Shadow Slave

There was a rustle, and a gentle breeze caressed Sunny's face. He awoke slowly, allowing himself to enjoy the sweet moments of comfort and peace that dwelled on the edge between dream and wakefulness. His bed was soft, warm, and cozy… today, it was especially hard to abandon its familiar embrace.

After a while, he sighed and opened his eyes.

The sun was yet to rise, but the sky outside his window had already started to brighten. The wind blowing from the lake made the curtains flutter, filling the modest bedroom with the delightful smell of freshness. Even after all these years, Sunny was still sometimes startled at how clean and pure the air of the Dream Realm was.

He took a few deep breaths, rubbed his face, and rose from the bed.

His room was not very large and not very luxurious. However, it was very cozy. There was a bed, a nightstand, a case with various books crowding the shelves, a writing desk, and a simple dresser. The furniture was made out of natural wood, crafted with affection and care. There were a few decorations added here and there, as well as plenty of signs of the room being well lived-in.

Well, of course it was. He had been spending his nights here for a long time, after all..

Putting on simple clothes and summoning the Nebulous Mantle, Sunny yawned, tied his hair back, and left the bedroom. He splashed some water in his face, then went to the kitchen and brewed himself a large cup of strong, fragrant coffee.

Finally, holding the steaming mug, he left the house and sat down on the porch, intending to enjoy his coffee while watching the sun rise.

It was rather hard to get his hands on coffee beans in the Dream Realm, but today, Sunny wanted to pamper himself. It was his birthday, after all.

He was turning twenty-six.

…Of course, no one in the world knew that.

Taking the first sip of his coffee, Sunny smiled slightly and looked up. A few of the brightest stars could still be seen, shining in the pale lavender expanse of the morning sky. Just at that moment, the gentle sun finally crested the dark line of the distant horizon, imbuing the sky with a beautiful golden radiance. The soft twilight of dawn was imbued with a hint of bright daylight.

watched the sun rise while enjoying

of melancholy. He looked down with a wistful

mom

child, his mother was the definition of an adult to him, and adults were magical creatures who possessed wondrous and incredible powers. But now, he was an adult himself, which was why he was able

and doing well. There was precious solace and consolation in that fact,

these last four years, he had gone through a long rough patch… and had even done a few

he was

on its clear surface. The lake was vast and picturesque, so calm

white castle rose from the lake, with vermilion flags fluttering on its many towers. It almost seemed too

castle of white stone was Bastion, the Great Citadel of Clan Valor, where the King of Swords held his court. It was also the

— around two hundred million people — was evacuated directly to the Dream Realm, divided between Bastion and Ravenheart, and gradually funneled into lesser Citadels. Later, the Dream Gates were

begun. For now, most of those who left were from the fringes of society — people who did not possess citizenship, and therefore

given enough time. As the years passed, the situation in the waking world would gradually turn worse and worse. There would be more Nightmare Gates, more powerful Nightmare Creatures, and less space for humans to exist. Until the entire world was swallowed

humanity was growing stronger,

world was relatively limited… there were a hundred thousand Awakened or so, a

these numbers changed. By now, there must have been no less than a million Awakened out there, with several thousands of Masters and more than a hundred Saints guiding them all to fight against

Many lived in the sprawling cities surrounding the three Great Citadels, but most

to this new, harsh reality. But since most of them were either refugees or from the outskirts of the overcrowded siege capitals, they were

they could not return without risking their lives. The moment a mundane human entered the Dream Realm, a Seed of Nightmare was planted into their soul. However, that seed would not bloom, summoning them

they had pledged their loyalty. As long as the Sovereigns willed it, their mundane subjects were protected from the ravages of

why the number of Awakened had increased so much in the last four years. Those who wished to challenge the First Nightmare could simply request it from the great clans instead of

looking at the lively city

there was still a startling amount