The entity that had originally been the fox had now become human, standing on the surface of the sea with a meaningful smile.

  “You will stay here forever, unless you find another willing volunteer to redeem you.”

  The scene froze suddenly!

  The stars, waves, and dreams instantly collapsed into endless darkness.

  Within the darkness, the fox remained standing before them, expression cold and ironic.

  At this moment, everyone finally understood:

  This fox before them was the cursed being, trapped within dreams, endlessly searching for a replacement.

  It had to find the next volunteer to take its place, to attain true freedom.

  This was its rule.

  Above them, the dark cosmos stretched out like an enormous curtain being slowly pulled aside by an invisible hand. Stars fell like shards of broken glass into the void, revealing a massive circus tent. A sense of déjà vu enveloped each of them.

  Nora’s eyes widened as her heart constricted sharply.

  “Isn’t this… the amusement park we visited?” she asked, voice trembling slightly. They were already inside the circus tent, and above them floated the helium balloons she'd once released.

  The surrounding air seemed frozen. Standing within this bizarre dream, none of them dared move. In the center of the circus stage was that familiar, tail-adorned car. Red curtains fluttered gently around them, and fox images plastered the walls, each with a mocking smile and staring eerily straight at them.

  Their footsteps echoed loudly in the silent space.

  Suddenly, cheerful laughter pierced the air, sharp and humorous, yet tinged with chilling malice.

  Nora spun around, spotting a familiar figure leaping from behind the curtains.

  The clown—the one with the fox tail!

  His face was painted in exaggerated makeup, his mouth unnaturally wide, as if torn open. His tail swung gently, the golden bells jingling faintly. He danced lightly, spinning before abruptly stopping, black eyes fixed on Nora.

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  "Aha! We meet again!" the clown said playfully, his voice resonating from every direction yet whispering directly into their ears.

  Nora froze, instinctively stepping back. Yet, at an unsettling speed, the clown appeared behind her, leaning toward her ear and whispering softly yet oppressively:

  “There’s nothing here for you. Leave quickly.”

  Her breath caught, hairs standing on end. She tried to break free, but invisible chains held her immobile.

  Lucas immediately stepped forward, anger evident in his voice: “So it was you all along? You've been controlling us from the start, haven't you?”

  The clown tilted his head, grinning broadly. “Oh, no, it was your own choice—no one controls you.” He exaggeratedly spread his arms and bowed comically. “Don’t misunderstand. I'm neither an evil fox, nor a god, nor human. I’m merely—” He paused dramatically, extending a hand toward the fox and lowering his voice, “the fox’s subconscious.”

  His voice echoed confusingly throughout the tent.

  “Only I can communicate with you in the real world since I'm a fragment of the fox's consciousness, representing him—and myself!” The clown’s head suddenly grew large, looming close to Nora before shrinking back as he continued, “As for this circus, it's just a 'virtual illusion' created by the fox. That day, you thought you were watching a performance with other people, but aside from the four of you, nobody else saw or felt it.” He squinted, chuckling softly. “You self-important little bookworms.”

  He performed another exaggerated move, flaunting his deception. Beside him, the fox remained silent, eyes dark, seemingly directing the clown with intent alone.

  The air froze for an instant.

  “Now, let's get down to business,” the clown’s smile vanished abruptly, fixing his stare directly on Nora.

  Nora’s throat tightened, biting nervously at her fingernails, feeling the space around her contract, pressure intensifying.

  “You've already found what the fox wants, you just won't bring it,” the clown’s tone darkened suddenly, ending with a chilling laugh.

  Nora’s pupils contracted, the others simultaneously turning sharply toward her.

  Her heart skipped a beat, realizing they had seen everything. Countless explanations clogged her throat, unable to emerge.

  They doubted her.

  She quickly shook her head. “But what I found was an object, not a person. And you said we had 100 days—there's still time left.”

  The clown sighed dramatically, tracing an enormous clock in the air, its hands spinning rapidly. Looking down at Nora as if addressing an ignorant child, he said mockingly, “Oh, poor Nora. Time flows much faster in dreams than in the real world. The few minutes you've stood here already amount to days in reality.” His grin broadened cruelly, his tone increasingly sinister, “How many times have you traveled between dreams? Don't you know dream-time doesn't sync with reality? You think you have days left, but in truth—” He deliberately paused, cruelty flashing in his eyes, “your time has already run out.”

  Thank you for reading. The Dream of the Night Fox is now available in full on Amazon—both as paperback and ebook.?? If this story moved you, your support means the world: