Nightmare Game
Copyright© 2025 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 53
Dreamwalker?
Hearing the term for the first time, Ethan paused, sensing its importance, and quickly asked, “Do you mean people who enter weird missions in their dreams?”
“...”
The line went quiet, as if she was thinking.
Ethan stayed silent, waiting patiently for her response.
After a while, she finally spoke. “Let’s meet somewhere to talk. This isn’t clear over the phone.”
Ethan’s tone carried a hint of helplessness. “Ms. Grant, I’m afraid I can’t. I’m still in the hospital and can’t leave.”
“Hm?” Clara sounded puzzled. “What happened? If you made it back from that world with even a breath left, you should recover from any fatal injury. Why are you still hospitalized?”
“I was already a patient before all this.”
His answer brought another silence, and after a moment, she said directly, “Give me your address and room number. If it’s not too far, I’ll come see you tomorrow.”
Ethan didn’t hesitate; she was Albert’s daughter, and he desperately wanted info on last night’s dream.
He gave her the details promptly, and she hung up.
That day, he chatted with Brandon and the nurses but learned nothing substantial, including from Nurse Quinn, whom Brandon mentioned, who seemed perfectly normal.
It was as if Nurse Quinn had always worked there, and he was the one who’d gotten it wrong.
For a moment, Ethan even doubted his own memory, or wondered if he was still dreaming.
Notably, when his doctor heard about signs of recovery, he rushed in and ran a battery of tests, keeping Ethan busy all day.
In the end, they found nothing conclusive.
That night, Ethan went to bed early, curious if sleep would bring any changes.
In his dream, a manor emerged, shrouded in mist.
He walked toward it, a wave of unease rising within him.
He knew this was the unchanging dream he’d had for twelve years straight, where Ape usually sat in the rocking chair at the door, either drinking or puffing on a pipe.
But now the chair stood empty, lifeless.
Inside, the place felt dead and silent, with no signs of life.
He called out for his companions, but it was futile; no response came.
Waking up, Ethan grew even more confused. Since the dream two nights ago, so much seemed to be shifting.
He wasn’t sure if the changes were good or bad, but the disappearance of his longtime dream companions left him with a deep sense of loss.
In the afternoon, a young woman entered the ward.
She had narrow eyes that tilted upward slightly at the corners, conveying distance and indifference, with stray strands of hair framing her face.
Her skin was pale, carrying a cool aura, as she approached Ethan’s bed.
“Ethan?”
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