They stayed like that for a while—Jet's arms gently wrapped around Aveline, comforting her, grounding her. When they finally parted, Aveline wiped her eyes and whispered, "Thank you, miss."
Jet gave her a small smile. "No worries."
Aveline looked down for a second, then glanced back up. "So... what happens now?"
"Hmm?"
"Now that Sunny is Awakened... what now?"
Jet sighed, placing a hand on her hip. "Now? He'll have to go to the Academy. And start preparing for the next Solstice. He'll be pulled into the Dream Realm again that day."
Aveline blinked. "Solstice? Really? Only that day?"
"Why? What's with that day?"
Aveline looked down, her voice a quiet whisper. "It's Sunny's birthday."
Jet raised a brow but said nothing. She just sighed and looked at the girl for a moment before speaking again.
"Aveline... how about you come with me?"
"Huh? Me? How?"
"Sunny is an Awakened now. Even if he's from the outskirts, that means something. Awakened are granted certain protections and benefits by the government. As his... family, you qualify for those benefits too."
Aveline's eyes lit up. "Really? You mean I won't have to stay here anymore?"
"Your situation will improve. At least for the time being. We'll figure something out. So? Will you come with us?"
Without hesitation, Aveline jumped up and hugged her. "Thank you so much, miss! I really want to go."
Jet smiled and ruffled her hair affectionately. "Almost like she's my little sister..."
"Big sis Jet? Can I call you that? You're so nice. I'm glad I met you. Can I? Please?"
Jet was momentarily caught off guard, but smiled. "Alright, alright. You can."
"Yay!" Aveline grinned.
Just then, the gate creaked open again, and Sunny entered the room. He stopped in his tracks, staring at Jet and Aveline holding hands and smiling.
Aveline smirked at his stunned expression.
"Hah! Take that. Let's see you annoy me now. I have a big sis now, and she's gonna kick your ass if you don't behave, you... you troublemaker."
Sunny gaped, eyes bouncing between the two of them.
"So unfair! Really, Master Jet? How come I don't remember such a warm welcome? All I got was your cold stare and threats!"
Jet raised her brows with amusement. "I wasn't the one being shameless, was I?"
Sunny turned sideways and grumbled under his breath. Aveline looked at the two of them, feigning concern.
"Big sis, what happened? What did this scoundrel do?"
Sunny turned sharply. "No! Don't tell her, Master Jet! No, don't! She won't let me live!"
A few minutes later, they were all in Jet's PTV, heading toward the Academy. Aveline was laughing hysterically, poking Sunny repeatedly.
"Hahaha! You scoundrel! You idiot! Really? Big sis, you should execute him. I'll even give false testimony that he disappeared down a drain!"
Jet had made a few calls and arranged for more time and paperwork on both Sunny and Aveline's behalf.
"Sunny, listen carefully," Jet said from the front seat. "The induction ceremony will be two days from now. You have two months to prepare. That's not much, but it's better than nothing. When we get there, someone will pick you up from the gates. I'll keep Aveline with me for the time being. When they ask for family, write her name. Understood?"
Sunny nodded.
"I have three pieces of advice for you. First: once you're registered, they'll offer psychological counseling again. There'll be a reward for sharing your Nightmare experience and Appraisal. Maybe even a soul shard or two."
He frowned. "Are you trying to convince me to visit a psychiatrist again?"
Jet shook her head. "No. I'm telling you to refuse."
Sunny blinked. "Why?"
"You're too green to understand now, but in the Dream Realm, Nightmare Creatures aren't your only threat. Humans can be worse. The less they know about your Aspect, the safer you are."
She continued, "The easiest way to defeat a powerful Awakened is by exploiting their Flaw. Young fools are encouraged to share their secrets. Don't. Once two people know a secret, it isn't a secret anymore."
Sunny nodded slowly. "Thank you, Master Jet."
"Second: ignore most courses. The only one you need right now is Wilderness Survival."
Sunny blinked. "Really? Not weapon training?"
Jet glanced at him. "City kids have tutors. You don't. What nearly killed you in your Nightmare?"
Sunny thought. Not the tyrant. Not Hero.
"The cold."
"Exactly. You only know how to survive in a city. Out there, it's wilderness. Do you know how to make fire? Find food? Shelter? No. Learn it. Or die."
Sunny clenched his fists. He hated how much sense that made.
Moments later, Jet stopped the PTV. The colossal gates of the Awakened Academy towered ahead.
Jet stepped out, followed by Sunny. He stared in awe.
"This is as far as I go," she said, arms crossed. "I've notified them. Someone will fetch you."
Sunny turned toward her. "What's your third advice?"
Jet sighed. "No one survives the Dream Realm alone. That's not opinion. That's fact. Get along with your peers. Even if they treat you poorly. It might save your life."
Aveline leaned out the PTV window. "Hear that, idiot? Don't annoy people like you annoy me! They're not as patient as I am!"
Sunny exhaled, then suddenly reached out and ruffled her hair.
Aveline screamed and grumbled while fixing it.
He smiled, then turned to Jet.
"Master Jet... I don't know how to thank you enough. But really. I'm glad I met you."
Jet just smiled and patted his shoulder.
"What can I say? Two troublemakers have clutched my legs. One became my cute little sister... and the other, an uncouth, rude little brother who thinks harassing girls counts as 'impressing' them."
"Never gonna live that down, huh..."
Jet climbed back into the PTV.
As the vehicle drove off, Aveline stuck her hand out of the window, waving with a bright grin.
Sunny stood at the gates, smiling as he waved back.
Sunny turned around and—
He froze.
He was standing in front of the massive, seemingly indestructible crimson gates of the Awakened Academy. They loomed above him like a monument to power and dread, casting a long shadow that stretched across the stone-paved ground.
The Academy wasn't just a building. It was a city within the city—a sprawling, fortified domain designed to shape raw, chaotic potential into weapons of order. Its high walls were forged from reinforced alloy, polished yet unyielding. A deep moat ran along its perimeter like an ancient war relic, and above, large-caliber turret emplacements stood in silent vigil. Positioned strategically to form a suffocating air-suppression dome, they ensured that even the mightiest of Nightmare Creatures—even colossal titans—would fall before ever reaching the gates.
It wasn't just a place of learning. It was a fortress. A sanctuary. And a crucible.
To most, it was legendary.
Sunny had grown up with images of this place—webtoons and light novels that painted the Academy in dazzling colors. The lives of young Awakened elites filled the screens of dramas: dazzling duels under moonlight, rivalries that burned like wildfire, friendships forged in danger, and romances set against a backdrop of war and mystery.
But standing here now, he couldn't help but feel detached from all of that.
Never—not once in his wildest daydreams—had he imagined actually being here. Not like this. Not after surviving a Nightmare. Not after watching the Hero die.
His hand instinctively touched the edge of the Academy's gate, cold and smooth. Solid. Real.
But even more than the structure's formidable defense systems and luxurious reputation, it was the knowledge that made his stomach knot: he only had four weeks here.
Eight weeks before the winter solstice. Eight weeks before being pulled into the Dream Realm again.
No second chances. No reset buttons. No do-overs.
There wasn't time for anything frivolous—no rivalries, no grand romances, and definitely no getting tangled up in teenage power plays. He had to learn. He had to grow stronger. He had to survive.
Anything else was just distraction.
So, as the gates slowly began to open with a deep, grinding hum, Sunny exhaled and straightened his back.
"Focus," he muttered under his breath.
There was no room for fantasy anymore.