Epsilon's eyelids slowly opened, and immediately he was struck by a pain barraging his whole body.
"Ouch!"
He tried to lift himself up, but his body refused to obey him. It was too dark, and he couldn't see anything, but he could tell that he was on something soft.
'A bed?'
Another sharp pain pierced his head, making him groan.
'What happened? I was running.. and then...'
What the fck was that dream?
'I've had one like that before, back in the academy. It's my flaw acting up again.'
His flaw made his dreams forever plagued by the sins of others, and he would experience them as if they were his own. He hadn't experienced a dream like that since coming to the dream realm, but this dream, was definitely because of his flaw.
In his last dream, he took on the role of Bors as he killed his new-born sibling.
'Still don't know how to feel about that.. if I see him in the dream realm I should probably be wary of him.'
His bad relationship with him didn't help either.
'Then this dream I had.. whose role did I take?'
The answer was obvious in hindsight. There was only one person he's interacted with at all in the last few days.
'Ki Song. I didn't hurt her though, so how did my flaw activate?'
Flaw: [Witness]
Flaw Description: [As you pass Judgment, the greatest sins of those you punish will be engraved into your mind as if they were your own.]
'It works through punishment, so hurting someone isn't the only condition? The trigger is any kind of judgment?'
A punishment could only exist if there was a crime being judged. Judgement always comes before punishment, otherwise that would be just plain violence. If that rule was false, then Epsilon would be experiencing the worst sins of even the Nightmare Creatures that he killed.
'Hang on, there's an outlier then. I've never experienced a dream about Nero.'
Even he had to admit that he said some harsh things towards him. He said that he was a coward for not trying to save the world to keep it safe for their mother, and although he had a point, they both had the right not to risk their lives for something so far fetched.
'I was just angry at him. Was it because that judgement wasn't fair?'
What he did in that Nightmare still left some scars on his mind, but he'd mostly recovered since then. Mostly.
'Right, I'm over thinking things now. What happened before I came here?'
He used his innate ability for the first time, then was exhausted from the draw back. Afterwards.. he?
The pain in his head intensified as he tried to recall those details, but he didn't care, he had to know. And eventually, it all came back to him.
He summoned the maddened frenzy without even realising it. Using the enchantment, he ignored the capabilities of his body, and pushed himself to his absolute limit. His current injuries, was a result of that.
'That memory wasn't useless after all...'
Thinking about it now, the forest was set on fire halfway through that battle. He almost burned himself alive in it..
'Well, it did help me in it's own way.. I would've had to deal with even more of the creatures if that didn't happen. Did Ki Song start it?'
He remembered a faint explosion just before he completely lost it. Did she use those bombs she had been making? So she must've dragged him to wherever.. this was.
Contemplating, Epsilon screamed,
"HELP ME!"
And immediately after he coughed up a small amount of blood.
'That hurt.'
Not that long after, Epsilon could hear a pair of footsteps approach him from somewhere he couldn't see. And then a couple moments later, the entire place was illuminated in a soft yellow light.
He was in some kind of dormitory. The walls were made of wood and concrete, which formed an arch above his head, and in the centre was something that resembled crystal a chandelier which emanated that light. There were numerous beds lined up in rows and columns, with a cupboard next to each one.
"Ki Song?"
He couldn't turn over to see who it was, so he useless called out her name. It only made sense that it was her, but instead, he was met with something rather unexpected.
Looking above him was a puny looking boy. He looked rather thin, with blonde hair and a face full of freckles.
The boy spoke,
"Hi?"
'Who is this guy??', was Epsilons first thoughts upon seeing him, but that question was quickly answered.
"Ah , your injuries won't let you talk well, right? My name is Cassius."
'Cassius... Cassius... it sounds familiar... where have I heard it before?'
And then it clicked into place. Although this was the first time the two had actually met, Epsilon could remember that on the Academy's rankings, this guy was ranked dead last, right behind Emma.
'He lasted longer than someone who Smile Of Heaven hand picked. Maybe he isn't as useless as everyone thought.'
The boy then continued,
"Your face is covered in all those bandages, but I can tell your impressed by how a weak guy like me was able to survive for so long, right?"
Epsilon flinched, but even that caused its own set of pain.
"Haha... you really shouldn't be moving too much, you were a bloody mess when I found you. Well, all of you."
Epsilons face brightened.
"I was only able to survive because of where we are honestly. When I appeared here, there were absolutely no Nightmare Creatures for miles. Any further then that though..."
Cassius's face turned eerie and dark, as if he had seen something that he desperately wanted to forget, but was unable to do so. A few seconds after he said that, a loud thud shook the room, making him jump.
"Let me excuse myself. Do you want me to leave the lights on for you?"
Epsilon nodded, and soon enough, he was left alone in the room once again. Contemplating, Epsilon delved into his Soul Sea.
**
Just like before, he found himself in a seemingly infinite void of nothing but white space, with the boundary of darkness that rested on the other side. In what he could only call the sky, there was a shinning soul core that substituted for a sun in the place. Of course, there was one in the darkness too.
Floating up closer to it, Epsilon took note of the 5 lesser stars that orbited it. Each representing the memories he had earned since coming here. One of which, was a new boon he had earned in that last battle, and the other being the one he came here for.
Focusing on it, one of the stars detached from his Soul Core, and flew down towards him, hovering on the palm of his hands.
Memory: [Seras's despair]
Memory Rank: Divine
Memory Type: unknown
Memory description: [A child was born on the boundary between good and evil, but rather than being embraced by all, she was forsaken by both. Destined for a lifetime of loneliness, she ran away to the Hollow Mountains, but even then, she could not live in peace. After exhausting her strength trying to break free, she was slain by a demon, as well as the key to her jail. Her hatred for the world, and her last wishes, were condensed into a single drop of her blood.]
'I didn't use it last time because I was afraid of what it might do to me, but this time.. this time I can't allow myself to hesitate any longer.'
His innate ability was incredibly powerful, worthy of making his Aspect that of a Divine. However, its cost was too deadly. If he wanted to live long enough to see the end of all nightmares, he couldn't keep relying on it.
'I'll limit that power to only devils, and creatures a rank or two above me. Even then, it should only be used as a last resort.'
And thus, the stage was set.
Epsilon gazed at the drop of red blood in front of him. Just looking at it gave him the creeps, as if he was holding onto something truly forbidden.
[You have acquired #@!>?'@$. Do you wish to consume it?]
"I hope I don't regret this. Let's see what you have in store for me."
[Are you sure?]
"Hurry up and give it to me!"
[As you wish.]