Luna attacked the thing wearing Gail's face. She felt the hesitation as she brandished the shadow dagger while aiming for the neck.

She wanted to end this quickly.

But to her surprise, the being stopped her dagger with a light lance. He pushed her back with strength that surpassed hers by a great mile before throwing a roundhouse kick that sent Luna flying through the broken tower pieces.

"Every Dream has its Nightmare," he announced and lunged at Anna. He started by launching a thrust, but Anna leaped back and quickly countered with wind slashes that tore through the mist like a knife. She had no emotional connection with Gail Silverman.

She had known him for his special government treatment. Other than that, the two were strangers. So, she didn't hold back with her attacks.

Her wind slashes collided with the light spear that easily cut through them as though they weren't elemental attacks.

Anna held her breath and reached inward, her soul gate pulsing as she summoned a different element—lightning. Deep within her, the Elemental Catcher flapped its four ethereal wings, responding to her will.

Two swords of lightning formed in her hands, glowing with blinding brilliance.

The Nightmare's golden eyes narrowed. "Ah... clever. Switching elements, are we?" His voice curled like smoke. "But sorcery of the old won't save you, witch."

"Wanna bet?" Anna replied coldly.

She charged.

Her swords tore through the mist, cutting lines of light into the stone ruins. The moment her blades met the Nightmare's conjured spear of radiant light, a shockwave erupted—raw force expanding outward like a thunderclap. The earth beneath them shattered. Cracks raced across the cobbled stone, and towers trembled under the weight of their clash.

Both fighters were hurled backward. Anna hit the ground hard, skidding through shattered stone. The Nightmare barely flinched, his feet dragging only slightly as he absorbed the blow.

Still holding her breath, Anna lunged again. This time, she poured her Zenshi into the swords, fusing essence into the blades until they pulsed like living lightning.

The clash that followed was cataclysmic.

Boom!

A roaring explosion rang out as the weapons collided. The force incinerated their constructs, sending both combatants tumbling through the misty field in opposite directions.

Dust, smoke, and thick white mist billowed outward, engulfing everything.

When it cleared, Anna stood tall, her breath ragged, eyes sharp.

The Nightmare remained where he was, smiling like a phantom returned from hell. "Anna… Anna… Anna. You truly are the better one. But that's not what matters here."

He tilted his head. "What nightmare should I show you first? Hmm?" His voice dropped to a whisper.

"The one where your mother became infected because of your carelessness? Or the one where she...." his smile widened, teeth gleaming like knives, "....devoured your little brother?"

Anna's hands trembled, not from fear, but fury. The mist curled tighter around them. Reality felt thin. Warped

The mist started to move on its own.

Then, Anna heard a voice.

"Anna… you said you'd come back for us."

It was a boy's voice—gentle, innocent, and heartbreakingly familiar.

"You said the gods would never let us die."

Anna didn't turn around. She didn't need to. She knew that voice all too well.

Her little brother.

She clenched her jaw. Her composure didn't crack, but the chill that ran down her spine opened a long-sealed spring of memories. His laughter, his eyes, the way he used to look at her with hope.

"Nightmares," the creature spoke, its voice layered with a thousand echoes, "are the killers of dreams. Mortal minds rely on dreams to keep living. 'It will get better.' 'I'll become something more.' Dreams are their foundations."

The Nightmare stepped forward, his golden gaze now dimmed with malice. "And I am the reality they wish to escape."

He raised his hand, tracing symbols in the mist with his finger. "The Dream Lord created me… and gave me a name, Nightmare. I inherited his vision. I inherited what you fear most."

His voice warped, layered with divine finality. "Both of you are afraid. Afraid of what you'll become when stripped of your dreams. And that... makes you unworthy."

For a single heartbeat, Anna's mind faltered. The voice of her brother lingered in her ears. That second—just one—was all it took.

The Nightmare moved.

With a motion like tearing through reality, he summoned the phantom of the serpent Anna had slain earlier.

It lunged.

Boom!

A devastating blow landed squarely against her chest. Her armor shattered into fragments, exploding like glass under pressure. She was launched like a broken arrow, her body slamming through several towers before vanishing into the debris.

The Nightmare's smile returned, sharp and wide. "I know you're there," he whispered.

He turned toward a shifting patch of shadow on the ground. "Tricks like that don't work on someone already dead."

He struck fast and precisely. His palm hit the ground, and the shadow burst outward as though struck by lightning. Luna was violently ejected from her concealment, her body thrown into the air and then slammed against a wall so hard the stone cracked on impact.

She rolled across the broken ground before finally sliding to a halt.

"Lunaris Feng…" he said her full name with vile pleasure, "You have secrets you don't want to share."

Luna struggled to push herself up. Blood dripped from her lips. Her breath came ragged.

"I know them… because I can smell your fear."

He approached her slowly, savoring her weakness.

"I can feel the lives you've lived. The times you've died. The people you've saved—and the ones you chose not to save. Sacrifices stacked so high… you've forgotten who you were before you started bleeding for everyone else.

The Nightmare crouched down beside Luna, his face inches from hers. His golden eyes—once beautiful—were now hollow pits of malice, devoid of light, devoid of soul.

"You die again, Lunaris."

His voice was low. Final.

Luna coughed, blood painting her lips. "…So," she rasped, forcing herself to smirk through the pain, "…what."

In one swift motion, she summoned fire in her palm and slammed it against his face. Flames roared, bright and merciless, devouring the flesh mask he wore.

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The air hissed with the sound of melting skin.

"HahahahahahaHAHAHAHA!"

He laughed. Not in agony, but amusement.

Luna's eyes widened in shock when his hand clamped around her wrist. The flames died instantly, like a candle snuffed by a single breath.

He pushed her arm away with terrifying ease, as if her strength were a child's plaything.

Luna hit the cold stone with a grunt, her body folding with the impact. She hadn't felt this weak in years.

He stood over her.

"You're still unworthy, Lunaris," he whispered.

"Nightmares… are reality. A reality you refuse to accept."

And with a simple thought, he summoned another phantom. This time it was one of Storm Rider. It was ethereal, glowing, yet painfully familiar. Her golden hair waved like smoke. Her red eyes were full of scorn.

"You've failed me, Lunaris. I should've known… I sacrificed myself for nothing. If I knew you were this weak, I'd have left my legacy to someone else."

Luna's breathing hitched. She trembled as her hands rose to cover her ears, desperate to block out the voice of her mentor. The one person whose judgment could still shatter her.

Her heart thundered in her chest. This place… this being. It was all designed to break her. To drag out her worst memories, her buried guilt, her deepest fears, and twist them into chains.

That's what Nightmares did.

But then, as she endured. Luna heard a whisper in her mind.

"Should we die today, Lady Lunaris…" she heard Anna's voice. It was calm, resolute as though coming from a much more experienced Anna. "Know that it is an honor… to fight by your side."

That's what it took for Luna's eyes to widen. 'Anna?'

She twisted her head toward the rubble. And there—half-buried under a broken tower—was Anna's outstretched hand. Bruised, trembling… but still reaching for her.

"Anna!"

She ignored the phantom and forced herself to go help her partner.

'What was that just now? A memory?' Luna's head pulsed with a dull, splitting pain. Her limbs trembled as she tried to rise. Everything ached, but the wounds weren't as lethal as they looked. Her will to move was greater than her injuries.

The Nightmare stood silently and dismissed the phantom of Storm Rider.

Meanwhile, Luna forced herself toward the rubble, fingers bleeding as she clawed through broken stone.

She had to find her. "Come on… come on," she whispered.

Her breath caught when her hand brushed skin. It was warm, faintly pulsing.

It was Anna. She was unconscious, bruised, but still alive. Clutched tightly in her hand was the Elemental Catcher, its wings battered and dim. Luna didn't hesitate. She pried it free and poured her essence into the artifact with everything she had left.

The wings snapped open, glowing brightly as the connection formed—not with Anna, but with her.

The Nightmare grinned when he felt the shift. "Ah…" he exhaled, voice almost delighted. "Nightmares are reality. And to fear reality… means you cannot accept the world."

He raised his hand.

Golden light surged in the mist around him, materializing into dozens of glowing arrows—each one humming with divine malice.

He took a single step forward.

BOOM.

The ground cracked, caved, and collapsed beneath his feet like it was nothing but fragile ice.

But he didn't fall. He hovered, walking on air as though the laws of nature bent to his will.

One again, no energy came from him. It could be an illusion. But that's not it, these attacks were drawing energy from something else.

"He's definitely a creation of the Dream Lord," Luna muttered, the pieces finally clicking into place in her mind. "A Nightmare… born from the power of a Visionary."

The air screeched in response, as if the mist itself rejected the truth. It churned violently, twisted with unseen rage--screaming as the golden arrows launched toward her with deadly precision.

She gripped the Elemental Catcher tightly. Its wings beat with quiet urgency, responding to her soul.

Luna didn't hesitate to use the one closest to the sun god. Lightning. And not just any lightning—white lightning, the hardest element for her to control.

'Five breaths. That's all I've got.'

The Beetle floated above her palm, and all of its wings began flapping in harmony. Sparks of white static crackled between her fingertips, dancing wildly with power she could barely contain.

The energy surged too fast. It burned, seared her nerves.

Her skin blistered and split open, but she didn't scream, let alone wince at the pain.

She exhaled. One breath. That's all it took for her divinity and talent to shine like a bright sun. The lightning writhed, growing sharper, heavier. Brighter. Until her whole arm felt like it was on fire.

She raised her hand, and after a second breath, Luna slashed her hand through the air.

The lightning answered, and it roared into a radiant white barrier of searing power that cast away the fog.

BOOM—BOOM—BOOM—BOOM!

The arrows struck.

And vanished.

Every single one was devoured by the light.

The impact shook the ruins, sending a shockwave across the ground and across the territory.

Smoke and mist collided violently—and then silence.

Although still standing, Luna's legs trembled. Her burnt hand dropped to her side, still sparking. Her lungs fought for breath.

The mist parted slightly, revealing the Nightmare again.

This time, he wasn't smiling. Normally, a clash like that should've left him drained, panting, or at least shaken. But Gail stood firm, unbothered. Calm. Alive in form, but not in truth.

Luna narrowed her eyes. "You're connected to the Dream Master… That's why you're not alive. You're just a manifestation—part of his Domain."

A cunning grin twisted across Gail's face. "Bravo, Captain. Every candidate faces me once they activate the Noctis Dial. I am the Nightmare of the Reality you must accept."

He took a step forward, the mist parting for him like it feared his presence.

"This face. The one you see now is the Nightmare you've seen countless times. The face that always dies… because of your weakness."

He paused, his golden eyes glowing faintly. "I am here to make you face that truth. To forge your conviction or kill you like the ones before."

Luna's breath hitched. "…So he knows I'm here," she whispered.

Nightmare smiled wider. "He knew long before you arrived. He is the Dream Visionary… Aaron Phillips. And dreams, Lunaris… dreams are the foundation of all mortals. Including you."

Her knees hit the stone floor with a thud. All of the essence she had left was gone after using white lightning for three breaths.

The Elemental Catcher returned to Anna's unconscious soul gate, vanishing like a fading light.

Luna looked down at her trembling hands.

"There goes my plan of hiding and gathering information," she muttered under her breath. Her voice was hollow. Everything—her plans and strategies--were slipping away.

"You cling to dreams," the Nightmare said. "But dreams won't save this world. Even the Dream Visionary knows that. Accept it. Accept that you killed me. That I died because you were too weak!"

Luna's eyes filled with tears. Her fists clenched. "I know!" she screamed, her voice breaking. "I know I'm the reason you died…"

She slammed her fist into the stone and it cracked. Her whole body shivering—not from the cold, but from the weight of truth.

"No amount of pain can fix what I did. You haunt me every day, Gail. You were the one I couldn't save…" she continued.

She bowed her head, her voice reduced to a whisper.

"I really let you down."

The Nightmare said nothing at first. Then, coldly. "Good. Then now, you die here."

A phantom sword formed in his hand, vibrating with divine power. When he stepped forward, the entire ruined world quaked—the very mist flinching from the pressure pouring off of him.

But Luna didn't back down.

Her hand twitched and the sun ember flared into existence. And with its warmth, she once again stood.

Her teeth clenched as the special flames of the god relic fed her soul. Her Soul Gate pulsed and began to draw essence from the world—faster than before. The cuts on her face closed, and the serious internal damage healed itself.

'If I lose to the first enemy. Then I am unworthy of saving the world.'

With her trembling hand, Luna raised the Sun Ember, its fading glow reigniting with golden fury. Her other hand slid behind her back, where it would remain for the duration of the technique. A gesture of control. Of discipline.

"Divine Art... Midnight Sword."

Essence surged into her blade like a flood breaking through a dam. She slowed her breathing, steadying her will. The world narrowed to her heartbeat and the tip of her sword.

Across from her, the Nightmare narrowed his eyes. For the first time, he grew tense.

"Lunaris Feng… born on July 15th. Bearer of the Lineage of the Heavenly Supreme. A Witch without a purpose." His voice was like ash, cold and unyielding. "In the past, they called you the Dark Blade. In the future, you'll be known by many names. The Dream Lord knows all of this… because of your dreams."

Luna didn't flinch. "You mean my visions?"

The Nightmare clicked his tongue, unimpressed. "Your visions are useless to us. But your dreams…" His golden eyes gleamed as they shifted toward Anna's unconscious form. "Your dreams are far more telling."

He stepped forward. The mist recoiled.

"You'll both continue your path—but only if you prove your worth, Lara."

Luna didn't budge. Her blade hummed with power. The Midnight Sword was her creation, born from her mastery of the Wind Slash Forms and her bond with the Sun Ember. It was a divine art she had created while experimenting with her sword and divine martial arts.

With that, she moved. A single horizontal slash from left to right. It looked simple, but the air split in its wake. A gleaming arc of gold-blue light raced across the mist, tearing through the fog like moonlight through shadow.

The Nightmare barely registered it in time. He raised his phantom blade and caught the arc head-on.

CRACK!

His sword shattered. The impact sent him skidding back, his coat fluttering wildly in the wake of the unleashed power.

He stared at the broken pieces of his weapon, then at Luna, expression now unreadable. The energy she had channeled into that single strike had surpassed his finest phantoms.

"It seems I can guess your Domain at this point," he muttered as he watched his phantom disintegrate. "I yield."

Luna almost staggered after one use of the Midnight sword.

'I've not tested out this technique enough times to learn the drawbacks.'

"What are you talking about?"

The Nightmare's form changed into that of a tattooed boy in a black shroud. His skin was a pale blue color, and his eyes were as dark as the night sky. This was the true form of the one who called himself Nightmare.

"You and your partner have passed the trial of hearts. Therefore, you and Lady Anna will now follow me to the Astral Vigil to begin your training to the second and third gate, respectively. You will also be trained in the old ways."

"Huh?" Luna frowned. "It's over already?"

"For you two. It is. Ascenders of the Qi Path are special and rare. So my master requests to take you under his wing, along with the other Qi path followers."

"But Anna isn't a Qi Path follower."

"We know. But she's very important. The same goes for your sister, Lena Feng. She must become a sorcerer."

'Lena is here!'

Luna was not surprised to hear this, of course. By now, she was confident that the government and clans were planning a very important mission that had to do with going to the divine realm and beginning settlement there.

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