Shadow Slave: Endless Souls

Sunny was enjoying a hot shower. After their short conversation, Master Jet had sent him to clean himself, saying that he "reeked of Nightmare". The unnatural slumber of the Spell would slow down the body's metabolism, and the medical apparatus he had been strapped into was supposed to take care of the rest, but he was still asleep for three whole days.

Even if only psychologically, the scent of bloodshed and despair lingered around him.

'Ah, I'm in heaven,' Sunny thought, willing himself to temporarily forget about the looming disaster of the Flaw.

Shower next to him another young man stood he was about a head taller than him luckily there was a blurred glass wall between them only allowing them to see their shadows. Like he would wanna see private parts of another male.

After a bit of time had passed, Sunny reluctantly turned the tap off and walked over to the towel rack. Coincidentally, he saw himself reflecting in the mirror.

The changes in his physique were subtle but noticeable. His pale skin seemed a little healthier, his muscles a bit more pronounced. He looked slender and lean instead of emaciated and frail, as he did before. There was a slight luster to his dark hair and a shine to his eyes.

However, he was still rather diminutive. Not exactly a picture of masculine handsomeness, to say the least.

'Flower boy, huh?' Sunny thought, full of bitterness.

Then he suddenly froze, noticing something strange. As he was looking at himself in the mirror, the reflection of his shadow seemed to move. It was as though the shadow lowered its head and quietly facepalmed.

Sunny quickly turned around, piercing his shadow with a nervous look. However, everything seemed normal. The shadow was doing exactly what it was supposed to do, repeating his every motion.

"Hmm, what are you doing?" before Sunny could say anything Edward came out from his shower towel already wrapped around his waist.

'Did he go to the shower with a towel on?'

"Ah, I was trying to talk to my shadow." This goddamn flaw! He quickly shut his mouth and rushed to the neatly stacked clothes that were issued to him. Seeing this Edward shrugged his shoulder and wore his issued clothes too.

***

A few minutes after that, they were wearing clean police-issued tracksuits and heading for the cafeteria. Master Jet was waiting for them at one of the tables, with three trays full of steaming synthetic food in front of her.

"Help yourself."

Sunny glanced at the cheap gruel, which was not so different from the stuff he used to consume in the outskirts and sighed. Somehow, he had expected his first meal after becoming a Sleeper to be more lavish.

Still, it was food.

He sat down and began to wolf down the gruel ravenously. He was very, very hungry.

In the process, his thoughts began to wander. Sunny stole a glance at Jet and wondered. The Spell told him to find a master, and the next thing he knew a woman was calling herself Master right in front of him. He tried to imagine being an obedient slave to someone like her.

Weird thoughts started to appear in his mind…

'You know what, Sunny,' he thought with dark irony. 'Knowing your luck, this would be a perfect moment for her to ask…'

"What are you thinking about?"

Sunny choked on the gruel. He felt his mouth beginning to open and put all of his will into staying silent. A second passed without him saying anything. Then a weird pressure appeared in his mind, which soon turned into blinding pain. He endured it for a couple more seconds before giving up.

"I was thinking that it would be a perfect moment for you to ask me about what I am thinking," he finally said.

Jet gave him a weird look.

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

He glanced at Edward who already finished eating the gruel, his plate was empty and strangely clean. He thought privileged citizens like him wouldn't like something like gruel. Perhaps his First Nightmare was no worse than his, then he shook his head after all there is no way someone will experience the same level of Nightmare as him where one must hunt a fearsome tyrant.

"Then I'll begin. As per protocol, I am obligated to inform you two a few things. It is mostly a formality. First of all, concerning your Nightmare…"

She glanced at him then Edward and sighed.

"You two are entitled to receive free psychological counseling. No matter what traumatic experience you have encountered, there is no shame in asking for help. Your mind is as important as your body — it's only right to keep it healthy. Are you two interested?"

Sunny and Edward shook their heads. Jet shrugged and continued:

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

'How should I answer?' Sunny thought before saying.

"It was simultaneously much worse than I expected and exactly as bad as I expected."

She nodded, satisfied with that explanation.

"That's a good attitude. I won't pry any further. Us outskirt rats are way more resilient than people think."

Sunny looked at her in surprise.

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

She grinned.

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

He blinked a couple of times, surprised.

"I couldn't tell at all."

After thinking for a while, he added:

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

Jet's smile disappeared.

"No. There's not. They can be counted on one hand."

As expected. The odds were really stacked against people like them. That made the three stars on Jet's insignia even more exceptional.

'One day, I'll be a Master too.'

If she can do it, why can't I?

"So… what happens now? What else are you obligated to tell me?"

Sunny had no idea what he was supposed to do after leaving the police station. The winter solstice was just several weeks away.

Jet leaned back and answered:

"That's basically it. There are some additional hoops to jump through, mostly having to do with your family, but… well. I've read your file, so I know it doesn't apply. The only thing left is to decide how you will be preparing for your first journey into the Dream Realm."

She looked at her communicator and grimaced.

"I must stay, 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 choose to prepare on your own, or not prepare at all. Party until the lights go out."

Sunny was not very well-versed in 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 choice of preparatory classes. This late into the year, you won't be able to learn a lot. But it's better than nothing."

She was silent for a few seconds, then added:

"More 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 may end up trying to end that life once we're inside the Spell,' 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 about it. Strangely, his Flaw was silent, not forcing him to answer one way or the other.

'Is it because I haven't made up my mind yet?'

Finally, he looked down, at his empty tray, and made a decision.

Free lodging and food, you say?

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

Master Jet smiled at his answer as if telling him he made the correct choice. "Good, now get up if you are finished eating we will leave to the Academy right now."

Both of them get up from their seats prepared to leave the cafeteria only disturbed by the noise of a third person getting up and getting their attention. Master Jet looking at Edward is a blank expression with an apologetic look on her face. Because of how silent Edward was they almost forgot he was even with them.

"Right, you were there too."

***

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