Umbra sat comfortably in the seat of the PTV. It was crafted from the finest materials available and was said to be capable of withstanding attacks from Nightmare Creatures of the Awakened rank. The seats were made of a durable material but upholstered in the highest quality leather, making them exceptionally comfortable—the interior was designed to convey a sense of comfort and, obviously, privilege and power.
Even so, she paid no attention to those details—those details that, she was certain, would surprise her brother when he saw them. At the thought, a smile threatened to form on her lips, but that thought was immediately replaced by the conversation she had had with Moonveil.
Who was this Nephis? Why had she said that their mother wasn't proud, even though it was necessary? Why would she be in danger when she found out that Umbra belonged to the Song clan? Her head filled with questions like these—though, thanks to her Innate Ability, she never lost the capacity to analyze everything with cold rationality.
"Should I avoid mentioning that I'm from the Song clan?" she asked herself. However, that was impossible. She knew the academy was full of Legacies from minor clans who would recognize her: she had attended numerous balls to forge connections and was quite well-known in that circle.
Regardless, what had bothered her most was that her sister believed this girl, Nephis, would put her in danger.
Her? How? Umbra wasn't exactly overconfident or arrogant—she knew there were many types of Aspects and that each had its counter—but still… she was one of the most talented Sleepers in history, the second bearer of a True Name after her First Nightmare. She had received personal training from a Sovereign and several Saints from a young age, not to mention the rank of her Aspect.
Either way, she would follow her sister's advice. She had no intention or desire to get involved with the rest of the Sleepers at the academy. She was only interested in one person: Sunny.
Thinking of him, Umbra let out a sigh.
She still didn't know how to build a relationship with him. Something she hadn't considered before was the enormous gap in status between them—how could she convince him that she wasn't a Legacy trying to mock him?
Another important question: what Flaw had he obtained? What if it was a terrible one? One that forced him to act in a certain way? Or what if it was something similar to her sister Yen's—the one that had left her mute…
Umbra suppressed a shiver at the thought.
Unfortunately, before she could devise a strategy, the PTV arrived at the gates of the Academy. The chauffeur stepped out and walked around the vehicle to open the door for her. Moments later, he assisted her with a bow.
"Princess Umbra, we have arrived at the Academy."
Umbra smiled at the man and descended calmly. As she did, she lifted her gaze toward the imposing red doors of the building. She felt no surprise—she had come several times before for various reasons. Moreover, her mother belonged to the generation during which the Academy had been founded, and Umbra had, of course, asked her to tell her stories of what it had been like in its early days.
A genuine smile curved her lips as she recalled those moments.
It had happened just a few months after her arrival at Ravenheart. One night, unable to fall asleep, she had left her room and begun wandering aimlessly through the castle. Even though the place buzzed with guards and servants even at that hour, she had managed to evade them all with a skill she herself hadn't known she possessed, hiding within the shadows.
At the time, she hadn't understood how she'd done it, and she had questioned it for years, as it hadn't been a one-time occurrence—it had happened even before she faced her First Nightmare.
Now, thanks to one of her attributes, she believed she had identified the reason:
[Shadowkin]
Atributte Description: [There is something in you that the shadows acknowledge]
Although she was convinced this attribute was the cause, she still didn't understand why she possessed it. Her Aspect had nothing to do with shadows; in fact, within the clan, there was no one—as far as she knew—with an Aspect linked to them. There was her sister Revel, with an affinity for Darkness, but darkness and shadows were not the same—they were, in a sense, opposites.
Returning to that night, one of her mother's thralls had found her and, much to her dismay, led her to the throne room. There, she encountered the main body of the Queen for the first time.
Even though the Sovereign suppressed her presence as much as possible, Umbra couldn't help but burst into tears in front of her. In her memories, that was the first time she had ever cried, though deep down she knew it was a lie—and that very certainty saddened her, because she was unable to recall the sad moments she had lived through before the accident.
Seeing her cry, the Queen—with infinite gentleness and affection—sat her on her lap and began to stroke her hair while softly singing a song to calm her. Minutes passed, and Umbra had completely settled; in fact, she grew so tranquil that she ended up falling asleep in her mother's lap.
When she woke up, she was still there, reclining in her lap. What had roused her was the scent of freshly baked chocolate cookies and a warm drink hovering nearby.
"Did you sleep well, little Ummy?" her mother asked, using her will to bring a cookie closer.
Umbra didn't answer, mesmerized by the sweet treat suspended in the air. Moments later, the cookie floated before her, and with her tiny arms, she began to devour it without restraint. She didn't notice the expression of radiant happiness illuminating her mother's face as she watched her eat.
Once she finished, only then did she deign to look around. She lifted her gaze and found her mother's beautiful face looking back at her with a wide smile.
"Mother?" she asked timidly.
The Queen tilted her head tenderly. "Yes, Ummy?"
Umbra turned her small head, observing the room she was in. She didn't remember how she had gotten there. "How did I get here?"
Her mother gently stroked her hair again,
"You were up to mischief at night."
Umbra tilted her head and smiled with feigned innocence—a gesture made even more amusing by her young age—and whispered, "I don't remember.
Her mother laughed at her attempt to play oblivious. "I see… and if I give you more cookies, will you remember?" Umbra's eyes lit up as she nodded enthusiastically. The Queen continued in a teasing tone: "So you were sneaking around"
Umbra's expression immediately shifted to one of indignation as she shook her head. Still chuckling, her mother asked, "Would you like to hear a story, little one?"
She nodded eagerly, and the Queen began to narrate.
But before the memory could unfold further, the sound of the Academy's doors opening jolted her from her thoughts.
Umbra frowned, but when she noticed the chauffeur waiting a few steps behind her, she returned to the present.
She turned to him and smiled cordially, "I'm sorry, I was lost in thought."
The chauffeur nodded understandingly. "There's no need to apologize. I assumed you were recalling something and didn't wish to interrupt."
"I appreciate it, Mart, but I've already made you waste enough time." After a brief pause, she added, "I can take my things in." She glanced at the suitcase with her belongings that had already been prepared.
Hearing the mention of his name—a gesture he wasn't accustomed to—Mart smiled and bowed. "As you wish, Princess Umbra." In a more professional tone, he continued, "If my services are no longer required, I shall take my leave."
She nodded. "Everything's under control. You may go."
Mart bowed again and turned gracefully to walk back to the PTV. Moments later, he had departed, and Umbra found herself alone before the Academy's open doors.
She picked up the headphones Mart had left on the handle of her suitcase and put them on. She took out her communicator and put on her favorite band.
Naturally, she started listening to Nightingale. The band hadn't released new music in nearly a year; rumors of a breakup circulated, along with countless other speculations she knew were false. In fact, after bothering one of her sisters, she had managed to uncover the real reason.
Apparently, two years ago, Night had gone through the Winter Solstice and remained trapped somewhere in the Dream Realm.
Also imprisoned without the possibility of return was one of her sisters—Seishan. Umbra had been quite young when her sister experienced her Winter Solstice, but her story—as grim as it sounded—was something she didn't want to experience herself.
She didn't want to be trapped in some forgotten corner of the Dream Realm with no way back, especially now that she had such an important mission.
Grabbing her suitcase, she crossed the Academy's gates with steady steps. She knew the way beforehand, so she advanced without paying much attention to her surroundings. Her mind, distracted by the music playing in her ears, led her to the place where the ceremony was being held.
It had already begun. Although the Academy knew she would arrive late, the clan had instructed them to make no exceptions and to start at the scheduled time. Umbra had no issue with that—she already knew everything they were going to say.
At that moment, an Awakened instructor was giving the talk.
Even though she already knew the content, she removed her headphones and began to listen. Meanwhile, her eyes scanned the room from Sleeper to Sleeper, searching for someone who resembled her.
Her heart threatened to race as tension tried to seize her body, but with a single thought, she controlled her blood flow and forced it to slow.
This was possible thanks to her Innate Ability, which had been difficult to master at first but which she now handled with absolute precision.
Innate Ability: [Blood Control]
Ability Description: [You can control the circulation of your blood within your body.]
It was a formidable ability. If she accelerated her circulation, she gained accelerated regeneration, improved physical performance, and faster reaction speed. If she slowed it down, she could remain calm and control her emotions more easily, in addition to reducing her energy consumption and performing more stable, precise movements.
Something the description didn't mention—and that she had discovered after multiple tests—was that it was impossible for her to bleed out. If she so wished, not a single drop of her blood would leave her body. It was an excellent Innate Ability, one that complemented her Aspect perfectly.
She refocused her attention on the room, now with her blood flow under strict control. She knew her brother's name and that he should resemble her, but she had never seen a photo of him; she had no idea where he might be.
As the Awakened concluded the ceremony by speaking about Citadels and Gates, she began to analyze the groups that had formed with the precision of a huntress.
There were five clearly distinct groups.
Three of them consisted of Legacies from various clans—even in these matters, the separation between Song and Valor remained. Obviously, none of the participants in those groups belonged to the main clans; they were Legacies from vassal clans of the great ones.
The third Legacy group included some members of the House of Night clan alongside others from various families who were perhaps friends or had simply ended up grouped together by chance.
Another group was made up of upper- and middle-class Sleepers with no clan affiliation. And the last group—which couldn't truly be considered a group—consisted of isolated individuals scattered throughout the hall.
Umbra managed to identify several, but only three captured her attention.
The first was a girl slightly taller than her, with gray hair and intense gray eyes. She wore headphones around her neck and what caught Umbra's attention wasn't that she carried no belongings—already unusual in itself—but rather the aura of solitude that enveloped her.
She recognized her as a Legacy, but she didn't integrate into any of the groups; her expressionless face betrayed someone who felt completely apart from the world.
The second Sleeper who drew her attention did so because of her striking, breathtaking beauty, along with the undeniable fact that she was blind.
'What a cruel Flaw,' Umbra thought.
In her mind, that was equivalent to a death sentence, and she couldn't help but feel pity for her. And then, the third figure was the one that nearly shattered the iron control she maintained over herself.
He was a boy—thin, almost malnourished—with pitch-black hair and eyes, accompanied by pale skin. When she saw him, her eyes widened slightly, and she knew in an instant. It was him. It was Sunny. Her brother was sitting at the back of the room, focused on the ceremony.
Without realizing it, she took a step toward him and then another, but just as she was about to take a third, the Awakened officiating the ceremony marked its end, and all the Sleepers stirred back to attention.
As if that weren't enough, at that same moment, the groups of Legacies turned toward her—some recognizing her immediately—and, in particular, the group of Legacies affiliated with the Song clan began moving in her direction.
Focusing her gaze as much as she could, Umbra managed to see Sunny turn around at the commotion, then he shrugged in a gesture of indifference, muttered something under his breath, and walked off in the opposite direction.
A sharp pain pierced Umbra's chest, but instantly she was surrounded by Sleepers approaching her with questions and greetings.
Her reunion with her brother would have to wait.