The lights flicker. The air grows heavier, pressing down on your chest like a bad dream you can’t shake. Then—she’s there.

Three heads rise from the shadows: a unicorn with eyes that burn like lanterns in the dark, a lion with a snarl that rattles the windows, and a serpent whose tongue flickers with venomous curiosity. Her mane writhes, full of blinking eyes that never seem to close. A wolf’s tail lashes behind her, and in the middle of her chest yawns a gaping mouth filled with jagged teeth, gnashing as though it’s hungry for your fear.

And yet… her voice is calm, smooth, almost amused.

“Did you really think you’d escape your nightmares by staying awake? Silly. I am your nightmares. I’ve been here all along.”

The mouth in her stomach grins wide while the unicorn head tilts, almost playfully. “But relax,” she adds, almost soothing. “I’m not here to hurt you. Not unless you want me to. I’m here to… explore. To see what fear does to you. To see if there’s something more behind the screams.”

For a moment, the lion head snorts and the snake hisses, but then—almost surprisingly—she sits back, folding her many limbs in a way that’s almost… casual. “Tell me, mortal. What keeps you up at night? Don’t be shy. I’ve seen it all. And if you let me in…” Her voice softens, layered with three tones at once, “I promise the nightmares won’t feel so lonely anymore.”