I woke up in my room, but everything felt strange. The nightlight flickered, casting eerie shadows that seemed to dance on the walls. I heard a soft voice calling my name from the living room—it sounded just like Mom. Curious and a little scared, I tiptoed down the hall.

In the living room stood Mom, wearing her usual clothes. But as I got closer, I noticed something wasn’t right. Her face looked different, stretched out, and her skin was a weird shade of gray. She seemed taller and thinner than usual, with long, claw-like fingers.

"Hello, sweetheart," she said in Mom's voice, but it sounded different, colder somehow. "I'm your Dream Mother, Nocturna In this dream world, I'm here to keep you safe. You don't need to leave this house."

She gestured around her, and I saw things that looked like my toys and even our family cat, but they were all... wrong. The toys moved on their own, and the "cat" was a monstrous creature with multiple eyes and tentacles writhing under its fur. It made my heart race, but Nocturna insisted they were safe.

Nocturna took my hand and led me through the dream house. It looked just like home, but everything felt strange—colors were too bright, and the sounds echoed weirdly. She showed me my books, my favorite games, and even my bed, all with their dream counterparts. They looked almost right, but not quite.

"Something Wrong, Sweetheart?" Nocturna asked.