"I'm clearly the only one conscious here," Sunny thought, scanning his surroundings vigilantly.
Only five Crawlers stood guard nearby, their grotesque forms twitching lazily — clearly not expecting any of them to wake up anytime soon.
"Nonchalance can be a weakness," Sunny mused as he tried using brute force to break the vines binding his wrists. But no matter how hard he pulled, it felt like an ant trying to move a mountain.
Frustration crept through his veins. The vines weren't just physical restraints; they pulsed like living things, cold and unyielding. Finally, he stopped struggling, exhaling deeply.
Then, an idea struck him — and a wild grin stretched across his face.
Summoning his daggers, he aimed them just above the vines. With a sharp flash and a loud crack, the bonds snapped apart.
He repeated the same for his legs until his feet touched the ground again. The moment he landed, Sunny's body blurred — splitting into five shadows at once. The grin widened on his face.
"Yeah… this feels like old times," he said, his voices overlapping.
All five clones spun their daggers in unison and lunged at the Crawlers. Before the creatures even understood what was happening, their bodies hit the ground lifelessly — their antennae cleanly severed.
Sunny dashed toward Lilith's position while two of his clones rushed to free Dracula.
"Hey… Lilith! Lilith!" he called softly, kneeling beside her. Tears streamed down her cheeks even in unconsciousness. Sunny reached out to shake her awake—
But then, a whisper echoed in his head. The same voice that had once called Lilith's name in his illusion.
> "If I were you, I wouldn't do that," the voice said calmly. "Forcibly waking someone from an illusion can damage their core — or even shatter it. They might only survive for a few days."
Sunny's hand froze mid-air. His grip tightened on his dagger, scanning the empty forest.
"Who are you?" he asked mentally.
> A playful giggle responded, faint but mocking. "Who I am isn't important. What matters is that you leave this place soon. The longer you stay, the weaker your summoned ones will become. Get stronger quickly, Sunny."
The voice faded into nothing, as if swallowed by the mist itself.
Turning toward his clones, Sunny saw them slapping Dracula repeatedly in an attempt to wake him.
"Enough," Sunny commanded mentally. The clones stopped at once — one guarding Lilith, two watching the perimeter, one standing near Dracula.
Sunny sighed, rubbing his temple. "Think, damn it… there has to be a way."
He tried calling his system multiple times, but nothing answered. No blue screen, no flicker, no text. Just silence.
Taking a deep breath, Sunny did the one thing he hated — talking from the heart.
He knelt beside Lilith again, holding her soft, warm hand.
"Lilith… I know you're in there somewhere. Please, come back. Your master needs you — more than ever." His voice trembled slightly. "Whatever dream you're having right now, it isn't real. None of this is. The world's already crazy enough being upside down."
He swallowed hard. "I realized how distant I've been lately… always chasing this damn mission, ignoring the one person who's always been beside me. Please… wake up."
The forest grew silent — suffocatingly quiet. Even the wind held its breath.
Then, Lilith's body twitched. Her brows furrowed, her lips trembling. Sunny's eyes widened as holy light burst from her body, engulfing the entire forest.
Screeches echoed everywhere — agonized, countless — as the remaining Crawlers wailed and fled into the shadows. The light burned through their illusions, their poison, their very existence.
When the radiance finally faded, Lilith collapsed forward, tears streaming down her face as she buried her head in Sunny's chest.
Sunny held her tightly, resting his chin on her head, memories flashing of Treasure — her laugh, her tiny hands — and for a moment, his heart ached so painfully he could barely breathe.
They stayed like that in silence, only Lilith's quiet sobs breaking the stillness.
Then a dry, familiar voice croaked nearby.
"Ahem… I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Dracula said, his tone teasing but tired. "Would you two lovebirds mind helping me down from up here?"
Sunny and Lilith quickly pulled apart, faces flushed.
Dracula smirked. "Ohh, I remember… 'Lilith, I've been so distant… I ignored what truly matters…'" He mimicked dramatically, clutching his chest. "I think I might be crazily in love with you~ Boo-hoo-hoo!"
He burst out laughing, clearly enjoying himself far too much.
Sunny's expression darkened instantly. "Yeah… pardon me. Let me get you down."
Gripping his daggers so tightly his veins bulged, Sunny spun them midair and hurled them toward Dracula. His clones followed.
A metallic flash — then a thud, and a painful scream.
"AAAHHH! My knees! My damn knees are bent backwards! Why am I even—oh hey, hi Mom…" Dracula groaned, lying on the ground with his head half-buried in leaves.
Sunny chuckled quietly, ignoring him as Lilith giggled softly beside him.
"It seems whatever lived in this forest has been scared off by your holy light," Sunny said, scanning the area. "We need to find the membrane that brought us here before it closes."
The clones merged back into him, their forms dissolving like smoke.
Realizing they weren't going to help, Dracula shouted, "Hey! You bastards! You're just gonna leave me limping like this?!"
He stumbled after them, swearing under his breath. "You son of a—just you wait! What doesn't kill me will haunt you!"
Sunny only grinned wider.
They reached the shimmering membrane — now pulsing weakly like a dying heartbeat. Sunny glanced back once, silently saying goodbye to the twisted world of the Crawlers.
And with that, they leapt in.
---
When Sunny opened his eyes again, they were back in the parking lot.
The same dark, gloomy sky hung above. The same abandoned cars, rusted trains, and the same eerie silence welcomed them back.
The membrane was gone — vanished without a trace.
Sunny exhaled slowly. "Home sweet hell," he muttered.
Lilith smiled faintly beside him. "At least… this hell is ours."
Dracula groaned behind them, limping. "Yeah, yeah… next time, remind me not to travel with psychopaths and angels."
Sunny smirked. "Noted."
And with that, they walked deeper into the endless ruin — the mist slowly swallowing their silhouettes once more.