As night fell, Lysander sat at a small wooden table, eating the meal Jet had prepared and telling the girl what he had done that day.
"I avenged Rose today, or at least I started with the first bastard responsible for her death."
He lowered his head to the ground, clenching his hands until his knuckles were white. Jet remained silent, her gaze hidden in the gloom. Lysander continued.
"I promise I'll finish what I started, but I can't take on the Ravengers yet. I'm too weak right now."
Receiving no response, he looked Jet in the eyes.
"But soon, that won't be the case."
She looked at him, confused.
Lysander took a deep breath, a trace of fear visible on his face, but quickly hidden.
"I have been infected by the Nightmare Spell."
Silence.
Jet was stunned by Lysander's statement; she was speechless.
"I've had the symptoms for about three or four days now. I didn't want to tell you before, so as not to stress you out about my plan against Blaise."
He stood up after putting the rest of his meal on the bench, then rummaged through his pockets until he pulled out a thick roll of cash. Lysander handed it to Jet, who was still in disbelief.
"With this, even if... even if I don't survive the First Nightmare, you can get into the city and get yourself a place in an orphanage. But of course, I'll be back; after all, some measly trial isn't going to kill me."
He tried to hide his trembling hand in his sweatshirt pocket.
'I have to look strong, she has suffered so much.'
Lysander headed towards the edge of the building, ready to climb down the water pipe, but stopped abruptly.
Jet was behind him, holding him tightly, as if she hoped it would be enough to make him stay. But even she knew he had to leave, because it must already be hard for him to stay awake, and he didn't have much time.
She whispered, like a breath of hope drowning in the roaring winds of despair.
''Lys, ple-please, come back. I only have you now...''
Lysander turned and hugged the young girl he considered his sister in all but blood.
''I promise.''
He then climbed down the water pipe, while she watched in despair as the frail-looking young man disappeared into the darkness of the night, his return uncertain.
---------
Cling.
The police officer at the front desk of the police station turned his head and saw a young man, with deep dark eyes and ash-colored hair, dressed in clothes that suggested he belonged to the slums, approach the counter.
He straightened up and spoke to the young man.
"Good evening, young man, what can I do for you?"
Lysander looked around apprehensively, noting reinforced armour plates on the walls and poorly concealed turret nests in the ceiling.
He thought.
'At least they're prepared.'
The officer, receiving no response, asked again.
"Hello?"
The young man looked at him and said.
''As requested by the Third Special Directive, I am here to surrender myself as a carrier of the Nightmare Spell.''
Lysander noticed the abrupt change of expression of the officer, going from easy-going to wary.
''Young man, this is not something to joke about. Are you sure you are infected? Since when do you carry the symptoms?''
Lily responded.
''A week ago?''
'Of course I had to lie to Jet, she would have fainted on the spot had she known.'
The police officer became pale as the snow, as if he had seen a ghost. He hurriedly pressed a button below his desk and screamed into his terminal.
''Attention!! Code Black in the hall! I repeat! CODE BLACK!"
A few minutes later, Lysander was strapped by heavy ropes to a metal chair that inspired torture more than anything else. The room he was in was in the basement of the police station that would have put to shame the hall he was previously in. Thick armoured walls and a locking vault door that reminded him of the bank robberies in the movies, in addition to automatic turrets ready to fire at him at any moment.
Multiple officers were standing near the walls, their guns pointed at him with fear.
Finally, an old policeman approached him and looked at the clock on the wall. Time was ticking
''Kid, we don't have a lot of time, so bear with me and listen to me very attentively.''
Lysander was trying to stay awake with all his strength, but slowly his consciousness was fading.
''How much do you know about the Nightmare Spell?''
Lysander raised his eyes with difficulty, looking toward the blurry figure talking to him.
''Not a lot...''
The old policeman realized that it was more severe than he thought.
''The Nightmare Spell will put you in a trial, the First Nightmare. Once inside, you will meet monsters, but also people. You need to remember that they are not real. It is a test, so don't fall for that.''
He saw that Lysander was close to leaving the real world, so he skipped a few things to go to the essentials.
''Remember, the first thing you need to do inside the Nightmare is to check your Attributes and your Aspect. It's really important to check it, it's mostly how you will survive the First Nightmare.''
The old policeman looked at Lysander and saw that he had fallen asleep. He stumbled to the vault door and sat on a chair, his hands covering his face.
''Shit, I hope the nearest Awakened will be there in time...''
Oblivious to the last sentence of the officer, Lysander slipped into a deep slumber.
Everything became black.
And then, in the darkness, a voice resounded.
[Aspirant! Welcome to the First Nightmare Spell. Prepare for your First Trial...]