The next morning arrived with a headache and a thousand questions.

  Alex had managed to sleep, though his mind had fought him every step of the way. He woke in his stone chamber, the dying embers of the hearth mixing with the pale light from the window to create a room that felt both warm and unnaturally chill.

  He walked to the window.

  Below, the courtyard was already alive. Children chased each other through the mud, women carried baskets of grain, and men in armor drilled with grim determination.

  “What am I doing here?” Alex whispered.

  This wasn't what he expected a lucid dream to be. Where was the flying? Where was the god-like power to reshape reality? Instead, he was stuck in a medieval fortress, worried about dying.

  He wondered how much time had passed in the waking world. Two hours? Fifteen?

  ‘Give it a rest, Alex. Live in the moment.’

  He sighed, rubbing his face. “Still… I thought dreams would be more magical. Roric mentioned Elenora’s magic. I wonder if anyone else can do it?”

  He paused, a thought clicking into place.

  ‘Morpheus.’

  Is the System his magic? A tool tailored specifically for his gamer brain?

  “Morpheus,” he commanded.

  The screen shimmered into existence instantly.

  ------------------------------ MORPHEUS ------------------------------

  Lucidity : 36% ▼

  Realm Alignment : (Lucid Realm) ▼

  Lucidity Tier : Tier 0 (Dormant Dreamer) ▼

  Tier Level : N/A ▼

  Dream Resonance : 85/100 ▼

  Dream Trial : The Crying Spire (Uncompleted) ▼

  Fragment Recall : 1 ▼

  Anchor : Those You Long For are within reach, yet worlds lie between you.

  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  “Huh… haven’t seen the last two before.”

  Alex stared at the glowing text. He felt like a player who had skipped the tutorial and was now button-mashing in a boss fight.

  “Alright. I guess I read the freaking manual,” he murmured.

  He expanded the attributes one by one. He needed to understand the rules if he wanted to survive the "Dire Consequences".

  [ Lucidity: 36% ]

  [ Description: The lens through which chaos is focused into will. Progress is divided into Tiers (Lv.1–Lv.5). ]

  “Control,” Alex muttered. “So higher Lucidity equals better powers. Got it.”

  He moved to the Realm Alignment, curious about the change.

  [ Realm Alignment: Lucid Realm ]

  [ Description: Awareness of one’s dream state. Dreamers gain control over self, and faint awareness of the dream’s structure. The environment is stable, persistent, and binds the dreamer to the laws of the realm. ]

  “Stable and persistent,” Alex read. “That explains why the castle doesn't melt when I look away.”

  He skipped to the Tier description.

  [ Lucidity Tier: Tier 0 (Dormant Dreamer) ]

  [ Description: You are a dreamer in a world of sleepers. You experience, you observe, but you do not control. You submit to the Realms of Dreams. ]

  “More crap,” Alex grumbled. “Basically, I’m a Level 1 Noob ”He moved on to Dream Resonance.

  [ Dream Resonance: 85/100 ]

  Stolen story; please report.

  [ Description: A measure of your attunement to the dream’s logic. Earned by understanding the narrative, aligning with its emotional core, or restoring balance. High resonance unlocks Dream-Walking Masteries. ]

  ‘Interesting.’

  It wasn't a passive score. It was a reward for empathy and insight. It meant he couldn't just hack-and-slash his way through, he had to understand the world.

  “So hitting one hundred is the goal,” Alex guessed. “I wonder what mysteries I will unlock then?”

  He smirked. A gamer’s intuition never fails.

  [ Dream Resonance: +10 ]

  The notification flashed, startling him.

  [ Dream Resonance: 95/100 ]

  “Wait, seriously?” Alex laughed. “Just realizing that gave me points? Talk about meta-gaming.”

  He was only five points away from unlocking… something.

  He dismissed the thought and focused on the new stats.

  [ Fragment Recall: 1 ]

  [ Description: A finite resource. Spend a Fragment to ask Morpheus a question about a person, place, or event tied to the current dreamscape. ]

  [ NOTICE: USE WISELY. Fragments are the currency of meaning. Once spent, they are gone until earned anew. ]

  “A search engine!” Alex exclaimed. “Finally, a web.”

  His mind flooded with questions. ‘Who is Elenora really? How do I wake up? What is the Gloom?’

  But the warning [USE WISELY] stopped him cold. He only had one. He couldn't waste it on curiosity. He had to save it for survival.

  “I’ll save you for later,” he whispered as his eyes settled on the final attribute.

  [ Anchor: Those You Long For are within reach, yet worlds lie between you. ]

  He tapped it. No description appeared. Just the cryptic title.

  “What? Am I supposed to guess?” Alex sighed, dismissing the screen with a wave of his hand.

  It was… a lot to take in. But at least he had a roadmap now. Lucidity for power. Resonance for unlocking secrets. Fragments for answers.

  Knock. Knock.

  Before he could process anything else, the door swung open.

  “Wake up already!” Roric’s voice boomed. “Are you telling me the sole survivor needs his beauty sleep?”

  He paused, seeing Alex standing by the window. “Oh. You’re awake. Good. Let’s go. Your outfit is ready.”

  *****

  They made their way to the Quartermaster’s workshop.

  Roric spent the entire walk hyping up the new gear. According to him, it was "special," "unstoppable," and guaranteed to make Alex a hit with the ladies.

  Alex dreaded it.

  ‘Please don't be flashy,’ he prayed. ‘Please don't be white and gold.’

  Roric stopped at the workshop door and cleared his throat loudly. “Elizabeth! We are here!”

  “I said just Alex could come,” a sharp voice replied from inside.

  “Come on, love, you don’t mean that,” Roric smirked, unfazed.

  Elizabeth ignored him, stepping into the doorway. She wiped her soot-stained hands on a rag, her gaze softening as it landed on Alex.

  “Hey, Alex. Ready to try it out? I went a bit… extra with the design,” she said, a hint of pride in her tone.

  “Can’t wait,” Alex lied, his stomach dropping. ‘Extra. I knew it. I’m going to look like a disco ball.’

  Elizabeth disappeared inside and returned a moment later, holding up a bundle of fabric and leather.

  It was all deep, matte black.

  Alex let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

  After changing behind the privacy curtain, Alex stepped out and stood before a polished metal shield used as a mirror.

  The person looking back felt both familiar and strange.

  His messy black hair was the same, falling over his eyes. But the rest? The rest was new.

  He wore a full set of fitted black leather armor. It was supple yet tough, moving with him like a second skin. The chest piece was worked in a subtle diamond pattern, layered with reinforced plates over the shoulders and forearms. A wide, practical belt held the armor snugly at his waist. His pants were reinforced at the knees and thighs, tucked into sturdy boots of the same dark leather.

  It wasn't a costume. It was a tool.

  It spoke of purpose. Silence. Protectiveness. Built for the road. It wasn't flashy, but the quality was undeniable. It looked like the uniform of someone who was expected to survive.

  “It’s perfect,” Alex said, his voice low. He turned to Elizabeth. “Thank you.”

  “Just bring it back in one piece,” she muttered, returning to her ledger. “And try not to die. Roric would be insufferable if he lost his new pet project.”

  “Hey!” Roric protested from the doorway.

  Alex smirked. He checked his reflection one last time.

  He looked like a hero. Or at least, he looked like he was ready to become one.

  A thought arrived, unbidden and quiet.

  ‘A knight in dark armor.’