The eerie, unnatural silence of the dream world hung heavy around them. Alice and her team moved in formation, their senses on high alert as they traversed the shifting landscape. Their mission had started smoothly enough—scout out an area where Nightmares had been reported, assess the situation, and relay any intel back to HQ. But now, things had taken a sharp turn.
"Still nothing?" Alice asked, her voice tense as she adjusted the resonance device on her wrist. It pulsed with faint energy, syncing with her Sleep Totem to keep the protective field intact.
Maple, standing beside her, shook her head. "Nope. Communications have been cut off for at least fifteen minutes. I've tried every frequency. Something's blocking us."
Alice frowned. "That's not good."
Ahead of them, the Dusk twins paused in their tracks. Evie's eyes narrowed as she scanned the twisted dreamscape, her fingers twitching with barely-contained power.
"I can feel them," Evie whispered, her voice like a breeze. "The Nightmares. They're close."
Ezra, his twin brother, stood at her side, his grip tight on his weapon. "They're watching us. Waiting."
Alice's pulse quickened, and she tightened her hold on Waking Hour, the sword feeling heavier in her hand. The dream world was unstable today, the shadows stretching long and the air thick with anticipation. The Nightmares had always been a threat, but something about this mission felt different. There was a deeper presence lurking beneath the surface, a malevolent force that made the hair on the back of Alice's neck stand on end.
"Alright," Alice said, trying to sound confident for her team. "We stick together, and we keep moving. We find those Nightmares and eliminate them, then figure out what's going on with comms."
The team nodded in silent agreement, and they pressed forward.
---
The first attack came out of nowhere.
A shriek pierced the air, and before Alice could react, a massive Nightmare lunged from the darkness, its grotesque form twisting and shifting like a living shadow. Its claws raked the ground where Alice had stood moments before, missing her by inches.
"Move!" Alice shouted, her instincts kicking in as she raised Waking Hour, the sword glowing with faint light. She swung it at the Nightmare, the blade cutting through the creature's form with ease. It screeched in pain, the harmonic resonance from her Sleep Totem burning away its dark essence.
Ezra and Evie sprang into action, their synchronization flawless as they unleashed their abilities. Evie's dream manipulation caused the Nightmare to falter, distorting its movements, while Ezra's waking energy surged like lightning, stabilizing the team's defenses and keeping them grounded in reality.
Maple conjured a barrier of green magic, her voice sharp as she chanted a spell. "We're surrounded!"
More Nightmares appeared from the shadows, their twisted bodies slithering and shifting as they closed in. They moved with a strange coordination, as if something—someone—was controlling them. Alice felt a chill run down her spine. This wasn't a random attack.
"We need to hold them off!" Alice called out, her heart racing as she cut down another Nightmare with Waking Hour. The sword pulsed with energy, its power stronger than ever since her first merge with her Sleep Totem. But even with the strength of her sword, she knew they were in trouble. There were too many Nightmares, and they were being overwhelmed.
"Something's blocking our escape!" Evie yelled, her voice strained as she struggled to maintain her focus on the dreamscape. "The dream world—it's collapsing around us!"
Ezra gritted his teeth, his energy crackling as he fought back the onslaught of Nightmares. "We can't keep this up forever, Alice!"
Alice's mind raced. They were cut off from HQ, surrounded by Nightmares, and the dream world itself seemed to be working against them. They needed to find a way out, fast.
But then, the air shifted.
A deep, oppressive presence descended upon them, and all the Nightmares froze in place, their twisted forms suddenly going still. The temperature dropped, and the shadows seemed to grow darker, thicker, as if they were swallowing the very light around them.
Alice felt it before she saw it. The overwhelming pressure, the suffocating darkness. Her heart pounded in her chest as the realization hit her like a wave of cold fear.
"Maple…" Alice whispered, her voice barely audible. "What is this…?"
Maple's face had gone pale, her eyes wide with terror as she slowly turned to face the source of the darkness. "No… it can't be…"
From the depths of the dream world, a figure emerged. Tall, regal, and terrifying. Her long black hair flowed like ink, her piercing eyes glowing with an unnatural light. She wore a cloak of shadows that seemed to pulse with life, and the very ground beneath her feet twisted and warped as she walked.
Night Terror had arrived.
The Queen of Nightmares.
Alice's breath caught in her throat as she locked eyes with the terrifying figure. She had heard the stories, the warnings, but nothing could have prepared her for this. Night Terror's presence was overwhelming, her power radiating like a black sun that threatened to swallow them whole.
"Well, well…" Night Terror's voice was smooth, almost mocking as she regarded Alice and her team. "It seems I've found some interesting little playthings."
The Nightmares around them stayed perfectly still, as if they were awaiting her command. The weight of her gaze fell on Alice, and for a moment, it felt like the world had stopped.
"So," Night Terror continued, her eyes narrowing slightly as she stepped closer, "you're the one with the sword that dares to cut through my children's dreams."
Alice's grip tightened on Waking Hour, but her hands were trembling. The blade, which had felt so powerful moments before, now seemed insignificant in the face of this overwhelming power. Her team stood frozen behind her, fear gripping them as Night Terror's presence bore down on them.
"Don't be afraid," Night Terror said, her voice soft, almost soothing. "I won't kill you… yet. After all, I have much bigger plans for you, Alice C. Gale."
At the sound of her name on Night Terror's lips, Alice's fear twisted into something else—determination. She didn't know what Night Terror's plans were, but she knew one thing for sure: they weren't going to go along with them.
Summoning every ounce of courage she had, Alice raised Waking Hour. "You won't win," she said, her voice steady despite the fear in her chest. "Not while I'm still standing."
Night Terror smiled, a cold, predatory grin. "Oh, Alice… I already have."
With a wave of her hand, the dream world around them began to collapse further, and the Nightmares stirred once more, their twisted forms converging on the team.
Alice's heart raced as she realized the gravity of their situation. They were trapped. Cut off from HQ. Surrounded. And facing the Queen of Nightmares herself.
And for the first time, Alice wasn't sure if they were going to make it out.