Shadow Slave: Bloodborne

[Prepare for appraisal...]

Layla found herself in a space between dream and reality. Everything around her was an endless void, stars connected by strings woven around her.

This place was ominous but also beatiful at the same time.

Layla knew that this were the immer workings pf the Nightmare spell, and that soon, she would get her appraisal.

Layla's mind was in a weird state right now tho. She had died millions of times yet continued living. Most lives were just a few seconds long, sometimes even less.

But still, she had gotten psychological damage. It was hard for her to be happy right now, that she had conquered the first Nightmare but since she didn't "truly" die, she also knew that things could go back to her normal self with therapy and just people to talk to.

[Aspirant! Your trial is over.]

["A normal, human girl had found herself in the dark Cathedral, which was built for Unknowns. She had a fragment of the first Unknown inside of her and had longed for the truth.

Her objective was to find all the pages of the unholy book, Unknown Writings. While in the Cathedral, she had also befriended the first Shadow.

In the end, she had found exactly 776 chapters but there was one left. She searched and searched but just couldn't find it inside of the Cathedral, so she left it and went on a small journey.

Outside, everything was black, smeared in ink and grime, as she made her way to a small and abandoned village.

She fell into an infinite well and when she escaped, she had found the last chapter to the book.

After reading it, she had decided to make her way back to the Cathedral and meet her fate.]

[You have defeated an Awakened Monster, Night Panther.]

[You have defeated an Unknown Unknown, Unknown.]

[You have a Fragment of the First inside you.]

[You have archived the impossible!]

[Final appraisal: glorious. Your treachery truly knows no bounds.]

Even thought Layla couldn't feel much, she was still satisfied that everything she went through, had given her such a nice appraisal.

'I hope I get something good now.'

[Dreamer Layla, receive your boon!]

She wasn't an Aspirant anymore, but a dreamer. She now had so many more options in life, of course only if she was strong enough to survive them. But nothing that could happen in the Dream Realm is worse than what happened here, right ?

[Your Aspect is ready to evolve. Evolve Aspect?]

'Dumb question. Why should I say no ?'

"Yes, evolve."

[Dormant Aspect Silhouette is evolving...]

[New Aspect acquired.]

[Aspect Rank: Unknown.]

'What ? Unknown Rank ?'

[Aspect Name: Unknown Being.]

[Error.]

[Aspect cannot have the rank: Unknown.]

[Random Rank will be given.]

[Dormant: 14.92%

Awakened: 14.92%

Ascended: 14.92%

Transcended: 14.92%

Supreme: 14.92%

Sacred: 14.92%

Divine: 14.92%]

'HUH ? I have never heard of something like this happening. Let's hope I get something good then.'

[Rank will not determine Aspect Strength and utility.]

'Oh, that's good. Then I can roll dormant but it will still be strong and useful.'

[You have rolled Supreme.]

[Aspect Rank: Supreme]

'Guess I'll take that.'

Layla then summoned the runes, wanting to know what her Aspect could do.

Aspect: [Unknown Being].

Aspect Rank: Supreme.

Aspect Description: [You are a being with a fragment of the Unknown inside you. As that, you are supposed to guard the truth.]

'Kinda short description, no ?'

Innate Abilities: [Limitless], [Nameless]

Limitless Description: "Your Core has no limit. You can fill it with Soul Fragments as much as you want."

'Wait what ? A Core that cannot be satiated ? Isn't that like really good ? That means that I can grow as strong as I want and not lose my fragments after going up a Rank.

I should probably keep this a secret tho and act like my Core can be filled normally like others.'

Nameless Description: "Beings of the Unknown have no need for names. You cannot obtain a True Name. If you somehow still obtain one, there will be consequences."

'Scary .. Isn't that kinda a flaw tho ? Why is this an Innate Ability !

I hope my Aspect Ability will be better.'

[The First Seal is broken.]

[Awakening dormant powers ...]

Suddenly, Layla's chest panged, as she then clutched it.

This was the moment of truth, the moment she would gain her Aspect Ability.

The weird feeling continued for a while inside her chest. It didn't really hurt nor feel good, just weird.

It felt like she was releasing Energy from inside her body, Energy that had been sealed and now opened.

Suddenly it felt like something was burning inside her. She had gotten stronger, faster and her endurance had risen. All of her body had just become stronger and suddenly, she found herself in the Sea of Soul.

Her Sea of Soul looked very weird. There was no Core, just a sea of ink.

'Is this because my Core has no limit ?'

What happened was very strange, since normally, there would be something like a star shining over the sea, a Soul Core.

But since her Soul Core was slightly different, it was the Sea itself.

But a voice had interrupted her thoughts just then.

[Awakening Aspect Ability...]

'The most important part, my Aspect Ability. It better be good.'

[Aspect Ability acquiered.]

[Aspect Ability Name: Ink defects.]

Layla quickly summoned her runes, just wanting to know if her Ability was useful for survival or not.

Name: Layla

True Name: —

Rank: Dreamer.

Soul Core: Dormant.

Soul Fragment: [0/?]

'No limit, as the Innate Ability said.'

Memories: [Unknown Whisper], [Unknown Writings]

Echoes: —

Attributes: [Echo of the First], [Despair]

Aspect: [Unknown Being]

Aspect Rank: [Supreme]

Aspect Abilities: [Ink Defects]

Aspect Ability Description: [Make things forgotten with Ink]

'What is that supposed to mean ? Make things forgotten ?'

Before she could continue to question her Powers, she got interrupted once again.

[All power has a price.]

[You have received a Flaw.]

[Your Flaw is: Colorless World].

Flaw Description: [You cannot see colors.]

In the next second, everything became grey. Her akin, her hair, her nails and her colors. The stars and the strings in the void, just everything.

But suddenly, it broke.

[Error]

[A Divine Beast has followed you from your Nightmare to the Real World.]

[Your Flaw has been destroyed]

Everything went back to it's normal state.

'Huh ?'

You have received a Flaw.

'HUH ? What is happening ?'

[Your Flaw is: The Watcher]

Flaw Description: [The watcher will follow you for your whole life. From time to time, it will play pranks on you. When you archive something great, it will help you. Telling someone about the Watcher, will make it harass you.]

'That bastard did not ! Oh god, he did ! Really ?!'

She was about to scream but then, she got interrupted for the third time.

[Wake up, Layla!]

And so, the Void had disappeared, and she found herself in a capsule.

***

A week had passed and Layla had started training with her adoptive Father.

Since he was an Ascended, there was no use for her to go to the Academy just now since he could train her himself.

And since they were family, he had also given her a few Memories that could help her, the infinite fruit for example.

But as the concept of Despair wanted it, Layla's adoptive Father had soon died inside of the Dream Realm, while he had just wanted to do do something unimportant.

Layla had soon fallen back into depression.

The millions of deaths she had experienced and now the loss of the Person that had helped her in her darkest Moments.

She had thought about just committing suicide but she didn't want to give the Spell and the Watcher satisfaction.

And so, she decided to go to the Awakened Academy.

And inside of the Academy, she had soon met her friends, Ragna and Celeste.

——-Author's Notes——-

Words: 1309

Slightly shorter chapter but I feel like I needed to stop at that point.

I hope y'all enjoyed this weird appraisal, where she rolled A random Rank for her Aspect and where her Flaw had gotten changed forcefully.

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