"What are those things?"
Li Jie stared at the specks of golden light that had suddenly lit up inside the Pyramid. They looked less like fluttering fireflies and more like golden dust swept up by an invisible current, eerily distinct against the thick, light-devouring darkness.
"Ask not if this realm be false or true, the Sandman holds the reins that guide you... wait, I'll let him talk to you. What a nuisance."
Etrigan's massive body visibly stiffened for a moment, the flames in his eyes flickering as though a fierce argument were raging within. Then his savage, violent aura receded like the tide. His shoulders relaxed slightly, and his stance became upright and restrained.
His furious roar dropped into a gentle British accent. "Sorry. What he means is that these are some of the Sandman's little trinkets, Sleeping Gold Dust. Nergal probably found some way to get it from Daniel, or made an imitation."
"Uh... then what's his deal?" Li Jie pointed at Etrigan, who still looked like a demon but whose dominant personality had switched to the knight. "Why did he suddenly switch back?"
"Probably because he couldn't make his rhyme work and felt..."
"Shut your mouth!" he suddenly roared. "Spout such lies and regret them, without a doubt!"
"All right, all right."
Etrigan's voice became gentle again. He raised a hand, taking care not to touch the drifting motes. "They aren't aggressive in themselves, but on contact, whether with a human, a demon, or any other being, they act directly on the depths of the mind, inducing an irresistible, profound drowsiness and dragging the subject into a dream woven from their own subconscious.
They're extremely... troublesome. Your sense of time becomes distorted in dreams. A thousand years might pass in a moment, or you might struggle for countless