Paralyzed Demon - Shadow Slave

Evening had fallen. Morgan stepped out of her father's room, her face adorned with that cold, unreadable expression. She made her way to the clan's treasury, where the Memory artifacts were stored. "I need a Memory that allows telepathy or lets me hear thoughts," she told the attendant. The attendant retrieved a Memory that amplified thoughts into audible sounds. Morgan gave a slight nod and proceeded to Morpheus' room.

Upon arrival, she saw a red thread twisting and shifting into various shapes above Morpheus—triangle, square, circle. "Is that the ability you acquired?" she asked. Morpheus blinked. "Seems like a weak ability for someone who ended up bedridden," Morgan remarked. Morpheus rolled his eyes. Morgan placed the Memory under her brother's hand. "Pour your essence into this. It will let me hear your thoughts. That way, we can communicate."

Morpheus began channeling his essence into the Memory.

[I'll kill him. Again and again—]

[I don't want to die anymore. I don't wa—]

[Why did it have to be me? What did I do—]

[Did the Nightmare think it could escape by paralyzing me—]

[I'll kill you all. I'll kill you a—]

[Finally, I can speak. How are you, sister?]

All these thoughts echoed within the Memory. Morpheus abruptly cut off the flow of his essence. Even in those brief two seconds, Morgan couldn't stop himself from trembling. "What happened to you in there, Morpheus?" she asked, his voice tinged with genuine concern.

Morpheus hesitated before resuming the essence flow.

[I killed a god.]

Morgan recoiled, unable to find the words. "You… killed a god?" Her voice quivered with fear. "You're joking, right? Even in your condition, you're still joking? Alright, now tell me the truth." Seeing his sister's disbelieving expression, Morpheus wanted to sigh.

[...I also killed a Fallen Demon. I traveled for months to conquer the Nightmare. That's why I was a little late, I suppose.]

Morgan nodded slowly. "I can believe you killed a Fallen Demon. After all, you're a monster. But how did you do it?"

[.... It tore off one of my arms. When it was about to rip off the other, I impaled its head. Then—]

Morgan listened silently as Morpheus recounted his tale. Occasionally, her hands trembled, but Morpheus couldn't see that. When he finished, she called for servants to bring him food. "Tomorrow, we're coming back with the clan leader. Everything will be fine." she assured him. Morpheus only blinked in response. Once Morgan left the room, she quickly walked to her own quarters. Her walk turned into a sprint. Anyone who saw her face at that moment would have recognized the sheer terror in her expression. As soon as she entered her room, she collapsed to the floor. "He killed a god. How the hell did you kill a god, you lunatic?" She trembled with fear. Not even once did she consider the possibility that he was lying. Her brother had changed. His Flaw, his shattered mind, and those thoughts she had overheard in the Memory—together, they painted only a fragment of the horrors he had endured. He had been broken by a god. And then… Morpheus had killed it.

At dawn, Morgan's first act was to visit her brother's room. She gave him a small nod, and he responded with a blink. They waited for their father. Anvil entered the room with several servants and the clan's Saints. His gaze landed on Morpheus, who was still lying in bed. "Get up," he ordered. Morpheus merely looked at him. "Is this your Flaw?" Anvil asked. Morpheus blinked, confirming it. Anvil stood in silence, scrutinizing him. There was no emotion in his eyes—only observation.

Morpheus had planned to explain that he could move again using his newfound ability, but his father's next words stopped him.

"You have no value anymore. Worthless. There is no longer any reason for you to remain here."

Morpheus had expected this. He had known it would come. But experiencing it firsthand… it hurt far more than he had anticipated. Tears welled up in his eyes. The man he had idolized, the symbol of strength he had worshiped—his own father—had called him worthless.

Morgan stepped forward, ready to defend her brother and explain his ability, but Morpheus stopped her.

[Stop, Morgan. It doesn't matter anymore.]

Morgan's eyes widened as she turned to him.

[Take me to the Academy. I don't want to stay here anymore.]

There was nothing Morgan could do. She lifted him and carried him to the entrance, where she placed him in a carriage. Just as she was about to board herself, Anvil's voice rang out.

"Return here, Morgan. I forbid you from ever seeing that trash again."

Morgan wanted to resist. She wanted to defy him. But Morpheus stopped her again.

[If you disobey, he'll imprison you. For now, do as he says. The time will come when we no longer have to obey. Just wait for the moment I can stand again. Then I'll teach that bastard a lesson.]

Morgan embraced him tightly, whispering a farewell. "See you later, little brother."

[See you later, sister.]

The carriage pulled away.

Upon arriving at the Academy, he was placed in a wheelchair by the chauffeur and the accompanying servant. They wheeled him forward. Morpheus hated this. He despised this helplessness, being reduced to this state because of the Nightmare. "I have to master my power quickly. I refuse to live like this," he thought. As they neared the Academy gates, he noticed two individuals standing there. One was a black-haired boy, the other a silver-haired girl. They looked slightly younger than him. The servants guiding his wheelchair passed between them, heading toward the Academy.

A staff member was assigned to him, and he was taken to his room.

As soon as he was alone, Morpheus bled himself slightly and began manipulating his blood. He practiced forming complex shapes—buildings, weapons, people he knew. With each attempt, he refined his control. Every time he felt an improvement, he tested it on himself. He started with his fingers, then his hand. When he could move his hand, he realized blood manipulation was easier with physical motion than purely mental control. As his control improved, he gradually regained movement in more of his body. Yet, even after a month, he was nowhere near wielding a sword again. He had only managed to regain control of his arms.

He assessed his status:

Name: Morpheus

True Name: God Slayer

Rank: Dreamer

Soul Core: Titan

Soul Fragments: [127256/1000]

Memories: [Will's Wine Chalice] [Extraordinary Sword]

Echos: [Snake of Mercury] [Plagued Charger]

Attributes: [Fated] [Edge of the Blade] [Reborn in Blood] [Wheel of Fortune] [Against the Divine]

Aspect: [The Last]

Aspect Rank: Divine

Aspect Ability: [Blood Manipulation]

Aspect Ability Description: [You can control blood freely.]

Flaw: [Paralyzed Body]

Flaw Description: "You cannot move your body."

Seeing his soul fragment count, his eyes widened briefly before understanding dawned. He had killed a god, after all. But his core had yet to form. "I suppose I'll have to forge it myself. Will had issues because his core was forced into existence," he mused.

Just then, his assigned servant informed him that Instructor Rock was waiting for all students in the entrance hall. Morpheus immediately understood why.

They were about to enter the Dream Realm.