Nightmares

chapter2

In the distance stood an empty bus station, shrouded in mist.

No cars, no uniformed staff—only silence.

The sky was overcast, a light drizzle falling steadily, while a small cluster of people gathered on the wide, cracked platform. Four, maybe five, travelers, judging by their luggage.

The station's decay was unmistakable. Exposed red bricks, chipped platforms, and rusted, dilapidated rain shelters created an unsettling atmosphere. What little shelter there was forced the travelers to huddle in a corner, trying to avoid the drizzle.

Their eyes, however, were drawn to one figure in the distance.

Through the veil of rain, about 30 meters away, a man stood motionless under an umbrella.

He hadn’t moved for ten minutes.

Just as the travelers began to murmur among themselves, the man stirred. He started walking toward the platform.

Closer and closer.

As he approached, it became clear that the man was tall, well-built, with a rugged yet striking appearance. A workman’s jacket hung loosely on his frame, several sizes too large. But below...

Below, he wore plaid pajama pants, and on his feet were soaked cartoon plush slippers, slapping wetly against the ground with every step.

Jiang Cheng folded his umbrella, rainwater cascading down its surface and forming small streams that dripped onto the platform. He had arrived here hurriedly, in his sleep.

The travelers stared at him, wide-eyed.

A petite girl with an innocent face broke the silence, her voice cautious.

"Are you... a newcomer?"

"Don’t ask stupid questions," a man with a thick beard and a burly build grumbled, casting a sideways glance at the girl. His gaze then flicked to Jiang Cheng’s soaked slippers for a brief second before settling on his face.

He stared at Jiang Cheng with a predatory intensity, scrutinizing him as though sizing up prey. After a long pause, the man spoke again, his voice low and gravelly. "An interesting newcomer. Showing up here so calm… that's rare."

There were five people in total.

Jiang Cheng quickly scanned his surroundings—no one else seemed to be near the station.

Aside from the innocent-looking girl and the bearded brute, there was a woman around 35, with thin lips and a mole by the side of her mouth. Her face was plain, easily forgettable.

Next to her stood a middle-aged man in his 50s, balding and lewd-looking.

Finally, there was a young man dressed like a clerk, his hair meticulously combed, but his eyes red and puffy as if he'd recently cried. His posture was unnaturally stooped, as if burdened by something more than just exhaustion.

Jiang Cheng studied each face in turn, then fixed his gaze on the bearded man. "Where is this place?"

The burly man smirked. "We call it the Dream Realm. Everyone who comes here enters through a dream... through a black iron door that doesn’t exist."

Jiang Cheng gave a slight nod—this matched his experience. "What do we need to do?"

"Find clues, complete the mission, and do your best to stay alive in the process," the bearded man replied matter-of-factly, pointing toward the rain-soaked distance. "This 'Dream Realm' is just a name given by those who first experienced it. We don’t know what it really is, or where it comes from. So don’t bother asking—we don’t have the answers."