Solo woke to the wind howling in his ears, expecting to find himself in a camp or a blood-soaked battlefield. Instead, he reached for the ground — and found nothing. He was falling. Fast. "AHH!" Panic took hold. He flailed his arms and kicked wildly, primal fear surging through him.
The sky was a brilliant, endless blue, the sun radiant and golden, but there was no time to admire it — he was plummeting toward oblivion. Seconds passed. Something wasn't right. The Nightmare Spell was cruel, but it wasn't senseless. It wouldn't simply drop him to his death… would it?
Solo's mind raced. He knew hitting any surface, even water, would be fatal — a truth a favorite video game had once lied to him about. He reached a conclusion. He wouldn't stop falling. Solo forced himself to stop panicking. He let the wind control him, let his body go limp. It was absurd — to surrender to the air — but what choice did he have? How ridiculous, to be at the mercy of a force that couldn't think, couldn't fight, couldn't even eat a burger.
'Might as well get comfortable and figure out my Aspect.'
Suddenly, the wind shifted. He wasn't falling anymore — he was slowing, then rising. The sun burned steady on the horizon, but the light itself moved, climbing backward into the sky.
'Right… in nightmares, time rewinds. The spell judges you based on how far you diverge from history. But what history is there here?'
As he drifted upward, Solo crossed his legs and rested his chin on his hand, thinking. 'An endless sky… am I even in the same world?' He shook his head. Questions could wait. He needed to check his abilities. "Runes! Window! Status! Me!" Nothing. Frustrated, he closed his eyes and reached deeper — not physically or mentally, but into his very soul.
Maroon runes shimmered into view, unfamiliar yet instinctively understood.
***
Name: Solo of Clan Siphon
True Name: —
Rank: Aspirant
Soul Core: Dormant
Memories: —
Echoes: —
Attributes: [Growing Soul], [Domain]
Aspect: [Acquisitiveness]
Aspect Description: [You honor the greater beings; gaining their interest strengthens you.]
'Greater beings? Does it mean people stronger than me? Or those I admire? Not like it matters — I'm the only one here!'
The sky shifted. Day bled into twilight, then night. Far above, a black dot appeared, swallowed by shadow. It wasn't a hole in the sky — it was something. Something massive.
Humanity's five primal fears: are darkness, heights, predators, death, and isolation. Solo was trapped in four. The distant caws, murmurs, and looming shapes weren't helping. Hours passed in reverse.
The dot expanded. It wasn't a dot — it was the underside of a floating city. Solo reached out, barely catching the edge as gravity yanked him back. He hauled himself up, panting.
[Aspirant! Welcome to the Nightmare Spell! Prepare for your first trial.]
The city was breathtaking — as if the sky itself had been forged into streets and buildings by a divine hand. The pull of gravity, strange yet familiar, felt like a warm embrace.
'Finally, something makes sense.'
He wandered down streets paved with smooth gray stone, flanked by lush green trees. Lanterns glowed softly in the twilight.
"Hey! You!" A voice barked. A rough hand grabbed Solo's arm. "What're you doing out here? Your parents didn't tell you to stay inside?"
The man was tanned and built like a fortress, muscles bulging under his gear — knives, darts, a massive greatsword slung across his back. A warrior, unmistakably. 'Awakened.' Solo's heart sank. He knew the gap between Dormant and Awakened was insurmountable. A lifetime of training wouldn't close it. The man's grip wasn't even tight — not compared to his mother's brutal training — but Solo knew this wouldn't end well.
He yanked free and bolted. He wouldn't outrun him in the open. Solo zigzagged through tight alleys, vaulted fences, slid under footbridges, and leapt between walls. The heavy stomp of pursuit never wavered.
'Damn it, how is he still on me?'
The Awakened man stared, confused.
'How's this scrawny kid so fast?'
Solo felt it — his muscles burning, breath steady, steps lighter. His Aspect flared to life.
'He thinks I'm impressive. My Aspect's kicking in!'
Solo pushed harder, faster, until the boost faded. He dropped to one knee, panting, atop a slanted rooftop.
"Shit," he muttered. "How do I get out of this nightmare?"