The changes in the dream world were starting to bleed into reality.
First, the FEA's detection equipment picked up a massive energy spike. Then, some of the comatose victims' bodies turned pitch black, sprouting grotesque tentacles that lashed out at anyone nearby. These mutated victims seemed immune to physical attacks, catching the FEA off guard and killing several agents on the spot.
Thankfully, Jennifer and Nidi stepped in—especially Nidi. Her holy light was a perfect counter to the mutated victims, and with her stellar performance, the FEA managed to regain control of the situation.
This also clued Gerald in that Jennifer and Nidi were more than just arm candy; they had supernatural abilities too. He'd always assumed Roy handled all the paranormal stuff alone.
Atop the Ferris wheel, Elizabeth's expression darkened as she shot a furious glare at Hannibal. "Beelzebub, this is what you call 'no problem'?"
Hannibal frowned. "How did this happen? I only reconstructed the bodies of those four evil spirits and boosted their strength. It shouldn't have attracted that kind of entity. Lord Belial, could it be that Mr. Black is just that special?"
Elizabeth's heart skipped a beat. She'd been secretly keeping tabs on Roy, sometimes even watching his "private films." She knew he had unique abilities, including a knack for controlling fear that even she couldn't fully understand. It was why she'd traded the Seed of Fear to him—she knew he could wield it.
"This is your mess!" she snapped. "You guaranteed nothing would go wrong!"
The King of Sloth wasn't one for reasoning, especially since Hannibal had indeed made promises. He sighed, exasperated. "Fine, Lord Belial. If you insist, I'll step in now."
Just then, the dream world shifted dramatically.
Roy couldn't stand by while over 800 innocent people died. To stabilize the collapsing dream space, he had to do the unthinkable—team up with Freddy.
"Freddy, we have to work together, or this dream world will implode!"
Freddy despised Roy, but he feared death even more. With the dream world sealed and his escape routes cut off, he had no choice but to take a gamble. Another death might be his last, so he grudgingly agreed. "Fine! Let's stabilize this dream world."
In his Fear Incarnate form, Roy channeled his chaos energy into fear, using his Nightmare ability to hold the dream world together. Freddy's fear energy wasn't as potent, but his understanding of the Nightmare ability was deeper, allowing him to patch up the finer details while Roy maintained the broader framework.
Their combined efforts gradually stabilized the dream world. Cracks began to mend, and things seemed to be heading in the right direction.
Just as Roy let out a relieved breath, the sky turned from day to night, and countless glowing eyes appeared, radiating a malevolent aura. Even with Roy's willpower stat at 99, the overwhelming malice made his mind feel tainted. Ordinary people in the "audience" didn't stand a chance—many went mad instantly, their bodies turning black and twisted, just like those ensnared by the dark tentacles.
They began attacking anyone nearby.
Roy sensed disaster. Even if the dream world stabilized, everyone might end up as monsters. Worse, Freddy was affected too. Never the most resolute, he stood frozen on the platform.
To make matters worse, the three hulking killers—Jason, Michael, and Leatherface—whom Roy had drained in his Fear Incarnate state, were back on their feet, their power restored.
Then, Jason spoke. "Found you."
Roy's eyes widened. That ancient, guttural voice wasn't Jason's—it was as if the sky's malevolent eyes had possessed him.
This couldn't go on.
Roy reverted to his human form and began transforming into an angel. The three killers charged toward him, but the holy light radiating from his angelic form dispelled the darkness clinging to them.
"No—this can't be!" they roared.
With eight radiant wings and four halos—Courage, Protection, Vitality, and Purification—Roy shone like a beacon in the darkened dream world. The Purification halo restored the mutated victims to normal. The Vitality halo rejuvenated their spirits. The Protection halo shielded them from the darkness. The Courage halo helped them resist the eyes' mental corruption.
Instinctively, people gathered around Roy for protection, but the sky's eyes weren't done. They intensified their mental assault, unwilling to admit defeat.
"You think you can defy me like this?" a voice boomed.
Roy knew he couldn't fully counter the Primordial Fear. His holy light suppressed it, but the gap in power was too vast. He could only shield everyone temporarily. Once his chaos energy ran dry, the Primordial Fear would overwhelm him.
Unless… his angelic form could evolve further.
At that moment, some of the sheltered crowd dropped to their knees, praying to God—the only thing they could do. America, for all its outward image, was deeply religious, even in the chaotic future, let alone in 2000. Even non-devout people joined in, seeking comfort in prayer.
Tiny specks of light began rising from the 800 people, converging on Roy. To his surprise, his energy started to replenish. Was this the power of faith?
Roy had always fueled his chaos energy with fear, desire, or justice points. This faith-based energy was new to him, and its quality was far higher than justice points. His depleted energy was recovering fast—within minutes, he'd be back to full.
But full wasn't enough. To win, Roy needed to upgrade his angelic form. He began actively absorbing the faith energy, aiming to break through to a ten-winged angel.
"Ahh!" Roy's holy light intensified. If he'd been a lighthouse before, now he was a blazing sun, banishing the dream world's darkness. Even the sky's eyes had to shut, lest they be blinded.
In this moment, Roy felt his spirit ascend. Fueled by faith, a new pair of wings sprouted, bringing a fifth halo: Redemption. This halo could free souls trapped and unable to ascend to heaven.
The Hollywood Big Four—Freddy, Jason, Michael, and Leatherface—had countless trapped souls within them. Under the Redemption halo, those souls were released, stripping the killers of their power and reducing them to shadows of their former selves.
Even the Primordial Fear, which had devoured thousands of souls, suffered heavily. In seconds, it was forced to expel over a thousand souls, a loss it couldn't recover from, even if it consumed every soul in Roy's group.
The mass release of souls opened a Sky Gate in the dream world. But instead of Michael or Rachel, a twelve-winged angel in a fiery red robe, wielding a spear, descended. Roy had met three of the four archangels—Michael, Uriel, and Raphael—so this had to be Gabriel, the Angel of Justice.
"Primordial Fear, what are you doing?!" Gabriel thundered.
"Gabriel, it's you! Is this all your scheme?!" the Fear roared back.
"Hmph! God's messengers don't stoop to schemes. That's for vermin like you! Take this—Longinus Spear!"
Without hesitation, Gabriel hurled the legendary spear, stained with Christ's blood. Roy couldn't even track its path—it vanished the moment Gabriel threw it. A second later, a horrific scream echoed from the darkness.
"Gabriel, I'll remember this!"
The darkness receded rapidly, and the dream world brightened. Freed souls continued streaming toward the Sky Gate. The Longinus Spear returned to Gabriel's hand as he descended to Roy.
"Roy Black?" he asked.
Roy, stunned that Gabriel knew him, nodded. "You know me?"
Gabriel gave a curt nod. "Michael, Uriel, and Raphael have spoken of your deeds."
Though Uriel and Raphael lived on Earth, they still communicated with heaven. Roy was about to ask Gabriel's purpose when the angel glanced at the sky and turned to leave.
"Roy Black, I hope you don't stray from the path in the future," Gabriel said cryptically.
What's with these angels and their weird way of talking? Roy thought. His first meeting with Michael had been odd, and Rachel was no better. Uriel and Raphael, who blended into human society, were probably the odd ones out in heaven.
Gabriel returned to the Sky Gate, taking the freed souls with him. Roy, using his Nightmare ability, pulled everyone out of the dream world to prevent the Primordial Fear from staging a comeback.
Back in the tent, Roy returned to reality in his ten-winged angel form, startling everyone. Good thing they were inside—otherwise, the news choppers circling outside might've caught him on camera.
"Roy, you're awake!" Ashley and Mary rushed to hug him, one on each side. They'd been guarding him since waking up. Jennifer and Nidi were out on the beach, keeping watch after the earlier mutant attacks.
Clary stood nearby, watching her best friends with envy. She wanted a warm hug too, but choosing the path to heaven meant sacrifices.
An FEA agent quickly informed Gerald of Roy's return.
"Mr. Black, how'd it go?" Gerald asked.
"Mission accomplished. I got most of them out," Roy said.
About a hundred people had been killed by the Hollywood Big Four in the dream world. Roy couldn't save them—their souls were likely already at heaven's gates or in purgatory's intake.
Gerald let out a relieved sigh. Losing over a thousand people in a non-disaster, non-war event would've cost him his job. Thanks to Roy, the damage was minimized.
"I owe you one, Mr. Black," Gerald said.
Roy rubbed his temples, exhausted. "Save the thanks for tomorrow. I just want to rest."
Gerald nodded. "Go get some sleep, Mr. Black. The FEA will handle the cleanup."
The Los Angeles FEA was pros at covering things up, but tonight's events were too big to hide completely. Supernatural incidents were rising globally, and with the internet growing, keeping things under wraps was getting harder.
Gerald was already stressing about it. The FEA could muzzle major media, but silencing a thousand victims was impossible. Someone would post online or leak to a tabloid. America, after all, was the world's conspiracy theory capital.
"We'll just have to deal with it as it comes," Gerald muttered, scratching his head. His hair was falling out faster these days—his last stand against baldness was crumbling.
As the FEA got to work, no one noticed two figures atop the Ferris wheel.
"Lord Belial, looks like I didn't need to step in," Hannibal said with a smile. This was the best outcome—he could report to the three hell lords that it wasn't his failure; Roy's strength was beyond his calculations, and Gabriel's intervention sealed the deal.
"Hmph! Of course. You don't know who chose him," Elizabeth scoffed, though she'd been far less confident earlier.
"Beelzebub, do you think Roy's worth betting on now?" she asked, her eyes sharp.
Before Hannibal could answer, another voice cut in. "Well, well, what's all the excitement about? Everyone's here!"
It was Lucifer.
Elizabeth froze.