PNB Chapter 350 Nightmare
Chapter 350 Nightmare
It was dark, damp, and had a nauseating stench.
The stench of decay and the damp, musty smell filled my chest, trying to expel every breath of dry air from my body.
The rusty iron railings dripped water, and the dark green moss and mottled rust were reflected in the water, turning it into a dull black.
My head hurts so much... Where am I?!
A tearing pain shot through my mind, and the unfamiliar scene evoked a sense of déjà vu that was both absurd and surreal.
The surroundings were clearly quiet, yet echoes reverberated everywhere, sometimes near, sometimes far, like lost reflections of distant time.
Listen intently, and the sound marches towards its end in silence.
Then came the fire, a raging fire that consumed the curtain of darkness, leaving scorch marks along the rusty edges.
The flames spread like a venomous snake, their fangs slowly devouring the blood-stained white bandages until they turned to ashes.
She stood in the firelight, which was as black as a curtain of darkness.
Syllables stuck in my throat, I couldn't distinguish the colors of fire and blood, the weightlessness of falling, the icy, suffocating feeling surged like a tide.
The low murmur of death choked my trachea; on the eve of losing consciousness, only the curve of my moving lips was clearly discernible.
……
Mu Feng suddenly woke up from his bed with a start, his pajamas soaked with cold sweat, and a sticky chill blew in the morning breeze.
A corner of the curtain was lifted, and sunlight, carrying the fresh scent of dew, immediately caused my stinging eyes to protest.
It's that dream again... How many times has this happened?
Sweat beaded on his forehead, Mu Feng wiped it away casually, his right hand loosely clenched, staring blankly at the wall in front of him.
For the past two years since I returned to Mondstadt, similar nightmares have been lurking in every ordinary night.
It's like a venomous snake in the dark, an elusive ghost, standing neither too far nor too close, lurking and watching.
Then, as the most unguarded slumber arrives, it bares its fangs, injecting delirious venom into peaceful dreams.
Darkness, firelight, bloodstains, falling, suffocation...
And... that shadow I just can't remember.
On several occasions, he had the opportunity to see clearly that face, which was both utterly unfamiliar and yet terrifyingly familiar.
But every time this happens, the feeling of weightlessness arrives as expected, and in the end, all that's left is fragmented lip-reading.
From those pale lips came the word "No".
This is the only memory left from countless flashbacks in dreams, but the preceding and following words are no longer known.
Is this really... just an overlapping nightmare?
That uncontrollable surge of emotion from the depths of my heart, the forgotten sense of loss, and the ever-present feeling of déjà vu...
For a moment, the boundary between dreams and reality became somewhat blurred.
"Brother, are you awake? It's time for breakfast!"
The girl's clear voice, accompanied by a light knock on the door, pulled Mu Feng back to reality from his chaotic thoughts.
He looked up at the wall clock; the hour hand was pointing exactly to eight o'clock, two hours before this year's Knights Order entrance exam.
It's no wonder that Barbara, who usually stays in bed until she gets to the piano and pulls off the covers, got up early today and knocked on the door, which is unusual for her.
"Oh, Barbara, I'll be right there."
Mu Feng took a deep breath, deliberately making the sound of pulling back the covers, trying to make his tone sound as usual.
A muffled "oh" came from outside the door, and the footsteps gradually faded away. One could imagine the girl pouting at that moment.
If nothing unexpected happens, her brother will be marking him as a late sleeper in Barbara's notebook today.
However, after being distracted, Mu Feng calmed down a bit, let out a long breath, and got out of bed.
We'll discuss the nightmare later; today's main course is the annual Knights' selection exam.
Sunlight streamed into the bedroom through the window, falling on my slightly sweaty palms and bringing a touch of real warmth.
Dressed neatly, Mu Feng pushed open the door and descended the long, old wooden staircase of the Gunnhilds house to the dining room.
Who knows, this staircase might be older than him.
When one of the wooden planks made a creaking sound that was different from usual, Mu Feng thought to himself.
Some family members arrived at the restaurant earlier and are now sitting around the table, enjoying their breakfast.
Good morning, Xiao Mu. Oh, your fried egg is over there.
Qin put down the fork with the fried egg stuck in it, and even though it was breakfast time, her posture was still as upright as if she were attending a family meeting.
Upon seeing Mu Feng, a smile appeared on the girl's face, but her gentle tone revealed a barely perceptible weariness.
Mu Feng glanced helplessly at the faint black ring around Qin's beautiful smoky purple eyes, exchanging glances in secret.
Sis, I told you, if you stay up late reading romance novels again, I won't bring you the next one next time we go out.
Qin's cheeks felt slightly flushed. She already had a lot of family matters to attend to, and she'd been engrossed in watching something last night...
Reflecting on this, it was very un-Frontier behavior.
"Something's not right, something's really not right. Sis, is there something you two are hiding from me?"
However, before the two could finish exchanging glances, Barbara, who had been secretly observing from the side, couldn't help but get involved, successfully turning the standoff between the two sides into a three-way melee.
She had long suspected that there was something going on between those two. Her sister often sneaked into her brother's room; there must be some secret deal going on!
Detective Barbara is here today to expose this conspiracy!
Faced with her sister's scrutinizing gaze, Qin looked away guiltily, pretending to be dealing with the leftover scraps of fried egg on the plate.
Staying up late to read novels goes against the authority of an older sister.
Mu Feng, who had already sat down to the side, was speechless and tapped Barbara's forehead lightly with his knuckles.
This girl has a wildly imaginative mind; perhaps it's time to report the detective novels she keeps hidden in her drawer.
Barbara pouted unhappily, wiggled her little feet and gently kicked Mu Feng twice under the table, while replacing the ketchup in front of him for his fried eggs with the chili sauce in front of her.
You're about to be removed from Barbara's "Good Brother Who Always Supports His Sister" list for a day... or maybe an hour.
Mu Feng smiled, picked up the tomato sauce that had been banished to the dining table and put it back in his hand. With his left hand, he squeezed Barbara's soft wrist and wrote a "one" in her palm.
Tonight, a spicy drink will make me forget about it.
Barbara's azure eyes flashed slyly as she grasped Mu Feng's hand and rewrote the character "two" under the table.
If it's hush money, then it won't be so easy to get away with it.
Breakfast for three people is too much to finish no matter how hard we try!
The wooden staircase creaked again as Simon, looking exhausted, walked down the steps, pulled out a chair, and picked up his coffee.
His glasses were slightly crooked, and his bright red bishop's robes were not very neat; he looked somewhat listless.
"Good morning, kids. Oh dear, what's the difference between unsweetened coffee and the death of the afternoon without cider..."
"By the way, Xiaofeng, I wish you good luck in your assessment. Well, although I don't think there's any suspense about it."
Simon gave a somewhat forced smile, seemingly trying to lighten the mood, but clearly, it couldn't make the children present forget the fact that their parents had a big fight a couple of days ago.
Frey left early, which was in line with her style and at least avoided a more awkward situation.
Even the usually most lively Barbara fell silent, glanced timidly at Simon, and lowered her head to pick up the apple juice.
Qin looked somewhat lost. She and Mu Feng exchanged a silent glance, both seeing worry in each other's eyes.
Mu Feng gently took Barbara's hand, and breakfast ended in a somber atmosphere.
……