Chimper #2845
Etsuhiko woke with a gasp, the sharp scent of burnt magic stinging their nostrils as a thin line of warmth trickled down their cheek. The other mystic trainees backed away from the humming monolith, their faces a mixture of fear and awe. For weeks, their instructors in The Crystal Highlands of Armaria had called Etsuhiko "the Sleeper"—a gentle jab at their habit of drifting off, beret pulled low over their star-filled eyes. They assumed Etsuhiko was lost in artistic daydreams. They weren't entirely wrong, but the visions weren't of paint and canvas; they were of the impossible energies holding the fortress aloft. This time, the dream had pushed back, leaving a scar. In that painful instant, Etsuhiko realized their "sleep" was a doorway. The name stuck, but its meaning twisted from mockery into respect. Now, when their gaze goes distant, no one dares wake them.
