The Summoner of Legends

A warm ray of sunlight pierced through the curtains of the room, landing directly on Naruto's eyes. His eyelids fluttered slightly before slowly opening. The first thing he saw was the familiar irregular pattern of plaster on the ceiling. He was home, in his bed. But something was different: the cold sweat that usually accompanied his sleepless nights was gone. Neither did he feel the tightness in his chest, that invisible weight he had been carrying for days. For the first time in weeks, his mind was at ease.

And yet, the images of that strange place remained etched in his memory with overwhelming clarity: the vast marble hall, the heroic figures, the holograms, the barriers that had stopped him, and above all, the imposing glow of the stained glass window. No matter how hard he tried to convince himself that it had all been just a dream, something inside him insisted otherwise. He closed his eyes for a moment, and the words slipped from his lips almost unconsciously:

—What was that…?

A cool breeze drifted in through the slightly open window, gently stirring the curtains and carrying with it the distant sounds of the city: cars driving by, a dog barking somewhere, the faint voices of people starting their day. Naruto turned his head toward the window and gazed at the clear sky for a few seconds. Something about it felt different, as though the entire world had shifted in some subtle but meaningful way.

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Lowering his gaze to the floor, he noticed how his bare feet pressed against the cold parquet. There was a strange sense of calm in his chest, as if time itself had momentarily stopped. Without fully understanding why, he let his body act on instinct. He rose from the bed, stretching softly, and began to get dressed. Pants, shirt, jacket... the school uniform he hadn't worn in so many days. As he adjusted the straps of his backpack over his shoulders, a thought crossed his mind:

"Today, I'm going to school."

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The walk to school was routine, the same as always. Yet, for some reason, Naruto felt it was different. The trees lining the sidewalk seemed more alive, their leaves swaying gently with the wind, creating soft, almost hypnotic whispers. The sun's rays filtered through the branches, casting dancing shadows across the pavement. Even the cars passing by felt more vibrant, as if he were seeing them through a different lens.

With every step, one question kept repeating in his mind: Was it really just a dream? But the more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that it wasn't. What he had experienced in that place—the marble hall, the invisible barriers, the holograms of heroes and monsters, and Nocturne's figure—was too real, too vivid to be just a product of his imagination.

His thoughts were interrupted when he arrived at the school building. He looked up at the familiar façade and felt a small twinge of nervousness. He had been absent for several days, skipping class without giving any explanation. What would the teachers say? Would his classmates look at him with curiosity, or simply ignore him? Shaking his head to push away those doubts, he stepped through the school doors.

As he walked through the hallways, he felt a few glances directed at him. Some classmates whispered among themselves as he passed, but no one said anything to him directly. Naruto kept his eyes forward, focused on reaching his classroom. When he finally arrived, the teacher—busy reviewing some papers at his desk—looked up.

—Naruto, —the teacher said, a mix of surprise and relief in his voice—, it's good to see you back.

Naruto nodded, forcing a small smile.

—Yeah... Sorry for missing so many days. I was just… a bit paranoid about the killer that's on the loose. But I decided it was time to come back.

The teacher studied him for a moment, as if weighing his words, but eventually nodded.

—That's understandable. What's important is that you're here. Take your seat and catch up on what you missed. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask.

—Thanks, sensei, —Naruto replied as he made his way to his desk.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. The classes were the same as always, the teachers' voices droning on about lessons that, under normal circumstances, might have fully captured his attention. But today, his mind was elsewhere. Every time he closed his eyes, he could see the radiant stained glass window from the hall, the still figures of the holograms, and the almost sacred atmosphere that surrounded that place. It felt as though he were caught between two worlds: one tangible, and another that defied all logic.

He tried to focus, but curiosity consumed him. Over and over, the same question echoed in his mind: What was that place? And why do I feel like it won't be the last time I see it...?

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When the final bell marked the end of classes, Naruto didn't waste a second. He walked home at a brisk pace, his head swirling with thoughts and an urgent need to make sense of everything. Nothing he had experienced that day—or the days before—fit together, and the weight of uncertainty was becoming unbearable.

When he arrived at his apartment, he dropped his backpack by the door with a sigh. Closing his eyes for a moment, he tried to steady his breathing, but his mind refused to cooperate. "I need clarity," he thought as he made his way to the desk where he had left his computer. He powered it on, and as the machine booted up, he tapped his fingers impatiently against the table. The anxiety was starting to creep back in—that old enemy he thought he had under control.

As soon as the computer was ready, Naruto began searching through his personal files until he found something he hadn't looked at in months: the prescriptions for the medications he had been given in the past to manage his anxiety. They weren't particularly strong tranquilizers, but they had been effective at the time. He checked the dates. They had expired some time ago, but he knew how to tweak the prescription enough to make it look current.

The weight of the decision hit him for a moment, but he quickly dismissed the doubt with a sharp shake of his head. "I need this," he told himself.

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The sun was beginning to set when he arrived at the pharmacy, a small neighborhood shop he had visited more times than he cared to admit. The woman behind the counter recognized him immediately. She was older, her graying hair tied neatly in a bun, and her eyes regarded him with a mix of kindness and quiet sorrow.

—"Back for this again, young man?"—she asked gently as she took the prescription Naruto handed her.

—"Yeah... It's just to keep things under control,"—he replied, avoiding her gaze.

The woman didn't say anything else. She simply nodded, retrieved a small bottle of medication from the shelf, and placed it on the counter. Naruto set the money down—enough to pay and to preempt any further questions. The woman studied him for a moment longer before speaking.

—"Take care, all right? Don't overdo it."

Naruto nodded, slipping the bottle into the pocket of his jacket.

—"Thanks,"—he murmured, leaving the shop before she could say anything more.

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Back at his apartment, he dropped his backpack by the door once again and stood still for a moment, pressing his forehead against the wall. The day's events flashed through his mind like a jumbled movie reel: the classes, the holograms, the stained-glass window, and most of all, the name that wouldn't stop echoing in his head: Nocturne.

He sighed and straightened up, determined to make use of the rest of the day. For the first time in what felt like forever, he felt something resembling motivation. He might not understand everything that was happening, but that spark of curiosity—of hope—gave him a reason to keep moving forward.

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He threw himself into his routine as if it were a lifeline. He tackled all the homework that had piled up during his absence—every worksheet, every overdue reading assignment. The process brought him a sense of normalcy he had been missing. Afterward, he set aside time for exercise, following the small program he had abandoned when his anxiety had taken control of his life. Push-ups, sit-ups, and stretches left his muscles burning, but his mind felt clearer.

By the time dinner rolled around, he prepared something simple—just a plate of rice with vegetables—and ate quietly in front of the television. The news was on, though he barely paid attention. The headlines covered the recent murders and the mounting pressure on the police to find the culprit. For a moment, Naruto considered turning it off, but something stopped him. The anchor's words rang in his ears:

—"The victims show clean cuts, consistent with an extremely sharp weapon. However, authorities still have no leads on the perpetrator…"

Naruto swallowed hard. His mind immediately jumped to Nocturne: the gleaming blades, the way it had stared at him in that strange place… Everything matched the descriptions too well. A chill ran down his spine as the implications sank in.

"The murders started when I first dreamed of Nocturne," he thought, rubbing his temples. "And they stopped when I stopped sleeping."

The idea was terrifying, but he couldn't ignore it. If everything was connected, then maybe the only way to stop it was to keep himself from sleeping. But… what kind of life would that be? He knew his body wouldn't hold out forever. Eventually, he would break.

His gaze drifted to the bottle of tranquilizers sitting on the table. Taking them would be a risk, but maybe—just maybe—they could help him face whatever was happening in his dreams. He could control it this time. He knew more about that place now, and more about Nocturne. Maybe, with the right preparation, he could finally understand what was happening… and, with any luck, figure out a way to stop it.

The decision was made.

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The sky had already darkened by the time Naruto finished his activities. He prepared for bed, following a ritual he hadn't practiced in weeks. He brushed his teeth, turned off the lights, and sat on the edge of his bed with the bottle of tranquilizers in one hand and a glass of water in the other. His mind was calm, but his heart was racing. He knew that what he was about to do would change everything.

He opened the bottle and let a pill fall into his palm. He stared at it for a moment before placing it in his mouth and taking a sip of water. The effect was almost immediate. A gentle warmth coursed through his body, relaxing his muscles and clearing his mind of any lingering anxiety. For the first time, he didn't feel afraid to close his eyes.

As he lay back, a spark of excitement flickered in his chest. Something inside him told him that tonight would be different. He wanted to return to that place, to explore its secrets, to uncover the answers he had been desperately searching for. For the first time in a long while, he felt like his life was about to change.

With one final exhale, he let sleep take him.