Endless Chaos — Chaos Void Plane: The Path of Dreams
Chapter 3: The First Nightmare
The Chaos Devourer approached.
Its massive body twisted through the violent storms of the Chaos Void like a living abyss. Endless currents of chaotic energy spiraled around it, tearing apart anything that drifted too close.
The tiny Dream Island stood silently in the middle of the chaos sea.
Fragile.
Newly born.
Yet strangely stable.
At the center of the island, the Dream Walker stood calmly while the Dream Guardian beside him slowly spread its crystal wings.
The creature in the void had already noticed them.
The Chaos Devourer turned its enormous head toward the island.
Then it opened its mouth.
Inside its jaws was a swirling vortex of darkness capable of devouring newly born worlds.
A deep roar echoed across the Chaos Void.
The surrounding chaos waves surged violently toward the island.
The Dream Walker felt the pressure immediately.
The Dream Island trembled.
Small cracks appeared across the beach as chaotic energy slammed against the invisible boundary created by the Dream Seed.
The island was too small.
It could not withstand the attack for long.
For the first time since awakening, a strange feeling appeared in the Dream Walker's mind.
Fear.
The moment the emotion appeared, something unexpected happened.
Inside his consciousness, the Dream Seed trembled.
Dream energy began shifting violently.
The peaceful dream island suddenly changed.
The silver sky darkened slightly.
The ocean surrounding the island grew restless.
The Dream Walker realized something important.
Dreams were shaped by thoughts.
But they were also shaped by emotions.
And the strongest emotion in existence was often not hope.
It was fear.
The moment that fear appeared inside his mind, a dark ripple spread across the dream world.
Behind the Dream Walker, the sand began to move.
At first it looked like shadows crawling across the ground.
But soon the shadows began to gather together.
Twisting.
Growing.
Something was being born.
The Dream Guardian noticed it immediately and let out a low warning growl.
The Dream Walker slowly turned around.
Behind him, a new creature was emerging from the darkness of the dream island.
Unlike the shining Dream Guardian, this creature looked distorted.
Its body was made of shifting shadows.
Its limbs were long and unnatural.
Its face had no clear shape—only a pair of glowing eyes filled with hunger.
The air around it felt cold.
The Dream Walker instinctively understood what it was.
A Nightmare.
Every dream had a shadow.
Every hope carried a hidden fear.
The moment fear entered the Dream Walker's mind, the dream world had responded by creating its opposite.
A being born from fear itself.
The Nightmare slowly rose from the ground, its body stretching like smoke twisting in the wind.
Then it turned its glowing eyes toward the approaching Chaos Devourer.
Something strange happened.
The Nightmare began to laugh.
A quiet, distorted sound echoed across the island.
It was not afraid.
It was excited.
The Chaos Devourer finally reached the dream ocean surrounding the island.
Without hesitation, the monstrous creature lunged forward and attempted to swallow the entire island in one bite.
At that moment—
The Dream Guardian launched into the sky.
Its crystal wings erupted with dream energy as it rushed toward the Chaos Devourer like a falling star.
The two enormous creatures collided.
The impact sent shockwaves across the chaos sea.
But the Chaos Devourer was ancient and powerful.
Its body twisted around the Dream Guardian, crushing it with terrifying strength.
Cracks spread across the guardian's crystal body.
The Dream Walker watched silently.
Then the Nightmare moved.
Unlike the guardian, it did not fly.
It simply disappeared.
A moment later, the Nightmare appeared directly on the head of the Chaos Devourer.
The creature let out a deep roar of confusion.
The Nightmare stretched its shadow-like arms and plunged them directly into the Devourer's body.
Dark energy began spreading through the massive chaos creature.
The Devourer roared again—this time in pain.
The Nightmare was not attacking its body.
It was attacking something deeper.
Its fear.
Even ancient chaos creatures carried instinctive fear.
The Nightmare fed on it.
The larger the fear became, the stronger the Nightmare grew.
Within seconds, the shadow creature expanded dramatically.
Its body grew larger and more terrifying as it absorbed the Devourer's fear.
The Chaos Devourer began to panic.
Its movements became unstable.
The Dream Guardian broke free from its grip and slashed its crystal claws across the creature's body.
A massive wound opened across the Devourer's chest.
The chaos creature realized something.
This small dream island was far more dangerous than it appeared.
With a furious roar, it turned and fled back into the violent chaos storms.
Within seconds, its enormous body disappeared into the darkness of the Chaos Void.
Silence returned.
The Dream Guardian slowly landed on the island again.
The Nightmare shrank slightly, its shadowy body curling like smoke before settling behind the Dream Walker.
The Dream Island stabilized.
The silver sky slowly returned.
The Dream Walker stood quietly as he observed both creatures.
One born from imagination.
The other born from fear.
Both were part of the Dream Path.
But deep within his consciousness, the Dream Seed pulsed again.
A new realization formed.
If dreams created guardians…
And fear created nightmares…
Then there were countless other possibilities waiting to be born.
Meanwhile, far away in the endless Dream Cosmos…
The ancient Nightmare Lords stirred once more.
Because the birth of the First Nightmare meant something important.
The Dream Walker had unknowingly opened the door to a far more dangerous power.
And soon…
The nightmares of the Chaos Void would begin to answer his call.