IntoThe Night mare
1131 Words
Xin and Mei didn't wait. They jumped onto the flying bike and roared toward the center of the city. The giant glass Spire stood tall against the dark sky, but it didn't look like a beacon of hope anymore. It looked like a tomb.
When they landed at the base, Captain Han was waiting. He looked like he hadn't slept in a week. Around him, dozens of soldiers were sitting on the ground, staring at nothing. Their eyes were wide open, but they weren't "there."
"They won’t wake up," Han said, his voice cracking. "It started with the civilians we rescued from the fortress. Then it spread to my guards. They just... stop talking. Then they start screaming in their sleep."
Xin walked up to a young soldier. He used his new Pulse Sense. In his mind’s eye, he didn't see blood or bones. He saw a thick, oily purple mist wrapped around the man’s brain.
"It’s a Mind-Stalker," Xin said. "A parasite from Earth-6. It feeds on fear. If we don't pull it out, their minds will dry up and die."
"How do we fight something inside a head?" Mei asked, clutching her wrench.
"Host," the Engine’s voice rang out, now much clearer. "To save them, you must enter the 'Bridge.' You must project your consciousness into the Spire’s central core. Level 11 allows for Mental Projection."
"It means I have to go inside," Xin told them. "I’ll be asleep out here, but my mind will be in there. Mei, you have to watch my body."
Mei looked worried, but she nodded. "I've got your back, Window Boy. Just don't get lost in there."
Xin sat in the center of the Spire’s lobby. He placed his hand on the cold glass floor and closed his eyes. The silver mark on his chest hummed.
Whoosh.
Suddenly, Xin wasn't in the lobby anymore. He was standing in a version of Jiangnan City that looked like a twisted painting. The buildings were leaning at impossible angles. The sky was a swirling vortex of purple and black.
This was the Nightmare Zone—the shared dream of everyone trapped by the parasite.
"Help... please..."
Xin turned around. He saw Old Chen. But Chen was trapped inside a giant glass cage. Around the cage, hundreds of small, spider-like creatures with human faces were crawling.
"Chen!" Xin ran forward, but the ground turned into liquid. He began to sink into a pool of black ink.
"You can't save them, Xin," a voice whispered from every direction.
A monster stepped out of the fog. It was ten feet tall, with no face and long, needle-like fingers. It moved like a puppet on strings. This was the Mind-Stalker Prime.
"In this world, your 'Level' doesn't matter," the monster hissed. "Only your fear matters. And you are filled with it."
The monster pointed a needle finger at Xin. Suddenly, Xin felt his strength vanishing. He felt like the weak, skinny kid who was bullied in school. He felt the weight of every person he couldn't save during the invasion.
[Mental Stability: 40% and falling.]
[Warning: If stability reaches 0%, the Host will become a permanent resident of the Nightmare Zone.]
"I am afraid," Xin said, his voice shaking as the black ink reached his chest. "I’m afraid every single day. I'm afraid I'm not good enough. I'm afraid I'll fail everyone."
The monster laughed. "Then give up. Let the darkness take you."
"No," Xin said. He looked at Chen in the cage. He thought of Mei waiting by his side. "Being a hero isn't about having no fear. It’s about being terrified and doing the right thing anyway!"
Xin didn't reach for a sword. He reached for his memories. He remembered the smell of the noodles Mei brought him. He remembered the sound of Chen’s laugh. He focused on the warmth of the people he loved.
The silver mark on his chest exploded with white light. The black ink under his feet turned into solid gold.
[Ability Triggered: Heart-Link.]
[Level 12 Unlocked: The Sun-Blade.]
A sword made of pure, warm sunlight appeared in Xin’s hand. It didn't burn like fire; it felt like a summer afternoon.
"Get away from my friends!" Xin roared.
He swung the Sun-Blade. The light cut through the purple fog like a hot knife through butter. The spider-creatures disintegrated instantly. Xin reached the cage and shattered the glass with a single touch.
Old Chen blinked, his eyes returning to normal. "Xin? Is that you? I was dreaming about a giant bill I couldn't pay..."
"It’s okay, Chen. Follow the light!"
Xin stood tall, holding the Sun-Blade high. The light began to spread across the twisted city. The leaning buildings straightened out. The purple sky began to turn blue.
The Mind-Stalker Prime screamed, its body melting under the "sunlight."
"This is not over!" the monster wailed. "There are others... Earth-7... Earth-8... they are watching!"
"Let them watch," Xin said. He swung the blade one last time, cutting the monster in half.
In the real world, Xin’s eyes snapped open.
All around the lobby, the soldiers and civilians began to gasp and sit up. The purple mist evaporated from their skin. Old Chen, sitting in a chair nearby, rubbed his eyes and looked at Xin.
"Kid? Why am I at work? I thought I was at a very weird party," Chen muttered.
Mei let out a huge breath and slumped against the wall. "You did it. You actually did it."
[Mission Complete.]
[Upgrade Path: Mental Guardian.]
[Current Level: 12.]
Captain Han walked over, looking at Xin with new respect. "You didn't just save their lives, Xin. You saved their souls. But that thing... it said other worlds are watching?"
Xin stood up. He felt stronger, but his heart was heavy. He looked at the silver mark on his chest. It was glowing with a calm, steady rhythm.
"Earth-6 was a scout," Xin said. "The others are coming. And they won't just attack our buildings. They'll attack who we are."
"What do we do?" Mei asked.
Xin looked up at the top of the Spire. "We stop cleaning windows. We start building a shield. If the multiverse wants a fight, Jiangnan City will be ready."
"Host," the Engine whispered. "Your heart rate is steady. You are ready for the next evolution. To reach Level 20, we must find the 'Star-Steel' hidden in the ocean."
Xin smiled at Mei. "Looks like we're going for a swim."
- Writer
