I'll Make You Mine

Nightmare's Labyrinth: Dream?

(Content warnings: Torture, psychological torture, hallucinations, eye gore, minor mouth gore, noncon body modification, hypnosis/mind control, child torture, injuries via glass, pseudo-death, minor body horror, bad pun. Yipee! This chapter is fun.)

Dream fell to the ground, and it was a miracle his bones didn't break. His emaciated body trembled as he sat up and looked around. He tried to nap, but the portal opened beneath him snapped him out of it. They were in a hall made of gray bricks varying in shade. It seemed familiar, yet they couldn't place why. He could've sworn the corridor was shifting, but that could've been his tired eye lights.

"Hell- hello? Core? Cross? Blue? Is anyone here?" Dream's voice was raspy from lack of use and lack of water. His voice echoed through the corridor, but no one responded.

His body went cold like a coat of ice covered his body. Dream knew the feeling from anywhere, especially from the last month or so of torture. He looked down at the Anti-Magic cuffs on his wrists. They had been attached so long that they began to rub his wrists raw, leaving nasty wounds.

Nightmare's smooth voice echoed through the space. "Welcome. welcome, my dear prisoners. I assume you have many questions about your current predicament. Let me explain. This is a challenge I came up with to deal with you. It's a maze you must traverse to get to the other side. There is no time limit, so don't feel pressured to rush and hurt yourselves. The rules are simple, there are three. One, no magic allowed. However, you can have your weapons back." The voice paused and Dream's twin blades clattered down in front of them. They were useless as a bow since he had no arrows, magic or otherwise. 

"Two, you may team up with your friends if you see them. It's not my fault nor the fault of anyone else if they're . . . different. Three, the challenges will involve you challenging your moral compasses. Don't be afraid to act a little selfish to survive. If you find your way out, you will be free to leave. If you don't, you'll still belong to me. Is that fair? Good. That's what I assumed. Ta ta." The voice went silent, leaving Dream to only hear their own breathing.

"Nightmare . . . why." Dream muttered. Sighing, he picked up the swords off the ground. He looked around for an exit but saw nothing. The only path was the corridor ahead. To freedom, to death, to better, or worse, Dream didn't know. He didn't have a choice. The hall was as cold as Nightmare's soul. The walls were made of bricks tainted with purple. While his aura-sensing magic worked for a while since he was so powerful, it couldn't anymore. They wished it did.

They watched for the others, cautious. He stopped and yelped as he felt something clench around his foot. He kicked and pulled it out of what appeared to be a large mouse trap. This place was booby-trapped. He still heard nothing of the others, no sign they were okay.

Dream walked a while longer until he came across a fork in the structure. Purple glitter shone on both paths, enchanting the maze. Dream's gaze flipped between both paths. They feared one of them would lead him to a hole where he would fall to his death. Truthfully, compared to everything else, an eternity of falling through darkness sounded peaceful. Dream looked around and spotted some pebbles. He picked both of them up and threw them down the hall. They both bounced and made an equal amount of noise, equally safe, he wouldn't die yet. Dream hummed, taking the left path after a bit more thought.

What were these puzzles Nightmare spoke of? That's what worried Dream the most. He wasn't mentally prepared for the horrors his brother had up his sleeve. They had to get out, it may be their only way back home.

==============================================================================

"I hate that octopus bruh . . ."

Epic trudged through the maze, muttering to himself. He squeezed his chicken to have something to do. The only thing to keep him interested was the hallways kept changing directions. He ignored the scuttles and creaks because he knew it was Nightmare trying to scare him. Or one of the Murder Time Trio members. Epic liked pranks, but those guys were just assholes. Was Nightmare serious about everyone being in here? Epic smirked. He wasn't going to break, he told himself that a thousand times in his cell.