Shadow slave: In The Eye of The Beholder

Silas had managed to sneak his way back into the academy, getting back through the gate was the hard part, but after completing that he was perfectly fine, while it would be strange to see a sleeper in a different part of the complex, epically on the winter solstice, it would be nothing truly noteworthy. 

The winter solstice that brought sleepers into the dream realm was awfully like how he first was sent into the nightmare, although a quicker process than the spell's first infection... the feeling of drowsiness assaulting him had begun to assault him, attempting to pull him down into the harrowing depths of slumber, like an executioner's axe always hanging above him. 

Silas attempted to breakthrough the tiredness that weighed him down, but failed, while unlike the other sleepers who woke up with the effect immediately, it came later in the day for him, maybe due to the beholders influence in the dream, or conciseness use of [Empowerment] he had mitigated the effects. 

The process of forming Cherub's soul core was incredibly exhausting in itself, and combined with the effects of the solstice, even walking became a challenge.", with the solstice added with it even walking became challenging, Silas mind is its state of weakness had managed to come up with one reason to let sleep take him, It would of been quite embarrassing for them to drag his body to the pods.

His eyes felt heavy, the weight of exhaustion pulling them down like lead.", at one point he found himself in a quieter area of the academy while on his way to the cafeteria, the lack of anything to keep his mind on in the moment made him faulter, His mind, clouded with fatigue, couldn't keep up with his faltering steps." with closed eyes he began to collapse.

But before he could fall, a sharp object jabbed into his cheek rapidity, the pain bringing him out of the thoughtlessness, 'What the hell was that!?"' Silas in alarm quickly checked around him, looking left to right he could see no one, but the bleak walls of the academy.

Though Silas felt an unusual weight on his shoulders, he craned his head up to see two small multicoloured eyes staring into his. Cherub perched comfortably atop his head, its new coat of feathers looking especially luxurious against Silas's haggard state.

He plucked the bird from his head and squinted, 'How did you come out? I didn't even summon you' providing to inspect the Pidgeon up and down, for a vessel of the beholder it didn't seem special at all, not to mention he hadn't the beholder hadn't spoken to him through the bird once. 

Silas let his curiosity roam as he looked at cherub, deciding to let his interest feast he summoned the runes of his pudgy echo, the shimmering blue words manifesting before his gaze.

Echo: Cherub

Echo rank: Dormant

Echo Class: Beast

 Attributes: [Blessed Sight], [Vessel], [Sculpted Soul].

'The attributes seem more luxurious then i thought they would be' Silas mused, scrolling further down the rune list. 

[Blessed Sight]

Attribute description: Passed from its creator, the avian possesses sight beyond mundane nature, being able to see further beyond the horizon, able to see the beauty of creation that the unintelligent creature was never able to appreciate. 

[Vessel]

Attribute description: The simple bird through its processing of awakening its core has maintained an unknown and vast being inside it, with the continued existence of the cherub provided by the being, it shares the same resistances to mind, soul, and corruption that the possessor holds.

[Sculpted Soul]

Attribute description: The [Weaver of Rebellion] had threaded the powerful will inside him, giving life and power of his desire to an unaware beast, sculpturing it into something far greater, the [Weaver of Rebellion] can link with the creation made from his own soul, as well as being able to carve and supply his creation further into complete perfection.

Soul Fragments: 0/200

Silas eyes widened as he read further and further, he had expected a utility aspect that was potentially useful, but the attributes seemed especially beneficial, [Blessed Sight] could provide an incredible option for scouting, being able to see the strings of fate was already great, but it still relied on Silas sight of a sleeper, being able to see even beyond that was a boon. 

The other enchantments [Vessel] and [Sculpted Soul] were fantastic, [Vessel] allowing for cherub to have the same mind, soul and corruption resistances as the beholder was basically a complete immunity to them as a whole, for what nightmare creature could pose to break the god of Perception, Reality, and being? if Silas did run into anything that could... Well at that point he should really not try to find himself in a situation where that impossibility could manifest. 

[Sculpted Soul] Was by far the best out of the attributes he could see, being able to link with his soul with cherubs was something that could potentially be amazing, his abilities of [Empowerment] and [Soul Sight] were unique to his soul, so Cherub would be able to utilise his own abilities! At second thought even with [Empowerment], Cherub was only a dormant beast with the nature of a Pidgeon, no boost in [Empowerment] would be enough to be threatening to an average nightmare creature. 

But then again it seemed like he was able to give it soul shards in order to progress cherub further, Silas wasn't sure whether it was in rank or class, either way being able to increase its strength would allow its attributes to be used in more situations with more efficiency 

Silas grew in a tired smile, pulling cherub into an embrace, whispering into the birds' non-existent ears, "You my friend, will have much to do in these coming days" Cherub despite not understanding a single word accepted the gesture, purring as Silas arms wrapped around it. 

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Silas trudged down the dimly lit hallway, the weight of exhaustion pressing down on him with each step. The quiet clinks and hums of the academy seemed muted, like a lullaby coaxing him into slumber. With a flicker of thought, he returned Cherub to his soul, feeling the familiar warmth of the echo's presence fade as it nestled back into the recesses of his being.

As he neared the cafeteria doors, the soft murmur of voices and clattering of plates reached his ears, momentarily cutting through his weariness. But when he finally stepped inside, he was greeted by an unexpected sight—rows of empty tables, chairs being pushed back, and the sound of footsteps shuffling out. The handful of sleepers who had been eating their meals were now leaving, disappearing through the exit doors just as Silas arrived.

A sigh escaped his lips as he lingered in the doorway. His stomach grumbled in protest, but he had to follow them, so he left the food behind and followed in their footsteps, unaware of the destination his cohort was taking. 

Silas followed the small procession of Sleepers as they made their way through the academy's corridors, his eyes growing darker with each step. The faint shuffle of feet and quiet murmurs filled the halls as they passed. 

The doors swung open, and Silas's stomach sank at the familiar sight. The Sleepers filed inside, and Silas followed, blending in as he entered a spacious gallery bathed in the warm, crimson light of the setting sun. The scene before him was one he wished he'd never see again.

Rows of wheelchairs stretched out before him, each one occupied by a person with an empty gaze, their faces frozen in eerie tranquillity. These were the Hollows—bodies once full of life, now nothing more than shells. Silas felt a familiar chill run down his spine as he stared at them. His eyes darkened, and his jaw clenched as memories resurfaced.

He had seen something like this before.

Back then, in captivity under the Legacy clans, he had witnessed bodies with destroyed souls, the aftermath of horrific experiments conducted by Awakened scientists. Those scientists had probed, broken, and shattered the spirits of his peers, it was a fate worse than death for the poor kids, though unlike the hollows of the academy they weren't looked after.

Instead, the soulless living corpses of the children were left on the floor, wasting away until one of the supervisors decided they had enough of the in-animate object, and decide to throw it away in the furnace, where no evidence of the kids' existence could ever be found.

If not for the help of his closest friend at that time, Azel. he would of never made it out of there in the first place, he like the rest of them would have eventually been broken and been put to the incinerator to be erased. 

He pulled himself away from the hollows, letting the multitude of clouds that drifted in the sky take his attention, it was a sight he had rarely seen, his life in the outskirts had no clouds, it was always just a disgusting smog that permeated the lower city's. 

Now Silas could truly appreciate the few clean skies that the waking world could offer, though very soon he would be absent of the purity to observe it, for the nightmare realm waited for the arrival of sleepers. 

'After all this, I should try and find Azel, I can take out some legacy's there and then focus on that, of course there is the whole ordeal of the god killer'...... Silas remembered shivering slightly as fear sparked from its mere mention. 

'That can wait as endgame, right now I just have to survive, and maybe repay her one day, I owe her everything I've attained thanks to her.'

Silas let himself sink into the past, before being brought back by rocks voice, 

'don't die out there.'

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Half an hour later, Sleepers had been led to their personal rooms and were preparing to enter the pods.

In 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 beautiful, doll-like face.

In the other room, proud Legacy Caster was staring listlessly at the floor. His lips were moving, repeating one strange phrase over and over again. He was trembling.

Somewhere else, Changing Star Nephis, the last daughter of the Immortal Flame clan, was looking down at her hands. Underneath her skin, soft white radiance was slowly growing brighter and brighter. Her face was contorted in a grimace of harrowing agony.

In a darker room then most, was a boy with matte-black hair, sunless was talking to his shadow, nervousness painted on his face, but still a strong smirk on the sleeper as he prepared. 

Silas found himself laying onto the pod, his drowsiness that had accumulated finally beginning to take its hold, his hands shivered in the contrived space, yet his ashen grey eyes were as strong as ever.

He felt all similar feeling of the spell dragging him to another world, before it was a sign of his certain doom, but now he had so much more than before, instead of a dreaming casualty he was someone with the potential to achieve what he strived for so long now at his fingertips.

Despite his will and goal pushing him he still found the advent terrifying. 

He had spent all of his life resisting against death that was inevitable, and now he had to let the feeling of it overcome him, his instincts kept screaming whenever he found himself drifting away. 

He was only living for his will, but now over these four weeks he had achieved reasons to truly live other than his pride and hatred, life felt so much valuable in his palms than ever before, he didn't want to lose his grasp of it ever again. 

So, in the silence he let his respective breath calm him. 

And finally, he accepted it. 

Now ready to face the challenge he called out to the spell with a final thought.

..

'Take me'

...

In the vast echoing darkness, the spell responded

[Welcome to the Dream Realm, Silas!]