In his clean but simple-furbished office, doctor Roiland slowly typed letter after letter.

The laptop he was using was a model old enough to fit perfectly in a museum; Its worn-down keys - missing parts of their letters.

Reaching the conclusion of a sentence, Roiland typed the dot and nudged his glasses. He scrolled to the beginning and carefully reread the file.

|Saint Yosifov Clinic: Neurology & Neurosurgery Ward

Medical History of Patient Record N194

Physician: Roiland Braun

Patient: Midnight Katz

Gender: Male

Final Diagnosis: G47.4 - Narcolepsy with cataplexy

Etiology: Unknown.

The patient first manifested symptoms at the age of 5.

The suspected trigger was a traffic accident in which he sustained life-threatening cerebrum trauma. The documentation of his situation at the time and the treatment protocol are included in the addendum to this file.

Additional factors in this case were not discovered. Hereditary genetic malformations were excluded after a thorough analysis of the patient's family history. None of his relatives had manifested Narcolepsy or other sleep disorders. The observed scope comprised of the patient's past three generations.

Pathogenesis: Unknown.

It is speculated to be an abnormality in immune modulation and neurotransmitter sensitivity. However, further studies are required.

Symptoms: The patient manifests all common symptoms of this sleep disorder.

1. Nighttime Insomnia.

At night, the patient is brimming with energy and can't fall asleep.

2. Daytime Somnolence.

All day long, the patient is plagued by drowsiness and inadequacy. He can't keep his mind focused for long periods of time and is susceptible to foolish errors.

3. Parasomnia.

The patient often suffers from nightmares and fatigue.

There are observed deviations from the regular sleep cycles, and the length of their stages.

In Midnight's case, the REM sleep is predominant.

This type of sleep is related to rapid eye movements, irregular and erratic breathing, storing short-term memories, cerebral activity resembling an awakened state, skeletal muscular paralysis, and dreaming. This type of sleep is lighter than NREM and doesn't provide the necessary rest.

4. Slumber Seizures.

In the day the patient suffers from seizures where he suddenly falls asleep. They happen at random. There is no relation to time, place, or actions taken by the patient.

The seizures pose a high injury risk. The possibility of death is present in the case of negligence.

5. Cataplexy.

Strong emotions can induce paresis. Anger, joy, fear, excitement, etc, can lead to a sudden muscle weakness that leaves the patient helpless and immobile despite retaining consciousness.

Treatment: Currently there is no treatment for this sleep disorder.

As his active physician, all I can do is attempt to reduce the negative effects of the symptoms through advice and medication.

The patient is advised to adjust his day-night circadian cycle. He is to sleep in the day and remain active at night. This can benefit his health the most, instead of forcefully following the normal rhythm.

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To reduce the risk to the patient's health caused by his seizures, he is advised to remain at home, and not attempt dangerous tasks like bathing or cooking until the sun sets.

Medication is provided to reduce his parasomnia. Drugs used to date are included in the addendum to this file.

Conclusion: Weak effects. The medication can only slightly reduce the frequency and length of the dreams. Taking his age into consideration, for now, stronger medication isn't advisable. The reason is the addiction side effect.

The patient is recommended to have regular counseling with a psychologist or psychiatrist to reduce his stress. Stronger medication can be considered if the patient exhibits intense mental instability...|

Contemplating for a while, Roiland typed a new passage at the end.

|The patient is recommended to try playing the soon-to-be-released virtual reality game - Euclex. The game is rumored to use the newest technology of deep consciousness dive. While the body is forced into a state of sleep inside the gaming pod, the mind will be transferred to the VR world. Perhaps, this will help the patient escape his nightmares and let him live a normal life under the sun; Albeit a virtual one...|

Done with his amendments to the file, Roiland saved it, stood up, and looked outside the window. It was summer and the sun had risen, despite the early hour. For a while he just stood there quietly, bathing in the light. His office plunged into abnormal silence.

...

Sun rays slipped through the gaps between the half-drawn curtains, outlining the invisible dance of tiny dust particles in the air.

They coursed further down in a straightforward manner and just happened to land on a face. It was an extremely pale face. A face with dark under-eye circles accentuating its complexion.

Ugh

Midnight's lips clenched in a grimace. He was tossing and turning inside an erratic and chaotic dreamscape, plagued by yet another enigmatic nightmare.

Phew

A couple of minutes later, under the constant foton assault, his painful expression slowly relaxed. The stale air trapped in his lungs finally broke through his pressed lips in a long and noisy exhale.

Unexpectedly, the sun's rays not only didn't annoy him, but they even evoked a pleasant feeling of warmth. It began from the skin on his eyelids, seeped into the eyeballs beneath, and slowly coursed through his body, dissipating the dreams.

Under the light, his consciousness sank a bit deeper. And for a moment he was right there, in the perfect state between dreams and reality. The moment when one couldn't help but exclaim, 'Please, just 5 more minutes!".

Beep Beep Beep

But a moment was always so fleeting. The fragile equilibrium crumbled under an ear-piercing alarm.

Beep Beep Beep

"Ugh."

He was once again shaken, groaning unhappily. In a desperate attempt to escape, he buried himself deeper into the sheets.

He blindly groped around for a pillow to cover his face. He wasn't ready to wake up! He yearned to get that moment of peace once again. Yes, he only wished to rest for a while. Preferably, an eternal slumber.

Beep Beep Beep

Just like water dripping down between widely stretched-out fingers, the happiness slipped away regardless of Midnight's desires. With every new beep, a few droplets were lost.

Beep Beep

"Ok, ­­damn it! I got it!

Unable to tolerate this any further, Midnight opened one eye - bleary and bloodshot.

Beep Bang

He heavily slammed his bracelet into the wall, annoyance and exhaustion ruining his relatively handsome appearance.

Another god-awful day, he regained his bearings and muttered in his heart a poignant remark.

It was unknown when he last uttered words for good morning. 5? 10? 15? Or was it 20 years ago?

He couldn't remember.

The sun is still out...

He yawned lazily and stretched his arms and legs like a feline. He squinted his eyes and brought his wrist up. With a gentle touch, the bracelet's screen lit, displaying a picture of an adorable black kitten.

9:45 in the morning. I slept for...ugh, 2 hours?

He struggled to focus his vacant gaze on the screen as wave after wave of drowsiness assaulted his senses.

Should be bearable? He thought lacking in confidence. Yet it couldn't be helped. He had a prior appointment today.

If I miss the delivery, Dad will be very distressed. Just thinking about his nagging is driving me crazy.

Urged by his thoughts and imagination, Midnight rolled weakly on the bed. He struggled to get up.

Once, twice...Finally, on his third try, he managed to accomplish it somehow, his joints creaking and his head groggy. The scenery of his messy bedroom spinning around.

The delivery guys should be here around 10:45, or was it 10:30? Anyway, I have about an hour left before they arrive...

Unbothered to make up the bed, with the blanket left dangling near the ground, he dragged his heavy body to finish his daily routine. It included washing his face and brushing his teeth, as well as answering the call of nature and breakfast. However, he wouldn't shower or take a nice bath, for doing so posed a huge danger. Drowning wasn't on his to-do list!

Fifteen minutes later, now clean and slightly refreshed, he staggered back to the small kitchen table for a simple cold breakfast.

Fumbling around for a while he found a piece of cold pizza. It was a pitiful breakfast, but he wasn't used to eating so early and lacked much of an appetite.

Ding Dong

Ding Dong

Ding Dong

The doorbell's ringing shook him awake. His head was pounding and he felt very perplexed. For a few seconds, he didn't know where he was, or what he was doing. His memories - stalling behind.

With a sense of familiarity associated with the work of professionals, Midnight ignored the noise, stood up, and scanned his surroundings. In the process, he found his left hand empty, despite vaguely feeling something amiss.

A moment or two later, the clarity in his eyes slowly returned and he moved his gaze down, checking the ground.

Oh, here it is...

The half-eaten piece innocently lay plopped on the ground under the table. By all laws in the universe, the toppings faced down, straining the carpet. And as if this wasn't enough, his loose T-shirt had a bright red splotch in the middle. It led further down, reaching his crotch.

Like a detective or a talented seamstress, he linked the clues with the thread of his mind and reached a conclusion.

I fell asleep while eating. The poor pizza was unavoidably sacrificed in the process. Sigh, thankfully, I didn't choke in my slumber. But, seriously, this is a waste! It was hard but relatively delicious...

Midnight shook his head in self-deprecation as he lamented the food.

Ding Dong

Yes, yes, the door...I absolutely forgot. Must be the delivery guys...I am not expecting anyone else in this horrendous daytime.

He reluctantly peeled his gaze away from the pizza and trotted all the way to the door.

"Coming!" He raised his voice in an attempt to out-shout the noises and hurriedly reached out, grabbing the handle.