Lucien dusted his hands together lightly after finishing with the unconscious crew.
Annie stared at him in complete disbelief.
"What did you just do?"
Her voice was filled with shock.
Lucien looked at her calmly, as if what he had done was the most natural thing in the world.
"Relax. I only knocked them out."
Annie looked at the director and the others sprawled across the floor, each with a talisman attached.
"I know you knocked them out!" she said anxiously. "But why? They weren't even asleep yet, and now you've practically handed them over to Freddy!"
Her heart was pounding.
Wasn't this the same as giving Freddy fresh prey?
Lucien remained completely composed.
"Don't worry. People don't dream while unconscious in deep sleep."
He crouched beside the director and adjusted the talisman on his forehead.
"The force I used was precise. Enough to render them unconscious, not enough to cause real damage."
He stood up and added calmly,
"And to make sure Freddy can't drag them back once they wake up, I've already placed protection on each of them."
His gaze swept across the room.
"Perfect."
Annie looked down at the rapidly swelling bump on the director's forehead, then slowly looked back at Lucien.
"Are you… absolutely sure?"
Lucien answered without hesitation.
"Of course."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"When they learn the truth, they'll probably thank me."
Then his expression changed.
His eyes shifted toward the wall.
No.
Not the wall.
It was as if he was staring through it.
As if someone was staring back.
Annie immediately understood.
Freddy.
Lucien's smile turned sharp.
"What?"
His voice was low, cold, and almost mocking.
"Too scared to invite me into your nightmare?"
The moment the words left his mouth—
The world exploded.
Flames burst out from every corner.
A raging inferno swallowed the room whole.
Heat crashed into them like a tidal wave.
The walls cracked.
Furniture burst into flames.
The ceiling collapsed with a deafening roar.
Sparks rained down like fiery snow.
Annie screamed and instinctively crouched, covering her head.
But the pain never came.
A soft golden light enveloped her body.
The collapsing beams shattered against the protective aura.
Lucien raised one hand.
A violent gust of wind erupted.
The smoke, debris, and flames were swept aside instantly.
The inferno split apart.
Then—
A sound echoed from the darkness.
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
Metal scraping against metal.
Slow footsteps.
And then came the laugh.
"Hehehehe… hahaha…"
Freddy stepped out of the shadows.
Burned skin.
Twisted grin.
His razor glove gleamed beneath the firelight.
He clapped slowly.
"Bravo."
His ugly face twisted into a grotesque smile.
"This is the first time I've seen someone like you."
His eyes locked onto Lucien.
"How did you obtain such power?"
Before Annie could even breathe, a sharp pain tore through her stomach.
She gasped.
Blood soaked through her clothes.
She looked down in horror.
Cuts and wounds were appearing across her body.
The memories of her previous nightmares came flooding back.
Pain.
Blood.
Fear.
Her body began trembling violently.
The terror rose inside her like a storm.
"Stay calm."
Lucien's voice cut through the darkness.
His tone was firm and commanding.
"Don't forget."
His eyes remained on Freddy.
"Fear makes him stronger."
Those words hit Annie like a lifeline.
She clenched her fists.
Slowly, her breathing steadied.
The fear receded.
Freddy clicked his tongue in disappointment.
"What a waste."
He sighed dramatically.
"The taste of fear is always exquisite."
His smile widened.
"But some fool keeps ruining it."
The flames vanished.
Darkness swallowed everything.
In the next instant, the world changed again.
Cold moonlight fell across broken earth.
An abandoned house stood before them.
Its windows were shattered.
Its wooden walls rotted with age.
In front of it, a group of children were playing.
Jumping rope.
Laughing.
Singing.
Their childish voices echoed through the night.
"One, two… Freddy's coming for you…"
"Three, four… better lock your door…"
"Five, six… cover your face…"
"Seven, eight… your breathing stops…"
"Nine, ten… never sleep again…"
Annie instinctively moved closer to Lucien.
Her face had turned pale.
"They're…"
Lucien's expression remained unreadable.
"The children Freddy murdered in life."
His voice was calm.
"Their souls are trapped here."
He began walking toward the house.
"Come on. They won't hurt us."
Inside, the smell of damp wood and rot filled the air.
Annie covered her nose.
But what shocked her most was Lucien's complete calmness.
"How are you doing this?"
Lucien glanced at her.
"Because this is still your dream."
Annie frowned.
"What?"
"Freddy may manipulate the nightmare, but the dream still belongs to the sleeper."
He lifted one hand.
"If your will is strong enough, you can shape it."
Annie looked confused.
"Shape it… how?"
Lucien smiled faintly.
"Like this."
Suddenly—
The roar of an engine shattered the silence.
Annie's eyes widened.
A chainsaw had appeared in Lucien's hands.
Its blade spun violently.
The engine screamed.
Lucien's smile deepened.
"To be honest, I only thought of trying this earlier."
He revved it harder.
"But it works better than expected."
Without warning—
He spun and slashed backward.
SCREEEECH—
Sparks exploded.
Annie turned and froze.
Freddy had appeared behind them.
His razor glove blocked the chainsaw.
The collision lit up his hideous face.
For the first time—
Freddy looked shocked.
Lucien pushed harder.
The chainsaw screamed.
Freddy's expression darkened.
Then suddenly he vanished into the shadows.
Lucien looked down at the weapon in his hands with satisfaction.
"This thing is actually useful."
His movements suddenly felt smoother.
Lighter.
More natural.
As if the dream itself was beginning to obey him.
Then something changed.
He could feel it.
His soul.
It had grown stronger.
Lucien's eyes narrowed.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
So resisting Freddy inside the dream strengthened the soul itself.
At that thought, his lips curved into a dangerous smile.
He pulled the chainsaw's cord again.
The roar echoed through the abandoned house.
"Come on, Freddy."
His voice dropped into a cold whisper.
"Let me see where you're hiding."