Nightmare Mythos

'It's coming…'

Cesar felt crestfallen once he realized the incoming Nightmare was dashing toward them instead of waiting as it did earlier. Once he realized they were in a pinch, he couldn't help but shift his expression to the one he was piggybacking.

Erin was also stupefied but not entirely surprised since saying the True Name of the Nightmare was also the first for them, and the only thing they knew about it was that a Nightmare would have a certain 'effect' upon being mentioned from the other mouths.

It didn't mean this secret would make them instantly die.

"Bring it on!" Erin gritted his teeth before informing Quentin, his voice thrilled, "You continue watching the Nightmare! We're going to pass it with my power."

Cesar couldn't help but gulp since it would mean that he and the rest would have no choice but to meet the Nightmare in its way. Rerouting or changing their direction wouldn't matter anyway.

"Okay!"

Jeremiah, Klaus, and Amar completely trusted Erin's judgment on their situation. Quentin didn't have any choice anyway but Cesar had his feelings mixed.

He was doubting the shorty's capabilities now. After all, the Nightmare dashing towards them looked like it could see the camouflage, and eliminating a puny human's power would be a piece of cake.

'Please go through…'

Whoosh—!

The Nightmare who was back being shrouded with darkness seemed irritated as its steps brought a slight quake that was slowly being felt to the group. The shadow on the floor grew darker before it grabbed a huge blade with its two elongated hands.

"G-get ready! Twenty meters!"

As the shadow puppets surrounded and tried to weaken the camouflage unseen on their way, Erin clenched his fist to prepare for the worst attack.

His [A Gum] works that way. Not only it is soundproof, but it could also pass through obstacles or certain objects while being unseen into the eyes of some lower beings in exchange for how much Erin was willing to expend his essence to get through.

It had to be exactly, less some parts of the camouflage might not get the same benefits as most others.

"Ten Meters!"

Slash—!

"Five—Huh!?"

Seeing the swinging black blade coming to them vertically in that long distance, the rest of the group sensed a strong lingering sensation that something had passed through their bodies but didn't physically happen.

It was a dreadful sensation.

And It was the first one they passed through.

Watching its attack fail, the Nightmare revealed a dark mouth that slowly extended into the size of a normal car before trying to eat the incoming group that bravely went on its way.

Swoosh—!

Yet once again, its attack was futile.

The cohort happened to pass by again without any problems.

The only one who could watch the horror of almost being sliced in half and eaten alive was Quentin who almost stumbled on his running twice. Just being a mere spectator didn't do well for his self-mentality.

But his relief was brief before he saw the Nightmare disappear from his previous position and appear right beside the cohort's camouflage.

"The Nightmare is attacking again!"

Slash—!

The Nightmare brought its blade down once more but it only did no damage to the group, and merely passed through the blade as if it were mere air.

Slash—!

"At the front—"

Right in the frontlines, the Nightmare used its teleportation ability and continued harassing the group with the use of its blade even though everything seemed futile on its part.

Swoosh—!

It didn't seem to tire and persistently pursued the group as it continued bringing its blade down.

The lingering sensation they felt on their bodies was proof of how many times they died at the hands of the same Nightmare if not for the fact that the camouflage was protecting them, evading those attacks without any trouble.

Slash—!

Touching his neck, sensing that he was just hit there, Cesar couldn't help but be nervous throughout this whole ordeal.

It was unbelievable that a facet was able to withstand Nightmare attacks in the first place. What's most surprising is they were going through unscathed by most of it.

Plop—!

Suddenly, Cesar's happiness was short-lived after he felt something dropping on the side of his cheek. Once his eyes shifted onto it, a feeling of dread crept upon him.

It was blood.

Cesar slightly glanced upwards before his face turned into terror the moment he saw the situation of Erin in his view.

He was bleeding from his holes. His eyes felt like he was crying in blood, the same as his ears and mouth which continued to relentlessly pour out blood due to the excessive amount of essence he was using while salvaging all the damages from the Nightmare.

He was on the brink of essence burden, a case where one lacking any essence to use yet continuously used them that it started to target and use its body as a catalyst. It was different from essence exhaustion where a person is merely on the brink of not having any essence.

Erin… already run out of essence to use the moment the first attack of the Nightmare came to them.

Now he was using his body to push forward so that the cohort could at least get through themselves.

Slash—!

"Sir—"

"Kid…"

Erin interrupted and looked at Cesar with a sad smile before adding, "It's… okay. Let me be… selfish this time. It's a... price to pay. I… want all of you to get… out of here. As for me… well, nothing has been good in my life so for once… I want it to be something I can be… proud of,"

Cesar's eyes shook, "Sir, we'll find a way to fight the Nightmare. You… you don't have to do this."

Slash—!

As those sensations intensified from the Nightmare's attack while the rest of the group focused on their part, only the two were able to talk.

Erin then chuckled before retorting, "We've only known for three days… yet you're worried about my health. I mean, I do too. But it's too late now…"

Erin revealed a sickening flesh of smoke from his neck before informing silently, "Before even coming to the table, The Darkness… had already corrupted me,"