Nightmare Mythos

"Gahh…"

As blood dripped from his feet, César spat out a mouthful of blood, then wiped it away with a smirk before forcing himself out from the grip of the crooked spike.

He then looked at the side and called lowly, "Jeremiah…"

Jeremiah appeared different from the superficial dreamscape Cesar was in earlier. One thing about his purge ability was that he didn't have any dismissed ability from the Nightmare. Still, it was activated which was confusing enough.

"What were we doing…?"

Cesar used the bandage he used to cover his eyes to knot his injured foot, revealing a grotesque hole in his eye before answering.

"If you remember looking at its eyes after meeting it in this place, then it only meant we had almost become one of its puppets,"

Jeremiah pondered his words before replying, "I did look at its eyes. But something changes a second later. Everything felt heavy after or was it before? I couldn't tell. And before I knew it, I was in a strange… domain. Well, it's even stranger since it is a place back in my hometown, with my wife and kid having fun."

He paused, "I was so happy at that place that I refused to believe any heaviness I was feeling to be real. That… abruptly stopped however and my body moved on its own to help you,"

Cesar stared at Jeremiah blankly and retorted, "That came out of nowhere,"

"Hey…!"

Jeremiah wanted to argue at how arrogant his tone sounded before letting out a chuckle and moving his gaze forward, not directly looking at the two red eyes of the Nightmare.

Not going to test if Cesar's theory was true by looking at it by mistake, Jeremiah questioned.

"Okay, so all you had to do is not look it directly in the eyes?"

Cesar nodded once before adding, "You're going to use your first facet now? Don't worry, I'll keep my distance and strike when I need to so… go wild,"

'How come you knew my facet—you know what, it doesn't matter,'

Jeremiah mused inwardly, letting out a sigh before he vanished from his place. He sprinted his way toward the Nightmare while holding the spear in his hand.

"Nicotara!"

After hearing and shouting that name time and time again, Cesar started to get annoyed hearing the true name of the Nightmare. He might be better off sticking with their Nightmare Titles rather than continuously shouting their name nonstop.

But at this point in time, anything that can be used will be used.

Swoosh—!

"Agh!"

Cesar tried to exert a movement but his injured foot made it hard to do so. As of now, the puppets had already left his side and went near the Nightmare to protect it from Jeremiah.

"Purge… Dismiss!"

But those puppets plopped down on the ground right in the instant as the dismiss ability that Jeremiah had gotten was no other than the ability to manipulate the darkness. It was the same thing that is used to control somebody.

Because of it momentarily being stolen, the puppets being shrouded with shadows slowly vanished and Cesar was able to see through what those shadows are made of.

And as he already speculated, they were corrupted humans that came under the Nightmare. Cedeit didn't really straight away say that these shadows are made from corrupted humans but just mentioned he and his cohort are going to have to fight the Nightmare and corrupted humans together.

'I guess it's all the same in the end…'

"Hey,"

Jolting after hearing the voice that went missing in action throughout the time he needed the most, Cesar immediately composed himself while remaining unresponsive.

He didn't like to involve himself any further with Cedeit.

Well, that isn't entirely true.

The voice might be a key to getting out of the mansion after all.

"The one fighting that Nightmare is going to lose and die,"

Cesar was very aware of this matter which is why he wasn't sure why Jeremiah was pushing himself.

That Nightmare isn't just going to be defeated after one of its powers was stolen. They are very unpredictable creatures that as long as it is breathing their last breath, will continue to fight.

Besides, the path towards the ancient door was still being blocked by a dim wall. For them to pass to the other side, they had to eliminate it no matter what.

That's why Cesar was thinking of solutions.

Up to the start until this moment, Cesar never stopped thinking.

But everything seemed to be futile. The battle of attrition is going to make the Nightmare win after Jeremiah loses his purge, Cesar gets killed, and the rest get controlled.

What a very anticlimactic ending.

But what can he do at this point? The opportunity that Jeremiah will make might probably not come.

Heck, Cesar already imagined this scenario in the first place. Funny enough, he was about to suggest earlier that they just kept shouting its True Name… until it got annoyed somehow and let them exit through the ancient door.

It was such ridiculous thinking that Cesar discovered he had become a moody person. Something had formed while he was inside this place.

However, the voice didn't seem done talking to Cesar.

"I will defeat that Nightmare for you,"

Even though Cesar appeared to have become crazy at this point, he willingly still chose to survive. Hence whatever possible, whether disgraceful or spiteful, he was willing to gamble on it again.

'The voice will defeat the Nightmare?'

Cesar's muddled eyes became clear for a brief moment before retorting, "For sure this is not for free. What's in it for you?"

The even voice replied after a whole minute, "When all of this ends, your little adventures inside this mansion, you're going to let me take your body."

The battle between Jeremiah and Nightmare with shadow puppets seems to be in its last act.

"Nicotara!"

And no matter how many times Jeremiah called for the Nightmare's name, he wasn't really winning. All of his efforts were nothing but in vain.

Watching the helplessness on his front while pretty much tired from all these happenings, Cesar couldn't help but let out a surrendered sigh and smiled cheekily.

"Okay, sure. You can try to take my body away from me,"

The eerie voice was silent for a brief moment, pondering why that single statement sounded eerie even for a being like him before disregarding it completely.

"You are very cooperative,"

"And, you're slowly showing your true colors Cedeit. I was getting worried that you're a very friendly fellow who's here to guide me to get out,"

Cesar paused briefly after seeing there was no other thing that Cedeit to add or retort, "What do I do now?"

Cedeit answered evenly, "Don't worry, all you have to do is open your Subconsciousness, and viola. I can get a bit of myself to control you and do the rest,"

Cesar frowned, "Subconsciousness—anyway, how?"

Cesar wanted to ask what those words meant but immediately halted from getting curious since he knew Cedeit might not entertain his questions.

And he was right as the voice remained silent for a while before answering.

"Opening the subconsciousness is easy. All you have to do is… well, un-conscious yourself, I guess? Then, I'll handle the rest"

"…"

Cesar was left speechless by the requirement.