A dark, misty, and sombre atmosphere surrounded a young man with long, dishevelled hair, fleeing from whatever was hiding in the darkness—whatever was relentlessly pursuing him.

He ran without stopping as the mist grew denser, making it harder to see. Suddenly, he stopped when he heard a noise behind him, but he had no time to react. Something grabbed his ankle, startling him. What was happening?

He tried to run again, but the force yanked him to the ground, causing him to fall face-first. Turning around, he saw a huge, grotesque hand extending from the shadows. Before he could free himself, another hand grabbed his other ankle and began dragging him violently.

He screamed and struggled, but no one could hear him. The darkness consumed him completely, and soon he felt himself being submerged in icy water. Underwater, he briefly saw the creature pursuing him: dozens of arms flailing in all directions, filthy and decayed. The arms wrapped around him, trapping him in a cocoon of flesh and skin.

In the distance, on the shore of the lake, a man in a suit watched the scene, smiling with disdain.

—What an idiot... —he muttered mockingly, letting out a laugh as he walked on the water, unfazed by the young man’s fate.

Meanwhile, the young man struggled to break free, but the more he tried, the tighter the grip of the arms became. Exhausted and out of breath, he finally lost consciousness.

The mysterious man walked to the centre of the lake, directly over the cocoon. With a snap of his fingers, a faint glow illuminated the water, and in an instant, the arms were severed, releasing the young man. A blue light surrounded him, lifting him to the surface.

The man in the suit caught him just as a massive arm emerged from the water, dropping a woman with long black hair. Dazed, she wobbled as she stood up.

—At last, you show yourself, nightmare —said the man.

The woman looked at him coldly.

—What do you seek? —she asked in a calm voice.

—I want you to leave —the man replied. The woman tilted her head, confused.

—I refuse —she declared calmly.

The man smiled, pulling out a talisman shaped like a dreamcatcher and began swinging it like a pendulum. Slowly, the object started to glow intensely.

—Why do you refuse to leave? —he asked.

—Because my key is here —the woman answered, a look of determination crossing her face.

The talisman's glow intensified, and the woman began to fade, resisting with all her might. But she eventually vanished, though not before casting one last glance at the man in the suit, who ignored her completely.

The young man woke up coughing up water. The man in the suit sighed in relief at seeing him conscious.

—Where am I? Who are you? —the young man asked, confused.

—I’ve been watching you for a long time, Shin Mongsang —the man replied enigmatically before the young man fainted once again.

Shin awoke in a panic, his heart pounding. He was in his room, lying on the floor for reasons he couldn’t quite understand. He stayed still for a moment, staring blankly as he tried to collect his thoughts. Shaking his head to clear it, he slowly regained his composure.

The memories of what had happened returned to him. On impulse, he pulled up his trousers to check his ankles. There they were—the marks from the grip of those hands. A shiver ran down his spine. He turned his head towards his bed and saw the dreamcatcher hanging over the headboard. Something was wrong.

He jumped up and walked over to the talisman, watching as a dark, viscous substance slowly dripped from the feathers. Curiosity overtook him, and without thinking, he ran his fingers along the feathers of the dreamcatcher. In that moment, the nightmares came rushing back into his mind with uncontrollable force.

Shin collapsed onto the bed, crying and screaming like a small child. He called for his mother, but there was no response—no one came to help. The nightmares tormented him for what felt like an eternity, until, finally, the pain and fear subsided.

The young man sat up on the bed, exhausted, and wiped his tears with trembling hands.

—Damn... —he muttered under his breath as he reached for his phone. Glancing at the time, he realised it was already too late to make it to university.

Shin was on the train, heading towards university. Though his body had relaxed a bit, the deep bags under his eyes betrayed the heavy fatigue he was carrying. His gaze was vacant, fixed on nothing in particular. Around him, passengers glanced at him curiously, but he paid no attention to anyone or anything, simply waiting for the journey to end.

The train stopped at the penultimate station before his, and the doors opened. Though he knew he should be alert for the next stop, his attention was drawn as he saw a finely-featured man in a suit stepping off the carriage. Something about him seemed familiar. His mind clicked.

Without thinking twice, Shin quickly got up and hurried after the man. However, as soon as he stepped off the carriage, he lost sight of him. He stood still for a few moments, looking around, but the crowd overwhelmed him, making it hard to see clearly. Desperate, he began walking briskly, pushing his way through the people.

At last, he saw him again. The mysterious man was walking a few metres ahead. Shin quickened his pace and, without thinking, grabbed the man by the sleeve of his suit.

—I’ve seen you! —Shin exclaimed with conviction—. You were in my dream!

The man in the suit looked at him with a mixture of confusion and amusement. Then he burst out laughing, as though he had just heard the best joke of his life.

—Well, you’re a special one —he said, narrowing his eyes as he studied the young man. Then, without warning, the man placed his hand on Shin’s head. In that very instant, the young man collapsed to the ground, falling into a deep sleep.

Shin slowly opened his eyes, feeling the cold floor beneath his body. Standing beside him was the man in the suit, watching him with an enigmatic expression.

—Welcome to my mind —the man said, smiling—. This is my individual Oniros.

Shin tried to get up, but an invisible force kept him pinned to the ground. Desperate, he shouted:

—You crazy old man, let me go!

The man approached slowly and observed him from above with a mixture of patience and authority.

—Calm down, let me explain.

The young man rolled his eyes, growing more frustrated with the situation. Nothing that was happening made sense.

—Where am I? —Shin asked irritably.

—I already told you, you’re inside my mind, in my individual Oniros —the man replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Seeing the confusion on Shin’s face, the man sighed deeply—. How rude of me, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Bae Chung-hee, but you can call me Mr Bae.

Shin barely registered the man’s words. He still didn’t understand anything.

—I don’t care who you are —he said, raising his voice—. I want to know what the hell I’m doing here.

Bae sighed, visibly growing tired.

—Listen, lad. Dealing with people like you is exhausting. If you want answers, behave yourself and stop being rude. I saved you yesterday, remember?

Shin closed his eyes in frustration, but he knew he had no choice. He nodded silently.

—I’m going to release you, but stay close to me, don’t wander off —said Bae, snapping his fingers. Immediately, the force holding Shin to the ground vanished. Shin got up, slightly dazed, and followed Bae, who gestured for him to come along.

—I know this is new to you, and you’ve been under a lot of stress. But trust me, I have the answers you’re seeking —said Bae as the surroundings around them began to shift. The clouds swirled in the sky, forming a surreal landscape.

—Where are we? —Shin asked, baffled.

—This is the dream world, also known as Oniros. It’s the dimension of dreams. Here, every human mind has its own individual Oniros, and right now, you’re inside mine —Bae explained calmly.

—Then, why were you in my dream? —Shin asked.

—Your individual Oniros is unbalanced. There are several nightmares trapped in your mind, and that’s why I’ve been helping you —Bae replied as they continued walking.

—One of them was the woman from the lake, right? —Shin began to recall.

Bae nodded.

—Yes, she was one of the more dangerous ones. It wasn’t the first time she attacked you this week, but I’ve now managed to eradicate her.

—And why only now? What about the others? —Shin asked, growing more suspicious.

Bae stopped and looked at him seriously.

—Until recently, your Oniros was stable. I’m not sure what caused the imbalance, but suddenly the nightmares began attacking you relentlessly. The problem is more complicated than it seems.

—I’m sorry, Mr Bae... —Shin lowered his head, regretful for his behaviour—. You’ve been helping me, and I’ve been rude.

Bae smiled slightly.

—Don’t worry, I understand.

Shin looked up and asked with a hint of hope in his voice:

—If you managed to eliminate one nightmare, is it possible to get rid of the rest?—

—It's possible— Bae said, —but you'll need help... and effort. It will be a long process.

—How will I do it?— asked Shin, determined.

—With the help of your Somne, child— Bae replied, looking up at the changing sky. —The Somne is the energy we all possess. With it, you can purify your mind and fight nightmares. But to master it, you will have to unmask yourself and understand your own psyche.

Shin listened to him carefully, each word giving him more hope.

—How do I know what abilities I have?— Shin asked, curious.

—Oh, boy... you still have a lot to learn. But all in good time— Bae concluded with a smile.