I felt myself running. Running as fast as my feet would let me.

I heard the roar behind me. A ferocious roar.

Is that a mountain lion? Or a snow leopard? My heartbeat sped up.

In a few seconds, the roar of the wild animal was louder.

And closer.

Oh no...oh no...my heart thumped. Please, don't let it be near me.

I turned back, to look.

How close is the creature to...?

And I felt something heavy.

Something that was living, pounce on me. As I fell to the ground.

"Hah!" a loud scream tore out of my vocal cords.

My eyes opened. As a few seconds later, I still did not feel myself being devoured or shredded into several parts.

With my eyes open, a pair of one of the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen, gazed back at me.

Seriously? Rage boiled through my system.

And I lifted a hand to hit the man above me. He deserved to be struck with heavy blows, every single day. But then, instead of touching flesh, my fist passed right through him. Like he was a ghost. A shadow. A being, that was not really here.

Oh no! It can't be.

Please don't let it be.

I'm in a dream.

I'm dreaming!

"You know I can hear your thoughts here, right?" Randall chuckled.

He was the master of this dream. While I was asleep, he entered my dream and took charge of it. That's why he could hear my thoughts.

"You are a nightmare devil" I said in shock.

He burst into a fit of laughter. The gorgeous lines of his stunning face, mocking me.

He could kill me in this dream, and no one would ever know how I died. An examiner, would examine my corpse a thousand and one times, and still, would remain confounded on what ended my life.

Nightmare devils were horrors. And like Feeders, were feared.

All a nightmare devil needed, was for you to fall asleep and then, you become his prey. And he, the untamed predator.

While for a Feeder, all we needed, was for the opponent to have a non-shifter Gift, and we could end his life, from just feeding. In excess.

However, here, in this case, I was in Randall's world. It may be my dream, but he governed it. Ruled it. Hence, here, was a 'place' made by him. All things, including my Gifts, were subject to him.

"Everyone says you have no Gifts" I said. Giftless. Was the word they whispered. First in Armalith royal family, to not manifest even a single Gift!

And the sound of his laughter seemed to grow louder. "Haha!"

He had enjoyed fooling everyone.
I couldn't believe I so easily bought the rumours that he was not powerful. That without, his impregnable palace, and soldiers, he was vulnerable. Completely and totally feeble!

Did Regalis even know that his father was Gifted?

And the sad thing was, though nightmare devils were few and far between, still, most recorded in history, had multiple Gifts. Very powerful Gifts that could make a man's erect penis shrivel up in fear. Hence, I wondered. What more could Randall do with just a flick of his finger or by the order of his thoughts?

No wonder, the sorcerer in my vision feared him. After all, sorcerers slept too, and when asleep, are not doing sorcery, so, during those few hours of sleep, they could be subjected to the horrors of a nightmare devil.

And don't say, you won't sleep. 'Cause soon, we all would.

Sleep wasn't a bottle of drink or a pot of fatty food that a drinker or glutton could suddenly choose to give up forever. No mortal could give up sleep for that long.

Hence, everyone! I repeat, everyone! Except those related to Randall by blood, could be attacked by him in their dreams. As the 'shared' blood, between blood relatives, doesn't enable nightmare devils to be superior in the dream environment. 

"You. And everyone. You all know nothing" Randall said.

Indeed, he was right. We know nothing. He fooled us all.

"And this" Randall said, his jaws starting to widen. His face, expanding. His teeth, changing into fangs "is for saving my son - your second punishment. Expect a third".

And his wolf-like fangs descended upon my neck. With those 'sharp-needles' latching unto my blood vessels.

I screamed. Screamed! This was worse than the pain his mage collar inflicted upon me, using the bride collar.

"Hah!" I felt myself awaken, with fright! With blood gushing from the left side of my neck.

As I recalled the last words from the man who just attacked me, all the way from the Capital.

Kill Regalis. Or there'll be an even far worse punishment to come.

And it might just be on your little brother, princess.