"What was a nightmare?"
Just as the Sun's Three Aspects governed growth, stagnation, and death on the material plane,
the Moon's Three Aspects represented clarity, confusion, and loss of control on the spiritual plane.
The flawless Radiant Moon, the Mist Moon half-veiled by clouds, and the Dark Moon sinking into shadow.
The changing phases of the moon rose and fell like the tides, influencing dreams and the spiritual world, and ultimately affecting the actions of all living things.
The day belonged to the sun, and the night belonged to the moon. It was said that in a distant age, whenever night fell, the consciousness of every living thing entered the dream realm, where they lived another kind of life.
Of course, ever since the previous Lord of Dreams, the Silver Moon Dragon, had fallen, this pact had been broken. Even when the living dreamed in the present age, most of them were muddled and confused, and could hardly be said to be lucid in their dreams.
But even outside of dreams, how many people could claim to be absolutely clear-headed?
The countless complexities of the world brought desire, profit, and temptation, stirring people's hearts, intoxicating them, and ensnaring them until they could hardly bear to let go. These were the soul and desires that gave their lives meaning.
Desire, like life, drove living beings to roam the earth. But unlike life, desire was not constrained by the rules of reality. How easy was it to control?
A single change of heart could make someone collapse completely. Letting go of past courage and pride, or lowering the levee of one's willpower, was never easy.
A shining Golden Blade swept across a dead tree, cleaving it in two. The splintered wood burned beneath the night sky, sending sparks flying in every direction.