Joshua had a long dream. At the bottom of a deep abyss, where darkness swallowed him whole.

The thick, blackened swamp clung to his pant legs like tar, seeping through the fabric to touch his skin. He could feel a lively thing, viscous moving between his toe.

And frigid air. Sending shivers up his spine. Wrapping around him like icy tendrils. Tightening inch by inch, until it became a suffocating cage.

In this long dream, he had been trapped in darkness for hundreds of years-that was what his mind recalled. No distractions. No warmth. No companions, even a soul, to share the silence. Only the void. He had forgotten what his voice sounded like, what the world outside the darkness even was. He was utterly alone.

Joshua imagined something-something to look forward to.

He thought of a light, faint and shimmering, glowing softly. It flickered, fragile and elusive, but it began to pulse, growing brighter with each breath. He imagined the warmth radiated from it, slow at first, then stronger, reaching his cold skin. It gave him the heat, gentle yet alive, spreading through his limbs, thawing the numbness.

From that light, he pictured something more-a small spark of life. A flower, perhaps, so delicate, blooming from the only light within the endless cold. Or maybe something smaller still, something he could cradle in his hands. A living thing to remind him he wasn't completely lost in the void.

Before the visions could fully take shape, Joshua heard a voice. A man's voice-unfamiliar, deep, and distant-calling out to him from somewhere far away.

The man was coming closer, but with him came danger, thick and suffocating. Joshua felt the fear mounting with every inch the man gained, sharp and chilling, like invisible daggers poised to strike at his spine.

Each passing second made his skin crawl, the sensation of something lurking just beyond his sight. His instincts screamed that something was wrong, a presence closing in, unseen but undeniable. It felt like eyes boring into the back of his neck, the threat so close it was almost tangible, yet maddeningly out of reach-like a blade suspended above him, ready to drop.

He couldn't run. His legs were frozen, so he crawled, desperately dragging himself through the swamp, the black sludge pulling him down.

Then, in a surge of terror, Joshua screamed.

And at that very moment, the light returned.

He jolted awake in his dorm room.

...

Joshua met Jeonghan's worried eyes. He clung to his best friend and looked straight into Jeonghan's eyes, like he was holding onto a safe anchor. The nightmare still clung to him like a shadow, its icy grip lingering even as Jeonghan's gentle voice cut through the fog.

"Shua, did you have a nightmare?" Jeonghan's fingers gently brushed through Joshua's damp bangs, concern softening his voice. "Your forehead is drenched. You should take a shower."

Joshua took a shaky breath, his heart still pounding. He looked down at his hands, half-expecting to see the grime still there, then his eyes gradually adjusted to the room, grounding him in reality. Joshua blinked, trying to focus.

"Where's Seungcheol?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

Jeonghan exhaled softly, not surprised by the question. " "He's with the others, working on breaking your curse,"

Joshua blinked against the bright light, feeling the weight of exhaustion pressing on him. He lowered his arm from Jeonghan's shoulder and rubbed his forehead. "What happened?"

"You fell into a coma," Jeonghan explained carefully, keeping his tone calm. "No one could wake you. Everyone thought it was the curse, so they rushed to find a spell to help. We got a lead in Bloomfield-something that might work. They're working on a spell now."

Jeonghan paused, then added with a faint smile, "But seriously, you should take a shower. You're sweating like a waterfall."

Joshua gave a half-hearted nod, trying to push away the haunting images as he slid off the bed. He glanced back at Jeonghan, the light from the room casting a warm glow on his concerned expression.

Somehow, Joshua still felt unsettled. He thought of telling Jeonghan, but his words trailed off, unsure how to explain the deep-rooted fear he had felt in that nightmare.

Somehow, the nightmare felt far more real than it should have.

...

Joshua's body sank deeper into the warm water, his arms swaying lazily beneath the surface, stirring small ripples. The steam clung to the glass door, and beads of sweat formed on his nose and forehead.

His breath hitched. He splashed water on his face, desperate to clear his mind trying to shake off the unease,the sensation grounding him as he reminded himself to stay awake.

The steady hum of water faded as his movements stopped, leaving only the eerie quiet of the bathroom.

Suddenly, a faint drip echoed in the stillness.

He froze, glancing at the faucet.

Then come a drop of water.

Another drop. One, two, three...

He counted them.

Then a fifth-a drop thicker than the others. Darker. Black.

He blinked, staring in disbelief as it hit the surface. The drop dissolved, spreading in the bathwater.

Panic surged through him. His heart leaped as e shot up from the tub, eyes wide, dread clutching at his throat.

Something was wrong-terribly wrong.

In a panic, Joshua bolted toward the door. Pain searing through his body and anguish twisting in his mind,tightening its grip on his chest, making his heart pouding like thunder striking the ground. Physical pain and mental torment gnawed at him gradually as fears clawed at his throat.

Then, the realization hit him. He remembered-magic was no longer his ally, that he could no longer wield magic carelessly.

The fear of being trapped alone in a desolate space suffocated him. The black liquid, thick and viscous, slid into his vision, distorting everything, wrapping around him like a nightmare made real, then it clung to his eyes, spreading like tattoo ink and blurring his vision.

His voice erupted in a desperate scream, a raw plea fueled by terror. "Cheol! Save me!" Each word felt like a shard of glass, cutting through the darkness. "Cheol, I need you! Please, save me!" He didn't understand why those words poured out, only that they were the echo of countless times Seungcheol had pulled him from the brink.

"Cheol, please..." The name spilled from his lips as if it were a lifeline, a flicker of hope amid the suffocating dread.

In that panic, memories surged through him-the dark street where Seungcheol had come to his rescue, the hallway where he had shielded him from danger, the moment the syndrome broke out and Joshua wasisolated in the middle dimension. Seungcheol had always been there- always- when he needed him the most.

Cheol! Please! I need you!" His voice called out on instinct, as if the world had vanished, leaving only Seungcheol to find him.

The hands slithered out of the blackened water, their fingers long and twisted, like wet roots clawing at the edge of the tub. Each knuckle cracked as they gripped the tile, dragging the rest of their form slowly forward.The nails, jagged and sharp, scratched the floor as they crawled closer-inch by inch-searching, reaching for him, their movements jerky and unnatural, as if they had a will of their own.

Joshua was frozen in place, realized they were crawling toward him.

***

The next time Joshua woke up, he was in new clothes.

His mind was foggy, caught in a blur between reality and dream. The softness of the pillows and blankets felt distant, almost unreal. The fabric clung lightly to his skin, and the faint smell of dampness in the air added to his disorientation. Outside the window, rustling sounds whispered, but they were muted, as if coming from another world.

He blinked, trying to focus, and his eyes landed on a pair of familiar ones-full of worry.

Jeonghan.

But it wasn't just Jeonghan. Nearly everyone was there, staring at him. Their faces were pale, drained of color, as if they'd seen something terrifying. Something they couldn't understand. Something like... a ghost.

Joshua held his breath, his gaze locking onto Seungcheol. There was something raw in his eyes, something that hurt just to look at-anguish, fear, and that empty, lost look like he'd just watched the world crumble in front of him and was still holding the pieces in his hands. Seungcheol didn't speak. His lips were pressed tight, like they were fighting to keep everything from spilling out-everything he'd felt, everything he'd seen.

"I'm sorry, Joshua," Jeonghan's voice cut through the silence. It were soft, like an apology for something much bigger than anyone could put into words.

"What... what happened?" Joshua's voice cracked, barely holding steady as it trembled out.

"You had a seizure... in the shower," Jeonghan said quietly, guilt threading through his words. I didn't realize sooner, and... Seungcheol-he knocked on the door, but you didn't answer."

Joshua's heart clenched as Jeonghan's words sunk in. He didn't need the rest spelled out. He could feel it. He could picture it. He could feel the scene without needing it described, could almost see the panic that must've flooded Seungcheol's face. The urgency. The panic. The fear. How Seungcheol must have stood there, helpless. How he must've looked when he finally got in. Seungcheol probably calling his name with rising desperation.

And it wasn't just Seungcheol. Mingyu, Jeonghan, Minghao, Jihoon... they were all there. They'd all seen it. The look on their faces told him everything-pale, stricken, as if they'd just witnessed something they'd never be able to unsee. They looked like they'd been standing on the edge of a cliff, feeling helplessness and the horror.

The room felt suffocating. Silence hung heavy, like a cold, bitter truth that no one wanted to say out loud.

Seungcheol's eyes stayed fixed on him, filled with words he couldn't say.

Joshua felt the weight of it all, a sinking feeling in his chest, knowing they'd all seen him at his most vulnerable.

Jeonghan couldn't bear to face Joshua's frail state any longer. Each second felt like an eternity, his heart aching at the sight of his best friend so vulnerable. "I... I need to get some fresh air," he stammered, the words heavy on his tongue. "You should rest more." He turned away, unable to trust himself to look back.

Mingyu let out a soft sigh, almost a whisper, as if he feared breaking the fragile silence that hung in the room. "I'll go with Jeonghan," he said, his voice steady despite the turmoil brewing inside him.

Minghao and Jihoon exchanged silent glances, their unspoken thoughts filling the space around them. The urgency to break Joshua's curse pressed on them like a weight they couldn't ignore. They needed to study the magic scroll the old wizard had given them; it was their only hope. One by one, they slipped away, offering vague excuses about buying herbs or needing to attend to other matters, each exit a reminder of the gravity of the situation.

And then there was Seungcheol, who remained seated-a statue carved from stone. He was silent and still, yet his handsome features radiated a depth of pain that pierced Joshua's heart. That anguish overshadowed everything, making Joshua's heart ache even more.

The room felt empty without their presence, the air thick with unspoken worries. Joshua longed to reach out, to ease the burden weighing on Seungcheol's shoulders, but he felt paralyzed, trapped in his own skin. The sight of Seungcheol's anguish clawed at him, an unsettling reminder that he had put them all through this. He wished he could take away the pain etched on his friend's face, to let Seungcheol know that he was still here, still fighting-if only he could find a way to convince himself of that.

"Don't look at me like that," Seungcheol said, finally breaking the silence that hung in the air. His voice was hoarse, as if it had shattered a hundred times.

"What kind of look?" Joshua choked out, struggling to keep his voice steady

"The look that says you pity me, that you don't want me here."

"I... I didn't mean it that way." Joshua's heart raced. "I'm grateful you're here. I just didn't want you to see this."

Seungcheol's gaze bore into Joshua, dark and heavy, "I thought I couldn't wake you up anymore. It made me want to kill myself," he confessed, his voice trembling, each word laced with a raw vulnerability that cut through the air like a blade. The pain in his eyes was palpable, a storm of anguish swirling beneath the surface.

Joshua wanted to touch him, but couldn't move an inch, so he tried to speak up, his voice soft yet fervent. "But I want you to live. Live well, live happily. Live a brighter life," he urged, each word tumbling out with the weight of his conviction.

Live well. Live happily. Live a brighter life. The words echoed in Seungcheol's mind.

At last, Seungcheol's eyes widened, a mixture of shock and fear crossing his features. His arms trembled slightly as he tried to process Joshua's words. "What are you trying to say?"

Joshua watched as Seungcheol's expression shifted. He coughed lightly, taking a moment to gather his thoughts, the weight of his emotions pressing down on him.

"I... I was the one who suffered the pain, no one knows better than me, and I realized how weak my body feels compared to yesterday. Today, it really punished me successfully." He took a deep breath, pushing through the physical discomfort. "I can feel it... I was devastated."

"I won't let it happen." Seungcheol said firmly.

"You don't have to fight for me," Joshua said, "I came to Carat Land alone, with no one by my side. But then I found Jeonghan, and then you, and with you came all the friends I hold dear. That means more to me than the comfortable life I left behind in the Human World. I understand what's lurking inside me, and I can't bear the thought of anyone risking their life for my sake."

"I don't care about them, nor am I afraid of the darkness that lives inside you. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: all I care about is you." His voice was steady, fierce and unwavering.

The two remained a distance apart, but each word they exchanged echoed in the empty room, filling it with a palpable energy that pounded against Joshua's heart like a relentless drum.

"Have you thought about your family?" Joshua asked, hoping to change Seungcheol's mind. "Your father is intimidating, sure, but he's still your father. He won't just stand by and let you put your life on the line; he'll find out."

"So what?" Seungcheol's voice was firm, tinged with defiance.

Joshua's eyes widened at the stubbornness in Seungcheol's tone. "There are so many other things to fight for, Cheol. Remember, The Duke is still out there? You have the chance to be a Warrior for everyone."

"Their warrior, but not yours?" Seungcheol shot back, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Before Joshua could respond, he continued, "I don't care about being their warrior. I'll do anything for you, even sell my soul to the devil." It was a promise wrapped in raw emotion.

-TBC-

This is a chapter in which Seungcheol and Joshua's character development changes drastically, with Joshua constantly being crushed by reality and Seungcheol becoming an obsessive protective warrior. Seungcheol's warrior mindset differs from Jeonghan's; he will take a more pessimistic approach, but Jeonghan will modify his emotions and become more clear-headed with Mingyu by his side.
You will be able to spot the contrasts between Gyuhan and Cheolsoo as they develop.

I believe Seungcheol's radical flip is reasonable given the numerous signs and foundations that I laid in prior chapters. He is not a naturally righteous warrior; he only protects what is his.