Set in the Shadow Slave world... ...a time before Sunny was born. This story follows a simple soldier who must survive in a dystopian, apocalyptic landscape where magic and gun warfare collide. In a far-off Quadrant known as North America, a young soldier named Hope is 16 years old when he gets infected by the Nightmare Spell. He passed! But...he feels a bit scammed...? A flaw that makes him fade from people's memories... A cursed attribute that makes him remember everything endlessly in eternal wakefulness... It's as if the Spell is twisting his future and existence into an almost improbable one. All he has ever known his purpose to be was to serve as a simple soldier. Not too powerful. But not so weak either. And maybe, just maybe like some others, become an Awakened. Although he never dreamt of being one. Now that his whole life is compromised after his First Nightmare, his first objective is to survive on his own. But as he tries to escape his fate, his actions seem to lead him further from his goal.  He struggles against obstacles that slowly grow bigger and out of proportion.  Maybe the Dream Realm and the Real World aren't so different than one may think. Hope's journey involves uncovering secrets and gaining knowledge about his true nature and his new role in the world. Is he fit to be a hero? Could he redefine it? *** Cover Art: @ellieaedon