---
Jade fell into darkness.
There was no wind.
No sky.
No ground.
Only endless black swallowing him whole.
Pain still lingered in his body from the battle with the humanoid lion. His chest burned like molten iron. Every broken rib stabbed into his lungs each time he tried to breathe. Blood coated his lips.
Then—
the pain vanished.
Jade opened his eyes.
A crimson sky stretched endlessly above him.
The heavens looked wounded. Rivers of red clouds flowed overhead like bleeding scars. Beneath his feet was black earth cracked with glowing crimson veins, as though blood pulsed beneath the land itself.
Jade slowly rose.
The air was heavy.
Ancient.
Wrong.
Mountains surrounded him like jagged teeth, and in the far distance stood a throne built from bones—massive enough to dwarf cities.
Something sat upon it.
Jade's body froze.
It was enormous.
A beast larger than a mountain.
Its body resembled a lion forged from darkness and crimson flame. Thick fur burned like blood-red fire. Six golden horns curved backward from its skull. Six eyes blazed brighter than suns.
Its breath became storms.
Its gaze landed on Jade.
Instantly—
Jade dropped to one knee.
Pressure crashed over him like the heavens collapsing.
His bones screamed.
His bloodline trembled.
Even his shadow blood became still.
The creature stared at him for what felt like eternity.
Then it spoke.
Its voice rolled across the world like thunder.
"Bearer of all eight Blood."
Jade gritted his teeth and raised his head.
The god-beast's eyes glowed brighter.
"You stand before the Thousand Dreams Prison."
Jade's throat tightened.
"You seek power."
Its voice shook the sky.
"You seek strength."
The ground cracked beneath Jade's feet.
"You seek survival."
Jade clenched his fists.
The beast leaned forward.
"Then suffer."
The heavens split open.
A crimson crack tore through the sky like reality itself breaking apart.
"You shall walk four hundred dreams."
"You shall die four hundred deaths."
"You shall lose what you love four hundred times."
Jade's heartbeat thundered in his ears.
"And if your will breaks…"
The beast's voice became colder than death itself.
"You will never wake again."
Jade tried to speak.
"Why me…"
The god-beast stared down at him.
"Because only those who carry too much are chosen."
Then it whispered one final word.
"Begin."
Darkness swallowed him whole.
---
Rain.
Cold rain fell against Jade's skin.
He opened his eyes with a gasp.
He stood in the middle of a ruined village.
Fire consumed wooden homes.
Smoke darkened the sky.
Screams echoed through broken streets.
Jade's heart skipped.
Then he heard it.
"Jade…"
His head snapped toward the voice.
Seraphine.
He ran.
His feet splashed through mud and blood as he pushed through the ruined street.
Then he saw her.
Seraphine lay against a shattered wall.
Blood pooled beneath her.
Her breathing was weak.
Her crimson eyes looked dull.
Jade dropped beside her instantly.
"No…"
His hands trembled as he held her shoulders.
"No, no… stay with me."
Seraphine looked at him and gave a weak smile.
"You came…"
Jade's vision blurred.
"I'm here."
Her fingers touched his face.
"You came too late."
Her hand fell.
Her eyes lost their light.
Jade froze.
His entire world shattered.
Then—
pain exploded through his chest.
He looked down.
A monstrous claw had pierced straight through him from behind.
Blood spilled from his lips.
His knees buckled.
The village vanished into darkness.
---
Jade woke drowning.
Cold black water surrounded him.
He thrashed violently.
No surface.
No air.
Only endless darkness beneath.
His lungs burned.
He kicked upward.
Nothing.
Then pale hands emerged from the black water below.
Hundreds of them.
They grabbed his arms.
His legs.
His throat.
Dragging him deeper.
Jade screamed—
water flooded his lungs.
Darkness.
---
He woke standing on a battlefield.
Aaron screamed somewhere behind him.
Ella was wounded.
Mike buried under stone.
Monsters rushed from every side.
Jade charged.
Too slow.
A blade cut Aaron's throat.
Ella vanished beneath claws.
Mike was crushed beneath rubble.
Jade arrived seconds too late.
Every time.
He stood in the middle of corpses.
Then they all opened their eyes.
And stared at him.
"You failed us."
The earth beneath him opened.
Darkness swallowed him.
---
Dream after dream.
Death after death.
He burned.
Drowned.
Bled.
Fell.
Screamed.
He fought monsters stronger than anything he had seen.
He stood in graveyards filled with the names of everyone he loved.
He held Seraphine as she died in his arms again and again.
He saw Aaron blaming him.
Ella turning away from him.
Mike crushed beneath monsters.
Blake dead.
Cassie silent.
Henry broken.
Rylan bleeding out under crimson rain.
Again.
And again.
And again.
There was no mercy.
No rest.
Only suffering.
---
In one dream, Jade lived peacefully.
A small home stood beneath golden sunlight.
Seraphine sat beside him smiling.
A little girl ran through the grass laughing.
His daughter.
Jade sat beneath a tree and watched them.
Warmth filled his chest.
For the first time…
peace.
No monsters.
No war.
No blood.
Only laughter.
Then the sky split apart.
Black fire rained from heaven.
The house burned.
The child vanished.
Seraphine reached for him as flames consumed her.
"Why didn't you save us?"
Her body turned to ash in his arms.
Jade screamed until his throat tore apart.
Then darkness took him.
---
Another dream.
He fought himself.
The other Jade stood before him clad in darker armor.
Eyes colder.
Stronger.
Their swords clashed like thunder.
Blood painted the battlefield.
Jade fought until his arms became numb.
Until his body broke.
Still he fought.
The other Jade stepped forward and drove a blade through his throat.
Then whispered:
"You were never enough."
Darkness.
---
Another dream.
He climbed a mountain made of corpses.
At the summit sat the god-beast.
Watching.
Waiting.
Jade roared and attacked with everything he had.
The beast opened its jaws—
and swallowed him whole.
Darkness.
---
Then came the four hundredth dream.
Rain fell from a crimson sky.
Jade stood alone on a battlefield covered in bodies.
His sword was broken.
His armor shattered.
Blood ran down his arms.
His breathing was ragged.
Across from him stood everyone he loved.
Aaron.
Ella.
Mike.
Blake.
Cassie.
Henry.
Rylan.
And Seraphine.
All staring silently.
Jade's chest tightened.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
No one answered.
Seraphine stepped forward.
Rain slid across her pale face like tears.
Jade reached toward her.
"Seraphine…"
Her voice came soft.
"We waited for you."
Jade froze.
Then every one of them raised a weapon.
Pointed at him.
His heart stopped.
"No…"
The first blade pierced his stomach.
Aaron.
The second drove into his shoulder.
Ella.
The third through his side.
Mike.
Then another.
And another.
And another.
Steel entered flesh from every direction.
Jade fell to his knees.
Blood spilling into the mud beneath him.
Seraphine walked toward him slowly.
Her crimson eyes filled with sorrow.
She knelt before him.
Cradled his face gently in both hands.
Jade looked up at her through blurred vision.
"I tried…"
Her lips trembled.
"I know."
Then she kissed his forehead.
And drove a crimson blade into his heart.
Jade's body went still.
The rain kept falling.
Darkness swallowed him.
Far beyond the dream…
the god-beast watched in silence.
And waited for Dream 401.