The black door slowly shut on its own.A thunderous boom echoed—cutting off every possible escape.
A freezing wind swept through.Not an ordinary wind—but fear, given form.
Nightmare Man stood, leaning on his cane,watching the three of youwith unreadable eyes.
"Before we fight," you said,trying to steady your voice,"let everyone go."
Silence fell—heavy, suffocating—as if the entire castle had stopped breathing.
The Queen of Dreams stepped forward."They've done nothing wrong," she said calmly,though power lingered beneath her voice.
Nightmare Man chuckled softly."Wrong?""They chose to dream."
The rabbit clenched its paws."Dreams… shouldn't become prisons."Its voice trembled—but it didn't step back.
Nightmare Man tilted his head."And the real world?""Isn't it a prison too?"
Those words—cut deeper than expected.
You took a breath."It may hurt…""But waking up—is their right."
For the first time,Nightmare Man's eyes narrowed.His smile faded slightly.
"Right?" he murmured."I merely give themwhat reality never could."
The ground beneath your feet began to tremble.Black shadows crept along the walls—alive.
The Queen raised her head.The light around her flickered."You're destroying the balance."
Nightmare Man struck his cane against the floor.
Thud.
Reality itself distorted.
"Balance?" he said, voice low."Balance diedthe moment no one wanted to wake up."
The rabbit stepped beside you."That's enough," it said."If you won't release them—"
Nightmare Man looked down at it.Pale white eyes locked onto the small figure.
"And what will you do…little rabbit?"
Silence—tight enough to snap.
The rabbit paused—just for a moment—before answeringwith the firmest voice you had ever heard from it.
"We'll fight."
At that instant—the sky shattered.
Screams of nightmares echoed in every direction.
Nightmare Man smiled—wide—as if he had been waiting for this.
"Good," he said.
"Then I'll show you…what a true nightmare looks like."
Darkness surged forward.The ground split apart—becoming a battlefield.
The Queen raised her hand—light burst forth.
The rabbit leapt ahead—without hesitation.
You stepped forward too.Your heart pounded—but your resolve was clear.
The negotiation was over.
And the war of dreams—had begun.