Leon dreamt of a vast kingdom that stood behind massive walls. At its heart, a castle lay torn apart — the numerous buildings surrounding the castle were either burnt, or destroyed.
One of the walls had a giant hole in it — rather it looked like the wall had a segment cut off, and everything near the hole was flattened.
Inside the kingdom, countless people were running around, but most were all dead, it looked like the kingdom changed into a smeared canvas of crimson red and bright orange.
Suddenly, The sun vanished. The moon surged upward. Time was being violently rewound.
All the bloodshed, the countless bodies scattered all over the kingdom paused.
Then he saw it, a terrifying creature, as big as the walls surrounding it, it looked completely golden in color. The titan just broke the huge walls that seemed unbreakable by moving through it, as though the walls didn't even affect it.
Fighting the horrifying existence was a person riding a feathered beast.
The bird-riding person rained arrows upon the titan, and each arrow exploded on impact.
The titan was unbothered by the entire thing as it continued to turn its giant head around, almost looking for something. Near the titan's feet, everything fell. Buildings were destroyed and people were trampled as though they were ants.
Looking at the titan, Leon was stunned, it looked inhuman, completely golden, but humanoid in shape. But he couldn't feel fear, all he felt was the uncanny urge to keep looking at the titan as it destroyed everything.
The scene felt unreal, like a lie forced onto the world. Leon couldn't process the scale of what he was seeing.
[Aspirant! Welcome to the Nightmare Spell. Prepare for your First Trial]
***
It was dark, Leon couldn't see anything clearly. He couldn't move his hands or legs — they were shackled.
'Please don't tell me I ended up a slave...'
He waited a while, trying to make sense of where he was, but due to the darkness of the room, he could only remain still.
He then remembered that he should have an aspect now. He tried to check his runes, but they weren't showing up, he thought it would be something like status or window, but nothing happened.
'Where are the runes?'
He suddenly heard something — metal creaking, like someone was opening a gate. He also heard footsteps, they felt too close though, as if the footsteps were approaching him.
Leon felt a shiver run down his spine, he didn't know what was happening, he couldn't see.
The person approaching him, went past him, and he heard more metal clanging sounds, followed by a clicking noise.
Leon understood what situation he was in.
'What...What the hell? A prison?'
Leon was then dragged away, with the chains tugging against his skin near his wrists. His feet hurt but he had to keep walking, he didn't know what the the person holding his chains would do to him.
Then, after a while, he could finally see torches lighting up a narrow corridor, made entirely out of black stone.
He was being dragged by a guard wearing silver armor, covering his entire body, he had a silver helmet covering his face, and in his hand was the chain that bound Leon.
Leon tried to make sense of what was happening. The spell had put him inside a prison, but there had to be a way out. What was worse, he still couldn't access his runes, no matter what wording he tried.
He wanted to open his mouth to speak but no voice came out. He narrowed his eyes as he felt despair claw into his head.
Soon, Leon could see a huge metallic door, the door slowly opening.
'How do I get out of this? What if this is my execution?'
He was also worried about the earlier vision, the humongous humanoid titan, simply remembering it sent shivers down Leon's body.
'If what I saw was the future, then...'
Leon's panic grew, and although he knew panic wouldn't help in such situations, his body didn't listen. His breathing turned uneven, as he felt nauseous.
Before he could think of other thoughts, the shackle around his neck was unlocked as he fell into a coughing fit.
"Ah..."
A small groan escaped his mouth as Leon realized his voice was back.
The doors opened, and he saw a circular room. Inside the room, many people were seated, almost as if they were waiting for him, and directly in front of him, was a podium.
The guard dragged Leon towards that podium, and Leon hesitantly climbed up.
He was surrounded by a circular ring of people all staring at him, directly in front of him was an even more grand chair, where a lady with dark green hair sat.
She looked graceful, her posture was straight, her black eyes were staring at Leon with an expressionless face.
Around the space between him and the supposed judges, there were countless blood stains.
Two more knights stood below the lady, utterly still, as if they were statues.
Leon looked at the judge but all he could feel was fear and uncertainty. Even if he had given up on life, deep down he wanted to live.
All his excitement of entering his first nightmare and conquering it disappeared, all he could feel now was how dry his mouth was. His whole thought process was occupied with escape plans.
Suddenly, two more people, dressed in plain white robes, covering their faces appeared behind the green haired lady and sat beside her.
Every person in the room looked down at Leon like they had already decided what his fate was.
Leon silently observed all of them before a heavy thud sounded, the green haired lady banged a gavel on the table, the sound echoing through the silent room.
As the gavel sounded, the two white robed men beside the judge stood up.
The lady continued to look at Leon, he failed to maintain the gaze and looked away.
The two men began chanting, but he couldn't make out what they meant. Immediately, the space around Leon glowed — he turned down to see various engravings on the ground around him. They formed a circle.
'Runes? Runic sorcery?'
Leon was no expert at runic magic, so he couldn't tell what they meant.
The men stopped their chants, and the runes glowed white, their brightness consuming the space around him.
Sunlight poured over the room through the windows, washing over the runic white brilliance.
Another gavel strike echoed throughout the chamber.
The lady, no, the judge spoke,
"Honorary witnesses of the divine sun's will.
The condemned that stands before is guilty of something vile."
Leon tensed up, as he forced himself to calm down, breath evenly and listen.
The judge continued.
"In accordance with the laws that protect the divine sun kingdom, we shall pass judgement on his today."
Leon didn't know what to think, but he now knew one thing — he was in a kingdom called the divine sun kingdom.
'Or maybe every kingdom worshiping sun god called itself that.'
"He has burned down twenty three people to ashes. Women and children included, this man has taken the lives of innocents."
Leon narrowed his eyes in confusion.
'This....This is not....'
The judge then closed her eyes,
"The inquisition shall now proceed in accordance to the sun's will, and witness."
The rune's glow became brighter. Leon's skin felt warmer, he felt heat permeating his body.
This was also when Leon noticed the dried blood stains, painting the entire hall crimson. He shuddered as he noticed the same dried marks covering the armor of the knights that stood in front of him.
'An execution?'
One of the people around him began questioning him,
"Tell me, how did you manage to create such powerful attacks? Who provided the assistance? What master do you serve?"
Leon didn't know what to say, he wanted to stay silent and collect more information first. But he felt an invisible pressure build up inside of him, in just a few seconds his chest hurt, it burned.
"I...didn't kill anyone."
The same person who asked him the questioned snorted
"Foolish boy. You can't lie here. The sun god--" the runes changed their glow.
Its glow changed into a bright yellow.
The man was stunned "What?" He turned toward the judge lady,
"What is the meaning of this inquisitor?"
The judge had a small frown on her face, she looked back at Leon.
The judge studied Leon for a moment.
"Utter a lie, boy."
Leon felt the same pressure build up again,
"I was born in the divine sun kingdom!" he shouted, the runes changed their glow again, this time shifting into a deep blue.
The judge's frown grew. She looked at one of the guards near the gate and ordered
"Bring the high priest, and the guards that captured this boy."
The guard near the gate straightened his back and immediately ran away.
The judge looked back at Leon
"Are you alive, boy?"
Leon was in a thoughtful gaze, the question didn't confuse him, he knew exactly what the judge was testing
"Yes."
The runes changed color yet again, this time into a bright yellow.
The judge's expression did not change. The people around Leon started chattering, he could hear their nervous voices.
The judge banged the gavel once more,
"I will have order until the high priest arrives, we will verify whether the runes are working, and then verify the validity of the guards that captured this boy."
The chattering grew silent. Everyone looked at the judge but immediately lowered their head.
Leon finally had a moment to breathe, but he didn't know when the high priest would arrive, he had to think of something quick.
If the judge decided to ask the right questions, his fate would be worse than imprisonment.
Before the nightmare started, Leon wanted to complete the nightmare with the best possible appraisal, and for that, he needed to change fate. The more fate deviated, the better the appraisal.
But as soon as he was in the nightmare started, none of it had mattered to Leon, he only wanted to survive.
Seeing the panic in everyone's eyes, his expression softened, his breaths steadied.
'Keep calm, panic equals death, you need to think.'
The doors sounded once more, this time, a man with black hair streaked with white, wearing white robes patterned in gold, arrived.
Everyone's attention was drawn to the man that had just arrived.
The judge's voice sounded once more.
"High priest, we would like to request an inspection of the runes, we have reason to believe they might be defective."
The high priest looked at the judge with a cold expression,
"Listen here inquisitor.." he said in a mocking tone.
"Don't insult the sorcerers of this kingdom. Do not presume authority you do not possess."
The judge's expression didn't change,
"We would still like an inspection to be made, and you have no right to refuse when a trial demands it."
The high priest clicked his tongue, and walked over to the runes.
He circled Leon while his eyes were glued to the runes. He chanted a few words, and the runes glowed white.
The high priest then scoffed,
"As expected, they're perfect. Runes that verify truth from the world, you expected them to be faulty?"
He looked at Leon and grinned,
"Not belief. Not madness. Truth."
Before the judge could voice out her next reason, Leon interrupted,
"If you kill me, then everyone in this kingdom dies."
The runes glowed, and to everyone's surprise, it was glowing a bright yellow.
The high priest frowned, the people around Leon gaped their mouths.
The judge's eyebrows furrowed, giving way to a tense expression.
Leon, technically had not lied, if he were to die, the nightmare ends, and everyone in it would cease to exist.
Leon continued in a hurry
"If you were to release me, you will live longer."
The runes dimmed and shone again, the same yellow glow.
While everyone were giving looks and contemplating what had just transpired, Leon then took a quick second to calm down.
He couldn't keep spouting nonsense because of time pressure, he needed to plant a seed of doubt in them. Leon knew that just because the runes said so they wouldn't release him.
Leon didn't waste time to study expressions, he knew that this opportunity wouldn't strike again
"I have been chosen to be here, by the very same great power that birthed the existence of this world."
This time the rune's glow shone brighter than the sunlight entering the courtroom.
The high priest took a step back without realizing it, he had a lost expression on his face and turned to Leon.
The judge's eyes widened, as she stared at Leon.
Voices erupted throughout the chamber, some sounded tense, while others curious.
"What nonsense is he spouting inquisitor?"
"High priest, I thought you said the runes worked."
"The power that birthed us? The Sun God?"
"He is chosen by the sun god?"
"Perhaps he's a madman? He believes to be chosen?"
"Fool, the priest just said it's the truth from the world."
The judge banged her gavel
"I will have order."
The chattering died down. The judge then looked at the high priest who was still looking at Leon with a frown on his face.
After a while, everyone stared at Leon. This time, not with contempt, but a semblance of hope, as though they wanted to hear the words Leon just spoke forever.
The judge exhaled silently,
"Guards. Take him away."
The guards then dragged Leon back through the empty corridor. This time however, the guard wasn't pulling the chain, he simply held it while Leon walked.
***
Leon was put back into his cell, with the same restraints still around him.
No matter what he tried, the runes refused to appear.
'Damn it! These must be the same chains that were used in Solvane's colosseum, it has to be! I clearly heard the spell announce the nightmare.'
For a while he thought that maybe he was in the same colosseum, but the vision never showed the floating islands or the massive chains binding them.
Time dragged by, measured only by hunger gnawing at his gut and the dull pain spreading through his body. Nothing happened.
Leon grew restless, but he forcefully calmed down while steadying his breaths.
'Calm down, the rumors need time to spread. I will escape this prison, no this kingdom eventually.'
His gaze then darkened.
'If the titan arrives, there won't be a kingdom to escape.'
Just then, he heard footsteps.
***