BREW

Tuesday perked up.

"Transcendence is when someone breaks past a fundamental human limitation—whether it's strength, intellect, talent, or spiritual insight. It awakens something inside them. That's the usual path for Lucids."

"There are famous transcendents," he said. "You know Beethoven? Dual-transcendent. He broke past physical limitation and talent thresholds."

Tuesday blinked. "Wait, he was a Lucid?"

Alex grinned. "Yup and a very strong one. They didn't call it that back then, but we've traced some records. Mozart too, but that's debated."

He continued, more serious now. "The other way is through a fissure. Like what you went through. A tear in the veil between worlds. Normally, going through one without preparation is death. You… shouldn't have made it."

Tuesday looked down at the cup still in her hand.

"You're the only recorded person in Maharlika to survive a fissure untrained. That makes you an anomaly… but also a Lucid now."

She gave a bitter laugh. "Then I guess I'm the weakest one here."

Alex tilted his head. "Why do you say that?"

"Everyone else got strong by earning it. I just… got lucky."

He paused, then said firmly, "That's not how it works. Spirituality's alien to all of us at first. Even the strongest human, Eddie Hall started as a Flicker."

He pulled up a second hologram showing Lucid tiers:

Lucid Tiers:

Flicker – Newly awakened, unstable.

Sleeper – Gains control, learns survival.

Drifter – Can fully transition between realms, minor anomaly confrontation.

Waker – Stable Lucid with influence in both worlds.

Echo – Leaves psychic imprints; slight control of dream terrain.

Anchor – Fused with dream logic; stabilizes rifts, contains mid-class nightmares.

Oracle (Rare) – Sees multiple timelines, predicts breach patterns.

Abyssal (Mythical) – Reality-bending. Possibly theoretical.

"Right now, you're a Flicker," Alex said. "But so were the rest of us."

Tuesday tightened her grip on her coffee cup. The warmth in it hadn't faded since she woke up. It was alive. Watching. Listening.

"And what about the cup?" she asked quietly.

Alex shrugged. "We've never seen anything like it. That's your mystery."

"Do you know what happened after you passed out?" Alex asked casually as he led Tuesday down another corridor.

"Actually, the team I lead was the one who rescued you. We found you while on patrol. One of my soldiers tried to take that coffee cup from you… and melted his hand."

Tuesday stopped walking. "Melted? What—"

"Yeah," Alex cut in, his tone oddly light. "That cup can't be touched by anyone else. Even non-living things get destroyed if they come into contact with it. That's why the researchers haven't been able to test it yet. It defies basic containment protocols."

"I'm sorry," Tuesday said softly. "What happened to the one who got hurt?"

Alex smiled faintly, trying to keep things light. "Don't worry about it. Even lost limbs can be regrown with high-level Lucid healing. He's grumpy, but alive."

Tuesday stared at the cup in her hands. It felt warm, familiar, yet impossible. "Lucids… you're like superheroes, aren't you?"

"Something like that," Alex said with a smirk. Then, more seriously: "Let's continue your orientation."

They stopped beside a wide window overlooking several open-air facilities, where soldiers practiced strange movements under flickering light.

"There are two primary categories of Lucid skills," Alex began. "Physique-type and Ritual-type."

"Physique-types enhance your own body. It's the safest to develop and train with, because you're working with spiritual energy already inside you. Think of it like sharpening a blade that's yours."

"And ritual types?" Tuesday asked.

"They're more powerful… but riskier. Ritual types draw from spiritual forces outside your body. That means more raw power—but also a higher risk of spiritual overload. Like plugging a battery into a power plant."

Alex continued. "Most rookies stick with physique types at first. It's easier to control, easier to survive."

Tuesday nodded, trying to absorb it all.

"Now for your actual rank," Alex continued. "In the Vanguard, positions follow a military hierarchy."

Vanguard Position Ranks (Military/Organizational Rank):

Lucid Recruit – (Flicker+) – New Lucid under supervision

Lucid Operative – (Flicker+) – Certified field agent

Senior Operative – (Sleeper+) – Squad sub-leader

Team Captain – (Waker+) – Leads a strike team

Field Commander – (Waker+) – Oversees operations in a city

Provincial Director – (Echo+) – Manages several cities

National Sentinel – (Anchor+) – Head of a nation's Vanguard

Warden of the Veil – (Abyssal?) – Mysterious global overseer of dream breaches

"I'm a Team Captain," Alex said. "High Echo-level, but I turned down a promotion. Higher ranks come with heavier burdens, and… not everyone wants that weight."

Tuesday blinked. "Even if you're strong, you can stay in a lower position?"

"Yep. Some choose freedom over command."

"Now for the nightmares themselves."