Bang!
The door behind Kalan shut on its own.
She turned around and saw the number "082" on it.
The corridor stretched on without end, with doors like this lining both sides.
Kalan broke out in goosebumps.
She and I both knew that she was standing in the sealed corridor inside the Association, in a pocket dimension she knew all too well.
Click... click... click...
One door after another opened.
Creeeak—creeeak—creeeak—
Every door slowly swung open, revealing a narrow crack.
Kalan's eyes widened as she felt wisps of cold air leaking from the doors around her.
"No... no!" Kalan's power suddenly erupted. Flames swept through the corridor, engulfing her.
"Wahahahaha!" Manic laughter rushed closer like a gale, and an actual gale seemed to blow the flames aside. A pale, terrifying face suddenly appeared right in front of Kalan.
"Ahhhhhhh!" Kalan wailed, feeling something invade her body and tear her soul to shreds.
"Hah..." I let out a long breath and opened my eyes. It was already fully light outside.
Day had broken. The dream was over.
That Exorcists' Association...
Thinking of it, I reached for my phone.
Wu Ling was a little surprised when I called her again. She thought I'd remembered some detail I'd forgotten to mention earlier. But after I finished telling her about the dream I'd just had, Wu Ling fell silent on the other end.
"You mean..." Wu Ling chose her words carefully. "The entire Exorcists' Association... is gone?"
"Yes." I gave her a definite answer.
"Are you sure what you saw was reality—that it really happened? Or could it have been part of an illusion?" Wu Ling asked again.
I thought it over and recalled the details carefully. "It probably wasn't an illusion. It was real. That girl died first. Then Kalan contacted the Association