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.

rise while

sight, Sunny felt a bit of melancholy. He looked down

older than mom was when

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

and doing well. There was precious solace

years, he had gone through a long rough patch… and had

was

Sunny watched as sunlight finally reached the lake and reflected on its clear surface. The lake was vast and picturesque, so calm that its surface was

with vermilion flags fluttering on its many towers. It almost seemed too beautiful to be real, like something from a fairy tale. But,

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

of the Southern Quadrant — around two hundred million people — was evacuated directly to the Dream Realm, divided between Bastion and Ravenheart, and gradually funneled

humanity from the waking world had already begun. For now, most of those who left were from the fringes of society — people who did not possess citizenship, and therefore did not receive their share of

in the waking world would gradually turn worse and

was

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

Saints guiding them all to fight against the Nightmare Creatures. The balance of power that had been maintained for decades

Dream Realm, too. Many lived in the sprawling cities surrounding the three Great Citadels, but most had settled across the lesser Citadels scattered around the

harsh reality. But since most of them were either refugees or

Dream Realm, a Seed of Nightmare was planted into their soul. However, that seed would not bloom, summoning them into the First Nightmare, unless

to which they had pledged their loyalty. As long as the Sovereigns willed it, their mundane subjects were

reason why the number of Awakened had increased so much in the last four years. Those who wished to challenge the First Nightmare could

at the lively city that had grown around the

hive like NQSC. However, there was still a startling amount of people here, at least a dozen million of them