The twisted grin on Freddy's burned face widened.
Instead of attacking immediately after being exposed, he tilted his head with something almost resembling amusement.
"I'm curious," he said, his voice dragging like metal scraping over stone, "how did you figure out this was a dream?"
His clawed fingers tapped lightly against his striped sleeve.
"Come on, tell me. I'd really love to know."
Lucien stood calmly, his expression unreadable.
"The pendulum."
Freddy's smile flickered.
Lucien's gaze shifted toward the wall clock.
"The ticking stopped for a moment."
His voice remained steady.
"You didn't think I'd miss something that obvious, did you?"
Freddy's grin remained, but his eyes narrowed slightly.
Lucien continued mercilessly.
"And your acting was terrible."
That made Freddy pause.
Lucien took a step forward, eyes sharp.
"Someone who's been hunted through nightmares and deprived of sleep for days wouldn't wake up humming in comfort."
His tone carried open mockery now.
"Panic would be normal. Screaming would be normal. Even breaking down would make sense."
He looked directly into Freddy's eyes.
"But the first thing 'Anne' checked wasn't her wounds."
A faint smirk touched Lucien's lips.
"She checked whether her clothes had been touched."
He let out a cold chuckle.
"You've watched too many cheap movies."
For a brief second, silence filled the room.
Then Freddy laughed.
Instead of anger, amusement danced across his scarred features.
"You know," Freddy said with a grin, "you're right. Romance really isn't my genre."
He spread his hands theatrically.
"Thank you for the advice, Master Lucien. I'll improve."
But before he could finish—
Lucien moved.
His body shot forward like an arrow released from a drawn bow.
The distance between them vanished in an instant.
Less than a meter.
One more step and he could seize Freddy by the throat.
Yet Freddy didn't move.
Didn't flinch.
Didn't even blink.
The world suddenly flipped.
In an instant, ceiling and floor exchanged places.
Gravity reversed.
Lucien's body dropped violently upward.
For an ordinary person, the sudden inversion would have caused complete disorientation.
Vision turned upside down.
Balance lost.
Body weightless.
But Lucien's reaction was immediate.
The moment his body began to fall, he slammed one foot into the "floor" above him.
CRACK.
The wooden surface shattered beneath the force.
His foot dug deep enough to anchor himself.
Without hesitation, he pushed off again.
Another step.
Another crack.
Another deep crater.
Instead of falling helplessly, Lucien sprinted across the inverted room.
Freddy's grin froze.
For the first time, surprise appeared in his eyes.
In the next second—
Lucien was already in front of him.
His fist filled Freddy's entire vision.
Lucien's voice rang out cold and sharp.
"Since you're already here…"
His fist came crashing forward.
"…take this punch before you leave."
BOOM.
Lucien's eyes snapped open.
The dream shattered.
The twisted figure of Freddy vanished like smoke blown apart by the wind.
For a moment, the room was completely silent.
Then Lucien slowly looked down at his right hand.
His fingers opened.
Closed.
A faint smile appeared.
"I hit him."
The feeling had been real.
The impact had been real.
That was enough confirmation.
He rose from his chair and stretched his shoulders.
The two women on the sofa were still asleep.
Rachel lay curled against one side.
Anne rested against the other, her breathing calm and steady.
The pendulum behind him swung normally.
Tick.
Tock.
Tick.
Tock.
Everything looked exactly the same.
Only a few moments had passed.
Lucien reached into his coat and touched the folded talismans hidden inside.
The earlier claim about running out had been a lie.
A trap.
He had deliberately baited Freddy into making the first move.
And just as expected, the nightmare spirit had taken the bait.
Lucien quickly organized the information in his mind.
First—
the talismans could protect people from outside the dream, but they couldn't be carried inside.
That significantly reduced their offensive value.
Second—
Freddy's control over the dream realm was terrifying.
He could alter gravity, space, and perception almost at will.
Anyone with a weak mind would become nothing more than prey.
Third—
Lucien himself could still use spiritual energy inside the dream.
More importantly—
he could harm Freddy.
That was the most important discovery.
As long as Freddy could be injured, he could be killed.
Lucien narrowed his eyes.
Of course, there was still one thing to confirm.
Was he truly awake?
Or had Freddy merely layered one dream over another?
Dreams within dreams were not uncommon.
He had no intention of underestimating an entity like Freddy.
Just then, the door opened.
Jamie hurried inside carrying a suitcase.
"Lucien, I brought everything you asked for."
Perfect timing.
Lucien immediately pulled a small table over.
He lit incense, sat down, and closed his eyes.
The room grew quiet.
Moments later, the familiar flow of pure spiritual energy surged into his body.
Warm.
Steady.
Real.
Lucien opened his eyes and nodded.
Good.
This was reality.
Without wasting a second, he opened the suitcase and began preparing fresh talismans.
Brush dipped in ink.
Yellow paper spread flat.
His hand moved smoothly across the surface.
One stroke.
Then another.
Spiritual energy flowed through every line.
Within a short time, ten fresh exorcising talismans lay completed on the table.
Jamie stood to the side, barely daring to breathe.
He had witnessed Lucien's methods before, but every time it still felt unreal.
Three hours passed quickly.
Lucien finally stood and walked toward the sofa.
He gently shook Rachel first.
Then Anne.
Both women jolted awake violently.
A scream escaped Rachel's lips.
Anne nearly lurched backward.
Their eyes darted around in panic.
Only after recognizing the room did their breathing slowly settle.
Anne pressed a hand against her forehead.
"This is… the dressing room?"
Her brows furrowed.
"I was filming just now… then…"
Suddenly realization struck.
She immediately checked her arms, neck, and legs.
No wounds.
No fresh claw marks.
Nothing.
Shock filled her face.
At that moment, Lucien cleared his throat softly.
Anne turned and finally noticed the two men nearby.
For a brief moment surprise flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her usual poise.
A graceful smile appeared on her lips.
"I'm sorry," she said politely. "I didn't notice you were here."
Jamie immediately waved his hands.
"It's okay, really."
Lucien gave a faint smile.
This calm, composed version of Anne felt far more genuine.
Much closer to the strong actress he remembered.
Lucien stepped forward.
"My name is Lucien. Rachel invited me here to help."
Anne nodded slowly.
"I understand."
Lucien's expression turned serious.
"I only need to ask one thing."
His gaze locked onto hers.
"Do you remember what happened in the dream?"
Anne's face tightened.
Then she slowly shook her head.
"No."
The answer made Lucien frown.
So the talisman protected the body—
but it did not preserve dream memory.
Interesting.
Which meant his own ability to remember everything was unusual.
He was, in some way, an exception.
And that exception might be the key to killing Freddy.