Sometimes, Dulmi couldn't shake the feeling that he was stuck in some kind of dream.
He stared at the two... well, at least humanoid-looking creatures in front of him. Just seconds ago, they were normal - harmless - humans.
Back in the day, this stuff used to freak him out, leaving him pale and shaken. But now? He'd gotten used to this world's craziness. So much so that he was starting to wonder which version of reality was actually "normal."
He let out a weary sigh, then chuckled to himself. Resting his chin on his hand, he said with his usual smile, "Yeah, I'm totally enjoying this meal."
Even though the food in front of him had turned into a mushy mess.
Ever since that weird green light appeared, he'd been racing against time every night just to save his dinner.
The day his parents died, as the sunset faded and the evening bells rang out like usual, his whole world flipped upside down.
That strange green light started haunting his nights.
For the first few days, he died horribly every night, only to wake up confused in the morning as if none of it had happened. Like all that bloody pain and bizarre death was just a bad dream.
His parents' death and this insane curse hit him all at once, leaving Dulmi totally numb.
Back then, daytime Benjamin Nope would say in a concerned, gentle tone, "kid, cheer up. Your parents would be sad to see you like this."
And Dulmi would look him in the eye, thinking, "But at night, you kill me without mercy - more than once."
The first time he died, he was terrified, desperate, and angry, but also felt a bit of relief, thinking he'd see his parents again. But he woke up in a long darkness, greeted by the dawn of that "normal" world again.
That's when Dulmi realized this was an inescapable curse. Even death couldn't free him.
Young Dulmi grew bitter toward the whole world.
He strongly suspected that this nightmare had something to do with his parents' deaths. But he couldn't figure out how—did they really have a secret so dark it could turn the world upside down every night?
There were moments he wondered if he was just losing it. Maybe only a true madman could see those creepy shadows and endless insanity in the hazy night.
...He desperately, desperately wanted to change everything.
He wanted power—power that could match this unreal situation..
When he came of age, he had a choice to make: stay in the seemingly peaceful town of Nightingale, hoping fate would throw him a bone, or leave for the wider, crazier world beyond and chase the answers himself.
He chose the latter.
Dulmi closed his eyes for a second, then opened them. His dark, green eyes stared at the twisted version of the world before him.
The Nopes' dinner continued.
Amy and Benjamin kept slowly consuming the rotten food, while Dulmi watched these unidentifiable creatures impassively, lazily poking at the mush of food with his fork.
On a previous night, when he did this, the mush even sprouted a tiny, flesh-colored tentacle, angrily protesting his bored behavior.
But today, this mush of unidentifiable animal and vegetable origin seemed too lazy to care about him.
"Dulmi, don't waste food," Benjamin said , though his tone remained gentle.
"Alright, Uncle Benjamin," Dulmi replied easily, setting down his fork. "I'm full anyway."
He was pretty happy because today he'd run into Dress Amy and Benjamin. Though they looked weird, these familiar faces were pretty chill because they "knew" him.
Sometimes, he'd bump into Crazy Skeleton Amy and Prisoner Benjamin at night. They'd be super hostile, trying to kill him at all costs. They always succeeded easily because they had some special "power."
After dying so many times, Dulmi wisened up and rarely had dinner at the Nopes' anymore.
But today was an exception. After all, he was about to leave Nightingale, and he wanted to say a proper goodbye to Amy and Benjamin. He was cool with taking this gamble, with his imaginary death as the stakes.
In the three years since his parents died, even though the Nope father and daughter were always weird at night, their daytime selves had givenDulmi three years of companionship and warmth.
"All right then, Dulmi," Benjamin said. "Be careful on your way back. We've had some uninvited guests in Nightingale lately."
Amy grinned, "I'm curious why they're here. I'd love to peek at their memories."
"But it's probably better to keep a low profile," Benjamin advised.
Amy pouted but nodded quietly in agreement.
Dulmi watched this exchange, slightly curious. His curiosity was more about Benjamin and Amy, but having known these "old friends" for so long, he knew they wouldn't answer his questions.
If he asked too much, that curiosity might just get him killed.
So Dulmi lazily yawned and wisely said goodbye to the two.
As he opened the door, Dulmi paused for a moment, as if he wanted to look back. He realized this might be his last chance to change his mind.
He was about to leave his familiar hometown and embark on an unknown and dangerous journey.
Sure, Nightingale's nights were scary, but were other parts of the world any different? He could almost hear a voice whispering in his ear, warning him to think hard about what the nights in those strange cities might be like.
It must be terrifying, not to mention the vast sea and distant foreign lands.
If he just didn't open the door, if he retreated back into the shadows of the antique shop, he could continue to enjoy the protection of Benjamin, basking in this rare moment of comfort and calm.
He could totally hide here.