'Huh…?'
What? Two whole years? Dein was dazed for a second, unable to understand Freya's words. Searching for any signs that she's joking.
"What the heck are you talking about Freya? Why would it took me two years to wake up?"
Freya stood up from where she is. She approached one of the windows and checked the already locked door. Dein watched her with confusion as she suddenly summoned a memory.
In the next moment, every noise coming from outside dissapeared. Only Dein's heartbeat could be heard as he grew nervous. Meanwhile, Freya sat down again. Then she said, massaging the back of her head.
"Now this is much better. I don't like it when people are listening"
Dein frown when he heard that.
"Is someone listening to us?"
It could be a problem, Dein maybe untrained when he left for his first nightmare but he's not uneducated. He knew a lot about the world of awakened for example, and one of the unwritten rules they value is the importance of secrecy between awakened. You cannot force an awakened to tell you their flaw, abilities and even their nightmares.
Of course, Dein wouldn't mind if the only people listening are those members of his family. However, it would be bad if it's those government agents who visits their home time to time.
Luckily, that doesn't seem to be the case when Freya opened her mouth.
"Nope, no one's listening actually. But it won't be a crime to be cautious right?"
She sighed.
"Ah, but what you heard is right. From when you were infected as a 14 year old and now that you woke up, two years had passed."
Dein stared at his sister seriously. He knew his sister wouldn't lie to him. In fact, hearing that two years had passed, he could already think of why such thing could happen.
One was that it's just the nature of his first nightmare. Maybe the place he was sent in moved much slower than in the real world. But that's unlikely… at least because there's a much probable cause.
"Do you think it has something to do with the Spell bugging in my first nightmare?"
Dein asked. Actually, now that he thought of it, the Spell did said it stretched time when it got confused of his existence and sent Dein to a different vessel, 'the same failed being' to accommodate Dein's four soul.
The silence stretched for a while until Freya spoke again.
"That's what I think so too. You said the reason the Spell did that is because you you have four souls right?"
Dein nodded.
"Then that is not the reason anymore. Never tell anyone about that, especially Father. Keep that secret close to your heart Dein."
Then she paused. Standing up before patting Dein's back.
"Haa… I know you want to tell Father all your accomplishments in your first nightmare. But that… please keep it a secret." She paused again, before speaking in a wistful tone. "Also… I'm really, really glad that you came back Dein."
For a moment there, Dein saw the warm and loving look of his sister again. He was speechless. There is indeed a lot he wants to tell the Father. His aspect, flaw, attributes, his achievements. But hearing Freya forbid him from speaking of his four souls… it left quite a bit of a bitter taste in his mouth.
After all, that's the only thing that actually made him unique.
His aspect is mediocre and his flaw is debilitating. Even everything he'd done in his first nightmare isn't something he should've done as a Legacy Scion. He had hoped to redeem himself through his battle with Clara and Lei but even that was disgraceful. He used Clara's brother to kill her and he didn't actually defeat Lei, only delivering a wound to him… and through biting no less.
So hiding the only thing that made him interesting is quite hard to accept.
Dein sighed. Still, just because it made him unique doesn't mean it's not dangerous. Freya must've had her reasons.
Dein closed his eyes. For a moment there, he seems to see the trio sleeping soundlessly in his soul sea.
Then Freya spoke again. Smiling.
"Let's go then, I'm sure everyone can't wait to see you."
She stretched out a hand to help Dein up from where he's sitting but the moment Dein reached for her hand. His whole body suddenly froze and a something akin to a headache assaulted his mind. Before Dein knew it, his body had already fallen to the ground with a loud 'thud'.
Freya's eyes widened.
"What the… hey are you okay?!"
Meanwhile, Dein remained laying on the ground, face first. The headache slowly dissapearing. He grumbled.
'goddammit… what a stupid flaw…'
*****
Dein did not expect the extent of his flaw to affect even such a simple gesture of someone helping him stand. He did not even take into account what the consequences would be if he tries to violate his flaw.
Which is a really stupid and painful experience.
Even when Freya tried to help him up after he fell, his flaw still worked again. Even though he did not voluntarily accept Freya's help. In the end, Dein had to stand up himself, gasping in the pain that assaulted his mind.
'fricking stupid…!'
Now, Dein is left cursing in his mind as Freya walked beside him. Contemplating seriously. After a while, she sighed.
"…Now that's a really devastating flaw you have there Dein. Especially now that you're still really weak. You'll need all the help you can get, memories, soul shards. Everything…"
Hearing that, Dein gritted his teeth. Clicking his tongue at the same time.
"I already know that!"
Before they leave the room and make their way up like him and Freya are doing right now. Dein had already explained everything to her. His flaw, attributes, aspect.
That's why Freya had a really worried look on her face right now.
And that's why Dein is really irritated. Having to explain all of his useless abilities. In fact, the only thing Dein is slightly proud of is his attributes.
Even though one of them will probably destroy his soul in the future and the other two just makes his suffering much painful and longer. The two is still his best chance at surviving whatever the future has in store for him.
Even Freya thinks so too as she spoke again.
"It seems you really got quite unlucky. It will be difficult but you'll need to find a way to adapt to that flaw of yours. Just like the rest of everyone who walks the path of ascension."
She said, before giving Dein a slap on the back, making him groaned before it even landed.
"But hey… at least you won't die easily! And you'll know when you'll be attacked so just do your best to run until you get your hands on some useful memory!"
Dein clicked his tongue again, his back stinging in pain. But he knows Freya is right. Everyone has to adapt to their Flaw and so does Dein. And even though his aspect is quite useless in a fight he could still use memories. In fact, he could even buy memories right now. He doubt his flaw would prevent him from buying things.
But of course, that only works if he earned the money himself.
And Dein… Dein doesn't have any money he earned himself.
'Im sixteen for Spell's sake! And I've been asleep for 2 years!'
Beside that, there's also the fact that Dein used up all of his allowance before going to his first nightmare. His reason being "it would be a waste if he dies and didn't even get to spend his money"
If he knew it would be like this, he would've saved them all up. It's enough to at least buy three different memories of awakened rank.
Dein sighed, but just then, they finally exited the underground. Walking out of an elevator, a huge interior of a gigantic manor showed itself to them. He was suddenly blinded by the light for a few moments.
When his eyes adjusted to the sun light coming from the windows. Dein saw two intricate stairs as wide as a PTV from both his sides. In the middle of the two stairs is the elevator leading underground. It's where he is right now.
In the ceiling, a gigantic chandelier light itself up. Paintings and sculptures could be seen everywhere in the manor. But much more than that, the amount of caretakers and maids suddenly lining up in front of Dein in a practiced manner surprised him.
In just seconds, they formed two lines, making way for Dein and Freya. Then they all bowed deeply and said in a synchronized voice.
"Congratulations, young master, Dein of Hearth! We welcome your return from the depths of your nightmare!"
Hearing that, Dein smiled widely. He took a deep breath and inhaled the familiar air of his home.
'ah, it's good to be back!'