I sat quietly on the floor, my entire body wracked with unbearable pain. Thinking back to when I first moved into the apartment building, it was because I had just graduated—the rent here was unusually cheap. Unlike the lively scenes I’d seen in other buildings, there weren’t many people living here, which is how I managed to rent Room 410, a place with a pretty good location.
I lived here for about two years before that incident happened, but during that time, I never saw anything strange.
"What exactly is going to happen?"
Now the dream is a nightmare, even if just a little. Back in college, I was terrified of anything supernatural—Lily Wu knew this, and would sometimes bring it up just to watch my reaction and laugh out loud.
The only thing I remember is running endlessly down a corridor with no end in sight, a female ghost chasing me from behind. I’ve had dreams like that before.
"There must be some way out of this."
Just as I finished speaking, a shrill, eerie laugh echoed in my ears. Everything around me changed—sure enough, it was that endless corridor. A sharp pain stabbed my back, and without thinking, I started to run.
The heavy breathing behind me was Tina Yu chasing me. Last time I had this nightmare, I woke up terrified, but this time was different—Tina Yu could actually kill me. I couldn’t let her catch me.
I had no idea how long I’d been running, but thankfully, I didn’t get tired. I kept sprinting down the corridor, trying to figure out how to deal with this nightmare.
After thinking it over, the only solution was to use the power of a good dream to break it, or to change the dream itself.
Changing the dream is something I’m completely unwilling to do. I have no idea what might happen if I alter past dreams.
Even though Rachel Lan already said those things, I understand now: I’ve returned to my old dreams, and can only wander through them—I can’t choose the dream. Whether it’s a good dream or a nightmare depends entirely on my luck.
I need to gather enough power to shatter that realm of dark nightmares. If I keep falling into nightmares, it’s obviously impossible.
Mona Ouyang once said that even a good dream can turn into a nightmare, but a nightmare can’t become a good dream unless you change it yourself.
The road ahead still stretched on endlessly. I was already at my limit.
"Wait, Tina Yu, I know you’re buried in Blackwood Forest. I’ll call the police and make sure your body is brought back."
I shouted at once. With a whoosh, Tina Yu stopped chasing me. The moment she turned her head, I saw her swollen, bruised face covered in scars, maggots crawling out of her eyes and nose. I swallowed hard.
"Are you telling the truth?"
"Of course."
In the end, I still changed the dream. I was already powerless.
Tina Yu burst out laughing. I swallowed hard—the long corridor changed in an instant, and suddenly I was standing in Blackwood Forest. Tina Yu pointed at the road ahead, and I had no choice but to keep walking.
Eventually, I found Tina Yu’s corpse—just beginning to rot, the stench overwhelming. But then, wild winds whipped around me, and gradually I saw the sun, as if it was right above my head.
"Thank you, Ethan Zhang."
I turned around. Tina Yu had returned to her beautiful, gentle appearance and spoke softly to me—this was a good dream. I immediately took out the Wish Balloon (Purple), and in an instant, the airflow absorbed everything around us, growing larger.
Suddenly, as darkness fell all around, I felt the dream come to a halt. It was that person wearing the Golden Vortex Mask.
"If you do this, Ethan Zhang, you’re going to cause a lot of trouble."
I realized the masked figure before me was born from the battle between Sylvia Blue’s dreaming and the Immortality Society.
"You must be thinking I came into existence because of Sylvia Blue’s dreaming, but I can tell you clearly, Ethan Zhang, that’s not how I was created. I was born after Sylvia herself was born."
My eyes widened—the masked figure could read my thoughts.
"What do you mean?"
They really did chase me into the dream of the future, but that little ghost didn’t come. The masked man walked toward me step by step, and I watched him warily.
"I’m not your enemy, Ethan Zhang. Please understand—even Sylvia or Future Ethan Zhang, it’s the same. I’m not your enemy. I just want to survive."
"What do you mean?"
Suddenly, I saw a trace of sadness in the masked man’s eyes.
"You can call me Seven. That’s my name."
I stared in confusion at the masked man who called himself Seven.
"If you’re not my enemy, then why do you want to eliminate the Dark Will?"
Seven shook his head.
"Not eliminate—replace it. Then, using The Dark Banquet’s artificial human technology, I’ll step out of the dream."
I burst out laughing and shook my head.
"I can’t trust you."
Sadness flashed in Seven’s eyes, and then he turned away.
"Ethan Zhang, what do you think of Sylvia?"
I let out a sound of surprise, looking at Seven in confusion.
"She’s my daughter in the future. How do you think a father would see her?"
Seven nodded.
"Good answer. I’m very lonely, Ethan Zhang. I’ve lost track of how many years it’s been. In the dream, I can only see Sylvia—no one else. I’m truly lonely. Go back, Ethan Zhang. Believe me, after I replace the Dark Will, I won’t pose any threat to you."
"The reason."
I stared quietly at Seven and asked.
"As for the reason, I can’t say. Or rather, even if I did, you wouldn’t be able to help me. I have to do this myself."