In Better Spirits Than Ever

Thud—

A dull sound reached Klein, and his head swam. The crimson moonlight outside the window grew hazier. The cupboards, gas meter, and other fixtures on the walls blurred until they were almost invisible. The cramped bedroom seemed to sink into thick fog, leaving only him and the bunk bed before him.

Just now, the sound of someone praying to the Fool distracted me, and then my negative personality vanished before my eyes...

Did he seize the opportunity to escape the dream, leaving me trapped inside? And has the dream deepened?

Klein quickly recalled everything he knew about dreams and split personalities, soon concluding that he had fallen into a deeper layer of the nightmare.

If five minutes is the safety limit, most of that time has probably passed already. And time feels different in dreams. I might already be close to the limit...

This was his first time entering a dream created by the Mental Terror Candle. Although he had heard Angel describe her battle before, he still could not help panicking a little. The "Klein" formed from his negative personality had disappeared without a trace and might even have taken control of his real body. He worried about what trouble the other personality might cause, and feared that Angel had already arrived beside him through the Mirror World and discovered his "psychological problems."

My only option is to take four counterclockwise steps and recite "Blessing of the Primordial Yellow" to enter the Grey Fog Space. That still works in dreams. It should let me return directly to my body...

As he pondered this, a figure appeared on the lower bunk before him. His face was thin and utterly bewildered. It was the negative "Klein," who had returned after leaving.

"How could she possibly recognize me?"

"Klein" frowned deeply,