It was, unsurprisingly, a long ride. She just talked, and talked, and talked. When they got close to the Academy, and he thought she was done, or at the very least about to move on to more important matters, she started talking about her favorite foods.
It was unbearable.
Day wasn't even that much of an introvert, he just couldn't deal with what he liked to call, "Super Extroverts" that caused mayhem wherever they went.
One of his roommates at the orphanage had been like that.
When they finally arrived to the Academy, Violet left him with a few parting words:
"Pro tip! Don't say too much about yourself in the interview, or rather, interrogation, as I like to call it. It's a really bad idea to reveal too much about yourself. I almost got myself killed by trusting somebody with my Flaw, don't be like me!"
"I won't."
"Good! See you, Day, it was real fun talking to you, you are a real swell guy, you know?"
'Well, that's nice.'
"Sure, Awakened Violet. Thanks for everything."
"Mhm!"
Day opened the door of the PTV and stepped out of the vehicle. In front of him were towering red gates that blocked his sight and loomed over him, casting a shadow that made butterflies flutter around in his stomach.
'Am I afraid of the dark now or something? Get it together, Day.'
Day's eyes moved from left to right as he took in the sight of the Academy in front of him.
This Academy was a place of legends… and it wasn't disappointing in the slightest. The tall walls, the moat, the turrets, and the dome that surrounded it were all certainly intimidating, but they also made him feel secure.
This was where he would be staying now, until the winter solstice. He would train, take classes, learn more about his aspect ability, learn more about his attributes… Learn more about his Flaw, perhaps. He was excited, and those butterflies weren't flying around out of fear; they were fluttering wildly out of excitement. They were a reflection of his rampant emotions.
'I really hit it big, didn't I?'
A True Name, a Divine Aspect, a flaw that he still didn't fully understand… It was all a lot.
Nevertheless, Day was still prepared to face the challenges ahead. He had to, to be better like he said he would.
' I wouldn't say fighting and suffering is my calling, but this Academy certainly feels like it's calling to me.'
Soon, the gates opened, and someone came out to greet him.
It didn't take long for him to be brought inside of the building and taken into a room. It was cozy. There were a couple paintings on the walls that were framed behind shining glass and colorful wood. There was a singular brown, wooden desk placed perfectly in the middle of the room with a few trinkets and fidget toys on it. There were two chairs, one nice, comfy one on the inside of the desk, and one plastic one on the outside. It was full, but also eerily empty. There were no windows, there were no electronics in sight, and there wasn't anyone else there at that moment, which made Day feel ill at ease.
The man who picked him up from the front entrance and brought him inside practically placed him into the plastic chair himself before leaving without a word. A few minutes later, another man walked in, this one of a much more lenient demeanor. He sat down on the comfy chair and adjusted it slowly to look the hunched over Day in the eyes, like he had not a care in the world.
'Is this some sort of good cop bad cop situation for intimidation?'
If it was, it was working.
The man cleared his throat, and began to speak.
"My apologies for the sudden interview, Sleeper Day. You happened to come in at a perfect time… Anyway, I have a few questions I need to ask you. You can choose not to answer, it doesn't matter to me, but if you do answer, please be sure to answer truthfully. Some of these questions are also for your own personal benefit, just keep that in mind. "
The man started to ask him a plethora of basic mental health questions. He just gave the bare minimum of a response when asked a question. For a few of them, he even answered in a way that pointed to the fact that he was happy
He was not lying. He felt fine. He was just never one to go into the details about how he felt with people he didn't know.
Sooner rather than later, the interesting questions started to surface. Ones that Day actually had to think about his answer for, such as:
"If you are willing to share. What was your first Nightmare like?"
"Is there anything you are willing to tell me about your Aspect Ability? So we can do our best to help you in class selection."
"Is there anything that we need to worry about in relation to your Aspect, Attributes… or flaw?"
He continued with the barebones answers. For the first, he simply said he went on a journey. For the second, he said he had a mild affinity to light… Which was sort of a lie, but he didn't actually know, so maybe it wasn't? He wasn't sure about his aspect ability yet… but he would test it soon.
That final question piqued Day's interest. He thought it was blunt to ask about his flaw so shamelessly.
It didn't matter though, Day just said no. He wasn't lying, either, his flaw, from what he understood, didn't seem like a detriment to anybody.
He decided to pick his classes himself. He already knew how to do things like make a fire, or boil water to drink, but he didn't know how to fight. He planned on taking combat classes and training diligently for the next few weeks, to give himself the best chance of survival.
He had been told multiple times throughout his life that the best teacher was real experience… but that wasn't going to teach him the basic fundamentals.
The man asked a few more basic questions, and then the session neared a close just as fast as it began.
"One last question, Sleeper Day. Is there anything you wish to share that hasn't been asked so far?
Day put his hand on his chin in wonder for a moment.
There was one thing he wanted to share, but he wasn't sure if it was a good idea.
His True Name.
There was nothing inherently wrong with the True Name itself… Apart from being a little ominous.
Day still wasn't certain if he wanted to share such sensitive information, but it didn't take too long for him to make a final decision.
'To hell with it. There's barely any Aspirants who get a True Name on their first Nightmare.'
'Why not stir things up a bit?'
"Yes, actually, I do."
"What do you wish to share? If it's personal, we will be sure to keep it confidential."
'Somehow, I don't believe that.'
Smiling, he put his hands on the table and leaned forward, looking the man in the eyes.
"I have a True Name."
The man's eyes widened in shock, and he dropped his clipboard to the floor beneath with a clatter.
"I beg your pardon? Are you insane?"
The man scrambled to the floor and picked up his clipboard before rising back up just as quickly and adjusting his glasses.
"I apologize- I didn't mean that, what I meant to say is… are you sure that you got a True Name? Oh- That's the wrong question…"
He cleared his throat and the smile that was there previously creeped back up onto his face.
"What is it? Your True Name."
Day was certainly amused by the loss of composure. He was never really one to seek attention, but he would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy this. He probably wouldn't go around telling every person he had a True Name, since he didn't like to be pretentious… but this was fine.
Maybe it was a deserved reward after what he went through, to get recognized a little bit.
"Harbinger of a New Horizon."
The interviewer's mouth gaped open.
"Wow. Well, okay, Sleeper. I'll take your word for it and write it down as such. Your True Name will be displayed next to your name on the rankings. I'm not sure how high you will get, since I'm not a part of the crew who do the rankings, but you will certainly catch some attention. Are you fine with that?"
"I don't mind."
"Well then… The induction ceremony is happening soon. You came at the perfect time, and do not need to wait for the next one. You can just head down there now, and there will be someone to greet all of the Sleepers soon and give a speech. Uh- Congratulations, Sleeper Day… You accomplished something amazing. Remember that."
"Thank you."
The man gave Day the directions to the induction hall. Day couldn't help but notice the intense gaze the man gave him as he exited the interview room. It wasn't respectful, nor was it hateful. He just seemed interested in Day, like he had a million questions he wished to ask but he didn't have the luxury of asking a single one.
Day walked down to the induction hall rather slowly, not in any rush. Taking in the sights of the building he would be staying in for the next few weeks.
Soon, he arrived at the induction hall.
There was an uncountable amount of Sleepers just like him standing around. They were chatting, walking, and messing around. It was quite the peculiar sight, to see so many people who had just gone through the most dreadful trial of their lives acting so carefree… but perhaps it shouldn't have been surprising.
Many of these people likely went through isolation and suffering. Maybe they just wanted to talk and relax after everything. That wasn't a bad thing at all. Rather, it was a good thing. For these children to still be able to act like children.
'This is a beautiful sight… Wait a minute, why am I speaking like some wise old man?! Am I getting old? No! That can't be! Most of them are probably older than me… Okay, enough of these thoughts!'
Day's eyes shot around. He wiped his forehead. He felt warm, and thought that he may have been sweating; but that wasn't the truth.
'Augh… This is already uncomfortable. Alright, Day. You need to put yourself out there, make a few friends.'
The sight of it all was familiar, but equally foreign. This hall felt different from the public schools he was used to. There was a certain confidence that most of these people held. Some of them likely had a private education, or combat training, or at least resources… but he was merely an orphan boy. He wasn't from the outskirts, which was something he would be eternally grateful for….. So in his eyes, he was privileged. More than most, at least.
He felt out of place though, that was for certain.
He had come here with nothing but himself, unlike the other people in this hall. He had no clothes to change into, he didn't have any items, he had nothing. No memories, no echoes, he didn't even have something as basic as a sword; though they wouldn't know that.
'I guess I'm not that privileged, am I? '
At least not in comparison to some of these people.
He could have gone back to the orphanage… but he didn't have the time. There wasn't a long time before the induction ceremony started, and Day wasn't keen on the idea of waiting for the next one when he didn't have much time in the first place. He really had lucked out, and he wasn't going to forsake that for some chump change and some cheap clothing.
He could probably ask the faculty for clothing to wear, right? He didn't need to look fancy or anything.
'Yeah… There goes the idea of heading back and using my savings for a cheap sword. I mean, I probably don't even have enough anyway.'
Day was regretting studying so hard and not getting a part time job to save up a sizable amount of money.
'How was I supposed to know I was going to get infected by the Spell the second I turned sixteen? I wasn't, that's how…'
Day shook his head and sighed.
'Alright. I think it's about time to waste time. Can't stand around forever.'
Day started to chat with the other Sleepers with an open mind. He walked up to a group or a person, and said one of two things:
"Today is a nice day, isn't it? I'm Day, it's nice to meet you."
Or, the one that he really liked:
"Nice to meet you! Did you enjoy your first Nightmare?"
After the first few shocked reactions, he couldn't help but grin mischievously.
"Ah… Me and Violet really are geniuses, aren't we?"
That was what he did for the next twenty minutes. Soon, the veil started to peel away and he began to feel comfortable walking around. He started to feel especially good as people started to talk to him. He didn't look the best… His ash-blonde hair was messy, and his clothes were crinkled up, but apparently he didn't look unapproachable. That was reassuring.
As he was walking, a certain group caught his attention more than the rest. There were multiple Sleepers standing around a tall boy who was exuding an aura of calm confidence, but that confidence didn't make Day feel like he thought himself above the rest of the people around him, even though they surrounded him like he was.
As he neared, he could hear them asking him a few questions, as well as giving a few surprised answers. Apparently, he had an Ascended aspect, and got an excellent rating on his first Nightmare.
Day was about to walk up and introduce himself with a joke, when suddenly, a short boy stopped near them and spoke with a tinge of malice evident in his tone.
"Ascended? Excellent? That's it? What's the big deal?"
Day froze.