Cedric paused for a moment. Something was off - this couldn’t be everything his power had to say about his clone. Such a thorough scan should have resulted in an equally thorough summary, not just some rough overview. Driven by curiosity, and hindered only by a slight hesitation from his usual caution, Cedric reached out towards the display of data before him. Maybe if he just sort of… There! The screen expanded in response to his attempt at interacting with it, and now - in addition to its original contents - it read: “Notable Strengths: Automatically deceives to maintain credibility. Notable Weaknesses: Vulnerable to destruction by those skeptical of its realness. Extra Notes: None.”

With more time, more effort, and more specific inquiries, Cedric could likely get even more information out of this new power. For example, there had been something he was wondering about: ever since Dyllan formed his Trait for the first time, he’d had ectoplasmic dog ears and a matching tail. No one had said anything when Cedric formed his Trait for the first time, but they didn’t mention Dyllan’s until later either. So, maybe…

Another window appeared. Cedric would have to find a way to make these things stop interrupting his train of thought… Later, though. Currently, he was more interested in what was on this new screen: a color image of Cedric himself, with a pair of icy purple ectoplasmic dog ears and - presumably - a matching tail. The image only showed him from the shoulders up, though, so he couldn’t be completely certain.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Two things about these ears were worth noting down for later. The first was that - unlike Dyllan’s - they were not the ears of a Great Dane. They seemed to more resemble those of a German Shepherd - or perhaps an Australian Kelpie… or any number of other breeds, really. It was definitely some kind of herding dog, though - not a guard dog. Cedric had no evidence or proof on that, but it was rare for him to have such strong gut feelings, so he decided to… trust it.

The second detail of note was the color. Icy purple. The same shade as the wireframe that had analyzed his illusion, the same color that the informative screens were, and the same color as the fire his Vice, Virtue, and Trait were now summoned with. Previously every dreamwalker Cedric had met had been color coded - most of their abilities manifesting in a single shade of a single color. Blazing red for Dyllan, golden orange for Andie, and a deep purple for Cedric. This had also been the color of their Will to Live. No one else seemed to have noticed, but Dyllan’s color had changed after his awakening - changed into a darker, burning red. Now Cedric’s color seemed to have changed its shade as well.

That had to mean something.