The moment Freddy vanished, the cross that had held Annie prisoner shattered into black dust.
Her body slipped free and fell gently onto the endless silver water.
Before she could sink, Lucien stepped forward and caught her in his arms.
Moonlight rippled across the dream sea beneath them.
For a brief moment, the battlefield was silent.
Lucien looked down at her carefully, his sharp eyes scanning for any lingering curse or wound.
Only after confirming that she was unharmed did the coldness in his gaze finally soften.
His expression eased.
Behind him, the stunned silence lasted only a second before the entire film crew erupted into cheers.
Some laughed.
Some cried.
Some simply collapsed to their knees in relief.
They had survived hell itself.
Nightmares.
Demons.
Burning worlds.
The deepest wounds buried inside their hearts.
This was far beyond a near-death experience.
Only those who had endured it could understand the terror.
The sound of celebration slowly stirred Annie awake.
Her eyelashes fluttered.
Then her eyes opened.
The first thing she saw was Lucien's face above her.
His dark eyes were calm, deep, and impossibly steady.
For a moment, she simply stared.
Then she whispered, almost dazed,
"…Am I dead?"
Fragments of memory rushed back.
The black serpent.
Freddy's laughter.
The talisman's light fading.
Darkness swallowing her consciousness.
Lucien's lips curved faintly.
"No."
"You're very much alive."
He paused, then added in a dry tone,
"And you still haven't paid me."
For a second Annie froze.
Then she laughed.
It was bright and warm, like fireworks against the night sky.
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him.
"Oh, you'll get paid."
"I don't run away from my debts, Lucien."
Lucien helped her sit up.
Then Annie suddenly remembered.
"Freddy… where is he?"
Lucien's gaze turned distant.
"I destroyed him."
He let the words settle before continuing.
"This battle consumed almost all of his remaining power."
"He shouldn't be able to revive again."
Shouldn't.
Even Lucien himself noticed the careful choice of words.
Still, Annie visibly relaxed.
Only then did she realize something strange.
Instead of solid ground, she was resting on the surface of endless water.
Instinctively, she grabbed Lucien's neck.
The sudden closeness made even her usually bold expression falter.
Lucien glanced down at her with quiet amusement.
"This world is my construct."
"You won't fall."
To prove it, he lightly touched the water.
Ripples spread beneath them like liquid moonlight.
No sinking.
No danger.
Carefully, Annie stretched one leg downward, testing the surface like a cautious cat.
When she realized it truly held her weight, she finally stepped down from his arms.
Her cheeks were slightly warm.
Lucien turned toward the others.
"It's over."
"You should all wake up soon."
The crew immediately bowed.
"Thank you, Lucien!"
"You saved all of us!"
His response was calm.
"I was only doing a favor."
Then he glanced toward Annie.
"If you want to thank someone, thank her."
"She's the one who brought me here."
At once, several members of the crew turned toward Annie with grateful smiles.
The sudden warmth caught her off guard.
Then she remembered Lucien's earlier words.
They'll thank me once they know the truth.
A smile slowly spread across her face.
He had been right.
Again.
One by one, the crew members began fading away, waking in the real world.
Soon only Lucien and Annie remained.
She looked at him.
"Aren't you leaving?"
Lucien raised an eyebrow.
"This is a dream."
"You can wake up whenever you want."
Annie laughed softly.
"Alright, alright."
"My mysterious Eastern wizard."
Before disappearing, she stepped forward and wrapped him in a sudden hug.
Then her form dissolved into moonlit mist.
Silence returned.
Lucien slowly opened his eyes.
The room was dimly lit.
The crew had already awakened and were gathered nearby.
The moment they saw him sit up, relief spread across every face.
Then the crowd parted.
Annie walked toward him.
Her expression was soft.
Almost tender.
She stopped right in front of him.
Then opened her arms.
Around them, the crew began smiling.
A few started clapping.
Soon the entire room filled with cheers and laughter.
Lucien's lips lifted into a faint smile.
For the first time that night, the tension seemed truly gone.
He stepped forward.
And embraced her.
Then—
cold pain.
A sharp, burning sensation exploded through his chest.
Lucien's body froze.
A familiar clawed hand had pierced straight through him.
Blood spilled down the front of his shirt.
The cheering stopped.
The world blurred.
Annie jolted awake.
Rachel immediately rushed forward and hugged her.
"Annie! Thank God, you're awake!"
Her mind was still foggy.
But something felt wrong.
Terribly wrong.
She quickly looked around.
The others were waking up.
Talking.
Crying.
Relieved.
Everything seemed normal.
Then she realized—
Lucien wasn't there.
Her heart dropped.
"Where's Lucien?"
Rachel blinked.
"He's resting in your room. Jamie carried him there."
Annie's face turned white.
Without another word, she ran.
She threw open the door to her room.
Lucien lay on the bed.
Still.
Peaceful.
Too peaceful.
A dreadful realization hit her.
"No…"
Her voice trembled.
"No, no, no!"
She rushed forward and grabbed his shoulders.
"Lucien!"
"Wake up!"
"Lucien!!"
Rachel ran in behind her.
"What's wrong?"
Annie's eyes filled with tears.
"Wake him up!"
"Hurry!"
"If we're late—"
"Freddy will kill him!"
"Hehe."
A sharp laugh echoed through the darkness.
The smiling Annie standing before Lucien suddenly tore away her own face.
Beneath it—
burned flesh.
A twisted grin.
Freddy.
He flicked blood from his claws.
"How was the performance?"
His grin widened.
Lucien lay on the ground, blood pouring from his chest.
Motionless.
For the first time in a long while, pure joy filled Freddy's eyes.
He had done it.
He had killed him.
The one person who had truly threatened him.
The one who had forced him into fear.
Now dead.
Freddy threw back his head and laughed.
"Hehe…"
"My finest work yet."
His voice dripped with triumph.
"Such power…"
"And yet you still died by my hands."
He looked down at Lucien's body with vicious satisfaction.
From now on, his name would spread like plague.
Fear.
Death.
Nightmare.
He would become legend.
His laughter echoed through the void.
"Hehe—"
Then it stopped.
A soft laugh came from behind him.
Cold.
Mocking.
Deliberate.
"Heh."
Freddy's entire body stiffened.
For the first time—
real horror appeared on his face.
Slowly, trembling, he turned around.