Chapter Two: Black, Red, and White

Upon waking once more, Wu suddenly found himself standing at the entrance of a village. Beside him stood an old man, short and stocky, with yellowed teeth and deeply wrinkled features. His right leg was noticeably shorter than the left.

“What on earth is going on?” Wu’s mind reeled as he took in the scene before him. Just moments ago, he had been inside that dilapidated shack, his chest pierced by a black-clad figure scorched from head to toe. How had he suddenly arrived here?

“Could it be... I’ve truly become what that man called a Dream Mender—a soul capable of entering dreams?”

He felt a heavy weight on his back. Reaching behind, his hand brushed against something familiar—rough and solid.

“The knife... it’s still here?”

Before he could piece together his thoughts, the old man spoke slowly, “New here?”

Wu blinked, then replied, “Yes. But what exactly is—”

“No time to explain. The dream gateway is about to open. Follow me.”

The old man cut him off and strode straight into the village. Wu felt a surge of frustration. “Don’t people here like to hear things through to the end?” he thought, hastily following.

As they moved forward, Wu noticed something odd: though the old man limped, his pace was impossibly swift, almost as if wind propelled his steps. Wu had to jog to keep up.

Along the way, countless villagers passed by, their forms translucent—Wu could walk right through them.

The old man wove through narrow alleys until they stopped before a shabby, self-built farmhouse. Without a word, the old man entered. Wu hesitated briefly, then stepped inside after him.

The house was constructed from bricks and earth, its walls cracked and peeling. Despite the midsummer heat outside, the interior exuded a damp, chilling mustiness.

At the center stood a large bed draped with a white mosquito net. On it lay two women: a middle-aged woman weeping bitterly, and a young woman lying still.

The young woman’s condition mirrored that of Wu’s own mother.

Wu’s heart tightened as he gazed at her, but the woman’s figure soon began to blur, fading away entirely.

As she vanished, the entire room twisted and spun, reshaping into a black, cavernous void radiating a mesmerizing, hypnotic glow.

The old man stepped directly into the darkness, leaving Wu with a final word:

“Beyond this doorway lies the dream. Remember, the first thing to do upon waking is to find me.”

Watching the old man disappear, Wu clenched the black knife tightly and exhaled the stifling breath from his chest, then followed without hesitation.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in a corridor suffused with the scent of rose and sandalwood.

The hallway was fresh yet elegant, lined with exquisite sandalwood furniture that emitted a rich, soothing aroma.

Beneath the corridor was a vast warm pool, steam rising and mingling with scattered rose petals, saturating the air with a moist, intoxicating fragrance.

Yet upon closer inspection, the entire structure appeared haphazardI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.