Shadow Slave Fanfic: Peaceful Dreams...well...kinda. [New]

Have you ever woken up after a night of drinking, unsure of your surroundings? You check your phone, only to find there's no signal or, worse, it's dead. Standing up proves difficult as the alcohol still affects your vision. You have a hazy memory of spending hours with your friends, just hanging out and having a good time, which seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.

You attempt to rise but quickly fall back down, resigning yourself to your situation for now. Instead, you focus on regaining your composure by gulping down some water. You drink as if you haven't had any in ages, feeling some of it spill down your body.

That's when you notice you're completely naked and covered in dirt. You hurriedly search for something to cover yourself, but all you find are some plants. So, after cleaning yourself up with the water, you summon your Puppeteer Shroud to cover yourself.

"Much better, but why did the spell have to drop me down a hill and leave me covered in dirt? Ugh, my head hurts. I hope I'm not concussed."

Rain was puzzled by the spell's cruelty, suspecting her [Fallen Destiny] attribute had something to do with it.

"Now I understand why Sunny despised his [Fated] attribute so much. Mine is basically the same, just with a fancier name."

After a few moments, her vision cleared, and she looked around, stunned by what she saw.

At first, she thought she had landed in a canyon filled with enormous plants and stunning crystal formations. But upon closer inspection, she realized that what she thought was the sky was actually the ceiling of a massive cave, adorned with blue crystals that sparkled like stars.

"If this weren't the Dream Realm, I could see myself wanting to stay here forever."

Suddenly, a familiar sound echoed through the cave—the distant ringing of enormous bells.

"I've never read about a place like this. Those can't be human-made bells; something else must be creating that sound."

After summoning her bow and quiver, she made her way out of the small crevice she had fallen into. Fortunately, it was spacious enough for her to fit through without getting stuck. Upon emerging, her eyes widened again in awe.

Before her lay a gigantic cave filled with towering trees that reached from the ground to the ceiling, their trunks wrapped in thick vines. The ground was carpeted in moss, with a jungle stretching as far as she could see, interspersed with open areas. The view was breathtaking, and Rain suddenly felt very small.

As she examined some crystals, she heard the source of the bell-like sound and her heart raced. When she spotted it, she quickly dropped to the ground, hiding behind a boulder.

Her heart raced as she tried to calm herself and ensure it was safe to stay put.

"What on earth is that? It's enormous."

What she saw was a giant spider with countless legs, walking over the crystals and crushing them with its sharp fangs. It was larger than the main building of her academy and wouldn't fit through the gates. Being tall was already a disadvantage, but having so many legs was beyond comprehension.

Its body was a strange pattern of black chitin, with armor plates made from the orange crystals scattered throughout the cave.

"And why does it have to be hairy? Why do big spiders always have to be so hairy? I need to stay hidden from that thing. It probably has countless eyes too."

She mustered the courage to take one last look, only to find it had vanished.

"It's… gone. How can something that size just disappear?"

She would have liked to study it more, not that she would dare to confront it, but being prepared for the worst was always wise.

"I'd guess it was a Fallen Terror or maybe even a Titan, but let's hope I don't have to see it again."

Gathering her courage, she moved toward an opening in the jungle, just as she had planned with Alya and Gean. Halfway down the small hill, she heard a chilling scream, like a woman was being murdered, or worse.

She rushed down the hill toward the sound. To her surprise, she found not a woman but a young man she hoped never to see again.

"Why is this idiot here? And why is he screaming like a girl in a haunted house?"

At first, she didn't realize Jacob was in trouble. Something lunged at him from the tall grass—a frog-like creature, dark purple and clearly poisonous, as evidenced by the state of Jacob's left arm, which was burned and bubbling.

The creature was larger than a dog and strong enough to kill Jacob if she didn't intervene.

"He's a jerk, but even jerks can be useful."

She aimed her bow and shot at the frog, hitting it directly in the eye. As one of the best archers, her arrow struck true, killing the creature instantly.

Jacob watched the frog drop and followed the arrow's path to spot Rain. Relief washed over him as he approached her, but instead, Rain walked past him.

"Thanks for saving me just now. I would have died without you…"

Rain ignored him, leaving him momentarily stunned.

'Did she just… ignore me?'

He turned to see Rain slicing open the frog with a black odachi, collecting its shards and crushing them in her hand.

"Hey, don't you think we should share those?"

Rain looked at him in confusion.

"Share? You didn't do anything except scream like a little girl and probably wake up half the jungle. Why should I share with you? You can have the rest of the meat or the organs if you want."

Jacob clenched his fists and gritted his teeth but managed to calm down instead of lashing out as he usually would. He forced a smile and nodded.

"You're right, and just so you know, it was the frog that was screaming, not me."

Rain didn't buy his lie but chose to let it go, raising an eyebrow to show her skepticism.

A few minutes later, they moved as far from the opening as possible, a wise choice considering it was now swarming with all sorts of insect and reptile-like creatures, many of them awakened or even fallen.

Rain noticed Jacob's heavy footsteps behind her and sighed in frustration.

"Don't you have armor that doesn't announce your presence to the entire ecosystem?"

Jacob shrugged and nodded.

"I do, but it's much less protective. What if we get attacked by one of those frogs again? I don't want to get burned again. My supplies of bandages and medical supplies aren't endless."

"I know that… ugh, forget it. If we get attacked and need to run, I'm not sticking around to help you."

He sighed and stepped behind a tree for a moment. When he returned to her side, his armor had changed significantly. Now, he wore a dark brown leather harness with matching arm and leg braces. Underneath was a strong dark blue fabric that added extra protection and plenty of storage with its many pockets.

Rain looked him over and nodded in approval.

"Much better. Now I don't have to worry about being ambushed by every nightmare creature here."

'I can't believe he doesn't know something as basic as this. He's a good fighter, but his survival skills seem lacking.'

Jacob nodded, and they continued walking. Soon, another issue arose. His spear kept getting caught on vines and roots.

After giving him a cold glance, Rain, annoyed, watched him switch to a sword instead. After being embarrassed for the third time, he was in a foul mood, but Rain couldn't care less about his feelings.

Instead, she was focused on how to find Alya and Gean, hoping they had ended up in the same area as planned.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up as she sprinted toward a fallen tree trunk. She traced her fingers over some markings she had spotted, a smile spreading across her face. Jacob followed closely, frowning at the markings.

"What's that? Looks like a… dog or something."

Rain chuckled, glancing in the direction the markings pointed.

"It's a wolf, and it's looking that way, which means Gean is somewhere over there."

They had made plans to find each other days ago, agreeing to head to the most prominent point they could find upon entering the Dream Realm. Rain hadn't seen it from her previous position, but now it was clear where Gean had gone.

In the distance, she spotted a massive structure made of blue crystals, suspended from the upper walls and casting a cool blue glow over the area for hundreds of meters.

"Looks like we have a target, right?" Jacob asked.

'What a dumb question. Is he trying to make small talk or just stating the obvious?'

Instead of responding, she sighed and took off running, not bothering to look back at Jacob.

The Legacy struggled to keep pace with Rain, but he managed to follow her. She wasn't actively trying to lose Jacob, but she wouldn't mind if he got lost in the cave.

'He's useful in a fight, but his presence brings down the group's mood. I can already imagine Alya's orange text expressing her frustration with him every moment of the day.'

Rain shook her head and focused on the path ahead, searching for any signs of Gean. Fortunately, Jacob's earlier scream had attracted many creatures, leaving the area relatively empty—for now, at least.

Eventually, they reached the space directly beneath the giant blue crystal structure, and Rain's face brightened when she spotted Gean, who wasn't alone.

As she approached, both Gean and Alya greeted her with hugs.

"I'm so relieved you two are here! I was worried about having to navigate back with Jacob alone."

Both Alya and Gean froze momentarily. Alya let out an exasperated groan, and Gean closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before asking, "Please tell me this is a joke?"

Before Rain could deliver the disappointing news, Jacob emerged from the jungle into the clearing where Gean and Alya stood. Alya had to restrain herself from giving him the finger and spitting at his feet.

"What joke? Am I missing something?" Jacob asked, still catching his breath. Rain shook her head.

"Nothing special. I just think it's ironic that we end up underground in a place no one knows about. Looks like we'll have to find our way out without knowing anything about this area—except for the giant spider I saw earlier."

All three stared at Rain, wide-eyed. While discovering a new region of the Dream Realm wasn't surprising, the mention of a giant spider was definitely unexpected.

"Why are you all so shocked? Didn't you hear those bells ringing earlier? That was a giant spider—at least a Terror, if not a Titan."

They all shook their heads. Rain sighed and muttered under her breath.

"Great, now I look crazy. Sunny would be proud, I guess."

He would indeed be proud of his sister, but that wasn't the priority right now.

"I trust your judgment. If you saw that spider nearby, I'll definitely keep an eye out for it," Gean said, making her feel a bit less insane.

After everyone shared what had happened over the last few hours and Rain described the spider, they got to work. Setting up camp for the night was no easy task.

"Maybe this place doesn't even have day and night. We are in a cave, after all," Alya pointed out. She had a point, but they still needed a place to rest, regardless of whether it got darker or brighter.

"You're right; it seems like daytime now. It's really bright because of those crystals, so let's hope that doesn't change. We still need a camp," Rain replied.

They quickly set up camp in a small crevice in the cliff beneath the giant blue crystals. They figured they wouldn't need a roof, but the crevice was deep enough to shield them from rain if clouds magically formed inside the cave.

The frog meat Rain and Jacob had gathered was being grilled over a fire she made with the help of her Aspect. They discussed their next steps and assigned tasks. However, the mood shifted when it came to the night watch.

"I'll say this one last time. We're letting you join us until we find a way out, but you won't be part of any decision-making," Rain insisted. Jacob had tryed to assert himself as the leader. The others weren't having it, and Rain's harsh words seemed to serve as a wake-up call, prompting Jacob to keep quiet.

Noticing Jacob's sour expression, Gean attempted to lift his spirits. Despite their dislike for him, they needed to work together, and treating one member as an outsider wouldn't help their situation.

"Look, man, we haven't exactly gotten along. Honestly, we don't care about your status as a Legacy, and I know that's new for you. Just try to act like an equal and forget what your clan has instilled in you. We're all new here in the Dream Realm, and teamwork is essential, so please give it a shot."

Jacob took a deep breath and looked at Gean, finally showing a reaction. A smile spread across his face, and Gean couldn't help but think it looked genuine.

"I know I haven't been the easiest person to like. My dad raised me to believe that Legacies like me are exceptional warriors, that we can't make mistakes and are meant to overshadow everyone else. But being here has made me realize how much I still have to learn."

Gean smiled and nodded before looking for Alya and Rain. He quickly spotted them gathering firewood for the night. As the cave grew dimmer and colder, they knew they needed the fire to stay warm through the night.

A few hours later, it was completely dark in the cave. Only the small crystals above still glowed, illuminating the ceiling and the jungle canopy below. However, the jungle floor remained shrouded in darkness, leaving anyone down there nearly blind.

Rain was fast asleep when someone shook her shoulder, waking her with a start.

"What… what's happening?" she asked, her heart racing. Once she recognized Gean, she calmed down and waited for him to explain.

"I'm sorry, but I think I heard something from above. It sounded like those bells you mentioned, but I can't see anything. The crystals have stopped shining, and it's pitch black outside."

It was clear why Gean had woken Rain specifically; she had told them she could see well in the dark, making her the best choice to investigate.

She nodded and slowly crawled out of the crevice. Gean had mentioned the sound of bells, and for Rain, that could only mean one thing.

'Please don't let it be back, please don't let it be back…'

When she looked up, her heart skipped a beat. The giant spider had returned, and this time she got a good look at it. It appeared far more intimidating from below. She tried to count its legs but quickly gave up as it moved.

'At least 43 on one side. I'd estimate it has around 150 legs total. Not bad for a Fallen Terror.'

Her initial guess was correct; it was indeed a Fallen Terror, not a Titan.

'That doesn't improve our situation. For now, it hasn't noticed us, so we're safe. But it's eating those crystals again, which must be more annoying than the clock in Sunny's Café and Nephis' Mansion combined. I wish it would stop making such a racket.'

She hurried back to Gean, who was waiting by the campfire.

"Not to alarm you, but the spider is back. For now, we should keep a low profile and stay still. It hasn't seen us yet, and it's just munching on those giant crystals above."

Gean gulped and nodded. Together, they woke the others to share the news. Afterward, they tried to go back to sleep—well, at least Gean and Jacob managed to drift off. Alya shot them both an annoyed glance before turning back to Rain.

"Ugh...man! How can they sleep with a giant spider above us, munching on that blue crystal?"

Rain chuckled and shrugged. "I guess it's a guy thing. Rick can sleep anywhere, anytime. Once, he was lying on a cold stone floor, and I swear he was sleeping like a baby on feathers."

Alya laughed and gave her a teasing look. "Was that the time you dumped ice-cold water on him to wake him up?"

Rain could barely contain her laughter at the memory. "Yes, it was. He was so mad at me."

"Why was he naked, though? I get that there were no beds left, but he could have at least put on some clothes or summoned an armor-type memory."

'I'll tell you this privately, so don't respond out loud. He doesn't like to talk about it, but he hinted to both you and Gean that his body changes dramatically at night. When he transforms, he can't summon any armor-type memories, so he's basically naked except for some bone plates that act as armor.'

Alya nodded and summoned a text for Rain to read instead.

(Oh, I see how it is. I had a feeling something like this was going on. Thanks for letting me know. But why is he making such a big deal out of it? I mean, Gean is a werewolf sometimes and he walks around all hairy too. So why doesn't Rick do the same?)

'It's a complicated situation. He's afraid that people will judge him for how he looks when he transforms. It's happened to him before, so it's become a source of insecurity. Meeting me and the others has helped him a lot, but he's still not ready to show himself openly.'

(Okay, I get it. One more question, and I know you might not like it, but when he transforms, does he have a monster-sized… you know? And if he does, have you ever… well, you know.)

Rain looked at Alya in shock.

'You need to talk to Tamar ASAP. You're losing it.'

Alya rolled her eyes and sighed.

(Come on, I'm just curious. So what's the answer?)

'I'm not answering those questions. I'm way too sober for that.'

Alya smirked at her.

(So what you're saying is if I bring you some alcohol, you'll spill the tea? Sounds like I have a mission.)

Rain rolled her eyes and lay down, turning away from Alya.

'If you manage to find any alcohol down here, I wouldn't recommend drinking it. We need to stay clear-headed if we want to get out of here.'

Alya leaned closer to Rain and whispered, "Got it, boss. I'll see you tomorrow."

The next day, Rain didn't feel much better after sleeping beneath a Giant Spider. They decided to relocate their camp to avoid the Giant Crystals that attracted the Tyrant. For now, they had a full day of trekking through the jungle ahead of them.

Eventually, they encountered some green frogs, which were just as dangerous as the purple ones. Jacob's spear was wearing down, but Rain's Odachi remained strong, proving its worth as a Transcendent Weapon. Hours later, they were in good spirits after gathering enough meat and water. Alya even received a memory from one of the frogs, a whip coated in the same toxin as the frogs' skin, which she learned to use with Jacob's guidance. She didn't like him instructing her, but she wasn't foolish enough to turn down a free Class.

Alya had previously only possessed a short sword and a small shield from the Academy. Most sleepers received basic weapons and armor from the Academy, especially those who didn't get any in their first Nightmare. She wore armor similar to Gean's, who had also faced hardships, losing his parents and living with his grandmother until she passed away months ago. Their armor was of lower quality than Jacob's but still functional.

So far, no one had sustained injuries, and Jacob's arm was healing well. His father's small spatial storage memory was packed with medical supplies and survival tools, along with a deck of cards. When asked about it he managed to bring up the first good point in their journey.

"You don't wanna die because you got Bored to death, am I right?"

He made a valid observation. When people find themselves with nothing to do and start feeling bored, they are more likely to engage in irresponsible behavior. Therefore, the deck of cards holds more significance than one might initially realize.

As the day was winding down, Gean suddenly noticed something that relieved Rain, as she had finally cleared her name from the Lunatic accusations. However, it also made everyone else uneasy. The spider had returned, and unsurprisingly, it was once again gnawing on pieces of the crystal.

"Maybe it only feeds on crystals," Gean said nervously, avoiding direct eye contact with the spider, a lesson he had learned from Rain. But his perception was shattered moments later when they spotted a smaller, gecko-like creature that the spider had its sights on. They quickly understood why the spider was consuming the crystals; as soon as the gecko was detected, the spider spun a net from the very crystals and pounced, reducing the gecko to a pile of shredded meat.

"There's your answer. Let's keep moving before it decides to turn us into its next meal," Rain said as calmly as she could. Finding a suitable camping spot without a giant crystal looming overhead proved to be more challenging than they anticipated. Ultimately, they had to settle for a cave that was already inhabited by another creature. Fortunately, this creature was just an Awakened Beast, and after luring it outside and swiftly dispatching it, Rain ended the smaller gecko's life as well.

They disposed of the body by tossing it into one of the small rivers flowing through the jungle. The night passed without incident, and when morning arrived, the group resumed their search for an exit from the cave. Eventually, they spotted something resembling human structures on a hill in one of the larger chambers they had discovered.

However, their excitement was short-lived as they realized the fate of the giant castle. It was completely ensnared in strings made of crystal, and from the main gate, countless legs extended, hinting at its ruler.

As they sat around the fire in the cave, everyone wore somber expressions. It was understandable; after witnessing the events of the day, hope had dwindled significantly.

"You can't be serious. What are the odds? The only Citadel we find is home to that massive spider? Fantastic," Alya said, struggling to keep her voice down. Her frustration was justified, considering the slim chances of discovering another Citadel in the cave. They would have to travel hundreds, if not thousands, of kilometers to find another one. While there were many Citadels in the grand scheme of things, the likelihood of finding more in a place like this was nearly impossible. They would need a miracle, and who could say the next one wouldn't be guarded by an even more terrifying creature?

Ultimately, they had one option. Well, technically two, but Rain was reluctant to ask for help. To her, that would mean admitting defeat and taking the easy way out, which was not an option.

"We still have a chance, everyone. We can wait for it to leave its nest and then slip through the Gateway," Gean suggested. He was right; they had all considered it, but there was a significant hurdle.

"True, but we have no idea where the Gateway is. It could be anywhere, and I can only imagine what it looks like inside with all those strings covering it," Alya replied.

"So we have two problems to tackle. First, we need to locate the Gateway, and then we need to figure out how to get everyone inside and through it while the spider is gone," she added.

Rain took a deep breath and spoke up. "I can handle the first part. Since I can see in the dark, I'll wait until the spider leaves and then search for the Gateway."

"And what about the second problem?" Jacob asked, surprisingly without any condescension, which caught everyone off guard. It seemed he was making progress after all. Rain smiled at him and nodded.

"I think we might not have to do anything special to ensure the spider is gone long enough. We just need to observe how long it typically stays away and see if that gives us enough time."

With a clear plan in mind, the next few days passed without much excitement. Rain kept watch over the Citadel at night, resting during the day while someone else took over the observation. Jacob's deck of cards proved useful as they spent nearly a week figuring out a schedule for the spider, ensuring they knew when Rain could safely enter to search for the Gateway. This was crucial to their escape plan.

Climbing the hill to the Citadel was tougher than expected, as Rain had to navigate through the sharp strings without injuring herself. But she managed.

"Alright, I've cleared a path up the hill, and I still have about two hours left. Let's find that Gateway," she said as she cautiously entered the Citadel. If it weren't for the fact that this was the lair of a terrifying creature, she might have even found it beautiful. The strings shimmered in blue and orange, enveloping the Citadel from the outside. Fortunately, the inside was less cluttered, except for the spacious main chamber where Rain made a chilling discovery.

To her dismay, the spider was actually a female, with countless eggs scattered around the main hall, waiting to hatch. She also noticed several bags hanging from the ceiling, likely filled with prey, as evidenced by the blood puddles beneath each one.

"This place feels like a horror movie. I need to find that Gateway and get out of here," she thought.

Finding a Gateway isn't the hardest task; typically, it can be located by identifying the most prominent feature within the Citadel. Rain soon spotted something that looked promising. Behind the main chamber was a small garden with a statue in the center, though it was overgrown with plants and the glass ceiling had shattered, replaced by a layer of crystal strings. She was confident this was the Gateway, and thankfully, it was still operational.

After confirming it was indeed the Gateway and clearing a path to it, she made her way back to the others. She arrived just in time, as mere minutes later, the spider returned to the main hall.

Everyone looked at Rain expectantly; what she said next would determine whether they could escape the following day or be trapped for an indefinite period. She took a deep breath to build suspense, then broke into a bright smile. "We found it, everyone. Tomorrow, we'll finally leave this place."

Excitement erupted among them. They were finally going to escape this nightmare and become Awakened.

After explaining the route to the Gateway for what felt like the hundredth time and even drawing a map, they decided to share one last meal together. Jacob would be leaving the group to live with his father and begin training for the second Nightmare.

In the past week, they had grown closer, and even Alya had started to tolerate Jacob's presence. So, it was Jacob who cooked for everyone that night, and they were all eager to see his culinary skills, knowing that Legacy members were known for their cooking.

"This is great, Jacob. You're an excellent cook. If being Awakened isn't your first choice, you could definitely open a restaurant one day," Gean complimented while enjoying the meal. The others were too busy devouring grilled monster meat and a soup made from local plants.

However, after they finished eating, Rain noticed something that made her face go pale, sending her mind into a panic. Moments later, a sharp pain coursed through her body, and everyone began to scream—except Jacob, who quickly discarded his full bowl of food and summoned his spear.