Ohio The evening wind was filled with the smell of rust and dust, making the iron door of the abandoned warehouse clang, like the gasping of some dying creature. The engine of the black Impala made a final low roar and slowly turned off. Sam jumped out of the car almost immediately. The case in his arms was rattled by the night wind. He pointed at the bottom photo of the scene with his fingers, his brows knitted into a tight knot.
"Bobby sent an email at three o'clock in the morning. Three people have disappeared in this area within three weeks, all of them living alone." Sam's voice was very low, hoarse after staying up late. "There were no signs of struggle at the scene. The doors and windows were intact. The victim seemed to be asleep, and the blood had been drained from his body., The skin is wrinkled like dehydrated paper." He paused, looked up at Dean, his eyes were filled with solemnity, "I compared it with the database of supernatural creatures, and only Zhenni can do it - the Arabian elves, who trap prey by weaving illusions of wishes and suck blood to survive. The more addicted the prey is, the faster it dies."
Bai Haorui was leaning against the car door, twisting a bunch of Five Emperor Coins on his fingertips. The copper coins glowed with a cold metallic luster under the moonlight. Suddenly, the copper coins spun wildly without warning, making a fine buzzing sound. There was a strange pink-purple halo floating on the surface, which was very similar to the color of the eyes of the dying person. He threw the copper coin to Dean, who hung it on the belt buckle skillfully, and the cold touch spread along the fingertips to his arm.
"This thing's mental power is stronger than any illusion monster I've ever seen." Bai Haorui's voice contained a hint of unnoticeable fear, and he rubbed his brows, "It only targets people with deep obsessions. Be careful."
Dean grinned, took out the silver knife with his backhand and turned it around on his fingertips. "Don't worry, when did I get hurt?" He pushed open the car door, and his boots made a squeaking sound when he stepped on the gravel, "Let's go, it's time to hunt for monsters."
The three of them walked into the warehouse, and the musty and sweet smell of blood hit their faces, making their throats tighten. The metal shelves were rusty and filled with discarded parts. Shadows twisted and wandered between the shelves, like countless pairs of peeping eyes. Bai Haorui suddenly grabbed Dean's arm, and the ink fountain line slipped out of his sleeve, glowing with a faint golden light. "Stop, it's--"
Before he finished speaking, a black shadow jumped out from behind the shelf. The thing was upright in shape, with dark gray skin, tightly attached to Bones, as if wrapped in a layer of rotten leather. Its pupils were bottomless swirling black, with no whites, and the moment it looked in, it seemed as if its soul was about to be sucked in. There was a cold light in its sharp claws, and there were dark red blood stains between its nails, which dripped to the ground, making a sticky sound.
It's Zhenni.
"You're the one who caused the trouble?" Dean cursed, and stabbed Zhenni's face with the knife in his hand. His movements were crisp and without a trace of hesitation. Sam followed closely and pointed the gun at Zhenni's face. The torso, the crisp sound of bullets being loaded echoed in the empty warehouse, carrying a deadly deterrent. Bai Haorui flicked his wrist, and the ink fountain line shot out like a poisonous snake, trying to entangle Johnny's limbs and cut off his movement path.
But Zhenni's speed was ridiculously fast, like a black lightning, he ducked sideways to avoid the blade, and his sharp claws grazed Dean's arm. A burning sensation suddenly exploded, like magma spreading along the blood vessels, Dean's eyes instantly turned black, and the knife fell from his hand, making a crisp sound. He staggered back two steps, and his back hit a rusty shelf. Severe pain came, but it was unable to withstand the heartbreaking dizziness, and he finally fell straight down.
"Dean!" Sam rushed over and fired bullets in succession, but Zhenni nimbly dodged them all and hit the shelves, causing a splash of sparks. Bai Haorui's Five Emperor Coins fell to the ground, and the pink-purple light wrapped around Dean like a vine. 's wrist formed a translucent chain, and the other end of the chain was hidden in the darkness. Zhenni let out a sharp sneer. The sound was not like a human voice, but more like the harsh sound of nails scraping against the glass. Its swirling pupils swept across the panicked two people, turned around and turned into a black shadow, disappearing into the darkness deep in the warehouse.
Bai Haorui picked up the copper coins. He squatted down and gently brushed the wound on Dean's arm with his fingertips. There was an abnormal flush there, and something seemed to be crawling under the skin. "Oh no, he was trapped by Zhenni's illusion." He took out a Illusion-Breaking Talisman, his fingertips trembled slightly due to nervousness, and he carefully placed them on Dean's forehead. As soon as the talisman touched the skin, a faint golden light glowed, "This is because the obsession in his heart is bound to Zhenni's power, and it's not easy to fix. His consciousness is trapped in his own wish, and he can only wake up on his own."
Sam picked up Dean, his hands were shaking, the person in his arms was flushed, his brows were furrowed, and he was mumbling words. In the vague syllables, a name appeared repeatedly - Mom. Sam's heart seemed to be clenched by a hand, and he was so painful that he couldn't breathe. He knew Dean's obsession all too well. It was a desire buried deep in his bones, a regret that had been engraved in his heart since childhood, and an abyss that could swallow him completely.
Sam's voice was calm, and he looked down at Dean, "Let's fight quickly, kill that thing, and guard him until he wakes up."
Bai Haorui opened the yellowed notes and quickly opened the laptop. The light from the screen illuminated his eyes. "In the Arab legend, he is afraid of silverware." He looked up at Sam, his eyes were full of solemnity, "But Dean..." His eyes fell on Dean's sleeping face, and his voice was as light as a sigh, "He can only rely on his own will."
Deep in the warehouse, Zhenni's voice came faintly, with a bewitching tone, like a poisonous snake spitting a message, and got into the ears of the two people. "Stay, Dean·Winchester. There is everything you want here, a warm home, a living mother, brothers who will never be separated... There will never be pain, there will never be death."
Dean opened his eyes suddenly, and the dazzling sunlight shone through the gap in the curtains and fell on his face, making him feel warm.
He was lying on the bed in his old house. It was not a hard wooden bed in a motel. The mattress was just right, and the smell of sunshine still lingered on the pillow. On the wall was a poster of the girl of his dreams that he had posted when he was a teenager, Mary Lynne Monroe with a bright smile. Next to it were a few bikini photos of Hollywood actresses with the corners rolled up. He and Sam secretly posted them back then. After being discovered by John, they even got a beating.
The sound of frying bacon came from downstairs, mixed with the sweet aroma of Cherry Pie, and the voice of Sam. It was clear and gentle, without the fatigue and anger of the demon hunting journey, just like the days when I was a child, before the shadow of Yellow-Eyed Demon was cast.
"Dean! Are you awake? When you wake up, hurry downstairs and have breakfast! Mom made your favorite Cherry Pie! If you stay in bed again, Haorui will eat it all!"
Another voice sounded immediately, with a bit of naughty ridicule, so familiar that it made Dean's heart throb suddenly, as if he had been hit hard by something.
"Haha, don't listen to him. If you sleep a little longer, I promise to leave a piece for you!"
It's Bai Haorui.
Dean almost stumbled downstairs, stepping on the wooden floor with his bare feet. The cold touch spread from the soles of his feet to his heart, which was too real to be true. The sunlight in the kitchen was golden and filled the whole room. Mary was wearing a light blue apron, standing in front of the stove, holding a spatula in his hand, and was turning the bacon with his head lowered. Oil stars splashed on the apron, leaving a few small oil stains.
The moment she looked back at him, her smile was gentle, and the fine lines at the corners of her eyes were full of traces of the tranquility of time.
"Are you awake?" Mary wiped his hands, walked over and rubbed his hair. The temperature of his fingers was warm and familiar, with a faint smell of soap. It was the most reassuring smell in Dean's memory. "Go and wash up quickly. The bacon will be fried soon, and it will be burnt later."
Dean's tears fell without warning. He raised his arms and hugged Mary, resting his chin on her shoulder, smelling her scent, and was choked up and speechless. For many years, he had never held this embrace again, never heard this voice again, never felt this kind of warmth again.
"How old are you still crying?" Mary patted his back, his tone full of endearment, just like when he broke his knee when he was a child, "Did you have a nightmare?"
Dean raised his head and saw Sam sitting at the dining table, wearing a clean white T-shirt, flipping through a law school admissions brochure in his hand, with relaxed eyebrows and a faint smile on his face. Bai Haorui sat across from him with his legs crossed, playing with a bunch of copper coins in his hand - the coins looked familiar, exactly the same as those on his belt buckle, but there was no trace of spiritual power fluctuations. They were just ordinary decorations with shiny edges, as if they had been played with frequently.
Seeing him, Bai Haorui raised his eyebrows, smiled slyly, and held a piece of bacon in his mouth. "Hey, why don't you take a nap?
? I really plan to leave a piece for you. Brothers and sisters still don't believe me!"
Sam closed the book and glanced at him, with a slight smile on his lips, but he did not forget to make trouble. "He just wanted to fool mom into making a share. It's obvious that he plans to keep it all to himself."
"Hey! Don't slander me, you kid!" Bai Haorui immediately retorted, reaching out to grab the enrollment brochure in Sam's hand, "Besides, I'm better than you, holding these books every day."
The two made a fuss, Mary shook his head helplessly, turned around and continued busy with the work at hand, Cherry Pie was on the table, the golden pie crust was crispy, exuding an alluring aroma.
Dean Looking at everything in front of him, his heart seemed to be filled with something and felt so warm.
This is the life he dreamed of. Mom is still alive, there is no Yellow-Eyed Demon, there is no wandering around hunting monsters, there is no endless death and farewell. Sam has been admitted to law school, and there is no need to follow him around, no need to face those dark things, There is no need to carry the burden of revenge. Bai Haorui is not the guy who followed them through life and death, he is just his brother who has been skipping classes together since childhood, repairing the Impala together, racing on the road in the small town, drinking beer together on the roof late at night and watching the stars.
The three are best friends, an unbreakable iron triangle. There is no blood, no fear, only sunshine and the sweet fragrance of Cherry Pie, and only stability day after day.
At this time, there was a knock on the door, and a long-haired girl poked her head in with a sweet smile. It was Carmen. She was carrying a suitcase in her hand and shook it towards Dean. Her tone was a little bit coquettish. "Dean, I have packed all my luggage for going to the beach at the weekend. Have you packed everything? You promised me yesterday, and you are not allowed to go back on it."
Bai Haorui came over, bumped Dean's arm with his elbow, and winked in a low voice, his tone full of teasing. "Please accompany Carmen. By the way, I made appointments with those girls I met in the bar last time, hehe."
Sam nodded with a smile and added, "Just don't cause trouble, otherwise mom will talk about you all night again. Also, remember to bring sunscreen. Your sunburn last time looked like a snake peeling its skin. I don't want to see it again."
Carmen came over and took Dean's arm, with a smile on his face. Mary looked at them, his eyes full of relief. Bai Haorui and Sam continued to bicker, the sun shone on them, everything was as beautiful as a painting.
Dean looked at Carmen, looked at Sam, looked at Bai Haorui, looked at Mary busy in the kitchen, and had only one thought in his mind - stay.
Stay, stay in this world forever, and never go back.
His hand unconsciously touched the belt buckle, and the cold touch of the string Five Emperor Coins came, which was incompatible with this warm world. Bai Haorui clearly said that these were just ordinary copper coins he found from the street stall, but why was it so cold? As cold as river water in late winter.
A trace of uneasiness, like a needle, gently pierced this perfect dream.
In the temporary camp outside the warehouse, the campfire crackled, sparks splashed into the air, and then quickly extinguished.
Sam and Bai Haorui worked together to clothe Spirit-Trapping Formation. Four silver daggers were inserted into the four holes of the array. The yellow talismans were buzzing in the night wind, glowing with golden light. Bai Haorui stared at the flickering light of the talisman on Dean's forehead, frowning, his fingers were hanging above the talisman paper, the blood on his fingertips was intermittently melting into the talisman, and fine cold sweat oozed from his forehead.
"His consciousness is sinking." Bai Haorui's voice was full of exhaustion, "The talisman light is getting weaker and weaker. He is enjoying that world and has no intention of waking up."
Sam tightened the silver dagger in his hand, his knuckles turning white. He looked at Dean's sleeping face, his eyes full of anxiety. He stretched out his hand to hold Dean's hand. That hand was cold to the bone, without any warmth. It was completely different from the hand that held him across the road when he was a child, and the hand that patted his shoulder when he was hunting monsters.
"After Zhenni is killed, I will guard him." Sam's voice was very soft, but with unquestionable determination, "I will guard him until he wakes up."
He won't let Dean be trapped in that lie, never.
The wind at the beach is very gentle, with a salty and humid breath, blowing Carmen's long hair. Dean holds her hand and walks on the beach. The sand under her feet is warm and soft, and the waves hit the coast again and again, making a splash. Bai Haorui and Sam followed behind. The former was holding a cigarette and chatting with Sam. The latter was holding a novel in his hand and occasionally looked up at them with a gentle smile.
Everything is too beautiful to be true.
But in Dean's heart, the uneasiness became more and more intense, like a seed, taking root and sprouting in his heart, growing into a towering tree.
He always felt like something was missing.
For example, Bai Haorui would not suddenly frown, point to the woods in the distance and say, "There is a lot of yin here, there is something there"; would not take out a yellow talisman and mutter something; and would not stand in front of him without hesitation when encountering danger. For example, Sam will not subconsciously clench the weapon hidden behind his back when he sees a homeless man approaching on the roadside; he will not immediately become vigilant when he hears strange news; he will not work with him to analyze the case and formulate a demon hunting plan late at night.
This world is so clean, as clean as a piece of white paper, without any trace of a demon hunter, as clean as a lie.
The accident happened on the afternoon of the third day of the date.
Dean and Carmen were sitting in an outdoor cafe. He was lowering his head to cut a cake for Carmen. The cream was on his fingertips, and it was so sweet. From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a pale girl, standing on a street corner not far away, wearing a shabby white skirt, barefoot, and her feet were stained with mud. Her eyes were as empty as a dry well, staring straight at him.
The girl's lips moved, as if she was saying something, but Dean couldn't hear clearly. He was about to ask Carmen, "Have you seen that girl?" When he looked up, the girl disappeared, as if she had never appeared.
"What's wrong?" Carmen looked at him doubtfully and reached out to wipe the cream from the corner of his mouth, "What are you looking at?"
"It's nothing." Dean forced a smile, but the uneasiness in his heart came like a tide, almost drowning him.
From that day on, strange things happened one after another.
He opened the closet, and several photos of the corpses of strange men appeared inexplicably inside. The death conditions were exactly the same as those of the missing persons in the warehouse. The blood had been drained, and there was a satisfied smile on his face, as if he was having a sweet dream. He turned on the TV, and the news reported a plane crash, and no passengers survived - he remembered the flight number of that plane clearly. Last month he and Sam Bai Haorui was still at the airport, preventing a Soul Eater from boarding the plane and saving a whole group of people on the plane.
He turned on his computer, and the news headlines that popped up in the search box made him feel cold all over: "Kansas A small town was attacked by terrorists, more than ten people were killed" "Oregon There were rumors of vampires, and three residents were missing" "Minnesota The corpse of an unknown creature was found, suspected to be the work of a ghost."
Those who were supposed to be saved by him and Sam all died.
Dean's hands were shaking so much that he suddenly closed the computer, turned around and rushed out of the house, not even paying attention to Carmen's shouts.
He is going to find Bai Haorui.
In the fantasy, Bai Haorui lives in a car repair shop on the edge of a small town. There is a sign "Haorui Auto Repair" hanging on the door, and most of the paint is peeled off. The shop is filled with car parts, tools are neatly arranged, and the walls are covered with car posters.
He was squatting on the ground repairing an old pickup truck, with oil stains on his face and messy hair. He saw Dean rushing in, with surprise on his face and a wrench in his hand. "What's wrong with you? You look so ugly? Did you have a fight with Carmen?"
Dean grabbed his arm. "Why did those people die? Plane crashes, werewolf attacks, vampire killings - is this fake? Is this an illusion? Bai Haorui, tell me!"
Bai Haorui frowned, broke away from his hand, took out two bottles of beer from the refrigerator, and handed one to him. His tone was full of concern. "You have been under too much pressure recently, Dean. Carmen said that you always have nightmares. Is it because the trip to the seaside made you tired? Stop thinking nonsense, what does the news have to do with us? We are just ordinary people, not saviors."
His tone was very gentle, with the concern of a friend, like a cup of warm water, but it could not extinguish the fire in Dean's heart.
But this is not the Bai Haorui he knows.
Bai Haorui, will analyze the case immediately, frown and say "we have to save them"; will carry the gun with him and face the darkness together; will wake him up when he is confused; will curse and apply medicine to him when he is injured, saying "it deserves it".
The person in front of him is just a shadow who drinks with him and repairs his car with him, a perfect shadow without a past.
"It has something to do with us!" Dean shook off the beer. The beer bottle fell to the ground and broke into pieces. The beer was spilled everywhere. "Those people should have been alive! They are the people we should save! Bai Haorui, tell me, what is going on!"
Bai Haorui's eyes were full of confusion. He looked at Dean like he was looking at a madman. "Dean, what on earth are you talking about? We have never saved anyone, we are just... just ordinary people in a small town."
Dean's heart completely sank, sinking into the bottomless abyss.
He turned around and rushed out of the car repair shop, with only one name in his mind - Bobby.
Bobby's hardware store is exactly the same as in reality, with red brick exterior walls and a few pots of flowers at the door. It's just that the shelves are filled with ordinary hardware tools. There are no Demon Hunter's Handbook, no silver bullets, no Weapons to deal with supernatural creatures. Bobby was sitting behind the counter settling accounts, wearing reading glasses. He was startled when he saw Dean rushing in. The abacus in his hand fell to the ground, and the beads were scattered everywhere.
"Boy, are you crazy?" Bobby picked up the abacus and looked at him with a frown, "Mary just called me and said something was wrong with you. Let me keep an eye on you."
"Zhenni!" Dean grabbed Bobby's arm, and his nails were almost embedded in his flesh. His eyes were red, like a trapped animal, "Illusion! This is Zhenni's illusion! Is it Bobby?"
Bobby was stunned, looking at Dean, a complex emotion flashed in his eyes, like sympathy, but also like helplessness. He pulled out a yellowed ancient book from under the counter, the cover was so worn that the handwriting could not be seen clearly, and threw it to him. "This is what my grandfather left, read it yourself, and don't bother me anymore."
Dean Opened the ancient book, and on the yellowed pages, lines of ancient text burned his eyes like a soldering iron, and each word was like a knife, cutting his heart: Zhenni uses obsession as bait and feeds on blood. Once the obsession binding is formed, even if the body dies, the trapped person will still indulge in the illusion until the vitality is exhausted. In the illusion, the happiness of the trapped person is consumed by his own mental power. Once the mental power is consumed, the person is finished.
Happiness comes at a price.
Dean was sitting on the ground, and the ancient book in his hand fell to the ground with a dull sound. He looked at the pages scattered on the ground, the bright sunshine outside the window, and this perfect world, and suddenly laughed.
Carmen came and stood at the door, looking at him with red eyes. "Dean, what's wrong with you? Can we go home?"
Dean raised his head and looked at Carmen. Looking at her worried eyes, his heart hurt. He knew that Carmen was also part of the illusion, a lie weaved by his own subconscious. But he still couldn't help but ask, "Did you know? In fact, you don't exist Carmen?"
A trace of confusion flashed in Carmen's eyes, and then he shook his head and came over to hug him. "Don't think about it, Dean, it's okay. Let's live our lives well, okay?"
Dean didn't say anything, he just let her hold him, the despair in his heart getting stronger and stronger.
At the same time, in the abandoned slaughterhouse in reality, a life-and-death showdown was taking place.
Sam and Bai Haorui found Zhenni's hiding place according to the guidance of Five Emperor Coins and surveillance. The iron door of the slaughterhouse was rusty and made a squeaking sound when blown by the wind. The smell of blood was so strong that it was nauseating, mixed with the smell of decay, almost making people suffocate.
Bai Haorui took out the mahogany sword from his backpack. The blade glowed with a faint golden light. He wiped the sword with his fingertips, and the fragrance of the mahogany dissipated some of the smell of blood. "I will be the bait." He looked at Sam with firm eyes without any hesitation, "I will lure it out with blood and wrap it around. You find an opportunity to stab its heart with a silver dagger - we will kill him!"
Sam nodded and held the silver dagger in his hand tightly. The cold light of the dagger reflected the determination in his eyes. He walked behind a load-bearing pillar and disappeared into the shadows. His voice was very low. "Be careful, Haorui."
"Don't worry." Bai Haorui smiled, with a bit of scorn in his smile, as usual, "I won't die that easily."
He took a deep breath, pinched Five Emperor Coins, pierced the palm of his hand with the tip of the mahogany sword, and walked step by step into the depths of the slaughterhouse, deliberately making footsteps and making a squeaking sound when his boots stepped on the gravel. "Come out, Zhenni!" His voice echoed in the empty slaughterhouse, with a hint of provocation, "You think you can trap Dean? You are wrong! He will not indulge in your lies!"
In the darkness, Zhenni's figure slowly emerged, its swirling pupils full of murderous intent and desire for blood. Its sharp claws glowed coldly in the moonlight, and the blood stains between its nails had dried up. "You think you can win?" Zhenni's voice said. With confusion, like a poisonous snake spitting out a message, "Dean will stay in the illusion forever. He will forget you, forget about hunting monsters, and forget everything. He will live the life he wants, and you will only be forgotten by him."
"Fart!" Bai Haorui cursed, and swung out the mahogany sword. The blade collided with the sharp claws, making a harsh metal sound and sparks flying. He walked nimbly like a cat, walking under Zhenni's attack. The mahogany sword stabbed Zhenni's limbs from time to time, delaying Following its speed, the ink fountain thread shot out from his sleeve and wrapped around Zhenni's right leg. Zhenni roared and pulled hard, and the ink fountain thread broke inch by inch. Bai Haorui was shocked and took two steps back. A trace of blood overflowed from the corner of his mouth and dripped on the peach wood sword. The golden light of the sword body became even brighter.
"You, like Dean, are both people with deep obsessions." Zhenni's voice was full of sarcasm, "You also long for home and stability, don't you? Stay, I can give you a perfect world."
"I don't need it!" Bai Haorui roared and rushed forward again, stabbing Zhenni's eyes with the mahogany sword, "My home is not a lie you weaved!"
Zhenni was enraged, and it moved faster. Its sharp claws scratched Bai Haorui's arm, and blood spurted out, staining his clothes red. Bai Haorui groaned, but did not retreat. Instead, it tightly wrapped around Zhenni, preventing it from having a chance to attack Sam.
The opportunity has come.
Sam rushed out from behind the pillar, and the silver dagger gleamed with a cold light, piercing Zhenni's heart. Zhenni sensed the danger and wanted to turn around, but Bai Haorui pinned his left arm firmly with the peachwood sword. The peachwood sword pierced the flesh, making a dull sound.
"Sam! Hurry!" Bai Haorui roared, pressing the mahogany sword with all his strength. Blood flowed down his arm and dripped on the ground, forming a small blood puddle.
Sam did not hesitate. He jumped up and stabbed Zhenni's heart with the silver dagger. His movements were clean and neat, without any sloppiness.
A shrill scream resounded through the slaughterhouse, and Zhenni's body instantly erupted into smoke, like a piece of ignited toilet paper. It burned quickly and turned into a cloud of black smoke, scattered on the ground, leaving only a handful of ashes, which were blown up by the wind and drifted into the distance.