Nightmare Game
Copyright© 2025 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 137
“Of course, you’re one of The Blessed too. That must be the Lizard’s Blessing—Limb Regeneration.”
Mason clenched his fists, rage boiling over at the man who’d betrayed him.
“Why? I’ve never done a damn thing to wrong you. Why try to kill me?”
Victor glanced his way, avoiding his eyes, then turned aside.
“It’s not you I’ve got a grudge against. I’m just following orders.”
“You’re a decent guy, really. You don’t deserve this. But I’ve got my own troubles—sorry, but you’ll have to bear it.”
“What?” Mason froze, utterly baffled. He couldn’t wrap his head around it.
Who could it be? In the real world, he’d crossed no one. In Dreamplay, he’d harmed nobody.
If there was one enemy, it was Julian. He’d come here with Maya for revenge.
Could Julian have dug up dirt on them?
How? Even with his vast network, Julian wouldn’t probe into him and Maya without cause.
“Who?”
He couldn’t fathom it, so he pressed Victor.
But Victor stayed silent, offering nothing.
Mason was about to demand more when—
Tick-tock—
Tick-tock—
The clock’s chime echoed again. The little boy materialized before them, his gaze fixed on Victor once more.
Victor’s heart sank.
As expected, the monster targeted the one he’d failed to kill. Now, he was Mason’s unwitting shield.
Mason saw it too. He burned to pry the name of his would-be killer from Victor’s lips, but survival came first.
Without a second thought, he bolted toward the boy. If he could slip past and escape, Victor—mid-Blessing—might buy him precious seconds.
But Victor wouldn’t let that happen.
He’d finally cornered Mason; he wouldn’t squander the chance.
His presence drew the boy’s hatred, but if he vanished, that changed everything.
He’d entered with two Blessings, usable twice in a day.
Burning both at once stung, but hesitation wasn’t an option now.
Invisibility.
The Lizard’s Blessing’s second skill.
A thin film shimmered over him. In a blur, he vanished from sight.
Invisibility was brutally effective—not just cloaking his form, but erasing sound, scent, even his very presence.
Even if a monster had you locked, this skill broke the hold. To them, you’d simply ceased to exist.
Victor’s move stunned Mason. He’d guessed at one Blessing, but two? Never.
Regret hit him like a gut punch. He’d wasted a lifesaving Blessing on the man trying to end him.
With Victor gone, he was next on the boy’s list.
His steps faltered. Monster ahead, dead end behind—he was trapped.
Mason bit his lip, despair and fury churning inside.
Death didn’t scare him. Failing to avenge his family did.
His home had never been wealthy. Father gone early, mother bedridden. His sister slaved away to keep them afloat.
He’d been good, careful not to burden them further, treading lightly through school to avoid trouble.
Things had been manageable—sister’s wages covered basics, and her boyfriend chipped in now and then.
Then, disaster: she lost her job, and her relationship soured.
The weight crushed them. Mother’s endless meds, his tuition—it piled up.
Sister hunted for work, hitting walls everywhere. Fired from the Julian household, she was tainted.
Mason had planned to drop out. She refused, scraping by on grueling jobs no one wanted.
That bred his insecurity, the constant sense of being lesser.