"That body is mine. Give it back to me."
The voice was hoarse, hollow, echoing in the vast emptiness. A man stood amidst a sea of crimson. His dark armor rusted. His long hair clinging to his pale face like wet silk. His eyes, deep, endless voids—bore into Wei Jun, unblinking, unwavering, haunted by an agony that didn't belong to the living.
"That body is mine. Return it back."
Wei Jun couldn't move. Couldn't scream. His breath caught in his throat, chest rising and falling in ragged gasps as terror clawed its way up his spine. The figure drifted forward, slow but relentless, closing the distance between them. His presence was suffocating, oppressive, like a storm pressing down on the world before devouring everything in its path.
Wei Jun tried to step back, yet his feet wouldn't obey. His pulse pounded against his chest, a frantic drumbeat of fear.
The figure stopped inches away from him. Close enough that Wei Jun could see the cracks forming on his skin, spreading like the cracks in porcelain. And then, slowly, the man parted his lips.
Nothing lay beyond them.
No tongue. No teeth. No throat. Only a gaping abyss, a chasm of unending darkness, stretching into an eternity of nothingness. A force unseen, yet terrifyingly real, reached out from within, pulling, dragging him toward its embrace. The world tilted, shadows consuming him whole, and Wei Jun—
Woof! Woof!
A loud bark broke the silence. A sharp, urgent sound, cutting through the thick, suffocating dread like a knife.
Wei Jun gasped, his body jerking upright, heart hammering against his ribcage.
"UGH! NO! HELP!"
Woof! Woof!
Something wet and warm pressed against his cheek. Furry. Sloppy. Enthusiastic.
Wei Jun's eyes snapped open to find himself face-to-face with a pair of round, dark eyes brimming with boundless energy. Bao Bao, his Shiba Inu, wagged his bushy tail with such excitement that his entire body wiggled along with it. The dog let out another happy bark before diving in for another round of relentless face-licking.
Wei Jun groaned, raising a hand weakly. "Bao Bao—stop—ugh—gross!"
Bao Bao, undeterred, gave one last triumphant slurp before plopping down on the bed, panting with pride.
Wei Jun wiped his face on his sleeve, exhaling sharply. The dream still clung to him, its cold fingers lingering along the edges of his mind. It was always the same—the voice, the figure, the darkness. A nightmare that had followed him since he was seventeen, as if something unseen refused to let him go.
He let out a slow, shaky breath and looked at his dog. "Did I scare you, huh?"
Bao Bao tilted his head, perking his ears. "Woof, woof!" (No, master!)
Wei Jun chuckled despite himself, rubbing the pup's fluffy head. "You're too brave for your own good."
Bao Bao puffed out his chest as if in agreement, his tail wagging even harder.
"Let me guess," Wei Jun mused, scratching under Bao Bao's chin. "You woke me up so I wouldn't be late?"
Bao Bao barked proudly. "Woof, woof!" (Yes, master!)
Wei Jun smirked, shaking his head. "Great. Now I'm talking to dogs. I officially need help."
Bao Bao tilted his head again, his expression a mixture of curiosity and concern—as if he, too, questioned his owner's sanity.
With a groan, Wei Jun swung his legs over the bed and checked the clock. 5:30 AM.
He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "Huft, perfect."
Bao Bao bounced off the bed and trotted to the door, tail wagging. His job was done.
Wei Jun reached down, giving his dog one last affectionate ruffle. "You really are something else, buddy. Thanks for waking me up."
Bao Bao barked happily. "Woof, woof!" (You're welcome!)
The dog was smart. Unreasonably smart. Wei Jun had adopted him when he was just a tiny furball, barely two months old, from an old man selling puppies near the marketplace. Now, three years later, Bao Bao had grown into a sharp, mischievous little companion who never failed to wake him up at exactly the right time every morning. A lifesaver for someone as hopelessly bad at mornings as he was.
He dragged himself out of bed and stretched, casting one last glance at the clock. Another day had begun.
Another day closer to the truth behind the nightmares.
And somehow, Wei Jun had the feeling that Bao Bao would be there for that, too.