The world felt soft again. No screams. No blood. Just warmth.
When Veronica opened her eyes, the ceiling above her wasn't the cracked, gray one she remembered—it was white, clean, and familiar. Curtains swayed lazily beside the window, letting in a sleepy sunlight that painted a golden hue over the room's pale walls. The faint smell of breakfast drifted from somewhere beyond. For the first time in what felt like centuries, she felt safe.
"Veronica! Veronica!! Veronica!!!"
The voice echoed through the haze of her mind, each call pulling her further from the dark void of her dreams. She blinked. Her throat was dry, her body stiff, but she sat up in confusion. Her father stood by the door, smiling in that old, calm way she had almost forgotten.
"Dad?" she croaked. "Where… where am I?"
"What kind of question is that?" her mother's voice chimed in from the hallway, both gentle and scolding.
"Mum?" Veronica whispered.
Rebecca stepped into view, dressed in her morning robe, her face soft but concerned. "You came back home yesterday feeling sick," her father explained. "We tucked you into bed, and you drifted right to sleep. You don't remember?"
Veronica's lips trembled. She rose to her feet and rushed forward, wrapping both of them in her arms. Her parents froze, surprised by the sudden intensity of her embrace.
"Mom… Dad…" she murmured, tears burning her eyes. "I missed you so much."
Edward chuckled lightly, rubbing her back. "Did something happen? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Ghost…" she echoed, her pulse quickening. "I… I don't know."
Rebecca tilted her head. "Or maybe you just had a bad dream?"
Veronica hesitated, then nodded weakly. "Yeah. I think I did."
"Well, then." Edward smiled, his voice softening. "Let's get you something to eat. Food always helps chase nightmares away."
Veronica's stomach grumbled in answer, and for the first time, she managed a faint smile. "Okay."
They moved together toward the dining room. The familiar space shimmered in the sunlight—white curtains, wooden chairs, a table she had once helped polish for guests. Everything was exactly as she remembered. Her father disappeared into the kitchen and returned moments later carrying a silver-colored tray. Then another. Then one more. Each covered with a gleaming metallic lid that reflected her distorted face.
"All this for me?" she said, laughing shakily. "Thank goodness… maybe the nightmares really are over."
Her mother sat across from her, folding her hands neatly. "So," she began casually, "what was the dream about?"
Veronica smiled faintly, still dizzy from the feeling of peace. "You two disappeared," she said softly. "I don't know what I'd do without you. I thought it was real, but now that I'm awake—"
Her father lifted the first lid.
The words died in her throat.
Inside the tray lay a severed head—pale, motionless, and horrifyingly familiar. Eliza. Her friend's glassy eyes were gone, hollow sockets staring into eternity. Hair hung in jagged clumps, skin gray and split like clay left too long in the sun. The stench of iron filled the air.
Veronica screamed and stumbled back, but Edward calmly removed the second lid. The smell grew worse. The next head belonged to Michelle—bloated, decomposing, lips twisted into an eternal half-smile, maggots crawling behind torn cheeks. Her mother sat there unmoving, as if this grotesque display were completely ordinary.
"Dad! Mom—what is this!?" Veronica shrieked.
Edward said nothing. His expression was flat. Rebecca's smile didn't falter.
And then the last tray was opened.
Veronica froze. Her knees buckled.
Inside the third tray lay her own head.
Its face was gray, the skin etched with dark, circular symbols that pulsed faintly like veins of ink. The eyes—her eyes—were bleeding, red tears spilling endlessly down its lifeless cheeks. The mouth was slightly open, as though caught mid-scream. The sight tore a sound from her that didn't even feel human.
She crawled backward on the floor, shaking, whispering, "No, no, no…" until her hands met the cold wall behind her.
The heads turned. Slowly. In perfect unison.
Their mouths opened at once, the voices overlapping—Eliza's, Michelle's, and her own."Oh, but who said the nightmares are over?"
The laughter that followed was unbearable—high, distorted, and endless.
"They aren't over yet!"
The dining table split in two with a thunderous crack. The floor began to crumble. Blood seeped through the tiles, filling the gaps, rising fast. Veronica screamed as her parents watched from above, smiling like statues. The crimson flood reached her chest, then her throat, then her eyes.
She struggled to breathe, but every gasp filled her lungs with warm, metallic liquid. The abyss swallowed her whole.
And then—
"Veronica!"
The voice cut through the drowning darkness like a blade. Her eyes snapped open.
She was sitting upright on Tiffany's couch, her chest heaving. Sweat soaked her clothes. The air smelled not of blood, but of coffee and candle wax. Her trembling hands clutched the fabric beneath her.
"Veronica, are you okay?" Tiffany's voice was sharp, worried. "You blanked out for a second there."
Veronica blinked, dazed. The room around her shimmered, struggling to come into focus. And then she saw him.
Standing by the door, casual as if he belonged there, was a man with calm eyes and a smile that froze her blood.
She pointed, her voice cracking. "You!"
Tiffany looked between them, startled. "What's wrong?"
The man stepped forward, his tone smooth, almost teasing. "Hello… Veronica."
Her throat closed up. A single tear slid down her cheek before she could stop it.
"What are you doing here?" she whispered.
He tilted his head. "You're crying."
Veronica wiped her face quickly, forcing a shaky laugh. "No. I'm not."
Tiffany placed a hand on her shoulder, still confused. "Veronica, this is who I was telling you about… my boss. Alexi."
The world seemed to tilt again. Her pulse thundered in her ears.
Alexi's gaze met hers—familiar, knowing, and impossibly ancient.
The nightmare hadn't ended. It had only changed shape.
Gwen's laughter echoed in her mind. "Look at this bitch. This crazy guy always shows up at the worst time."
Then came the smile. A soft, knowing curve of his lips.
"Gwen~."
Both Veronica and Gwen screamed inside.
"Did you miss me?"
Alexi reached forward, gently cupping Veronica's jaw.
He smiled.
To be continued...