Chapter 5: Nightmare

“Ugh…”

Hua Qi’an bit down weakly, trying to tear apart the water plants invading her throat from who knows where.

But her efforts seemed futile.

Unlike the delicate strands she’d seen before, the water plants now felt alive, wantonly playing inside her mouth.

Some even slid straight down her throat… burrowing into her body.

Her chaotic mind couldn’t think clearly, but instinctively, she knew—she shouldn’t be here.

…Then where should she be?

A suffocating sensation, like drowning, washed over her.

She seemed to be submerged in some body of water.

Unstoppable liquid seeped into her ears and nose…

A coolness, laced with deadly power, invaded her body.

She tried to open her mouth to scream, but the moment she did, she choked.

The water plants, twisting like living things, took advantage, digging in even deeper…

Ugh…

The sensation of foreign objects burrowing down her throat was far from pleasant.

Her eyes rolled back for a moment.

She retched instinctively.

But since she was underwater, even that was impossible.

Hua Qi’an tried to raise her hand, to tear off the strange water plants clinging to her body.

But she found her arms wouldn’t move…

Dazed, she looked down.

Her hands were bound tightly with iron chains.

A thick, heavy chain was wrapped around her bare ankle.

Despite being submerged for so long, the chain showed no signs of rust.

Thick water plants coiled around it—

At the other end of the chain was a block of iron, plastered with talisman papers.

It radiated a sense of ominousness.

Half of the iron block was buried in the mud below.

Clearly heavy, and old.

“Cough… ugh…”

Suddenly, the suffocation struck her brain again.

Hua Qi’an felt her neck being crushed.

She opened her mouth on reflex, only for water and water plants to pour in.

What little oxygen she had left was stolen away.

It wasn’t water plants—

It felt like hands… choking her neck…

Tightly.

As if trying to strangle her to death.

“Mm…”

The air in her chest dwindled.

Her consciousness grew fuzzy.

The pressure and pain pressed against her neck, and only a painful gasp escaped her lips.

In a haze, she seemed to see her childhood once more…

“……”

Is this a life review?

Looks like she’s really going to die here, without even knowing why.

Her corpse probably wouldn’t be found for a long time…

She wondered if that person would look sad when they heard the news…

Faces and figures flashed through her mind.

Hua Qi’an looked calmly at the people from her memories.

Until she stopped on a single face.

“Wan Gui…”

Her lips trembled soundlessly.

Xia Wan Gui.

Her childhood friend.

“……”

Why, even now…

Can’t she remember what she looked like?

“Ah… ugh…”

She really was at her limit.

The “hands” around her neck weren’t just choking her…

They scratched her skin with sharp nails—

Damn it, what the hell is this thing!

Is there really nothing she can do?

The sharp scraping burned her skin, and in the last moment of clarity, Hua Qi’an’s muddled mind cleared for a few seconds.

A glint of ferocity flashed in her usually calm eyes.

Pain shot from her tongue.

She bit down, hard, taking the water plants in her mouth with her.

The thick taste of blood instantly filled her mouth.

She had already realized—this wasn’t a real “body of water”.

Otherwise, she’d have drowned long ago.

This had to be a dream.

So she needed to wake up.

Her memories from before all returned.

Hua Qi’an remembered filming a video in an abandoned house—then fainting.

So this must be the dream she fell into after passing out.

The blood-soaked water plants stilled for a few seconds.

Then, as if exorcised, they retreated from her mouth.

“Ah…”

The sudden withdrawal from her throat made Hua Qi’an shudder.

But then she finally felt a bit lighter.

Realizing it was a dream, Hua Qi’an regained her composure.

The world in front of her blurred, as if the water plants had receded…

But Hua Qi’an knew this was only the calm before the storm.

A human silhouette slowly appeared before her.

A wave of familiarity surged in her chest.

She more or less knew the identity of the figure…

Because its hands were still wrapped around her neck.

Did she… do something to anger this person?

Hua Qi’an quickly searched her mind for anyone who might hate her…

But soon, she let out a wry smile.

It was already a ridiculous dream, so what was the point in analyzing it?

“Sss…”

Even if it was a dream, the pain didn’t lessen at all.

The metallic taste of blood still filled her mouth.

Suddenly, Hua Qi’an felt the pressure on her neck ease.

Though she couldn’t see the “figure’s” face clearly, Hua Qi’an somehow knew—

It was looking at her.

Even the pain couldn’t wake her from the “dream”…

Did she need to start with this “human shape” instead?

Another one of those bizarre dreams…

As Hua Qi’an’s thoughts raced, an abnormality struck.

Her whole body trembled.

Hua Qi’an couldn’t believe it—the chill pressing against her lips.

Her vision faded into haze.

So cold…

A cold, wet, flexible tongue replaced the water plants, invading her mouth.

The taste of blood was swept away.

This…

Was this thing… kissing her?

Why?

The hands that had been choking her now pinched her face.

Hua Qi’an felt the dull ache in her cheeks.

Though the strangling eased…

Her breath was stolen in a more domineering way.

Hua Qi’an tried to break free from the kiss.

But whether she turned her head or struggled, it was useless.

Her body remained bound, unable to move.

Finally, the figure released her.

No longer tormenting her poor mouth.

At some point, the shadow had become nearly transparent, letting Hua Qi’an vaguely make out its features…

She squinted, familiar déjà vu and memories flashing through her mind.

This shadow… wore the same clothes as that thing she saw in the mirror—

Did it appear in her dream because she was scared into unconsciousness?

Once she realized the truth of the “dream,” the faint fear in her chest dissipated.

“What… do you want?”

As expected, this wasn’t reality.

Hua Qi’an’s voice came out smoothly.

It echoed as if from the depths of water.

One second.

Two seconds.

No response.

Just as Hua Qi’an was about to speak again, she suddenly felt a tickling at her feet.

Gritting her teeth, she looked down.

The water plants that had been wrapped around the chain were slowly creeping toward her.

They had already touched her soles.

[Qi’an… Qi’an…]

The figure before her finally made a sound.

It was a wet, sticky call, like something from the depths of a sunless abyss.

It kept repeating a name.

“You… know me?”

Hua Qi’an couldn’t help but be drawn in.

This shadow—repeating her name—what was it?

Even as the tickling on her feet grew unbearable, Hua Qi’an tried to ignore it.

[You promised… never to leave…]

[ Liar… ]

The mournful, piercing voice rang out again.

With it, the choking pressure and foreign sensation returned to her neck.

[Hehehehe… let’s be together forever…]

“Ah… guh…”

Death pressed in again, Hua Qi’an’s mind spinning desperately.

Those last two sentences were her only clues—her last hope.

The one she promised never to leave, to be together forever…

The one she betrayed and lied to…

That person was—

Uh…

Who?

…Who?

Hua Qi’an’s consciousness sank into darkness.