about: he already had such a powerful weakness, he didn't need to reveal more of his cards. But he was new to the world of the Awakened, he didn't know their rules. And with Master Jet voluntarily passing away valuable information, he was sure she would provide valuable insight on how her world works.

Sunny raised his eyebrows, "Why?"

"You're too green to understand, but out there in the Dream Realm, Nightmare Creatures aren't the only source of danger. Once you grow powerful enough, humans will also become an equal threat. The less they know about your Aspect, the better."

So it's the same as the outskirts, with the add of Nightmare Creatures threatening Sunny's life.

"The easiest way to defeat an Awakened is their flaw," Sunny winced at that, "That's why young fools in the Academy are encouraged in various ways to share the details of their Aspects. I'm not saying the government will leak your information, it's just that, once two people know a secret, it's no longer a secret."

Sunny nodded at her words, "Thank you Master Jet."

Jet continued:

"Second: there will be a lot of courses to choose from. All types of combat training, deep dives into Nightmare Creatures and their vulnerabilities, basics of various types of sorcery, artifact study and so on."

Sunny gulped, actually he was debating on what weapon to choose from. Something he could use even if he was blind, besides words and trickery of course. 

"Disregard all of that. The only course you have time to attend is Wilderness Survival."

He blinked. 

"What…?"

Jet sighed, "It's different from city kids, who learn all sort of things in school from their tutors. But we don't have that, do we? What was the biggest threat to your life during your Nightmare?"

Sunny thought about it. On the surface, the most dangerous thing he had faced was the Tyrant, followed by Hero… Auro of the Nine. But actually, what almost killed him in the end was…

"The cold."

"Smart. You only know how to survive in the city, but the Dream Realm is most made of the wilderness. Do you know how to make a fire? Procure food? Find shelter? No, fighting monsters is important, but that doesn't protect you if you die from hunger or exposure to the elements. Trust me, I learned it the hard way."

"

Sunny nodded, angry at himself. It was so obvious, yet he never even thought about these seemingly simple things. He was blinded by his past habits and experience.

Human brains were like that: once accustomed to a certain way of living, it was hard to see past the already familiar routines. It was lazy thinking at worst.

At that point, Master Jet had stopped the car and opened the door, getting out. Sunny carefully waved his hands around, making sure he had a proper grip on something, before stepping out of the car. 

"We're here," Jet said to him, "This is as far as I go," she said, "I've already notified them. Someone will fetch you in a while."

There was something dark in the depths of her voice. Sunny suddenly felt a cold feeling spreading through his body.

"What's the third advice?"

Master Jet didn't reply for a few whole seconds, before she sighed.

"Remember: no one can survive in the Dream Realm alone. That's not an opinion, that's a fact. Try to get along with your peers, even if they don't treat you well. It might save your life."

Sunny nodded seriously at her words, he'll ponder the meaning behind them later. 

'But will people even want to talk to a walking corpse?' 

He bitterly thought.

Sunny raised his eyebrows, "The final advise?" He asked.

"Heh," Jet said, "You probably already know this, but I'll say it anyway: play your flaw to your advantage. They'll all find out, with you not having any experience with being blind. Which is why learning how to survive in the Dream Realm is all the more important. I don't think I have to tell you to spin a story or a lie about your Aspect. But know this, you are blind, so you have to rely on people in the Dream Realm."

Sunny made a face on that, why would someone help him without any prior intentions.

"I'll repeat this once again: no one survives the dream realm alone. Especially you, you'll have to trust someway or another. Don't lie to your comrades, tell the truth, or spin it."

Then, Jet walked forward and patted him on the shoulder.

"You've done well to survive until now. Make sure to keep yourself alive in the future, too."

A spark of electricity suddenly moved into his body from Master Jet's.

[You have received a Memory: Wisdom's Rod.]

The spell whispered in his ear. He blinked in shock.

"What was that…?" He muttered. 

"A gift," Jet said, her tone bodering to humor, "I don't need it that much anyways." She added, from his shocked expression.

"Consider it a favor, I believe you'll survive. If you feel uncomfortable in owing me a favor, return something of equal value when you finally wake up from the dream."

After that, Jet got back into her PTV and drove off. Just like that, she was gone.

—

Standing in front of the gates of the Academy, Sunny listened to the world around him: snow lazily drifting onto the ground, landing with a soft thump that he had to strain his ears to hear. Trees rustling under the occasional winds blowing through the space, and the sound of cars speeding through the road behind him. 

He still hasn't processed the fact that Master Jet had given him —- someone without any ties to her except for the fact they had grown up in the same hell hole, a Memory. Why would she do that? Why would she willingly give up one of her weapons? Perhaps that's the 'trust' she was talking about.

But…

Why would she trust him?

Jet had come from the outskirts, so she definitely knew one of its unspoken rules: never trust anyone, they could be lying.

Maybe… He'll understand once he Awakens.

Dazingly, Sunny willed the runes to appear, and checked his new memory.

Memory: [Wisdom's Rod].

Memory Rank: Ascended

Memory Type: Utility 

Memory Description: [There was an adviser who served the king of a long forgotten nation. He was blind and had to use a rod to navigate, and was often ridiculed because of his condition. Yet the king let him stay by his side, and treated him as one of his own. When tragedy struck, he alone saved the nation].

He was surprised to say the least. Master Jet had given him an Ascended memory, something that costed quite a lot if sold in the market. It was worth even more than his life before ge was infected by the spell! Sunny muttered a silent 'thanks' in his mind.

'What is its use?' Sunny thought, 'Something like a white cane?'

Summoning the Memory, it appeared in his left hand in seconds. 

[Wisdom's Rod] had a cool surface that resembled steel. Yet it was stronger, more resilient than it. It was a Memory given by the spell after all.

Shifting the rod between his hands, he estimated it's length: it's length reached his chest. 

Putting the Memory back on the floor, he focused on what difference he could feel. The enchantment of Memories was a tricky business, so Sunny would not be surprised if he didn't get any particular information.

But that wasn't the case…

There were differences between before having the memory, and after. If Sunny focused, he could vaguely feel streams of information enter his mind, like the presence of the towering gate of the Academy that was in front of him, or the approaching female Sleeper. 

Putting all his attention to the Memory, it whispered, no, more like sent a mental message into his mind. The Sleeper had white, silver hair that was cut short, sharp, grey eyes, and a police issued tracksuit just like him. She was also very beautiful, in awakened standards that is. 

Sunny suddenly had an idea, 'If I use this in Master Jet's presence, I wonder what she'll look like…'

'She's a Master, she'll probably look even more beautiful!'

Sunny's mind raced across the countless possibilities of what Master Jet looked like.

'Focus Sunny! Focus!' He then brought his attention back to the Memory.

Despite the numerous irrelevant information that he had received, like how fair the Sleeper looked, it was merely words. Not the flowery words in novels that made one's imagination run, but crude, simple facts. Sunny had to combine the information and make a mental image in his mind, but his picture on the sleeper was still crude. Blurry.

It also required intense focus, and Sunny couldn't spare a thought about anything else, focusing all he had to use it for simple literacy. 

…Sunny finally understood the 'it's useless to me' Master Jet was talking about.

'It's at least better than nothing…' Sunny mused, with this, he could at least have "eyes", even if they were a terrible imitation compared to reality, like how a simple children's book would compare to an analytical essay on the same topic. 

'What am I thinking comparing reading to the lost of sight? I must have gone insane!' Sunny thought, 'Well, at least I have some semblance of sight. But I'll have to put my utmost concentration on it.'

'Can I still defend myself with this though?' Sunny thought, 'Probably not. Every Memory has their advantages and disadvantages.'

Thump! Thump! The sound of her footsteps echoed against the snow. Not as loud as it would have been if it were concrete, but it boomed in Sunny's ears.

'I heard that losing one of the senses would amplify the others, though I didn't expect it to happen so soon…' 

Focusing on [Wisdom's Rod], he tried to discern more details from her. She was wearing old-fashioned headphones, and had a certain vibe, like she was apart from this world. But how could that be? The rod must have read that wrong. She was human, like everyone else. Or was she? 

'I wonder what kind of Flaw does she have? Certainly it won't be as cruel as mine.'

Soon, she was next to him, a respectable distance away. Yet she didn't stop. Instead, she walked towards him, until he could feel her breathing onto his skin. 

Sunny momentarily panicked, why was she so close to him? And for once, he was glad he lost his sight, from the information the rod had provided, Sunny was most certain he would be so flustered that he might say something wrong.

"Is that a Memory?" She asked, her voice flat, not an ounce of curiosity in it. 

Sunny's mind connected the dots to the [Wisdom's Rod].

"That's right," He said, grinning sheepishly, "I recently got it."

The girl didn't reply, and Sunny got the impression that she didn't want the conversation to continue. So he complied, he didn't want her to pry at his secrets, even if he could spin a story that was out of this world and make her believe it.

Creak! Finally, the gates began to open. And Sunny waited for a while, trusting that it was safe to walk. But just to be sure…

"Are the gates opened?" He asked the girl. 

"Yes." She curtly replied.

"Is it safe to walk?" He then asked, pretty sure she wouldn't say anything more than a word.

Sunny waited for a while, waiting for her reply. Yet she never did.

"Is it safe to walk?" He once again asked.

"I shook my head, couldn't you see?" She asked with an annoyed tone.

"I can't," He truthfully replied, Master Jet's words echoing across his mind, 'No one can survive the Dream Realm alone.'

"Why?" 

"I'm blind." He told her, lifting his head to look her in the eyes. She was taller than him, about the same height as Master Jet from the way her voice sounded like it was everywhere around him.

Sunny then added, at her presumed silent confusion:

"My flaw."

They didn't talk any longer, until the bridge finished its descent.

"You can walk now," She finally said, and started heading towards the Academy.

'What a strange girl,' He thought, 'It's like she has no experience socialising.'

Sunny then shrugged, 'It's none of my business I guess,' and started slowly making his way towards the bridge, [Wisdom's Rod] testing out the ground before him, being his eyes, and seeing if there were any obstacles.

It was going to be a long month ahead.