Kaelis dreamed of a complex of floating islands — fourteen in total — suspended in the skies, chained to each other as if afraid to get lost in the void.
Sacred cities occupied each of them, with spiral temples and constructions that reached skyward, competing for space with the firmament.
But there was something even more disturbing: two skies. The Sky Above the islands, blue and radiant like an eternal day. And the Sky Below, a dark and unfathomable vastness, as if nothing existed beneath the suspended islands.
Then, the moon fell from the horizon.
The sun rose in the west, crossed the sky backward, and set in the east. Time reversed — days, months, years regressed in the blink of an eye.
Kaelis felt his senses return as if emerging from a daze: his vision cleared, his hearing sharpened, and his sense of touch slowly came back.
[Aspirant. Welcome to the Spell of Nightmare. Prepare for your First Trial...]
A soft breeze brushed his skin. His body felt younger, thinner. When his consciousness fully returned, he found himself on the edge of a parapet of the floating island. Ahead, only the abyss — the endless void of the Sky Below.
On reflex, Kaelis screamed, stumbled, and fell backward onto the stone walkway.
As he stood up, he noticed his body was different: slightly shorter, more fragile, as if he had been starving for days. He wore a simple white tunic, light pants, and shoes made of unknown fabric. Behind him, a white, vibrant medieval city rose, where the voices of men, women, and children echoed through the streets.
"What the hell... Where am I?"
He wandered aimlessly through the city, surrounded by stares and whispers. It was as if everyone knew him.
The architecture of the city was a spectacle. Gothic and spiraling towers defied the sky, growing in vertical layers as if seeking to touch the divine. In the center, Kaelis saw the grandest structure of all — a colossal cathedral, worthy of a king or a god.
"What is this pla—?"
A sharp pain pierced his mind. Clutching his ears, he tried to muffle the ringing. Fragmented images invaded his head: a priest, devotees in prayer, a loving woman, a proud father, a little sister who resembled Zoe...
"These memories... Do they belong to the boy I possessed?"
The pain ceased, but a strange pull was dragging him toward the cathedral. Like invisible threads tugging at his soul.
It was late. The orange sky painted the gray stones of the immense cathedral. Not a soul in sight. All was silent, except for a chorus coming from within.
Kaelis swallowed hard.
He remembered his father's encouraging words. Took a deep breath, ignored the fear, and pushed the sacred doors. But before he could open them fully, someone from inside helped him.
Upon entering, he saw a disturbing vision: black-robed devotees kneeling in worship. On the altar, a gigantic statue, with a smooth face like a blank mask, four horns, chained arms, and a stone mantle covering its slender, feminine body.
The doors slammed shut.
The hall plunged into suffocating silence.
At the feet of the statue, a priest in white robes observed him. Young, but inhuman — skin pale as marble, golden eyes, no hair, no eyebrows, no eyelashes. Like a living statue.
Bells tolled. Then, he spoke in a serene, angelic voice:
"Oh Chosen One... Give us your heart, for the sacred day has come."
"Let the will of Form and Hunger be done... And become the holy bearer who will save us from our sins."
And before he could react...
All the candles went out. Darkness was absolute. Kaelis took a step back and bumped into someone... but when he turned, no one was there.
The hall had become so dark he couldn't see an inch ahead.
He tried to scream, but couldn't — his tongue felt heavy, as if locked by some invisible force.
Kaelis tried to run, but his body resisted, as if he were being forced to accept whatever was being done to him.
Time and reality warped — it felt like hours had passed and his consciousness had gone dormant.
When he came to, Kaelis was in a dark room, seated before a table. A white-flamed candle burned… but instead of heat, it emitted a chilling cold.
On the table: a sacred book and a silver dagger with a ruby in its hilt.
"You've awakened, my devotee. Grace touched your soul while you slept."
The priest's voice was omnipresent, coming from all directions in the dark room.
"Your name is Hadriel, which means 'Majesty of God.' A powerful and heavy name, just like your responsibility."
"You shall be the vessel of Heart God, deity of souls, emotions, hunger, and growth."
"To understand your destiny, read the runes of your soul — as only you are capable of doing."
Hearing this command, Kaelis remembered the tips the officer had given him before he entered the First Nightmare.
The officer had explained that he had to read his attributes as soon as he entered the First Nightmare.
Kaelis obeyed. Upon focusing on "status," shimmering runes appeared before him. He didn't recognize them, but he understood their meaning.
And then he saw what he never imagined.
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Name: Kaelis
True Name: —
Rank: Aspirant
Memories: —
Echoes: —
Attributes: [#$@+&] [????] [π£#@]
Aspect: [Veiled Angel]
Aspect Description: [A silent whisper of a power yet to be understood.
In your soul, an ancient flame rests — an essence forged in light, judgment, and sacrifice.
Your wings have not yet opened, and your gifts have yet to manifest, but the weight of your soul already distorts the reality around you.]
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After reading his attributes, Kaelis was stunned. He couldn't believe what he had just seen, as if it were impossible for someone like him.
"How is this possible...? I'm... an angel...?"
Runes began to spin around his wrists and ankles, forming magical shackles. Before he could react, a dark cloth was thrown over his head, plunging him back into darkness.
Time passed like a breath. When he woke, he was walking. Shackled, still blindfolded, feeling the dagger in his hand.
Soon, the blindfold was removed.
A hooded devotee with a featureless stone mask was watching him. Behind him, the priest guided the way.
They walked through tunnels beneath the cathedral.
Now, Kaelis wore black garments with golden details, similar to those of the acolytes.
Along the corridor, dozens of children dressed like him stood in silence, lifeless eyes, chanting hollow hymns.
As Kaelis passed between them, each child touched his shoulders. The priest looked on with pride:
"All these poor children were flawed and lost their souls. Only you shone in the eyes of the Heart God, Hadriel. Only you can save us."
Confused and frightened, Kaelis tried to question or even scream, but something held him back. A weight on his tongue, as if part of him knew this wasn't a dream, but a destiny already written.
Seeing those hollowed children, those mad devotees, and even the priest — who seemed more a supernatural being than human — made Kaelis feel that the devotees, the city, and the cathedral once seen as holy were nothing more than illusions.
Kaelis tried to scream — he wanted none of it — but his soul wouldn't let him scream or resist his fate.
"This isn't a holy city! This is hell disguised as faith!"
"Exactly."
Upon hearing those few words appear in his mind, Kaelis stumbled and fell.
His head pulsed with an almost insane pain. Screams and groans of agony escaped his mouth.
"They defiled my name. Imprisoned my essence. Committed atrocities in my glory..."
"But I allowed it. Because I love humans."
"To love is to sacrifice. To grow is to die. Justice is surrender."
It was the first time Kaelis heard Heart God — even though he couldn't fully understand the sacred language, the meaning of its words invaded his mind.
Feeling a ghostly hand approaching his back, Kaelis felt a strange warmth where his wings would someday grow.
Suddenly, he lost consciousness, returning to the infinite void of darkness.
However, before his mind could rest—
He was awakened by the pain of a cut on his hand.
Kaelis was in a vast underground chamber. All the acolytes were kneeling before him.
Beneath his bleeding hand was a golden basin filled with a mixture of blood and oil — blood of people he hoped never to know.
The scent of blood and boiling oil was repulsive, making Kaelis nauseous, but he couldn't move — he simply continued the ritual.
The priest rose, stood beside Kaelis, and with emotion, said to the devotees in the room:
"The Heart has chosen the destined one! Your journey begins, vessel! And your world...
Ends."