Night had fallen over northern France, and the small town of Graville had vanished from the map.Not blurry. Not a signal error. Completely—gone.
The European Division of the Investigations Bureau had recorded it via satellite. At the stroke of midnight, the city's lights flickered out, and all monitoring feeds turned into an empty void.It wasn't just drones—soldiers attempting to enter also vanished into nothingness, their communications severed entirely.
"The whole city disappeared? Sounds like a magic trick," Ethan leaned against the car door, teasing."Just that the magician's ethics are questionable—he took the entire audience with him."
Karl rolled his eyes."Now is not the time for jokes, Ethan."
"Come on, if I don't joke at times like this, my heartbeat goes into overdrive. Not even a doctor could save me," Ethan shrugged, still keeping a casual facade.
Their vehicle stopped at the outskirts of Graville, near the highway.The usually busy toll station was deserted; the wind rattled the advertisements.
When Ethan stepped out, the ground was wet as if it had just rained, yet the sky was completely dry.He bent down, touching the ground—his fingertips picked up black residue, like the ashes of burned-out embers, yet radiating a faint chill.
"Residual Nightmare energy," Karl said gravely.
"Huh… smells like caramel mixed with gas," Ethan shook his hand. "Could probably sell this and make a fortune."
They continued forward.Passing the highway entrance, the city's usual gates now revealed only empty wasteland.
No streets. No houses. No streetlights.Even the foundations were wiped clean, as if someone had erased the city from reality with a giant eraser.
A temporary command post had been established by the European Division at the outskirts, with a few stern-faced agents on duty.The acting commander looked at Ethan's group coldly."You need to be careful. The two squads sent in last night—none returned."
"Sounds like some kind of special offer," Ethan shrugged."Buy one, get one free—entire teams gone."
The commander frowned."This is no joke."
"I know," Ethan's smile faded, and a sharp edge appeared in his eyes."But the scarier the scene, the more I need humor to hold myself together—otherwise, I'd probably be the first to break down."
No one spoke.In silence, they donned detection devices and stepped into the eerie wasteland.
Their footsteps echoed on the void-like ground. The air was oppressive, as if something blocked it entirely.Suddenly, Ethan stopped, pointing ahead."Look—"
Through the distant mist, faint outlines of streets emerged.A dim yellow streetlight flickered to life, followed by blurry silhouettes of houses, streets, and shopfronts.
Karl held his breath."The city… it's still here, but it seems dragged into another layer of space."
Ethan squinted, feeling an inexplicable familiarity.The ghostly streets seemed to look back at him, exuding the aura of a nightmare world.
They carefully walked into the phantom streets.The air was filled with low, slumbering whispers, like tens of thousands of people speaking in dreams simultaneously.
Ethan reached out to touch a wall. His hand plunged into nothingness as if dipping into water, cold to the bone.He recoiled immediately, fingertips leaving behind a thin black mist.
"This city has been half-consumed by nightmares," he murmured."It's now half-real, half-phantasm."
At that moment, urgent footsteps echoed from around the corner.Everyone went on high alert, weapons raised.
From the mist emerged a little girl in pajamas, eyes closed, walking straight toward them.Her movements were stiff, and an eerie smile lingered on her face.
Ethan stepped forward softly."Hey, kiddo… are you lost?"
The girl didn't respond. Instead, she opened her mouth and let out a low, guttural roar.In the next second, her body twisted violently as Nightmare energy burst forth, instantly engulfing her and forming a monstrous shadow.
Agents opened fire immediately. Bullets tore through the black mist but barely harmed the creature.
Ethan dodged, shouting:"This must be the legendary… wrong sleeping posture!"
The monster screamed in agony before collapsing into ashes as the Nightmare energy dissipated.
Silence fell over the scene.
Karl's expression was grim."All the people in this city… could become this."
Ethan paused, then smiled faintly."Well, at least that explains one thing—the nightlife here is lively."
But the laughter in his eyes vanished, replaced by deep unease.The disappearance of Graville was more than just a city anomaly—it was a warning: the boundary between reality and nightmare was collapsing faster than ever.