Rei walked between the long cafeteria tables, scanning for empty seats.
The moment he stepped forward, the noise dipped.
Conversations faltered. Cutlery slowed. Eyes followed him, too many of them.
At first, Rei thought it was just nerves. He'd never liked crowded places. But as he kept walking the air grew heavy. People stiffened as he passed. Some leaned away. Others froze entirely, their expressions paling as if something cold had brushed their spines.
Rei didn't notice what they saw.
Some glimpsed shadows clinging to his feet, stretching unnaturally across the floor. Others swore a second silhouette walked beside him, just out of sync with the steps. And few, only a few saw something far worse.
A tall, dark figure loomed behind Rei, its shape warped and indistinct, violent eyes glowing with quiet amusement. Its smile was wide, indulgent and hungry.
Fear rippled through the room.
And somewhere deep within Rei's mind, the Prince laughed.
Ah… this never gets old,
The voice drawled lazily.
Such honest emotions. Fear tastes better when it's unfiltered.
The negative emotions flowed like a feast. One by one, those who stared too long felt their strength drain away, shoulders slumping, thoughts dulling and limbs growing heavy. By the time Rei finally found an empty table and sat down, several students looked exhausted as if they'd ran for hours without moving an inch.
Rei exhaled, unaware of any of it.
He pressed a hand against his stomach.
"...Why do I feel full?"
His watch buzzed softly.
---
User Output Level: 3
---
Rei frowned.
Output? I didn't do anything…
Before he could think further, Tōma appeared, balancing two steaming bowls of ramen.
"Hope you like ramen,"
Tōma said, setting one down.
"Cost me 300 credits. You're paying next time."
Rei blinked.
"I didn't ask."
Tōma froze.
His eyes slid past Rei's shoulder.
"...Hey,"
He said slowly, lowering himself into the seat.
"Did you always have a companion standing behind you?"
Rei turned.
"What are you talking about?"
Tōma stared for another second, then shoved noodles into his mouth, pretending nothing was wrong.
"Okay… yeah. That confirms it."
"Confirms what?"
Tōma swallowed.
"Your manifestation's leaking. Badly. You should probably shut it off before the guards notice."
The Prince sighed inside Rei's mind.
Spoilsports
A snap echoed.
The pressure vanished.
The shadows dissolved and the presence withdrew.
"It was fun while it lasted."
The Prince murmured as he faded.
Rei's shoulders loosened. The room felt lighter. Normal.
He stared down at the ramen, then started eating despite still feeling strangely full.
---
Later, as they walked back toward the dorms, Tōma glanced sideways at him.
"So,"
He said casually.
"You seriously didn't see the thing behind you?"
Rei shook his head.
"No. All this Somniarch… manifestation stuff, it's new to me. I don't even know how to draw out my power."
Tōma clicked his tongue.
"Then you better figure it out. Because whether you like it or not… you're powerful."
They stopped outside Rei's door.
"I'll knock tomorrow morning,"
Tōma added.
"Be ready."
Rei scratched the back of his head.
"Yeah… sure."
Inside his room, Rei collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.
"I'm exhausted,"
He muttered.
"But I can't sleep."
The sound of waves filled his ears. Then screams
His chest tightened.
He shut his eyes, forcing the words out like a plea.
"I can't… I can't go back to that nightmare."
---
Deep into the night, while the facility slept.
Rei dreamed.
But this time, it wasn't the ocean.
There was no sky. No ground. Just a vast, dark expanse stretching endlessly in every direction.
He stood alone.
Voices drifted through the darkness, overlapping soft and distant.
Are you cold, Rei?
Are you cold Rei?
Rei, Are you cold?
Again and again.
Rei didn't answer.
He walked forward in silence, clutching only one thought as if it were a lifeline.
Hana… please be okay.
Outside Dorm Room R-025, two figures stood quietly.
Second Lieutenant Mirai Aoyama adjusting his glasses, blue hair catching the dim hallway light as he pressed his watch against the access panel. The door slid open.
They stepped inside.
Rei lay asleep on the bed, expression tense even in rest.
Mirai frowned slightly.
"...Ma'am,"
He whispered.
"Aren't we technically breaking and entering? You're making me feel like a criminal."
A soft, amused chuckle answered him.
"On whose grounds?"
The woman beside him replied calmly.
"This entire facility operates under my authority. Think of it as… inspecting my own house."
Satsuki Kurogane stepped closer.
Long black hair fell like a shadow behind her, crimson eyes glowing faintly in the dark. She studied Rei with detached curiosity.
"He looks weaker than I expected."
She reached out, brushing her fingers lightly against his cheek.
"Let's enter his mind."
Mirai stiffened.
"...Ma'am."
Despite his hesitation, his body began to glow a muted gray as he placed a hand on Rei's forehead.
Satsuki rested her palm on Mirai's shoulder, smiling faintly.
"Brace yourself."
The world collapsed into black.
They stood in the same dark expanse Rei had been walking through.
Empty. Silent.
Mirai looked around, adjusting his glasses out of habit.
"...No cognitive structure. No dream framework. This shouldn't even be possible."
He sighed.
"There's nothing here. We should withdraw."
"No,"
Satsuki said calmly.
"Go deeper."
Mirai hesitated then focused.
The space warped.
They stood atop a vast sea of people.
Countless figures screamed in agony, their voices blending into a single, suffocating echo.
Mirai's breath caught.
"...This isn't a nightmare,"
He muttered.
"This is emotional imprint overload. A little unsettling."
A chill ran down his spine.
Satsuki scanned the horizon, eyes sharp.
"This still isn't the core."
She turned to him.
"He's hiding something."
"...Understood,"
Mirai replied quietly.
The space shifted again.
They stood inside a familiar house.
Silent and empty.
Rei's home.
Satsuki moved slowly through the living room, stopping before a small shrine. Photographs, candles and offerings.
"He lost his parents too,"
Mirai said softly.
"Trauma anchor confirmed."
Satsuki's gaze lingered on the framed photo.
"Further."
Mirai nodded.
The world twisted violently.
They now stood before two massive thrones, towering and unnatural, formed from warped gold and pale remnants that felt ancient and wrong.
Mirai swallowed.
"...This exceeds previous depth scans."
He shook his head.
"Whatever he's suppressing, it's beyond conscious memory."
Satsuki exhaled slowly.
"Yes. We'll continue another…"
A voice descended from everywhere at once.
Lazy. Deep. Amused.
"How dare you enter my domain."
The space rejected them.
Mirai gasped as his connection was severed.
Satsuki's vision flared white.
The next instant, they were expelled.
---
Back in Rei's room, both were violently thrown back.
Mirai slammed into the wall, sliding down with a sharp breath.
Satsuki crashed into the desk, papers scattering across the floor.
Silence followed.
Satsuki straightened slowly, adjusting her coat.
Her expression wasn't anger.
It was delight.
"...How interesting,"
She said quietly.
She glanced at Rei, still sleeping.
"It seems,"
She added, red eyes gleaming.
"That's something inside him doesn't want to be found."
Rei stirred in his sleep
His brows knit together, breath hitching as if he were about to wake up. His fingers twitched, gripping at nothing, caught between dream and reality.
For a moment, the air around him trembled.
Then, stillness.
From the shadows near the doorway, Satsuki watched silently.
Her usual calm expression softened. Just a little.
"...So close,"
She murmured.
A faint warmth crept onto her cheeks as she turned away, composure returning like a mask sliding back into place.
"Someday,"
She whispered, almost to herself.
"I'll make you mine."
Rei shifted once more and the room went quiet.