Kade awoke the new day, morning sunlight piercing the barely functional windows of his abode, he quickly dressed back into his police-issued tracksuit and suited up with his newly washed coat. It had looked at him strangely when he asked to wash it instead of throwing it out. The countless gashes, tears, and impressions weren't flaws—they were its personality.
Exiting the room and loudly stepping down from the steps. Kade entered the spacious bottom floor, seeing familiar golden locks sitting on the bottom of the steps.
Dawn was sitting at the base of the steps, waiting patiently. Her golden hair caught the morning light, and for a moment, Kade paused.
She wasn't in a tracksuit like him but in a pitch-black silk dress. Simple, but elegant. Reserved.
It was quite the contrast, but she wore it well.
'Where the hell did, she get something like that, anyway? did Jet lend it to her?' Kade doubted that the chilling master would wear anything that wasn't a suit or tracksuit, not to mention lending one to Dawn if she did. From the little interactions he had with Jet, he knew Dawn was her favourite among the two.
Or if that was even a tradition in the first place, Kade hadn't spent much time with the culture that came around with the other gender, a mysterious world where he lacked knowledge.
Dawn had heard his obnoxious entrance and gazed up to the steps at Kade.
"Took you long enough" She started, patting the old police station dust off her new gown, and leaving for the interview room. Kade couldn't distract himself from the new wear, not to mention that Dawn's footsteps were completely silent unlike his own.
Kade followed behind and let his curiosity do the talking.
"Where did you get that?" Kade enquired, increasing his pace slightly to be beside Dawn. She regarded him for a second, brushing her hair to the side nervously.
"It's from Kurt's memory," she said, glancing away. "A bit bleak for my taste, but better than the tracksuit... Do you think it's too much?"
Kade quickly took in the sight and thought, Well, it looked very nice; that was the main thing.' Of course, there were other attempts he could try to go beyond that simple compliment, yet the list of words was filled with ones he was unsure of saying. Never in his days had he had any practice in this sort of thing.
Either way the insane man that was Kurt, seemed to have some taste, despite how eerie.
"It's good," Kade said, giving a quick thumbs up. "Honestly, kind of jealous. I wish I had memory armour too." Dawn took the compliment with a nod, a subtle smile hitting her lips, before quickly tracing her fingertips on his beloved coat.
'Oh'
The battered leather shimmered a bright blue, before fading into Dawn's soul.
Kade looked utterly befuddled, now left standing in nothing but his unstylish tracksuit as he watched Dawn absorb the coat.
"You did that thing, I don't know what it does, but I can have it back right?" he pleaded. Dawn rolled her eyes at his shenanigans and instead placed her hand at his side.
" Just give me your hand"
Kade played along.
Feeling her cool smooth fingertips on his palm, Kade stared at the gesture, soon the pieces in the puzzle fitting together. Soon the spell whispered in his ears.
[You have received a memory: Battle-scarred Coat]
Kade, astonished, quickly glanced at the runes. It was his same old coat… except that now it was a dormant memory of the first tier, lacking the normal enchantments that memories held.
'...'
"That's your aspect?!" Kade yelped summoning the familiar brown coat back over his disgraced tracksuit. Admiring its beaten leather once again in a new light.
He had always thought Dawn could absorb things like moisture to cloth, with that expanding to be weapons and random litter that had blocked their escape in the alley, but instead, she literally made their memories.
Dawn chuckled at the outburst, pride planting on her smile. "Special isn't it? Jet seemed absolutely stunned when I showed her, especially this..." She reached inside her soul, pulling the insidious pistol into reality.
The memories of her first kill came to her, but she resisted the anxiety, leaning into the moment she and Kade had, along with the advice and kindness that she had received recently. It still felt wrong in her hands, but she really wanted to show him.
Kade looked at the inconspicuous pistol now. It didn't look like much—until you knew what it meant.
"A gun... and a memory. Could you make a machine gun into a memory?! Or maybe a bazooka. How the hell does it work?"
Dawn simply shrugged, holding her new weapon in different ways, playing out how to feel it.
"Where am I supposed to just find a machine gun or a bazooka just lying around?" Honestly, I'm still figuring out how any of it works."
Kade responded narrowing his gaze.
"Where did you get the pistol in the first place?"
Dawn avoided his gaze and focused on the entrance to the destination. Whispering loudly with a hint of shame.
"I'll tell you later, okay?"
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Now in the interrogation room, Dawn and Kade sat opposite Jet. Jet sat upright in her seat, formal and still, while Dawn leaned politely back and Kade slouched slightly. A stiff quiet filled the room until Jet broke it, pulling out two communicators.
"Now I understand that both of you are looking to pursue going to the awakened Academy, the ignoration did start a couple of days earlier, but it shouldn't matter if you're late. You will still have time to be taught by the instructors about how to survive the dream realm."
Pointing to the communicators Jet continued.
"These have been assigned to each of you. Kade, yours was to get a proper government identity to limit trouble there, and yours, Dawn, is more to connect with the government and its interests."
Leaning in onto the stark grey table, Jets icy blue eyes grew colder.
"Especially since Shadow Blade Kurt was sent to assassinate you of all people. We know that you suspect a song, but you still haven't told us why they would. That information is necessary if you wish to move forward.
Dawn shrank at the words, fiddling with her fingers. Kade gave her a sidelong look, curiosity held back out of respect. That alone was unusual for him, he realised. That was something that had intrigued him, but he hadn't really gave it much thought.
Unusual for him now that he thought about it.
"My father had found out a secret plot from a song and shared it with me to keep the secret safe" Slight sadness hinted from her eyes as she explained, "They found out we knew something we weren't supposed to and sent people after me and my dad. I managed to get away... I don't know what happened to him."
Jet flicked out her communicator, ready to note it.
"So, tell me the plot then"
Dawn took a breath to steady her heart and responded
"They planned to assassinate Nephis of the Immortal Flame Clan—right as she enters the Dream Realm, during the Winter Solstice."
Her words rang out in the silent room, Jet's eyes widening in interest while Kade pondered. 'Oh, it's a legacy thing... Immortal flame, though? I didn't know they were still aroun'd. he barely knew a thing about legacy clans, but the names of Immortal flame, Valour and Song were the only ones he had actually heard.
Jet completed the notes and muttered to herself.
"So... Song doesn't want Broken Sword's influence in their vision of a new world. Typical of the decrepit clans."
"Well now that we have got that sorted, you should be all good to go to the Academy, especially since Nephis is currently attending." Glancing at the both of them, Jet spoke with a lighter tone.
"We can't exactly peek into the Academy's affairs, even with it being in NQC—securities are too tight and might alert the assassin. But if you two happen to keep an eye on Nephis... and maybe interfere if Song makes a move? That would be helpful."
Kade and Dawn exchanged a quick, surprised glance.
"Like bodyguard duty – I should be able to do that well, but first of all why do you care about her staying alive?" Kade enquired; the government was too proficient to give attention to a singular person. even a sleeper from a famous clan was still a nobody compared to the weight of the government.
Jet smirked, flicking up on her communicator a different screen.
"Despite her clan's position being paltry in comparison to what it was, Nephis herself is a promising figure in this new age of awakened, especially since she is the second sleeper to ever receive a true name in the first nightmare, the first being her mother."
Looking onto Kade and Dawn, she continued with a darker tone.
"You both should know that the times are only getting worse, the spell is rampaging with greater fury year on year, soon enough we might not have what it takes to fight against the nightmare creatures invading earth, so having a potential powerful awakened to assist humanity in the future is a cause worth fighting for, no matter what faction"
Dawn took in her words. While Kade was thinking to himself, resting his chin on his scarred knuckles.
'I got a true name, and I'm a sleeper... Is it that big of a deal?
"Jet, can I say something"
"Go ahead Kade"
"I also got a true name. Are there any special perks or something for me since she gets us as bodyguards?"'"
Dawn stared blank-eyed at Kade, while jets. brows lifted ever so slightly. A flicker of suspicion passed over her face
"Are you being serious"
Kade rocked forward in chair, a hint of smugness hitting his expression.
"Yes, I got one" Jet eyes indicating that she still didn't believe him, "Its [Heart of Chaos]; if you don't believe me, check to see any of my criminal records."
Jet played along, opening the communicator to Kades file. 'What would his record have to do with a true name...' Jets thought process halting as soon as she saw the text.
Name: Kade _____
Criminal records – 364 –
260 cases of assault,
40 cases of theft
2 cases of inciting a riot.
10 cases of starting gang conflicts
51 cases of assault with a deadly weapon,
1 case of first-degree murder.
Description: Kade is a young criminal who is rarely spotted by enforcement, but the moments when they do appear cause mass disturbances. Suspected to potentially be awakened due to tales of fighting hordes of thugs.
Jet read over them silently before sighing.
"I knew the police were incompetent, but how the hell did you get away with all of this?!"
Dawn's eyes darted between the two, lost in the strange tension they shared—Kade's complete smugness, and the normally unphased Jet looking slightly shaken.
Kade chuckled.
"So believe me now?"
Jet set the communicator down with a sigh, finally relenting.
"Yes, [Heart of Chaos] fits you a bit too well."
Swiftly getting up from her chair, Jet paced around to the two.
"Well, that's the basics; you should be all good to go to the Acadamy, So get ready and wait outside while I get the ATV prepared.
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After driving a decent distance, the duo exited the barricaded inside of the ATV, arriving at the front of the awakened Academy gate. Dawn stood silently beside him, eyes tracing the academy's towering defence's.
'Bigger then I expected...'
It was a city within a city, built like a fortress. Massive turrets loomed on the walls, each one looking like it could down an aircraft. The place felt overbuilt—like someone had poured most of the budget into defences alone. Kade figured if NQC ever fell, this would be its final stand.
Jet watched the two happily before rolling down the window of the ATV and gesturing for Kade.
"Kade there's one more thing I want to ask of you."'"
"Sure"
"Theres another street rat like us in the Acadamy, I dropped of the kid a few days ago, his name is sunny, could you just check on him and make sure he isn't doing anything stupid"
'Like us?'
"Jet… you're from the outskirts?"
"Yes, but now not the time, just keep an eye on him along with Nephis, you know that if she dies it's going to cause problems my way. And then I'll make them also problems of yours since I'm counting on you both."
Before Dawn or Kade could respond, Jet tore off from the road, accelerating quickly into the distance, the roar of the engine echoing in the inner city. They both watched her go in silence.
'Busy woman'
"Guess this is it Kade" Dawn announced, the hems of her dress bowing in the breeze as she looked at the gates.
"One hell of a journey to get here: gang fights, running away, getting stabbed in my shadow, and you... defeating an awakened assassin." Kade listed counting down on his fingers.
Dawn nodded. It all felt like forever ago… yet it had only happened yesterday.
"Was it worth this?"
Kade shrugged.
"Dunno. But let's find out."