Chapter 1

Before me stretched a world shrouded in mist.

Ethan Walker stood dazed, his mind grappling with the surreal. Could this not be his dream? Every night, without fail, he dreamt of a fog-laden realm, but one distinctly his own—a grand Manor, his sanctuary, where an Ape, a Wolf, a Fox, a Snake, and a Butterfly kept him company. Yet here, now, he was surrounded by people. Seven of them, four men and four women, himself included.

Ethan tugged at his shirt collar, peering down. There, dangling against his chest, was a blood-red jade Snake pendant. His breath caught, his face paling. There was no mistaking it—this was the pendant Snake had found somewhere in his dreams, proudly presenting it to him in its jaws. In those dreams, he wore it constantly, a talisman of that other world. But dreams couldn’t bleed into reality, could they?

The pendant’s weight against his skin raised a chilling question: was he still dreaming, only in a warped version of that familiar haze?

“Where am I? What is this place?” “Who the hell are you people?”

The group erupted into a cacophony of panic, voices clashing as fear took hold. Ethan scanned their faces—most were ashen, etched with dread, confusion, or bewilderment. But one stood out: a scrawny, bespectacled boy who seemed untouched by the collective terror. His eyes gleamed with something akin to excitement, a spark that made Ethan linger on him.

Then, another face caught his eye—one he knew. She wore a cream-colored blouse and a black skirt, her fair skin glowing with youthful vibrance. Serena Hayes, the nurse from Good Health Hospital who tended to him. He was used to seeing her in crisp scrubs, so this casual look felt oddly refreshing.

“Serena,” Ethan called, stepping toward her.

“Ethan!” Her face lit up with relief at the sight of a familiar face, only for her expression to shift to shock. “Your ... your arms and legs...”

“I don’t know how,” he said, shaking his head. “When I came to, I could move again.”

“That’s amazing—” Serena’s joy was fleeting, dimmed by the strangeness of their surroundings. Her smile twisted into a grimace. “If we weren’t stuck in this bizarre place, we’d be celebrating right now.”

Ethan waved it off, understanding her meaning. In the waking world, he was paralyzed, reliant on nurses for even the most basic needs. Only in his dreams was he whole, free to roam. But this ... this blurred the line. If it was a dream, where was his Manor? Where were his animal companions? Yet if it wasn’t, how was he standing, walking, and wearing the Snake pendant Snake had given him?