At his words, all the students turned quiet. And then, the usual chaos unraveled. There were a lot of things being discussed, shouted or mumbled. But at the end of the day, what the students were screaming at the top of their lungs meant to voice one simple realization:
"We're becoming Dreamers!"
Julius did not like the sound of chaos, even one bit. So he got rid of it.
"Silence!"
They did as told. Seeing the students' cooperation, Julius seized the opportunity and went straight to the topic at hand. "Today, you are going to learn the basics of how Wishing Stars work, what class of Dreamer you'll be choosing, what Templates are, and much more later."
Without wasting any time on more instructions, he began. "Half a decade into the apocalypse, the ancients figured out that the power of a Dreamer wasn't stagnant. They discovered that by consuming a Wishing Star of their own Grade and one higher, they could advance and be granted improvements in relation with their Wish. The highest documented Grade ever seen is the Ninth…"
Except for Elyas who was absorbing this like a sponge, the students listened listlessly. Only a rare few paid actual attention. They had good reason to act this way though. Most already knew these things. Seeing his students' bored faces, Julius decided to cut to the chase.
"Vanguards are Dreamers with Wishes giving them improved capabilities in the field of combat. Supporters are Dreamers whose Wish focuses more on utility rather than granting them exceptional powers. The Templates for these two classes are always highly sought after, especially the latter."
The giant poured himself a cup of water and continued shortly after. "Benders are more straightforward. Any Dreamer who has control over any aspect of reality, no matter how small, is a Bender. This class, expectedly, has the cheapest Templates since most people can understand their Wish by simply observing one's power. An example of this is the Red Maiden and Light Bringer. Two famous mercenaries who with their rise to power, have contributed to a rise in Benders of their element."
Hearing their idols' names immediately gained the students' attention. Noticing this change and not wanting to meander around, the giant moved to the next topic. "Wishes have rules, and we have tried to understand them ever since the First Whispers. But the most important thing we understood was one rule. The shorter the Wish, the less pain you'll experience during the trial. But that creates another problem. If we make a Wish too short, then we wouldn't be certain of its outcome."
By trial and error and the efforts and lives of countless people, we have come to create Templates. Each word has been carefully picked and scrutinized to make sure that we achieve the desired effect, whilst suffering minimal pain."
So the rumors about shorter Wishes had some merit… Also, isn't what I did exactly what he's saying you shouldn't do? As Elyas reminisced about his past mistake of filling out a half finished Template by himself and using it, he couldn't help but notice this. He had been too vague. Even the words I chose to complete the Template with were too vague. What does having nothing as my realm even mean?
…
A student raised their hand, getting the approval of the giant to speak, she asked a question. "If Templates are this helpful, then why do the Librarians and Legacies hoard them?" As she talked the girl gave one of her classmates a harsh look. But after she finished, more and more of the students joined in, shooting hateful glares towards their classmate.
Julius scratched the back of his head. "Well, to be honest with you, I'm not sure why you're even asking this. It's to survive." The girl who had asked the question expected her trainer to condemn the Legacies. Instead, she was baffled by his answer, meanwhile, the subject of their hate suppressed a knowing smile. The teenager stood up and spoke.
"The Librarians do it because it's what they do, collect. We do it because it is as necessary to us as drinking water. Much like everything in the world, Templates have positives and negatives. Consider these two facts for a second. Influential people have enemies. Templates can be used to replicate one's Wish. If someone gets access to your Template, they can force a vagrant into using it, and from there understand your Cost and how your powers work."
Julius nodded. "Exactly. And Legacies or Librarians aren't the only ones who do it either. If you have relatives who have been mercenaries for a few generations, you'd also know that they keep their personal Template and the ones similar to it to themselves."
At this moment, another student raised their hand, Julius signaled for the boy to speak. "Trainer, why haven't they uh… taught us these sooner?"
"This is a good question. And one I get every spring. The answer is simple. You don't need to know." Julius paused, looking at the confused expressions on everyone's faces, he understood that that was not enough.
Why do they make me say this every time…
Clearing his throat, the giant straightened his back and leaned against an especially dirty wall before resuming. "That is because knowing wouldn't change the outcome. Let me be blunt with you kids. Dreamers aren't just people with powers, and more importantly, not everyone can become one."
"A Dreamer is someone who used their Wishing Star and managed to not turn into a Nightmare. Most people tend to gloss over the latter, while focusing on the former's flashy powers."
"...But you can't run away from The trial. Your fate is decided based on a process that takes less than a minute. One that you can not prepare for."
Julius looked down at the now sitting students, circling him on the rough cracked asphalt as if ready to hear a story. But most held dazed and unfocused expressions, the excitement they once felt slowly receding from their youthful, bright little faces.
Julius's voice turned raspy, so he poured himself some water. Not satisfied, he began to greedily drink from the vase instead. Only when he felt like his voice had returned did he continue. "It's three stages. First, you'll feel a warm sensation in your chest as well as rapid acceleration of your heartbeat. Then, a sharp pain which only grows more painful as time goes by appears in your head."
He paused. His eyes hid a hint of pity and the slightest bit of recognition as he swept the crowd. These weren't the first batch Julius was responsible for. And he hoped that no class would turn out like them again. "After that… that is when your fate is decided."
A deafening silence blanketed the students. The whispers and murmurs, the remaining few, all stopped. Seeing the boisterous trainer's serious attitude, no one dared to take the matter lightly.
"If you manage to be one of the lucky few who escaped, count your blessings and congrats. And for the rest of you…may the moons shine upon your executioner."
Julius let out a soft sigh. Here it goes…
"At the last stage, you do nothing. Just endure the pain as the Whisperer decides if you live or die. It's just a coin flip. One that many fail." The giant's already somber tone turned into a cold, grim plea as he uttered his last warning.
"So please. Choose wisely. Consider if you want this or not…I really, really don't want to kill you."