Shadow Slave: Monochrome

This part of the city was more well off than the rest. There was a school, restaurants, shops selling good food, and even a shopping mall. All of these were luxuries the two boys never got to enjoy, but after today, all of that could, or would change.

They stood before a police station. The government office was just a few blocks down, but they were too intimidated to approach it.

Nero looked towards his brother before gulping, he could already see the exhaustion in his eyes.

"You ready?"

Epsilon nodded,

"Let's do it."

The two stepped inside, and were immediately greeted a with a rather plain looking officer. He seemed new, and still burning with life, but it was likely he would burn out quickly after a couple days. Of course he had a simple pistol strapped to his hip.

He glanced over to the two boys, before frowning.

"Woah, twins. Are you two lost or something?"

Nero answered first,

"As demanded by the Third Special Directive, we are here to surrender ourselves as Nightmare Spell carriers."

The mans face changed from one of friendliness to a sick strange envy.

'Who the hell would be envious of this??'

"So when did you start showing symptoms?"

Right when he said that, both Nero and Epsilon yawned at the exact same time. The young officers face paled as he quickly noted that they could fall asleep at any moment.

After confirming the two's condition, he smashed the big red button on his terminal as the sirens began to bellow,

"Attention! Code Black in the lobby! CODE BLACK!"

**

Nero was fastened to a bulky steel operating table, that made him feel incredibly powerless as he was surrounded by several policemen. The fact he was separated into another room from his brother, made it all the more appalling.

But those emotions quickly disappeared as Nero put all his energy into staying awake. Even that was starting to become a chore now.

The still very envious officer then asked,

"What's your name?"

"Nero."

The officer sighed,

"You and your brother seem young. Do your parents know your here?"

Nero nodded. Even just speaking was becoming more difficult. In order to keep awake a little longer, he bit his own tongue, causing a jolt of pain.

Nero lied, and so did Epsilon hopefully. If the two were to also die in the first nightmare like their father did, then mother would've been even more devastated to lose her entire family to it. They'd rather her think they went missing, rather than hearing that they had turned into hideous nightmare creatures.

The officer then continued,

"So how much do you know about the nightmare spell?"

"The basics. Once you fall asleep, you have to complete a trial. And in there, there is a certain goal you must complete. Once you finish it, you will reawaken with even greater power than before, but if you fail, you'll become a terrible creature."

The officer was surprised about how much Nero knew. Well, he was there just before his father challenged his, so he got to hear about all of these things.

"That's good that's good, but there is still a little more you should know. Once you enter the first nightmare, you will be given some strength right away. These are your Aspects, and your attributes. If you're lucky enough and you get a combat Aspect, you should pass without much difficulty. Once you enter it, please check them right away so you know your strengths and weaknesses."

All the officers quickly left the room as Nero's eyes began to close. In just a few moments, he would be subjected to the spell. But before the world finally went dark, the officer begged,

"The government office isn't that far, so an awakened will be dispatched here shortly. But even then, please don't die. I'm going to be the one who will have to clean this room if you make a mess."

'Hey!'

Before he could show any signs of complaint, Nero finally fell asleep.

And in that darkness, a strange voice rang:

[Aspirants! Welcome to the Nightmare Spell. Prepare for your First Trial...]