In his nightmare, Philip was wracked with unbearable cramps, his face twisting in pain. Finally, the invisible strings holding him snapped, and he plummeted helplessly through the air.
"Ahhhh!"
The sickening feeling of free fall made Philip scream in terror.
Then—smack!—his face was slapped hard on both sides, swelling instantly.
"No, please!"
With a gasp, Philip jolted upright like he'd done a sit-up.
He was awake.
"You're up. Remember this—today, it was Golden Venom who saved you. Make it count."
The hero in a golden, Venom-like bodysuit gave him a long look before vaulting over the short guard wall and disappearing into the dark night.
"Golden Venom…?"
The nightmare had left Philip terrified, and surviving such a close brush with death left him frozen, blank-minded.
But soon, his will to live pulled him back to his senses.
Watching his savior stride away, Philip called out desperately, "Hero! Will I see you again? Will you save me next time? What's your phone number?"
No answer came.
"Philip! Philip!"
His fellow patients were shouting from the stairwell. Philip stared at the night sky, his heart full of confusion and fear.
"I saw that demon—he…"
Before he could finish, the skin on his hands and feet split open. Red muscle and tendons tore free, the bloody sight making the others scream.
"Get a doctor! He's bleeding out!"
---
As Philip was rushed into the ER, more bad news broke.
One of their fellow patients—Jennifer—had died.
She'd planned to move to Los Angeles after recovery and become an actress. Her dream was to be on TV.
She'd wanted it so badly.
But Freddy's appearance had destroyed that dream.
That same night, while Philip was being tossed around in the air like a puppet, Jennifer was killed.
When they found her, she was dead.
And her death was horrifying—she had literally dove headfirst into a TV, dying in a blast that left her skull crushed. In a twisted, literal sense, she had "made it onto television."
The official story said it was suicide—just like Philip supposedly "cut his own tendons."
Could that really be?
By any normal logic, no. It made no sense.
But the hospital insisted these were just symptoms of mental relapse—self-harm and suicidal behavior, nothing more.
Yet those haunted by their nightmares knew the truth.
It was the demon from their dreams.
In one night, one friend was dead, another barely survived.
Would any of them make it to tomorrow?
Kristen and Nancy exchanged a knowing look. Without saying a word, they both understood—they had to join forces.
One person alone couldn't stop Freddy. But together? Maybe they had a chance.
If death was inevitable, why not fight back?
As for Baring's demonic contract, Kristen felt uneasy. Nancy had warned her—those who make deals with demons rarely keep their souls.
That had to be their last resort.
For now, they'd fight with everything they had.
They would win.
They promised each other that.
---
The next day.
After attending Jennifer's funeral, Nancy met with Dr. Neil and presented her treatment plan.
Neil thought she sounded crazy. But after last night's bizarre, unexplainable events, he decided to give it a try.
They gathered in a special group therapy room.
There was Will, the paraplegic guy in the wheelchair with glasses; Kincaid, the strong Black guy; Joey, the silent one; Taryn, the dark-haired girl; and Kristen.
These were the ones still able to function.
After learning about the horrors from the night before, everyone was shaken. No one knew who would be next.
Before starting, Nancy shared everything she knew about Freddy—her detailed, firsthand knowledge earning their trust.
She also told them something else: Everyone has inner power. In their dreams, they could harness it—each person could be special.
"Imagination is powerful," she said.
It gave them hope.
Kristen, the key member of the group, revealed her unique power—she could pull others into her dreams.
That changed everything.
They hesitated at first but agreed to combine their strengths.
One person couldn't win. But together, they could multiply their courage and power.
Dr. Neil, who had some hypnosis training, led the session.
In the dimly lit room, they all focused on the swinging pendulum.
"Let go… relax… breathe in… breathe out…"
"Sleep, children… sleep…"
Their eyes closed in unison—and then, all at once, opened again.
They were inside the dream.
Their powers began to manifest.
Kincaid became super strong. Will could stand and cast magic. Kristen turned into a martial arts girl, flipping gracefully through the air.
"Holy crap, that's… awesome," someone muttered.
Nancy and Dr. Neil, though, had no powers—maybe because they'd lost their childlike imagination.
Taryn transformed into a punk rebel with spiked hair and a leather outfit.
Now everyone had unlocked their dream powers. It was time to face the boss—Freddy Krueger.
Wait—was everyone here?
Where was Joey, the quiet one?
Answer: he'd gone to "happy land."
His "power" was said to be pure imagination—so maybe he was capable of incredible things.
While the others were still adjusting, Joey wandered toward a door that had mysteriously opened.
Inside stood Marcie, the nurse he had a crush on—smiling, winking at him.
Without thinking, he followed her.
And that was it.
The seductive "nurse" was none other than Freddy, using his dirtiest trick—disguised as the beautiful Marcie to lure poor, lovesick Joey to his doom.
"Damn it—it's Freddy! Joey's in danger!"
The group rushed to open the door to save him.
Suddenly, the lightbulbs exploded. Red light flickered ominously as fire erupted, turning the room into a blazing furnace.
Panic spread. Their new powers weren't helping at all.
The flames roared higher, closing in fast.
Were they all about to burn alive?
At the very last moment, the door—locked from their side—swung open.
Standing there was another doctor.
Dr. Simms.