After Nolan was born, the world was already harsh. Each year, Dream Wraiths launched massive invasions, and the number of Dreamborn dwindled. Even with help from the city dwellers, it was never enough.
Though city dwellers tried to help, every year brought heavy deaths. Once, Dreamborn filled the grasslands with their buildings; now, only a handful of villages remain.
Ever since the Dream Wraiths began attacking the Dreamborn, the Dreamborn stopped entering the Dream Realm. Unable to obtain food from dreams, they were forced to hunt Dream Wraiths instead.
But the Dream Wraiths were countless, and the Dreamborn were powerless. At first, city dwellers helped hunt, but as the deaths mounted over decades, Dreamborn became nothing but survival resources for the city.
Nolan's father, the village leader, only came home at night. Except for the occasional lesson in survival, there was almost no communication between father and son.
Over time, Nolan began to doubt his father. Back then, Nolan was not cheerful or smiling at all.
The quiet village was shattered by the first invasion Nolan could remember. He still recalls how the Dream Wraiths devoured the villagers—how his father and the city dwellers fought to resist.
"They didn’t even try. When they saw the number of Dream Wraiths, they fought briefly, then ran. Cowards."
Nolan gritted his teeth and glared at the city dwellers working below the wall.
John Chou once said, the kind of king you have determines the kind of people you raise. This is clear in Nathan Ouyang’s city. I secretly vowed never to become like Nathan Ouyang.
At this point, I realized something: there seemed to be fewer men in Nolan's village, and far more women.
Eventually, inspired by the actions of Nolan and his father, the villagers joined their cause. Little by little, the village came back to life.
But when Nolan turned seven, people from the city came to collect Dream Wraiths. The village couldn't provide any. Nolan's father knew well that without help from the city, many more would die that year.
So Nolan's father agreed to deliver a Green Wraith. The only way was to go deeper into the woods. This time, he planned to go alone. Nolan begged to join him, but his father slipped out one night and never returned.
One day, then another. After each hunt, Nolan watched the woods beyond the grasslands, hoping to see his father's figure returning.
At that time, Xiuxiu let Nolan and his companions hunt in her village's territory, helping them a lot. Eventually, Nolan couldn't wait any longer. He took the knife his father left him and snuck alone into the depths of the woods, convinced his father was still alive.
It was on this trip, after Nolan had crept deep into the woods, that he encountered a Green Wraith and found himself in a desperate situation.
'What happened next?' I asked. Nolan looked up at the sky and mumbled his reply.
'A Dream Wraith saved me. A gray one.'
I stared at Nolan in surprise. He told me that the Dream Wraith had rescued him from the Green Wraith, carried him safely to the forest's edge, and then disappeared into the woods.
"That Dream Wraith was my father!"
Nolan said this with sadness. I rubbed my head, staring at him in surprise.
It wasn't just once. That gray Dream Wraith, larger than the others, couldn't speak, but it had saved Nolan several times. Nolan truly believed it was his father.
Later, Nolan began entering dreams to hunt, always led by that gray Dream Wraith. Each time, the dream only contained the lowest-level gray Dream Wraiths, so Nolan could keep succeeding.
The time he met me was the only time he entered a dream without the gray Dream Wraith's guidance. That's when he ran into me—and a Green Wraith chasing him.
"Can you take me to see your father?"
I asked. Nolan looked at me, hesitating. I could imagine that the night he caught several gray Dream Wraiths in the woods, he probably didn't do it alone.
I also vaguely sensed that these Dream Wraiths and Dreamborn shared striking similarities. They could both enter dreams, both born within the Dream Realm, unlike the outsiders.
Now, I just wanted to meet Nolan's father. Maybe Dreamborn and Dream Wraiths shouldn't be enemies at all—they complete each other. Nathan Ouyang never told me much about Dream Wraiths, and I understood why. If I learned too much, it would put him in danger.
We couldn't just sit and wait for death. The people in the city looked powerful, but I knew—in these three days, if the Green Wraiths really wanted to, only Nathan Ouyang would remain. All the residents and Dreamborn would die. I could feel it in my bones.
All of this reminded me of what Yin Choujian once said: when a person walks and steps on an ant, no matter how loudly the ant screams in agony, the person will never hear it.
"It's so late already, um..."
"We have to go now. Nolan, listen to me—you don't want everyone to die, do you?" I asked seriously, gripping Nolan's shoulders. He looked at me and nodded.
Without another word, I picked Nolan up, unfurled my pitch-black wings, and soared into the air, flying out toward the eastern outskirts of the city.
"Brother, where are you going?"
Yin Choujian blocked my path. I looked at him and spoke slowly, each word deliberate.
"I told you, I'm going to solve this problem. There are things I have to do."
Yin Choujian stepped aside, smiling as he spoke.
"Brother, whenever you face danger, trust your instincts. Listen closely—what do they tell you?"
I nodded and replied.
"I'm counting on you, city."
With that, I sped up, flying toward the eastern forest. Right now, finding Nolan's father was my top priority. In my mind, Dreamborn and Dream Wraiths—like humans and ghosts—were intertwined.
Even though Nolan's father had become a Dream Wraith, he still retained his consciousness. I desperately wanted to ask him about this world—how could such a thing be possible?
After the Dreamborn entered the dream passage, I noticed something strange. Both Yin Choujian and I were outsiders; we couldn't use any power within the dream passage.
This world has its own rules. These rules weren't set by Nathan Ouyang, but have existed since the very birth of the Dream Realm.
"Here it is—wait." Nolan shouted from my arms as we neared the woods. I slowed down. Inside the forest, there was a tree slightly thicker than the rest. I recognized it at once, and we landed beside it.
"My father told me, if I come here, I'll see him. Every time I visit, I come to this spot."
I looked around, waiting quietly. Suddenly, there was a flurry of footsteps nearby. Even in the dim light, I saw a group of Gray Wraiths charging toward us.
Their forms were vague and indistinct, but the oppressive aura they radiated was unmistakable. Nolan clung to my side, his breath quickening.
I spread my wings, shielding Nolan. The Gray Wraiths stopped a few meters away, their hollow eyes fixed on us.
A chill ran down my spine. I could feel the weight of their gaze, as if the forest itself were judging us.
Nolan whispered, "Father will come soon. Don't be afraid."
The Gray Wraiths parted, making a narrow path. From the shadows, a larger figure emerged—its aura familiar, its silence heavy.
Nolan stepped forward, his voice trembling. "Father?"
The figure paused, then slowly reached out with a spectral hand, its touch gentle yet cold.
I watched, unable to speak, as father and son connected across the boundary of life and death.
For a moment, the oppressive darkness seemed to lift, replaced by something bittersweet and fragile.
But I knew the peace would not last. The Dream Realm was always hungry, and the night was far from over.