Milo found himself in a black void, the sky filled with an array of shining stars, each connected by white strings of light. They formed a view that Milo had never seen before, a breathtaking sky that was also seen depicted in fiction.
'...Wow, it sure does beat that fucking cabin view.'
Milo was happy to see anything that wasn't the same cabin over and over again. He was relieved most of it was forgotten, living on only in his subconscious
[Aspirant! Your trial is over.]
[An obsessed apprentice smith spent years trapped in an endless loop of failure. Having given into despair, he gave into desperation and found salvation in the unknown. He slayed the devil swallowing his hope. There is no salvation in unacceptance.]
'What does that mean?'
[You have slain a Dormant Devil, Feeder of Fear]
[You have overcome a Temporal Loop!]
[Final Appraisal: Excellent. Your hope is a quiet rage that never dies.]
'Thank you... but what is a temporal loop? Like a time loop?'
[Dreamer Milo! Receive your boon!}
"I'm really an Awakened now." Milo didn't know whether to feel excited or devastated, all his emotions felt exhausted. That loop really took everything out of him. Then it waited for it to come back just to take it one hundred more times.
[Your Aspect is ready to evolve. Evolve Aspect?]
'Yes.'
[Dormant Aspect Apprentice Smith is evolving...]
[New Aspect acquired.]
[Aspect Rank: Supreme]
'...W-what? Supreme? Like the third best rank?'
[Aspect Name: Fanatical Smith]
Milo felt his breath quicken. He had received a Supreme Aspect. That was...
'Screw the baggage, a Supreme Aspect? This is totally worth it!'
Milo quickly viewed the runes to describe his Aspect.
Aspect: [Fanatical Smith]
Aspect Rank: Supreme
Aspect Description: [You are obsession in human form. You look at perfection and scoff, you reach for something far more greater. Spiteful of your own body's imperfection, you seek to make your creations much better.]
Innate Ability: [Scorching Mentality]
Ability Description: [Your conscious was put through the hottest of furnaces, burned and cooked for years by a fickle devil. Emotions such as fear or worse seldom seek your company, lest they burn in the fiery depths of your obsession.]
'A mental buff? Could it protect attacks of the mind too?'
Milo let out a sigh of relief. He had learned a valuable lesson, mind attacks are miserable.
"There is a lot to digest."
Milo, well the nightmare Milo, had spent time just idle. He had trained, practiced, worked out, done anything he could to learn. Smithing, Survival, Combat, Literature. It was all written down in the notes.
'I cant remember all of it though.'
Milo had kept the core memories of himself before the First Nightmare had begun, likely due to the fact of both his rude awakening and the nature of the loop being done by a mere Dormant Devil. So it was all fragmented, slipping from his mind like any dream would.
'I should probably write down what I remember when I get back.'
The Spell's voice continued its listing.
[The First Seal is broken.]
[Awakening dormant powers...]
"Right, I've read about thIS" Milo suddenly yelped as he felt a newly found sensation erupt in his chest. It spread throughout his entire body, giving him vigor. Milo felt entirely reborn, renewed even.
The energy spreading through his body had went from an invigorating warmth to a soothing cold. Milo felt it spread through his nerves, to his brain, and finally his eyes. He felt his vision nearly double, like he had spent years with unfocused eyes.
A silent, strong sea illuminated by a steady sun was revealed to him.
The sun itself was filled with a light, that was calm... yet something about it was off.
Rather the water Milo was now standing in was, it was hot, as if affected by the light from the sun.
'Is this what it meant by scorching depths? What would happen if I went even closer to the sun.'
[Awakening Aspect Ability...]
"Ah shit! Right, please be good!'
This was everything. Most of what he had gotten before was perfect, protection from mind attacks and from falling into despair. Tons of subconscious memories from his First Nightmare where he trained and learned nearly everything and anything he could. A Supreme Aspect, but this would tie everything together.
[Aspect Ability acquired.]
[Aspect Ability Name: Imperfect Prosthetic]
"Huh?"
Milo looked to his left, and nothing happened.
"Well, I guess I should read the description."
Milo pulled up the runes, and he wanted to cry.
'I guess I was expecting too much.'
Aspect Ability Description: [A prosthetic that appears at the users whim. Overuse results in a timed rest for the prosthetic depending on the over usage. This prosthetic is imperfect, having never been completed in the nightmare it came from.]
"At least, I'll have a prosthetic at the end of the day, that should help in the Dream Realm."
"It also mentioned the prosthetic being imperfect... maybe if I complete it'll be a permanent addition?"
"More speculation up in the air, just what I needed."
Milo then noticed the new runes that had appeared just below. The Spell elaborated.
[All power has a price.]
'Just don't be terrible.'
[You have received a Flaw.]
[Your Flaw is: Fanning Flame.]
Flaw: [Fanning Flame.]
Flaw Description: [Positive emotions are overtly enhanced.]
"That's not so bad." Milo felt a little happy, then that happiness grew, a smile forced itself onto his face.
'Ah shit, I lied.'
His sudden switch-up was short lived. Soon the disappointment he felt was chased out. His Innate Ability and Flaw had combined into a truly terrible combo. His positive emotions were amplified, while any negative emotions that did get through were stomped out.
In short, this was a disaster waiting to happen in social situations. What if someone brought up the death of a loved one and he responded with sympathetic and grieving words, but any negative emotion would be killed, leaving all the positive to be amplified. He would have a smile on his face while telling this person. "I'm sure they were good people."
'I'm fucked!' Milo thought inwardly while his smile stayed as bright as ever.
'Wait, if it amplifies all positive emotions, does that mean crushes count? SHI-'
[Wake up, Milo!]
---
Milo awoke to the armored police ceiling, he felt like he had just woken up from a two month map, his mouth was terribly dry, his lips chapped, and his hair greasy. At the very least, the machine meant to keep him in stable condition had done just that.
Milo sat up as best he could. In the chair was a man wearing plate armor from head to toe. It was silver in nature and seemed to replicate the attributes of a dragon, with scales on the shoulder and a maw shape on the helmet.
The man noticed Milo move, and sat up. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Sleeper Milo." His voice was monotone, it seemed almost tired. "Stay right here for a second if you would."
'Not like I could move anyway.' Milo nodded, watching as he Awakened babysitter slipped out the room.
Eventually, he returned, along with a police officer that seemed relieved.
"Milo, you've been in your First Nightmare for two weeks now. Why don't you go and shower, we have a lot to discuss with you once you're done."
Milo went into the shower. It felt refreshing to wash his greasy body. His hair returned to its original curly state. While in the shower, he wanted to try out his Aspect Ability.
'How does this even work, do I just think about summoning it?'
Milo thought about summoning the prosthetic, even closing his eyes to focus. It was too no effect...
"It's still apart of your body at the end of the day. Just focus more."
Milo focused on his body, specifically in feeling the left arm that was no longer there, in the restoration of his arm. He felt something there, in the stump. Something waiting to be released. He let the feeling out. He opened his eyes, watching as that prosthetic formed on his arm.
The same one he had agonized over for years on end, trying to find anyway to solve it or use it in the First Nightmare. The source of his obsession was now forming in front of his very eyes. Yet all he could feel was disdain at this thing that had kept him trapped in a time loop for years.
It was dull, grey, and seemed utterly lifeless if not for the small heat burning inside. The prosthetic was also composed of the basic parts of any prosthetic, the upper arm, lower arm, hand and all five fingers. The fingers themselves seemed to be sharpened just enough to be useful in a fight while not disrupting everyday function.
It was by all means a good prosthetic. Milo would have to figure out what made it imperfect soon if he wanted it to be a permanent addition to his body.
'If that would even work to begin with.' Milo mused to himself. He finished the shower and stepped outside.
The police officer led him to the cafeteria and gave him a basic meal of artificial eggs and other such things. It was filling enough to leave Milo satisfied. The police officer seemed to pity Milo for whatever reason. It was to be expected, he had spent two weeks in this place after all, the police officer was probably imagining what had happened to this poor fifteen year old kid.
After he finished his meal, the police officer spoke. Milo had begun to wipe his hands with a napkin.
"Milo, something happened while you were gone. A gate opened nearby your home a week ago. Your mother and father were killed in the following attack. Your sister, meanwhile, has gone missing. We haven't been able to find her since the attack."
Milo froze. His hand trembled, he felt like throwing up what he had just ate.
Those feelings came and went as fast as a bullet. Soon he was left with only emptiness. There was nothing to be amplified, and nothing to be squashed out. His fist clenched and unclenched. A single tear formed in his eyes, so close to falling down. In the end, he asked in a monotone voice.
"I... see. What happens to me then?"
"You have two options. You can return home, figure out your situation, and work your way from there. The second option is to head to the Awakened Academy, and spent the rest of the three months you have from the Winter Solstice to prepare for the Dream Realm."
Milo took in a deep breathe, at the end of the day, he had to survive. The best option would be.
"I'll go to the Academy."