"Did someone say the name Levi?" a voice called out from the same row where two boys were seated.

"Elias Veyrathis..." the boy who had recognized Levi and Dorian said to the other, who had spoken now. The boy he addressed bore facial features strikingly similar to Levi.

"I think the House of Veyrathis didn't teach their chicks to refrain from barging into conversations uninvited," the boy named Garrett said to Elias, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"When did the dogs of Barroway take it upon themselves to discipline others in public?" retorted a slightly red-haired, strong-bodied boy seated to Garrett's left.

"Orion, you're going too far," Garrett snapped, turning to the boy who had just insulted his family. "Take your words back about the Barroway family, or else"

Dorian, seizing the opportunity, jumped into the conversation. "Then what? You can dish it out, but when others speak, it's suddenly a dishonor to the Barroway family?"

"Nobles, my foot. They act all high and mighty in public, but step on their toes, and they start barking like common strays," a sharp female voice rang out, cutting through the tension.

Levi immediately recognized the voice. "Elyra Morrthaine... Why is she here?" he thought to himself, a flicker of concern crossing his mind. "This shouldn't have happened. Did she come to record the Dream Realm trial for her newspaper?"

All eyes turned to the woman who had just entered the fray of noble arguments.

She stood tall, her red hair and light blue eyes catching the light. A pen rested behind her ear, and black gloves adorned her hands.

Her words were so piercing that the entire gathering fell silent.

"So it's true what they say, a journalist's tongue can out-argue a lawyer. I'd challenge you to a debate, but I value my sanity too much," Orion quipped, addressing Elyra with a mix of amusement and irritation.

"Ahem... Attention here, students!" A voice, neither youthful nor frail, echoed through the gathering area, commanding immediate silence.

All the nobles, who had been arguing moments ago, along with those who had been watching with disappointment that a fight hadn't broken out, turned their attention to the source of the voice.

It was powerful, evenly distributed, and carried the weight of authority, clearly belonging to someone of high standing.

A middle-aged man stood in front of the teachers' camp, his presence unmistakably that of an academy official.

Suddenly, a rectangular boulder materialized out of nowhere in front of the students, and the man stepped onto it.

"You should save your fighting spirit for the Dream Realm, where you'll have the chance to prove yourselves as Echoes," the man declared, his voice stern. "But know this, most of you will not become Echoes. Instead of wasting time arguing, you should focus on preparing yourselves."

"Now," he continued, "tell me how you should behave in the Dream Realm. Speak loudly enough so that even the commoner students standing in the last row can hear you clearly."

The commoner students, who didn't belong to any esteemed family, had little to no information about the Dream Realm and Echoes.

They could afford to learn the arts, sciences, history, and culture, but knowledge about the Dream Realm and Echoes was highly confidential, accessible only to those with wealth and influence, which commoners lacked.

At these words, the faces of the commoner youth lit up with hope. However, Elrya Morrthaine's expression darkened.

"Just like them, six years ago, I too embarked on this journey," she thought bitterly. "But because I came from a commoner family, I had no access to information about the Dream Realm and Echoes. That lack of knowledge cost me my chance to pass the trial and become an Echo. My future was ruined because of it, and I remained a nobody, a commener, only echoes are respected in the society."

"Those dogs of the Central Domain, masquerading as humans, hoarded this vital information from the public. How dare they decide the fate of an entire generation?" Her hands clenched the arms of her chair, her knuckles turning white.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Tears welled up in her eyes, though no one noticed except one person.

"Don't worry. They will pay for their sins. Just stay strong," Levi thought to himself, his gaze fixed on Elyra with unwavering confidence.

He knew exactly what she was thinking.

The organization that controls knowledge of the Dream Realm and Echoes has declared to the world that anyone who leaks this confidential information will be branded an enemy of all humanity.

But what grants them the audacity to issue such a decree? The world, they claim, belongs to every human born into it.

Yet the bitter truth is this: power resides with those of noble blood, whose lineages stretch back to the Sovereigns of the pre-Common Era.

Most nobles are steeped in the same ideology, passed down from birth like an heirloom, a belief in their inherent superiority. To them, the dream of becoming Echoes is not a privilege but a birthright, a destiny reserved solely for their kind.

But what of the commoners? Who speaks for them? Who even acknowledges their existence? In every generation, people like Elyra rise, voices armed with pens, determined to etch truth onto pages stained by lies.

They fight to awaken the masses to their rights, to expose the systems that shackle them. Yet these truths rarely survive the light of day.

Those who dare speak out vanish, their families condemned to horrors beyond comprehension, punished for crimes they did not commit.Entire lineages are erased, as though they never existed at all.

The world may preach equality, but it is a stage where only the noble-born hold the script.

For the rest, survival is a fleeting hope, snuffed out long before it can take root.

Garrett stood up and began explaining the Dream Realm:

"Whenever we enter the Dream Realm, we must appear in groups of two or more, focused on a shared objective. If we venture in alone or become separated from our group, we risk being lost there forever."

The middle-aged man interjected, "Can you explain why formation is necessary?"

Garrett nodded. "Because appearing alone leaves your mind vulnerable. The Dream Realm warps reality based on individual perception. But in a group, our collective thoughts form a mental cluster, a shared space where each member's imagination stabilizes the environment.

"This cluster constantly shifts as our minds interact, creating a protective barrier against the Dream Realm's consciousness, which seeks to invade and distort isolated minds."

He paused, then added, "This method is our best defense for now, but it's not foolproof. Danger can still breach the cluster. Fear, for instance, can synchronize our collective consciousness, amplifying weaknesses."

"The truth is, the Dream Realm itself isn't malevolent, it's a neutral force."

"The problem lies with us. We're fragile, temporary guests in a realm that operates beyond mortal limits."

Very good," said the middle-aged man with a nod. "Now, who can explain how one becomes an Echo?"

A boy rose from his seat. "We must locate the Temple of Erytheia through our collective consciousness. Once it manifests, the trial begins. We'll pass through the Seven Gates of Life, each representing a trial."

"The seventh gate "The Shattered Veil" tests our endurance of pain, sixth gate "The Emberforge" our resilience against suffering, and so on.

"If we conquer the seventh gate, we ascend as a order 7 Marked Echo. But if we fail…" He hesitated, the weight of his next words settling over the crowd. "…this is our only chance.There will be no next time."

The middle aged men clasped his hands, a rare flicker of approval in his eyes. "Well summarized. Remember, the gates do not forgive hesitation. Prepare your minds, or the Dream Realm will claim them."

"That's it for today. We will reach the Dream Realm tomorrow. Sleep well though perhaps you'll never see another dawn," said the middle-aged man, his voice cold and mocking.

With a flicker of power, he vanished into thin air, leaving behind only the faint echo of his words, a display of his mysterious abilities.

The commoners, once trembling with fear at the thought of the Dream Realm, now buzzed with a mix of excitement and nervous energy.

The warnings they had received had tempered their dread, and many now felt prepared to face whatever lay ahead.

Elrya sat stiffly, her face flushed with anger. "How foolish of me to think they'd share anything useful." she thought bitterly."They only told us about the dangers, enough to scare us into caution but nothing about how to survive the trials. They're protecting their own interests, as always. All they gave us were scraps to keep their own necks safe."

Around her, the other students began to disperse, their forms fading as they returned to their camps.

Elyra rose from her seat, her movements sharp with frustration, and made her way to her own camp.

The camp was sparse, with only two small beds and nothing else.

On one bed lay a young girl, no more than six years old, her fiery red hair spilling across the pillow as she slept soundly.

Elyra changed out of her formal attire, carefully folding the black suit she had worn for years. "This is all I have left for noble gatherings," she thought, her fingers tracing the worn fabric. "Mother and Father saved for years to buy this for me, hoping it would give me confidence on my journey to the Dream Realm."

She sat on her bed, clutching the suit tightly. "August is coming. If I don't find something valuable in the Dream Realm, I'll have to sell this to pay for Aeliana's academy fees and our rent."The thought weighed heavily on her, but as she looked at her little sister, her anger began to fade.

Gently, Elyra reached out and combed her fingers through Aeliana's red hair, the motion soothing and familiar.

The sight of her sister's peaceful face was enough to calm her racing thoughts. "This little one is my reason to keep going", she reminded herself. "No matter what happens, I'll protect her."