Atia had enough. She couldn't just stay in the Dreaming, while she knew something can go wrong. Just like the last time, she had a bad feeling about this, and she couldn't just ignore this. Last time it didn't end up well.

Letting Lucienne know of her plans and leaving her in charge, Aita reached down her bond with Morpheus, she felt for him whereabouts. As soon as she felt it, she willed herself to be next to him.

She appeared by his side, invisible to all mortals gathered in the hall. They all watched as a man gave a speech.

"I told you to stay in the Dreaming," Dream told her, without looking at her.

He felt her as soon as she appeared. No matter how much he hoped, he also knew she wouldn't listen to him and stay in their realm.

"You also told me this last time and remember how well that worked out," she replied, her eyes staying on the speaking man.

"Our guest of honour's presence here tonight is proof, at least to me, that dreams do come true. He is a legend in his own lifetime, an inspiration to us all, one of the first and one of the best. Gentlemen. Ladies. The Corinthian," as soon as he spoke the man, the whole room broke into wild cheers.

The Nightmare walked into the room, followed by a woman. He raised his hand in greetings to the crowd, then shook hands with the man who announced him. When he took a stand, he waited for everyone to quiet down and for the two people to take their seats.

"I don't usually speak in public, but the opportunity to talk to so many people who share the same passion, the same dream, well, it was just too good to pass up. Because you are special people. Very special people. We are the American dreamers driving down the holy road of true knowledge that's paved with blood and gold. And across the length and breadth of this fair country, we are killing people."

As he spoke, Atia glanced over the assembled crowd. They all listened with great interest, looking up at him as if he was some hero.

She couldn't believe how twisted their minds were. They spoke bluntly about such crimes, gave advice about techniques and supported each other in breaking the law. All while they had the time of their lives, taking glory and pleasure in such things.

She felt sickened by them.

"We don't do it to make a living, we don't do it for revenge. We do not murder for profit. We kill to kill. We are entrepreneurs in an expanding field. But no one sees us except for one weekend a year," he made a small pause, where he surveyed the whole crowd. "Well, I see you. I see you for who you truly are. And I want you to see it, too. So just do me a favour. Close your eyes. And see yourselves as I do."

One by one they all did as he told them. Both Atia and Morpheus could almost see inside of their heads, the images that appeared in them.

"We are gladiators," the Corinthian said.

One of the men imagined himself standing over dismembered corpse, cutting it up as butcher would do to an animal.

"Conquerors. We are explorers, truth seekers."

A woman imagined herself standing over an operation table. A man laid on it, fully conscious and aware of his surroundings. He was chained to the table, breathing heavily, as she cut his chest open.

"We are swashbucklers. We are hunters. Soldiers of fortune."

Yet another man imagined himself sewing skin taken from his victims together, watching in delight as a neat seam appeared down the middle of it.

Atia and Dream had enough. They appeared in the middle of the room, capturing the Corinthian's attention. His smile fell, as he seemed to glare at them.

"And kings of the night."

As always, he made it a point to ignore Atia's existence. She couldn't even say it hurt, because it didn't. She couldn't care less about what the Nightmare said about her.

"You disappoint me, Corinthian," Dream said, as he started approaching his creation. "You and these humans you've inspired and created... disappoint me."

"I've done my best to be what you made me."

"No, you've done your worst, which was in so many ways what I had hoped. You were my masterpiece. A dark mirror made to reflect everything humanity will not confront."

They finally arrived at the scene. Morpheus walked into it first, standing slightly in front of Atia, as if to shield her from the Nightmare.

"That's what I am. That's what I've done."

"No. Look at you, walking this Earth for over a century infecting others with your joy of death, but what have you given them? What have you wrought? Nothing. Just something else for people to be afraid of. That is all."

The Corinthian nodded slowly, as he looked towards his King. Aita was still silent behind him. She knew this was something he wanted to take care of by himself, so she would just be there and assist him if needed. But for now, he had it all under his control.

"So what now?" the Nightmare asked mockingly. "You send me back into their dreams? 'Cause I won't go willingly."

He pulled out a knife from a pocket of his blazer and pointed it towards his rulers. Or, more so, Atia. He knew she was the best way to get through to Morpheus. If her life was threatened, Dream would do anything to make sure she was safe.

Yet, the King of Dreams almost smirked, but the cold look stayed in his eyes, as he pushed his wife even further behind him.

"A knife against a dream?" he raised a brow.

Then, he slowly started approaching the Corinthian. Atia stayed back.

"You don't think dreams can die?" the Nightmare taunted

Suddenly, the Queen was reminded of Matthew's words, back then, when her husband played against Lucifer in the Oldest Game.

Dreams don't fucking die, he said. Not if you believe in them. And people did believe in Morpheus. No matter what happened, there would be always a person, who dreams, hopes for something better. So, for as long as there was still life on Earth, Dream of the Endless would continue to exist.

"Let's find out," the Nightmare smiled tauntingly.

"Enough," Morpheus raised his hand.

Almost immediately, specks of sand started coming off the Corinthian and fly into his hand. Yet, the Nightmare didn't seem affected. Instead, he swung and pushed the knife straight through his King's hand.

Dream grunted and fell down to one knee, clutching his injured hand. Atia gasped, taking a step forward, but he quickly reached out his hand back, giving her a signal to stay put.

Very reluctantly, she did.

Slowly, Morpheus raised his head to look up at his creation.

"How?" he breathed out.

"I've got Rose Walker getting stronger every second while you get weaker," the Corinthian revealed. "She's taking your place at the centre of the Dreaming. She's bringing the walls down between the sleepers' minds and now they're all dreaming the same dream."

And it was true. They all saw it. The way the dreams merged and twisted together, creating one, shared and powerful dream.

"A dream that I inspired."

"No."

"It's already happening. There's nothing you can do. She's asleep and dreaming."

But the Corinthian must've forgotten that that's when people are most accessible to Dream and Atia. When they enter their realm.

"Then she's not beyond my reach," Morpheus stated.

"Oh, I think she is. Now that she knows you're planning to kill her," the Nightmare chuckled.

"We'll see," Atia said, just before they all entered the dream.

*****

They found Rose and Jed surrounded by the three killers. They were all in the same room, smiling menacingly at the two younger people.

The girl quickly backed away and tried to lead her brother back the way they came, when Morpheus appeared in front of her.

"You need to wake up," he demanded.

With wide eyes, the two mortals quickly backed away.

"Don't listen to him, Rosebud," the Corinthian said, as he appeared just behind them. "You're the one with power now, not him. This is your dream."

"It's his dream," Atia declared, as she and her husband walked into the room. "His dream, for your world."

"Then let's make it yours. Whatever you want, Rose. A blank canvas."

And just like that, everyone but them were gone. Even Jed disappeared. Rose instantly panicked, staring in the empty space where her brother just stood.

"Where's Jed?" she asked.

"Jed's fine," the Nightmare said. "He's upstairs, asleep. He's right next to you. This dream is your now. The Dreaming is yours now."

"The Dreaming is yours. Is that what he told you?" Morpheus scoffed.

"He told me you were gonna kill me," the girl said, backing away from him.

"Did he tell you why?" Atia asked.

The Corinthian prided himself in his manipulations. They were nothing, but truth, just not the whole story. They didn't doubt he did tell her that, but they were sure he hid the real reason and put it in a way, that made it seem as if they wanted to do it, just for their own pleasure.

Rose shook her head, with a small frown. Still, she looked between the two with suspicious, doubtful look in her eyes.

"When a vortex brings down the walls between dreams, she creates a single volatile dream that will collapse in upon itself, and take the waking world with it. Your world. Everything and everyone will die," Dream explained quickly, while they had her attention.

The Corinthian leaned down to her ear.

"Don't believe them, Rosie," he told her, and she flinched away from him.

"It's happened before," Morpheus continued. "I failed in my duty, an entire universe was lost."

"He can't kill you if you kill him first," the Nightmare still pushed on, trying to convince the vortex.

"Killing me may save your life, but it won't save the lives of those you love."

"I'm trying to keep you alive here," Corinthian gritted his teeth.

"I'm trying to keep your world alive," just like his duty was.

"You have to choose one of us, Rose."

"Enough!" the girl finally snapped.

Once again, her voice resonated all around the room, just like it did back in the throne room. All three beings felt the shift in the atmosphere, that seemed to concentrate around her.

"If I am as powerful as you say I am, then I will find my own way. In the meantime, the walls go back up."

Atia's eyes widened, as with a wave of her hand, the girl brought back the entire wall, that separated the dreams. This was something that took her years to master, and yet, Rose seemed to do it so effortlessly, instinctively.

"Because I'm not dreaming anymore," she said, closing the last two walls. "Thanks to you two, I'm wide awake."

And everything around them disappeared, as the girl willed herself to wake up.

*****

When they appeared back in the conference room, Dream's hand was still injured. He looked at it, turning it over to have a better look.

The Corinthian took off his glasses, revealing the teeth he had instead of eyes.

"If you think I'm going back to the Dreaming with you-" the Nightmare started, but his King cut him off.

"You're not going back. I brought you into this world to serve humanity. Not to feed on it."

"Do you know why I do it?" when neither of them answered, the blonde continued. "So I can taste what it's like to be human. And you don't care about humanity. You only care about yourself and your realm and your rules."

"I contain the entire collective unconscious. Without my rules, it would consume me. Humanity will be consumed."

"Or you might feel something."

Atia raised a brow but stayed silent. The Corinthian never realised that Dream felt a lot, actually. He felt the pain of every betrayal, disappointment over failed creation and joy and peace of, now not-so-often, quiet moments he spent with his wife.

"I am not the problem, Dream," the Nightmare stated.

"You're right," the Endless agreed. "This was my fault. Not yours. I had so much hope for you. But I created you poorly then. So I must uncreate you now."

The Corinthian gave them a pained expression, sniffing. Then, Morpheus raised his arm and started absorbing his creation. Slowly, bit by bit, the Nightmare turned into sand.

"I am only sorry I won't be here to see Rose Walker do the same to you. Both of you," he said, just before he dissolved completely.

The only reminder left of him was a small pile of sand and a skull on top of it. Just like the Nightmare, the skull had teeth in its eye sockets.

The King of Dreams slowly walked over to it and picked it up. As he held it up on his open palm, looking right into its teeth-for-eyes, he spoke again.

"Next time I make you, you will not be so flawed and petty, little Dream."

Then, Atia gently grabbed it from him, as he turned to address the crowd that was still dreaming in the room.

"And you..." one by one, they all opened their eyes and looked at him. "Who call yourselves 'collectors', until now, you have sustained fantasies in which you are the victims, comforting daydreams in which you are always right. But no more. The dream is over. I have taken it away. For this is my judgment upon you, that you shall know from this moment on exactly how craven and selfish and monstrous you are. That you shall feel the pain of those you have slaughtered. And the grief that those who mourn them still, you shall carry that pain and grief and guilt with you until the end of time."

After that, everyone stood up and left the room, but this time, they all looked remorseful. Finally, they felt how wrong their actions were. But Atia knew it would crush most of them.

And she was right.

Just as they walked outside, they saw some just sit and staring blankly at empty space. Others, called 991 and turned themselves in. And there were also few, who couldn't stand the guilt and killed themselves.

Matthew joined them just as Rose and Jed rode past them.

"You want me to follow her?" the raven asked.

"No. When she is awake, she is not a threat," Dream stated. "Tonight when she sleeps, we will find her. And we will end this."