The Moment of Dream Awakening

November 29, 9998, Yulan Calendar.

In the early evening, Akes had just returned from training in the back mountains when he saw Yale standing at the dormitory entrance with a grave expression.

"What's wrong?" Akes asked.

Yale lowered his voice. "Fourth went out just now, and his expression wasn't right. Reynolds followed him secretly and came back saying that Fourth saw... on Champs-Elysees Avenue."

Akes's heart sank.

"Saw what?"

"Alice and that guy," Yale said. "Walking together, hand in hand."

Akes was silent for a moment. "Where is he?"

"In the back mountains," Yale said. "Reynolds said Fourth headed to the back mountains alone, his face pale enough to be frightening."

Akes turned to leave.

"Third!" Yale called out to stop him. "Let him be for a while."

Akes paused and looked back at him.

Yale sighed. "In matters like this, outsiders can't help. What he needs right now is to be quiet by himself, not for us to go and comfort him."

Akes thought for a moment and nodded. "Then we'll wait in the dormitory."

The two returned to the courtyard, where George was already waiting. Reynolds was squatting in the corner, silent. The four of them didn't speak; they just sat there.

The sky gradually darkened.

No one ate dinner. The night wind blew, carrying the chill of early winter. The moon rose, round and bright, bathing the courtyard in silver-white light.

Akes stood up. "I'm going to the back mountains to check on him."

The night in the back mountains was very quiet.

Akes walked along the familiar path. Moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting mottled shadows on the ground. After walking for about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, he saw Linley.

Linley was standing before a massive boulder, motionless.

The boulder was huge, at least two meters high and three or four meters long—the kind of grey-blue rock common in the back mountains. The moonlight shone upon it, reflecting a cold luster.

Akes did not make a sound, standing far away.

He saw Linley's back—that figure which was usually held so straight now appeared somewhat desolate. His shoulders were slightly slumped, his head bowed, as if pressed down by some heavy weight.

After a long time, Linley moved.

He took a flat blade from his robe and gripped it in his hand. Under the moonlight, the edge of the blade glinted with a cold light.

Then, he began to carve.

Without hesitation, without pause, the flat blade seemed like an extension of his arm, dancing across the boulder. Stone chips flew, looking like fine snowflakes in the moonlight. His movements were fast—so fast that Akes could only see a blur of the blade.

But strangely, there was no sound.

The flat blade scraping against the stone should have produced a harsh, grating noise, but Akes heard nothing. It was as if those stone chips vanished into thin air, and those grooves were naturally formed.

He stood there, watching Linley.

Watching him shave away the excess stone, one stroke at a time. Watching his back transform from desolate to resolute, from weary to focused. Watching him become completely immersed in another world, forgetting time, forgetting pain, forgetting everything.

The moonlight shifted slowly.

Akes did not leave, nor did he approach. He simply stood far away, watching the youth who was carving the stone.

At the hour of the ox, Reynolds arrived.

"Third," he whispered. "Why aren't you back..."

Halfway through his sentence, he saw Linley in the distance and shut his mouth.

The two stood side by side, watching that figure under the moonlight.

As dawn approached, George and Yale arrived as well.

The four of them stood at the edge of the woods, watching Linley from afar. No one spoke, no one left. Occasionally, the wind blew, bringing the chill of early winter, but no one moved.

A day passed.

Two days passed.

Three days passed.

Linley was still carving. He had not stopped once, neither eating nor drinking, neither sleeping nor resting. The flat blade seemed to have come alive in his hands; every swing was precise to the extreme, every stroke falling exactly where it needed to be.

The boulder was slowly changing. The outlines were becoming clearer, the textures more distinct. Vaguely, one could see five human figures, each one vivid and lifelike.

The fourth day, the fifth day, the sixth day.

The four of them took turns keeping watch. During the day, someone would bring food and drink—though Linley didn't touch a single bite. At night, they would light a fire to keep the area warm. They didn't know what Linley was carving, but they all knew that this was not the time to disturb him.

The seventh day, the eighth day, the ninth day.

Linley's movements grew slower. It wasn't because he was tired, but because each stroke was becoming more deliberate. Sometimes he would stand before the stone for a long time, motionless, before suddenly swinging his blade. Sometimes he would walk around the boulder several times, carefully examining every groove, before continuing.

The tenth day.

At dusk, Akes came to change shifts as usual. He walked to the edge of the woods and saw Linley still standing before the stone. Just as he was about to sit down, he suddenly sensed something.

"This is..." Yale's mouth hung wide open.

"Liquefaction of spiritual energy," Akes said softly.

The hallmark of a seventh-rank magus—spiritual energy transforming from a gaseous state to a liquid state, a qualitative change. This was the threshold between the sixth and seventh ranks, a barrier where countless magi remained stuck for a decade or even decades.

Linley had broken through while sculpting.

Linley stood where he was, motionless.

Then, he moved.

The final cut.

The flat blade descended gently, shaving away the last bit of stone dust. He then stepped back, looking at the massive boulder before him.

Under the moonlight, the true appearance of the stone sculpture finally revealed itself.

Five women, five postures, five distinct spirits.

The first lowered her head, evoking pity. The second turned her face, cute and playful. The third blushed, shy and moving. The fourth tilted her head, charming and passionate. The fifth stood with her back turned, cold and resolute.

Lifelike, as if they were real people.

"Dream Awakening," Linley said softly.

Then he turned around and looked toward the edge of the woods.

Four people stood there, all watching him.

Akes walked over and handed him a waterskin. Linley took it and drank a few mouthfuls. His face was deathly pale, but his eyes were exceptionally bright.

"It's been eleven days," Akes said.

Linley nodded.

Reynolds leaned in, looking at the stone sculpture, wanting to say something but swallowing it back. Yale patted Linley on the shoulder without a word. George stood to the side, his eyes slightly red.

"Let's go," Akes said. "Back to eat."

Linley nodded and followed them as they walked back.

After a few steps, he suddenly stopped and looked back at the stone sculpture. Under the moonlight, the figures of the five women stood silently, as if seeing him off, or perhaps bidding him farewell.

"Let's go," Akes said.

Linley withdrew his gaze and followed.

In the dormitory, Yale busied himself setting up a table of food. Reynolds ran back and forth, and George helped arrange the bowls and chopsticks. Akes sat next to Linley and poured him a glass of water.

"Drink some water to warm your stomach first," he said. "You haven't eaten for eleven days; you shouldn't have anything too greasy right away."

Linley nodded and took the glass.

The food was served, all of it light. Linley ate slowly, and the others didn't rush him, simply keeping him company.

Halfway through the meal, Linley set down his chopsticks.

All four of them stopped and looked at him.

Linley looked at the food on the table, his voice very calm: "We met last year. She said she liked me, and I believed her. She said we would always be together, and I believed that too. I thought... I thought it was real."

He paused.

"Today, I saw her walking with someone else. That person is Kalan, the young master of the Debs family. They have known each other since they were children, childhood sweethearts."

Reynolds wanted to say something, but Yale stopped him with a look.

Linley continued: "Actually, there were signs long ago. She was always saying she was busy, always making excuses. I thought it was because of her heavy studies, I didn't expect..."

He didn't finish, picking up his glass to take a sip.

Akes watched him, suddenly recalling how he felt when reading the original story before he transmigrated. Back then, it was just a story, and he felt pity for Linley. Now, seeing it all happen with his own eyes, watching this brother go through it step by step, the feeling was completely different.

"Fourth," he said.

Linley looked at him.

Akes picked up the wine pot, poured him a cup, and then poured one for himself. He raised his glass: "Drink."

Linley looked at the wine, silent for a moment, then picked it up and downed it in one gulp.

The wine was strong, making him cough.

Akes didn't smile, just poured him another.

"Still want to drink?"

Linley looked at the glass and suddenly smiled. It wasn't a happy smile, but one that was hard to describe.

"Another one."

He picked up the glass and downed it in one gulp again.

This time, he didn't cough.

Akes poured again. Linley drank again. Cup after cup, until the pot of wine hit the bottom.

Linley leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.

"Fourth," Yale spoke up, "what are your plans for the future?"

Linley remained silent for a long time.

"Continue training," he said. "Become stronger."

"Is that all?"

Linley thought for a moment: "Put that stone sculpture in a place where no one will know."

Akes knew he was talking about "Dream Awakening." It was something he had exchanged eleven days of heart's blood for, and something he had exchanged a relationship for.

"I'll find a place for you," Yale said. "My family's chamber of commerce has a secret room; it's safe."

Linley nodded.

"Thanks."

That night, the five of them drank until very late.

Reynolds got drunk, grabbed George's arm, and shouted, "Fourth, don't cry." George pushed him away, only for him to go and hug Yale. Yale couldn't dodge in time, and as Reynolds wrapped his arms around his neck, he rambled a bunch of nonsense.

Akes wasn't drunk, and neither was Linley.

The two sat in the courtyard, watching the moon in the sky.

"Third," Linley suddenly spoke.

"Yeah?"

"Did you know about it a long time ago?"

Akes was silent for a moment: "I saw it once. Late October, on Champs-Elysees Avenue."

Linley nodded, not pressing him on why he hadn't said anything sooner.

"Afraid I wouldn't believe you?" he asked.

Akes nodded.

Linley gave a small smile: "I probably wouldn't have."

The two sat in silence for a while.