CHAPTER 42: CHAPTER 42 – SOMMEIL

Chapter 42 – Sommeil

"..."

"..."

Jack, Evelyn, and even Lune were left frozen by the surreal scene before them. A man clad in pink pajamas, of all things, stood nonchalantly in a pool of blood belonging to the enormous snake he had just felled with a single strike. Even the strangest of dreams would fail to conjure such an absurd image, and his casual words only deepened the strangeness.

"Are you two lads doing good?" the man asked, as if he hadn’t just cut down a monster that could level a building. His tone was cheerful, unbothered. "What a crazy night this has been. When I first heard the news, I was like, ’Damn, are my dreams getting more vivid these days?’ But hey, it’s kinda relieving that it isn’t a dream—it’s real. Ah, I miss killing monsters."

He cracked his neck with a lazy motion before glancing at the severed snake’s head.

"Hm, this thing’s a big one. You’re lucky it didn’t just swallow you whole and boil you into soup. Am I right? Hahaha!"

"..."

"..."

Neither Jack nor Evelyn could bring themselves to reply.

"Ahem, anyway..." Shaking his head as though trying to shake off his own humor, the man strolled casually toward Jack. Instinctively, Jack tensed and stepped back, his entire body on high alert. The aura radiating from this man was undeniable—he was powerful, terrifyingly so. Jack’s instincts screamed that the man could end his life in the blink of an eye if he wished. And yet, a small voice in Jack’s mind reasoned otherwise. If this man had wanted them dead, they would already be corpses lying next to the snake. This was likely a Chronist.

The man crouched down until he was level with Jack’s battered face. His relaxed, half-lidded eyes studied him with faint amusement.

"Damn, you got your ass handed to you, boy. You okay?"

"..."

"Man, if I looked like you right now, I’d be crying. You look like a stomped tomato."

"You..." Jack muttered, shaking his head slightly. "Who are you?"

"Who am I?" The man tilted his head, scratching the side of it lazily. "Hmm, I’m just a dream, you know?"

"A... dream?"

"Haha, yeah. I’m nothing but an endless dream with a few commercial breaks in between. My name is Sommeil. Nice to meet ya."

"Sommeil..." Jack repeated the name under his breath, recognition sparking in his memory.

"Ah, is it familiar?" Sommeil beamed. He looked up dramatically and waved at the air. "Mom, I made it on TV!" He laughed, his tone playful and carefree.

And then Jack remembered exactly why the name rang so clearly in his mind.

’Sommeil of the Eternal Night... That’s right. He’s a member of the Eternal Night Clan—one of Aevum’s most prominent and feared clans.’

Unlike most Chronists, who preferred anonymity, Sommeil had been the complete opposite. He lived in the spotlight, years ago a full-fledged celebrity. Jack had seen glimpses of him on old broadcasts—Sommeil the monster-slayer, Sommeil the charming idol, Sommeil the carefree dreamer who gathered fans like moths to a flame. He had been loved, envied, and endlessly talked about.

But then, he vanished. No more sightings. No more public appearances. Rumors claimed he had returned to Aevum permanently, abandoning Earth’s stage forever. And yet, here he was.

Jack studied him carefully. Sommeil’s looks were almost unfairly perfect, though they carried a lazy charm. Droopy crimson eyes that seemed perpetually half-asleep, a relaxed smile that never quite left his lips, and fiery red hair that framed his face. His aura felt... comfortable. Being near him was strangely soothing, a stark contradiction to the display of effortless slaughter they had just witnessed.

That contradiction unsettled Jack the most.

’This man isn’t just two ranks above me. He’s far, far beyond that. For him, that snake was nothing more than an insect.’

"Be careful of him, Jack. I don’t like him," Lune whispered softly, her voice edged with suspicion.

"I know," Jack replied just as quietly. "I don’t plan to let my guard down."

"Jack!" Evelyn’s voice called out. She limped toward him, worry filling her expression. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?"

"..." Jack paused, then shook his head. "I’m fine."

"He’s fine," Lune cut in immediately, pouting as she looked away. "Your concern isn’t needed, Miss."

Sommeil chuckled lightly. "Well, if it isn’t Miss Philips. Been a long time." His tone was friendly, almost teasing.

"It has," Evelyn replied coldly, her guard firmly in place.

"You’ve really grown into a splendid lady. Completely different from the little girl I once met. I could see the potential in you even back then, you know? So it doesn’t surprise me at all that you became a Chronist."

Evelyn’s lips parted as if to answer, but she closed them again, her expression unreadable. ’He’s toying with me. This bastard hasn’t changed one bit.’

"As for you, boy," Sommeil continued, his gaze returning to Jack. "Your name’s Jack, right? You’re... very interesting." He leaned in close, almost uncomfortably so, inspecting Jack as though he were a strange artifact.

Jack immediately stepped back. "Were you sent here by the government to stop the monsters from invading the city?"

"Hmm? Oh, absolutely not. Nobody told me to do anything." Sommeil shrugged casually. "Truth is, all this noise interrupted my nap. I wasn’t far from this city, so I thought, why not swing by and help out while I make my way home?"

Jack narrowed his eyes slightly. ’Makes sense. He wouldn’t take orders from governments anyway. The great clans of Aevum aren’t subordinate to nations. They’re powerhouses on their own, rivaling entire countries. A single clan can topple nations. No government dares antagonize them. The relationship is a fragile partnership, as far as I know.’

"How’s everything here?" Sommeil asked next, his tone suddenly more serious. "I saw swarms of monsters filling the streets. I take it the city’s already fallen?"

"It collapsed the moment these things appeared," Jack said grimly, pushing himself to his feet with a grunt. "Now, all people can do is wait and pray."

"..." Sommeil studied him silently for a long moment.

"What?" Jack asked, irritated.

"You’re one smart stomped tomato," Sommeil replied with a grin.

"..."

"I like you. We’ll be friends for sure in the future. Buddies forever!" He flashed a thumbs-up, grinning ear to ear.

Jack felt his headache worsen. ’This guy... he’s the quirkiest person I’ve met in a long time. How the hell am I supposed to deal with him?’

"Anyway," Sommeil continued cheerfully, "are there any safe areas nearby? I sensed a cluster of people not too far from here."

"There are bunkers where survivors are hiding," Evelyn answered. "But they’re under attack. It won’t be long before they fall too."

"I see. Guess I showed up just in time, then, huh?" Sommeil smiled faintly.

"Huh?" Evelyn frowned, confused.

Before she could say more, Sommeil suddenly turned around and vanished in an instant. His body blurred, leaving behind only a small cloud of dust. He moved with such speed that neither Jack nor Evelyn’s eyes could track him.

The two exchanged a glance before rushing after him as fast as their battered bodies would allow. Their injuries slowed them down; it took nearly three minutes to reach the bunkers.

When they finally emerged from the narrow street, both of them froze in disbelief.

The swarm was gone.

The place where the bunkers stood—once overflowing with monsters—was silent. Not just quiet, but eerily, deathly silent.

All around them lay a sea of corpses. Monsters of every shape and size, their bodies severed into halves, quarters, and more. Blood pooled in rivers, soaking the cracked asphalt, the stench of death thick in the air.

"...What?" Evelyn’s breath caught, her voice trembling. "H-How?"

Jack’s eyes widened, his throat dry.

The entire swarm... was gone.