NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6: Flaw
It was the winter solstice, Valen woke up feeling something rare.
Excitement.
Today was the last day before the Spell would take him away. Twenty-four hours, and then his body would be locked away while his mind was sent into the unknown. But this time… when he returned, he would finally be free.
Free to go where he pleased. Free to do as he wished. Free to step outside without fear of imprisonment.
He sat up, folded his blanket, and made his bed. Small habits were important. They kept him grounded.
After today, what would he do?
The answer was obvious. Fight crazy ass Nightmare creatures, go to the Song clan, get protection and enjoy a life of luxury, eat well. But then came a question he had never thought of.
And then… what?
For the first time, the question stuck. He had always assumed he would rise through the ranks—Awakened, Saint, maybe even Sovereign?
Was that even possible?
A slow grin spread across his face.
Of course it was.
Still grinning, he left his room and headed toward the cafeteria. His last day on Earth should be spent well.
***
The cafeteria was packed, but no one was talking.
The cafeteria was full of Sleepers, but no one was talking. Everywhere was silent, with the threat of the spell looming over them all, No more laughter or casual conversations only the feeling of despair surrounded the air.
Only the Legacies seemed unaffected, calm in the face of what was to come. Even then, their usual chatter was absent.
As Valen made his way inside the cafeteria,, heads turned.
Eyes followed him—some filled with envy, others with barely concealed hatred. His explosion yesterday had painted a target on his back. He had humiliated Nephis, shattered Caster, and spat on the Sleepers who had tried to latch onto him.
The most skilled Sleeper.
Maybe the most powerful.
Such thoughts rang through most of the Sleepers mind.
Now, every Sleeper in the cafeteria was watching.
Even Nephis.
Her silver eyes studied him with quiet curiosity, but he ignored her. He ignored them all.
He walked to his usual spot, alone (Sigma) and started wolfing down food like usual.
Until Sunny and the blind girl sat down across from him.
Valen paused mid-bite, then looked up.
"Hmm? What do you want?"
Sunny grinned. "Nothing. It's my birthday today, so I figured I'd share some food with you."
Of course it was a lie, the sharing food part, a horrible one at that. But Valen was probably Sunny's golden ticket to survival.
Valen stared at him, unimpressed. "What, am I supposed to care?"
Sunny sighed, shaking his head. "Man, you really don't know how to take a friendly gesture, huh?"
"I don't need friends like you."
"Yeah, yeah. 'I don't need help, I don't need people'—I get it." Sunny rolled his eyes. "Just figured, us street rats gotta stick together, you know?"
Valen's chewing slowed. For a second, he said nothing. Then, he exhaled sharply, picking up another bite.
"Do whatever you want."
Sunny hid a grin behind his spoon. The Sleepers despised Valen. But they didn't like Sunny much either. Might as well team up.
And more than that… Sunny had been watching him. Watching the way his veins pulsed with light when he spoke, the way his face twisted with pain after certain words. His arrogance was obvious—but something else was forcing those venomous words from his mouth.
His flaw.
Sunny wasn't sure what it was, but he had a suspicion. And there was only one way to test it.
So, he poked. Pressed. Tossed out words to see what got a reaction. Offering help made Valen bristle, like always. But phrased differently, the reaction was much weaker.
Interesting.
Before he could test further, Valen finished his meal, stood, and left without another word.
Sunny sighed. So much for that.
Shrugging, he stood up and made his way to visit the Wilderness Survival classroom to say his goodbyes to Teacher Julius which left the blind girl sitting alone in her seat.
(L Cassie)
There was nothing left to do.
When the sun began to set, Instructor Rock gathered them all in the foyer and led them outside.
Beyond the white walls of the Sleeper Center, snow blanketed the ground. Dozens of Awakened stood outside, leading their own groups of Sleepers across the park.
Their destination was the same.
The Academy's medical center.
The center looked more like a shrine than a hospital. Its interior contained both highly advanced technology as well as some of the best Healers among the Awakened. For the duration of their first journey into the Dream Realm, the bodies of Sleepers would be kept safe in specially designed pods and sustained by the magical powers of those Healers if anything unfortunate were to happen on the other side of the Spell.
After entering the medical center, Instructor Rock did not take them directly to the wing containing Sleeper pods. Instead, he led them to a comparatively deserted floor and then opened the doors to a spacious gallery that was brightly illuminated by the beautiful crimson rays of the setting sun.
There, they saw rows and rows of wheelchairs. In each wheelchair, there was a person with a blank, strangely peaceful expression on their face. All these people were completely silent, motionless, and still. They did not show any reaction to the appearance of guests.
And in each chair sat a person.
Silent. Motionless. Their expressions blank, their eyes empty.
They all seemed to be… empty.
..Hollow
Instructor Rock's face hardened. "There's a reason I brought you here."
His voice was solemn.
"Some of you may know who these people are. For those who don't… they are called Hollow."
He clenched his jaw.
"Each of them was once either a Sleeper or an Awakened. Some were weak. Some were strong. Some were even incredibly powerful. All of them perished in the Dream Realm."
He swept his gaze across the gathered Sleepers.
"If you're lucky, when your spirit is destroyed, your body dies with it. But if not…"
Rock gestured to the silent figures in their chairs.
"You end up like them."
The room was dead silent.
His eyes lingered on Caster. On Nephis. Then he spoke again.
"So don't die out there."
***
Half an hour later, they were led to their individual rooms, each containing a Sleeper pod.
n one of the rooms, the blind girl, Cassia, was helplessly trying to orient herself in the unfamiliar space, touching the walls and strange pieces of machinery with her hands. Tears were streaming down her stupid face.
(Ha Ha eat shit Cassie.)
In another room, Caster sat frozen, staring at the floor. His lips moved soundlessly, repeating the same phrase over and over.
He was trembling.
Elsewhere, Nephis clenched her hands into fists. Soft white radiance pulsed beneath her skin, her face contorted in agony.
And in Valen's room…
He stood still. Calm, aura farming once again, he glanced at his calloused hands, studying them. Then summoned his runes.
The glowing symbols hovered before his eyes, whispering their silent truth.
A reminder of what had befallen him.
Of the price he had paid.
Slowly, he forced a smile.
He remembered those words.
[All power has a price.]
[You have received a Flaw.]
[Your Flaw is: …]