CHAPTER 95: CHAPTER 95: THE SANCTUARY SHOWCASE.

The team stared at the Royal Proclamation, their minds struggling to process the sudden, ridiculous reversal of fortune.

"Competitive... Napping?" Gilda grunted, her brow furrowed in a deep, warrior’s confusion. "How is that even a trial? Do you get points for snoring?"

To a warrior like Gilda, the idea was an insult to the very concept of competition. But to Pip, it was a miracle.

"So... the next event doesn’t involve any monsters?" he whispered, his voice trembling with hope. "Or scary librarians? Or angry dwarves? Just... sleeping?"

And for FaeLina, it was something else entirely. Her jaw dropped. Her dim, lavender aura, which had been a color of quiet defeat, flickered, then erupted into a brilliant, frantic, and ecstatic shade of pink. She wasn’t just relieved; she had just seen a golden, once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity. She turned to Zazu, who was just blinking slowly, a look of profound, sleepy destiny on his face. He looked... ready.

Gilda, seeing the look on FaeLina’s face and following her gaze to Zazu, was the one who put the final piece of the puzzle together. A slow, dawning light of understanding appeared in the warrior’s eyes.

"Wait a minute," she rumbled, her voice a low growl of realization. "That weird training Mochi had you doing... the ’advanced relaxation techniques’... that was for this, wasn’t it?"

All eyes turned to Zazu. He just gave a small, calm smile.

FaeLina’s managerial brain rebooted at a hundred miles an hour. "Of course!" she shrieked, zipping into the air. "It wasn’t training; it was preparation! The Showcase! It’s pure marketing! It’s a brand-building opportunity! Mochi, we’re back in business!"

The despair that had crushed the team moments before was gone, replaced by a new, strange, and very focused energy.

Zazu wasn’t just a sleepy elf anymore; he was their champion. The rest of the team wasn’t just his friends; they were his pit crew. They had a nap to win.

FaeLina, now fully in her element, took charge with the fiery intensity of a general preparing for the final battle.

"Alright, team, listen up!" she commanded, zipping in front of the chalkboard, which was now covered in a detailed diagram of the elven sleep cycle. "The ’Sanctuary Showcase’ is a one-on-one exhibition match. Our champion, Zazu, will compete against a ’Mindful Master’ from the Glimmerwood Grove—the kingdom’s other official Sanctuary-class dungeon, and a shameless copycat of our entire business model, I might add."

She paused, sniffing with disdain. "Apparently, they focus on ’active tranquility’ instead of ’passive slumber,’ which is just a fancy way of saying they couldn’t figure out how to make a truly comfortable bed. But I digress."

She pointed a tiny, trembling finger at the final stage of her diagram. "The rules are simple," she said, her voice low and serious. "The first competitor to achieve a state of ’True Slumber’—as measured by the Royal Mages’ magical sensors—wins.

She then turned to Zazu, her expression deadly serious. "Zazu, this is your moment. All those years of being tired, all those naps you took when you were supposed to be on watch. It wasn’t laziness; it was training. It has all led to this one, glorious nap. Are. You. Ready?"

Zazu, for the first time, did not look tired. He looked focused. "I was born ready," he said softly, his voice full of a quiet, unshakable confidence.

"Excellent!" FaeLina cheered, her focus immediately snapping back to the rest of the team. "Now for the support crew! We are now initiating the’Optimal Sleep Induction Protocol.’ Every one of you has a very critical role to play in this!"

She pointed a tiny, commanding finger at Gilda. "Gilda! You are now the ’Head of Nap Security’.Your job is to guard that door with your life. No one gets in. No one gets out. Nothing disturbs the champion."

Gilda just grunted, but it was a grunt of profound, professional respect. Guarding a sleeping elf was a mission she could understand.

"Pip, Clank!" she continued. "You two are on ’Dream Ambiance Duty.’ Clank, I want a gentle, rhythmic ’white noise’ with your internal gears, a sound so perfectly boring it could put even a goblin to sleep and Pip, you will ensure there are no scary shadows."

"Kaelen," FaeLina said, her voice a bit softer as she turned to the silent assassin. "You are on ’Pillow Placement.’ Zazu’s head must be supported at a perfect thirty-three-degree angle for optimal spinal alignment and dream-flow. I trust your precision."

Kaelen just gave a single, sharp nod, her expression as serious as if she had just been asked to assassinate a king, not fluff a pillow.

"You will also be in charge of ’Pillow Temperature and Scent,’" FaeLina added, gesturing to Cinder, who trotted over happily.

"Cinder will be your assistant. A gentle puff of his cinnamon breath is required to bring the pillow to the optimal sleeping temperature and to provide a calming, therapeutic aroma."

Kaelen looked down at the little rock dragon, who wagged his stony tail and let out a happy little puff of cinnamon-scented smoke. She looked back at FaeLina. Then, she gave another single, sharp nod, accepting her new, ridiculous, cinnamon-scented assistant.

She then turned to our plushy contingent. "Sir Crumplebuns! You will stand guard beside Gilda. You are not just a guard; you are a ’Guardian of Good Dreams.’ Your heroic aura will ward off any stray nightmares!"

"I SHALL BE THE MOST VALIANT AND VIGILANT OF DREAM GUARDIANS!" he boomed, in a surprisingly quiet whisper.

"Sir Wobble-a-lot," she said, her voice gentle.

"Your job is ’Atmospheric Harmonizer.’ I want you to stand in the corner and just... wobble. Gently. Your rhythmic swaying will create a calming, hypnotic effect."

"I... I can do that," the little knight clicked softly, looking very proud.

"And finally," she said, turning to the Tea Nook. "Sloosh! You are on ’Pre-Sleep Hydration.’ One final, perfectly steeped cup of chamomile, to be delivered to the champion exactly five minutes before the trial begins!"

Sloosh let out a happy, determined wobble, a silent acceptance of his crucial mission.

While the team prepared Zazu, I got to work on the arena itself. I didn’t need a new room. I already had the perfect one. I focused my energy on the ’Chamber of Slumber’ on the third floor, the one I had built for my own napping event. I poured my DP into enhancing its every feature.

[-1500 DP has been spent to enhance the ’Chamber of Slumber’.]

The changes were subtle, but profound. The walls, already made of a soft, sound-absorbing dream-fabric, now seemed to hum with an even gentler, sleepier magic. The floor, once a simple cushion of enchanted moss, now felt cool to the touch and seemed to sigh with contentment when stepped on. And in the center, the floating, shimmering nest of pure, concentrated coziness grew even softer, woven now from the softest clouds and the warmest memories.

A new notification confirmed the upgrade.

[The ’Chamber of Slumber’ has been successfully upgraded!]

[New Official Designation: ’The Heart of the Dream’.]

The ’Heart of the Dream’ was complete. It was now a room designed to make even the most stressed-out warrior feel the undeniable urge to curl up and take a nap.

Finally, the day of the ’Sanctuary Showcase’ arrived.

The Grand Finals between the Obsidian Forge and the Blood Pit had been put on hold.

Now, the entire kingdom was watching us.

The golden portal swirled open, and the commentator’s voice, now full of a strange, newfound respect, boomed through the arena.

"Welcome, folks, to a historic event! The first-ever ’Sanctuary Showcase’! A competition not of violence, but of pure, unadulterated tranquility!"

He paused for dramatic effect. "And now," he boomed, his voice full of energy, "the Royal Mages will open the portals!"

On the Scry-Screens, the view split. One side showed a beautiful, sun-dappled glade with a waterfall. The other showed my new, ultimate napping chamber.

"On the left, the serene meditation glade of the Glimmerwood Grove!" the commentator announced. "And on the right, the mysterious ’Heart of the Dream’ from The Comfy Corner!"

"And now, our two champions, Zazu from The Comfy Corner and the ’Mindful Master’ from the Glimmerwood Grove, will now enter their respective chambers!" the commentator announced.

My team stood ready at the entrance to the Heart of the Dream. Zazu, dressed in a set of simple, comfortable silk pajamas FaeLina had commissioned, looked like a true champion.

He gave a calm, reassuring nod to his team.

They weren’t just a group of misfits anymore.

They were a professional napping team. And they were ready to show the world the true meaning of nap.

_____________

Author’s Note:

And we’re back! After their devastating loss, the team has been given a second chance to win on their own terms. This is the ultimate home-field advantage.

I love the team’s new, hyper-serious roles.

Gilda as the ’Head of Nap Security’ and Kaelen as the ’Pillow Placement Specialist’ are my absolute favorites. They are taking this nap very, very seriously.

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m getting a real "Avengers, assemble!" feeling from this Chapter... but, you know, for a nap.

Zazu’s time to shine has finally come! Can he win the most important nap of his life and prove the power of coziness to the entire kingdom? The final showdown is next! Thanks for reading!