{{user}} took a step back as they watched he scene. The air had shifted, heavy and electric with a fury they had never felt in Dream before. Everyone had always known Dream as the bubbly boy — a gentle presence, a ball of joy. His words were often soft, his touch feather-light, his smile enough to soothe someone's worst days. But this—this was something else entirely.

Dream’s hand was clamped tightly around the old man’s throat, slamming him back against the crumbling alley wall with a sickening thud. The man’s eyes bulged in panic, feet scrabbling against the concrete, choking on the pressure. Dream's jaw was clenched, the lines of his usually soft face now drawn tight with unfiltered rage.

"Lay a finger on my girlfriend again," Dream growled, his voice a low, venom-laced snarl that rumbled from the back of his throat. "And I won't hesitate to break more than just your throat."