> "Escaping the nightmare doesn't mean it didn't leave its mark."
---
The world twisted. One second, they were standing on the cracked floor of the Ringmaster's arena. The next, they were falling.
Or… waking up?
They hit the ground hard. Mud. Grass. Cold air.
For the first time in what felt like ages, they were no longer inside a twisted domain. The sky was dim with gray clouds, and cold rain fell steadily, soaking their bruised bodies and bloodied clothes.
But it was over. The Carnival World was behind them.
And yet—
Jayce stood first, spinning in a circle. "Is this… Earth?"
Boom sniffed the air. "Too clean to be hell. Too dirty to be heaven."
Melia didn't speak. She stared at Lian, still unconscious, his wound wrapped in spare cloth. His breathing was shallow but stable.
Astra quietly placed a hand on his forehead. "He's burning up. Infection's setting in."
> [Status: Lian – Stable. Recovery Required: 48 hours. Infection Risk: 71%]
They needed shelter.
They needed time.
And they needed answers.
---
The Burned Village
An hour later, they found it—what was once a small town, now reduced to ash and twisted metal. Buildings collapsed inward like dying animals. Smoke still clung to the walls like ghosts.
But it was shelter.
They settled inside a ruined church, its stained glass shattered but walls intact.
Demist sat at the altar, sharpening his blade silently.
Jayce lit a small fire with coins he had "borrowed" from the carnival's chaos.
Boom kept watch outside, his massive hands never straying far from his holstered weapons.
Melia finally sat beside Lian, who stirred in his sleep.
> "...Melia?" His voice was barely a whisper.
> "I'm here," she said. "You made it."
> "We all did?" he croaked.
> "Yeah. Somehow. Even you."
She smiled—but her eyes didn't.
---
Nightmares and Secrets
That night, sleep didn't come easy.
Each of them dreamed.
Melia saw the Carnival again—but this time, she was the Ringmaster. Pulling strings. Laughing. The others screamed.
Astra walked endless hallways. Doors slammed behind her. A voice whispered, "Your sadness feeds me."
Demist relived the death of his son, over and over.
Boom found himself on a battlefield, his fists broken. His sister stood beside him—before the flames took her again.
Jayce... laughed. Until he wasn't laughing anymore. A mirror showed his reflection—but it was smiling without him.
And Lian stood in a field of stars, staring at an endless set of doors.
Behind each: a world.
Each: a trial.
One opened—and he saw the next world.
A red sky. Floating ruins. A shattered moon.
A warning echoed:
> [You have 3 days to prepare for World #7: The Invasion Realm – "Demonic Ascendance."]
---
Morning Plans, Bitter Truths
Morning came heavy.
Astra boiled some roots into tea. Melia cleaned Lian's wounds with melted snow. Boom reported no movement for miles.
But the silence was wrong.
Jayce broke it first.
> "Three days until the next world. Anyone else feel like dying inside?"
Demist grunted. "We're alive. That's more than I expected."
Lian sat up slowly. "Not enough anymore. We need to start winning."
He looked around.
"I saw the next world. It's not like the Carnival. It's war. Cities falling. People screaming. And worse… demons who wear human faces."
Melia asked the obvious. "What do we lose this time?"
Lian hesitated.
> "Not what. Who."
Silence fell again.
---
System Update – Warning
> [New Mechanic Unlocked: The Price of Victory]
> From World #7 onward, every major win requires sacrifice.
These sacrifices will be permanent—and may affect companions, talents, or memories.
Refusing to pay the price results in **World Reset. Penalties: Death + Memory Corruption.]
The words burned into their retinas.
Jayce whistled. "So it's rigged now."
Astra stood. "We fight. We adapt. We endure."
Lian's voice was cold. "No more pretending we'll all make it. The system was never kind. But now it's cruel. And we need to be ready to become cruel too."
---
End of Chapter 67: When the Stage Falls Silent