Welcome to The Nightmarish

The group clapped their hands in unison, their applause echoing down the eerie hallways. The cheerleaders, their muscles no longer exaggeratedly toned, had reverted to their original sassy, confident selves. Their fierce expressions were now replaced with smirks and playful poses, as if the whole ordeal had been nothing more than a rehearsal for their next viral performance.

Richard stepped forward, his posture noticeably more relaxed. "Thank you, everyone!" he called out, his voice filled with relief and gratitude. "I'm not scared of the butcher anymore."

The cheerleaders collectively turned toward him, their sassy energy radiating as one of them flipped her hair dramatically. "You're welcome, darling!" the cheerleader captain replied, her tone dripping with mock sweetness. "It's what we do—saving your nightmares one flawless move at a time." She gave a playful wink before striking a pose for an imaginary camera.

Fiona crossed her arms, a grin tugging at her lips. "Well, I have to admit, that was... surprisingly effective. Who knew sass could defeat a nightmare?"

Evie rolled her eyes but smiled. "Leave it to Richard's fear and Ethan's nightmares to create the most fashionable horror movie scene ever."

Damien smirked, leaning against the doorframe. "At least now we know how to deal with these nightmares. A little sass and some viral choreography, and we're golden."

Ethan, still standing a little sheepishly behind Evie, nodded. "Yeah, uh... thanks for, you know, saving the day. Even if it was... unconventional."

The cheerleaders, now busy adjusting their outfits and checking imaginary mirrors, waved off the gratitude. "Oh, please," one of them said, snapping her fingers in the air. "We're not just nightmares; we're icons. And you're lucky we decided to help, sugar."

Ethan, still a bit embarrassed but trying to lighten the mood, nodded in agreement. "At least it's not Fiona's nightmare, or else we'd all be lost by now."

The group fell silent for a moment, then they all turned to glare at Ethan, each of them raising an eyebrow.

"What?" Ethan shrugged, completely oblivious to their reactions. "It's true, isn't it? Or maybe you all want to deal with Damien's nightmare instead?"

At that, everyone turned their eyes toward Damien, and for a brief, uncomfortable moment, there was silence.

Richard gulped nervously. "Erm, Damien... what is your nightmare?"

Damien's smile curled into something mysterious, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Hm? I don't know yet," he said, his voice casual, but with an edge that sent a chill through the group.

The cheerleaders, who had been standing confidently just moments ago, suddenly shivered, their expressions turning fearful. One of them took a few steps back and hid behind Ethan, while the others followed suit. "You give us a bad vibe, Sigma boy!" one of the cheerleaders whispered, her voice trembling.

Ethan, now flustered, shot a confused look at the cheerleaders, who were all huddled behind him. "Wait, what's going on? It's just Damien. Come on, you guys are nightmares, aren't you supposed to be tough?"

But the cheerleaders only shook their heads, their eyes wide with exaggerated fear. "There's something about him... like, some dark energy. We can't deal with that right now!"

Damien chuckled softly, clearly amused by the reactions. "Oh, don't worry. You'll find out soon enough. Maybe... not today, though."

The group exchanged uneasy glances, unsure if Damien was teasing them or if there was more to his comment than they realized. But one thing was certain: whatever Damien's nightmare was, it was something they were not eager to face anytime soon.

One of the cheerleaders pointed a finger at Evie, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and suspicion. "These two are bad vibes! Seriously! What are you two? No soul?"

Fiona raised an eyebrow, trying to understand the sudden tension in the air. "I get Evie, though. She's got that chaotic vibe, always quiet, but there's definitely something off about her. But Damien? He's too chill, it's like everything bounces off him and he just gives us that chill too."

Fiona tried to reason with the cheerleaders, but they were shaking their heads rapidly, their expressions darkening.

"You don't understand, Dora the Explorer!" one of the cheerleaders snapped, her voice trembling with urgency. "These two are not Sigmas, they're foul! The deeper we go, and after that nightmare falls... these two—they sort of absorb the energy like food!"

Richard furrowed his brows, still confused. "Wait... what? Are you saying Damien and Evie aren't—?"

The cheerleader cut him off, her voice growing even more frantic. "Exactly! They don't just survive nightmares. They feed off them. They absorb the energy, get stronger... like leeches!"

Evie, hearing this, stood still, her gaze unwavering. Damien, on the other hand, smiled that eerie, relaxed grin, which only seemed to make the cheerleaders even more uneasy.

Fiona turned to Damien and Evie, her mind racing. "So... is this true? Are you guys feeding off the nightmares?"

Damien chuckled softly. "You're overthinking it. But I wouldn't say it's entirely wrong. We just happen to... adapt well." His eyes flicked to Evie, who was silent, her expression unreadable.

The cheerleaders didn't seem convinced, their nervous glances shifting between Evie and Damien. One of them, unable to handle the suspense, stepped back, clearly uncomfortable. "That's it. We're out. This vibe is too weird. Too foul for us."

The others murmured in agreement, and, despite their earlier bravado, they seemed to be losing their confidence in the group.

Fiona sighed, feeling the weight of the situation. "Great. Now we've got a whole new kind of problem. Damien, Evie, what's really going on?"

Evie finally broke her silence, her voice calm yet filled with an unsettling edge. "We've always been a little... different. And we don't apologize for it.

Fiona instinctively stepped back, her unease growing, and moved closer to the cheerleaders. "Hey, girls, how long have you noticed Evie's vibe? The Evie I know isn't someone who just goes along with Damien so easily." 

The cheerleader squad exchanged glances before pulling Fiona into their protective circle, where Ethan was already nervously standing. One of them also grabbed Richard, yanking him into the circle as well. 

The cheerleader captain folded her arms, her expression sharp. "Listen, Dora, not all nightmares are a big L, okay? Nightmares feed off desires and hearts. Like us, for example—the ones who created us were kind at heart. That's why we have class and manners. Not like that butcher. That thing was made from pure fear, and you saw how twisted it was."

Fiona nodded slowly, starting to understand their logic. "Then... you guys are okay because Ethan is innocent, right?"

The squad nodded in unison, their faces more serious than Fiona had ever seen. One of them leaned closer, her voice dropping to a hushed tone. "We know these two—Evie and Damien—have a weird vibe. They take energy and stuff, but one of them is pure chaos. It's not just an aura; it's... deeper."

The cheerleader captain stepped forward, her gaze narrowing. "One of them has to be either one of us—a nightmare—or worse, a resident of this place. And if that's true, we've got bigger problems than just surviving the night." 

Fiona's breath caught in her throat as the words sank in. She glanced at Evie and Damien, who stood apart from the group, both eerily calm despite the tension. Evie's eyes were unreadable, while Damien's ever-present grin gave away nothing. 

"Wait," Fiona said, trying to steady her voice. "You're saying one of them might not even be human?"

The cheerleaders nodded grimly, and one of them whispered, "Exactly. And if that's true, they've been hiding it really, really well."

Damien chuckled softly, his voice laced with amusement that sent chills down their spines. "I can't help but be fascinated by you," he said, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Fiona. 

Before anyone could react, thin white strings seemed to materialize out of thin air, wrapping around his fingers like threads of fate. He gave a deliberate tug, and the group gasped in horror as Evie was pulled toward him, her movements jerky and unnatural, as if she were a marionette.

"Damien!" Fiona yelled, her voice breaking in panic. But he only laughed, his chuckle deepening into something far more sinister.

Damien gently caressed Evie's face as though she were a delicate doll. She remained still, her expression unreadable, her body bound by the invisible strings. "I thought my dear Evie could blind the ever-curious explorer," he said, his tone mocking as his eyes darted toward Fiona. "But it seems I underestimated you."

Fiona took a step back, her heart pounding. "What are you talking about? Let her go!"

Damien tilted his head, a manic grin spreading across his face. "Welcome to the Nightmarish," he declared, his voice echoing with a chilling resonance. "The space where I thrive, where strings of chaos and desire bind all things." 

With that, his laughter erupted into a wild cacophony, filling the room with a menacing energy. The cheerleaders huddled closer, their weapons drawn, but even they hesitated as Damien's presence seemed to warp the very air around him.

The group watched in growing horror as Evie slowly turned her head, her lips curling into a faint, eerie smile. Something about her expression wasn't right—it was as though she was no longer entirely herself.

"What are you, Damien?" Richard managed to choke out, his voice trembling.

Damien's eyes glinted with an otherworldly light as he tugged at the strings again, making Evie shift closer to him. "Oh, Richard," he said with mock pity. "You've all been so wonderfully entertaining, but I think it's time you realized... not all nightmares are created equal."

Damien's smile grew wider, his eyes glinting with a manic gleam. "I may be Damien," he mused, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "but I can also not be Damien. It all depends on what I want to be." He looked at Evie, her lifeless body still suspended in his control by the white strings, and chuckled darkly. "This little Evie... she's not herself. I replicate her, you see. I take little pieces of those around me, and twist them into something they never wanted to be."

His gaze shifted to the cheerleader squad, their shocked faces reflecting a mixture of awe and fear. "I can't believe the explorer's nightmare kidnapped her without anyone knowing," he continued, a slight sigh escaping his lips as if he were lamenting a missed opportunity. "But, hey, I don't want any of you giving me a headache."

Ethan, unable to contain his panic, shouted, "Then who are you?! What is this all about?"

Damien's laughter erupted, high-pitched and unsettling, filling the room with a sense of dread. "Ahahaha! I guess your nightmares know me well, Ethan. I'm something of a... legend among them."

The cheerleader squad's eyes widened in disbelief, their voices trembling as they exchanged glances. "It can't be..." one of them whispered, a sense of recognition dawning on their faces. "You're that Sigma boy's nightmare?!"

Damien's eyes gleamed with something dark, something ancient. His grin widened as he tilted his head slightly. "Ahahaha! I guess your nightmares know me well!" he said cryptically. "You should have known this wasn't just a simple game of trick or treat."

The nightmare that all others fear... the one who weaves chaos not out of terror, but out of control." He gestured grandly to Evie, her lifeless movements a haunting testament to his words. "And now, dear squad, you're about to see why even nightmares tread lightly in my presence."

The cheerleaders exchanged uneasy glances, their weapons trembling in their hands as they realized the enormity of what they were up against. Fiona's heart sank as she clutched her makeshift weapon tighter. "We have to stop him," she whispered, though her voice quivered with doubt.

"Stop me?" Damien's laughter echoed once more, his strings pulling tighter as the air around them seemed to warp. "Oh, my dear explorer, you don't stop a nightmare like me. You survive."

The room grew colder, the tension thick as the cheerleaders stepped back, their weapons lowering slightly as the realization sank in. The nightmare they were facing wasn't one they could fight with mere weapons or fear—it was a force, something far darker and more twisted than they had imagined.

Damien's eyes flickered with an unreadable emotion, a dark satisfaction filling his expression. "Welcome to the true nightmare."

Damien's grin widened as he tugged at the white strings, making the puppet-like Evie move in a grotesque and unsettling dance. Her movements were unnaturally fluid yet disturbingly jerky, as if she were caught between grace and torment. The shadows around him writhed, growing taller and darker until they began to take on monstrous, ghoul-like forms, their hollow eyes glowing with a menacing light. 

"Ah, the curtain rises!" Damien declared, spinning the puppet Evie one last time before bowing theatrically. "Let the nightmare truly begin!"

The cheerleader squad sprang into action as the first ghoul lunged forward with a bone-chilling screech. The squad leader yelled, "RUN! Three of you stay and cover! The rest splits and hides! Make sure the mortals stay alive!"

Without hesitation, the cheerleaders executed the command flawlessly. Three of them stepped forward, their weapons raised, forming a defensive wall around Ethan, Richard, and Fiona. Batons transformed into gleaming tonfas, pom-poms morphed into spiked shields, and the cheerleaders' movements were swift and precise, like seasoned warriors.

"Move it, Dora the Explorer!" one of them snapped, shoving Fiona into motion. "Keep the boys safe!"

Ethan stumbled but quickly found himself being yanked forward by another cheerleader, her grip firm and her sass sharper. "Come on, basketball boy! Don't let your nightmare be the MVP here!"

Fiona grabbed Richard's arm, her face pale but determined. "We need to stick together! Don't let Damien—or whatever that is—break us apart!"

Meanwhile, the remaining cheerleaders split off, darting into the shadows with impressive agility. Their movements were quick and calculated, using their weapons and surroundings to distract the ghouls and draw them away from the group. 

One cheerleader slid into position behind a crumbled wall, her phone camera recording the chaos as she muttered, "This better go viral, or I'm haunting someone myself."

The shadows continued to grow, the ghouls advancing with increasing ferocity. Damien laughed maniacally, his voice echoing through the halls. "Run, little lambs! Let's see how long you can keep this game going!" 

The fight for survival had begun, and the line between nightmare and reality was growing thinner with every passing second.

The cheerleaders sprang into action with fluid, almost ninja-like precision. Their movements were a blur as they twirled and flipped through the air, leaving behind shadowy duplicates of themselves. The clones darted in different directions, making it impossible to tell who was real and who was an illusion, giving the group precious time to escape and confusing the advancing ghouls.

Some of the cheerleaders stayed behind, their weapons raised as the shadowy ghouls began to take the form of horrific, bloody wolf-like creatures with glowing red eyes. "Stay sharp, ladies!" one of them shouted, spinning her baton into a gleaming blade. "Keep them off the mortals!"

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Richard panted as the group bolted down the eerily twisting hallway. His voice was panicked but laced with frustration. "Why is Damien not Damien now?!"

Fiona, slightly ahead of him, snapped back, "That's Damien's nightmare, meathead!"

Richard's face twisted in realization. "Wait—we just asked about it! Ethan, YOU JINXED IT!"

Ethan, running at full speed beside them, threw up his hands in exasperation. "Hey! I didn't know! I was curious too, okay?! Besides, it's not just me!" He pointed an accusatory finger at Fiona. "What about you, huh?! Damien said it himself—your nightmare kidnapped Evie!"

Fiona stumbled for a moment but regained her footing, glaring at Ethan. "Oh, great. Blame me, why don't you? Let's just focus on not dying!"

Behind them, Damien's laughter echoed ominously, mixing with the guttural growls of the wolf ghouls. "Oh, don't blame each other now," his voice taunted. "This is only the beginning of the fun!"

The group didn't dare look back. Ahead, the hallway seemed to stretch endlessly, twisting and warping as if the building itself were alive. But they kept running, hearts pounding, hoping that the cheerleaders could hold off the nightmare wolves long enough for them to figure out their next move.

The cheerleaders expertly clashed with the advancing ghouls, their shadowy clones moving with precision to distract and confuse the monstrous creatures. Using Ethan's nightmare's ability, the cheerleaders created even more doubles of themselves, weaving chaos into the battlefield.

"Move, now!" the cheerleader captain hissed, motioning to the group. Fiona quickly led Richard and Ethan toward the map they'd memorized earlier, slipping into the green classroom. The room was dimly lit, with flickering lights and overturned desks scattered about, but it was their best shot at safety.

The cheerleaders followed moments later, using their powers to mask their presence. The tension in the room was thick as everyone caught their breath, listening for the distant growls of the wolf ghouls outside.

The group huddled together, breathing heavily, the tension thick in the air. After a few moments, when it felt like the ghouls had moved on, Ethan broke the silence. "I wonder when Damien's nightmare took over Damien?"

All eyes snapped to Ethan.

"Seriously, Ethan?" Fiona whispered harshly.

But Richard nodded, his brows furrowed. "He's got a point. Nightmare Damien said Evie was kidnapped by Fiona's nightmare. But when? How did it even happen?"

Fiona stiffened, her throat dry. She looked away for a moment, guilt creeping across her face. "Then... where is Evie?"

The group exchanged uneasy glances. The cheerleader captain broke the silence, her voice sharp. "If Nightmare Damien is right, and Evie's gone because of Fiona's nightmare, then that means something bigger is happening here."

Ethan looked at Fiona, then at the cheerleaders, who were still working their magic to keep them hidden. "Wait... you don't think Evie is... gone, do you? But when did it happen? I mean, wasn't Evie with us the whole time?"

Richard shook his head. "Not if this place messes with our memories. What if we didn't notice when she disappeared?"

Fiona shook her head. "No, but..." She clenched her fists. "If Nightmare Damien's telling the truth, then we have two problems: Evie's missing, and whatever took her is probably worse than what we're dealing with now. We have to find her. If she's been taken because of me..."

One of the cheerleaders glanced back, her voice dripping with sass but carrying a hint of genuine concern. "We can't babysit forever, you know. If that chaos girl is really gone, it's not gonna end well for any of you."

"Thanks for the encouragement," Richard muttered, rubbing his temples.

Fiona took a deep breath. "Okay, let's think. If Evie was taken by my nightmare, then it has to be somewhere tied to me. Something I fear... or something I try to avoid."

Ethan suddenly looked worried. "So... what is your nightmare, Fiona?"

Fiona bit her lip, hesitating. "That's the thing. I don't like to be split up and lost in some-kind of darkness place...."

The cheerleader leader rolled her eyes. "Great. Guess we're playing hide-and-seek with a nightmare we don't even know where it kidnaps Evie. Perfect."

One of the cheerleaders raised her hand, flipping her hair with dramatic flair. "The chaos girl—Evie, right? I think we shouldn't worry too much about her."

Richard blinked, looking at her with confusion. "Wait... what? Why not? She's missing!"

The cheerleader captain interjected, her arms crossed. "It's because of her nightmare. You've seen them, haven't you? The shadowy students? They're... how do I put this... not like other nightmares. If anything happens to her, they'll probably show up to help."

Richard frowned, clearly unconvinced. "Why would they? Nightmares don't just protect their creators, do they?"

The captain sighed, tapping her baton against her shoulder. "It's complicated. Evie's chaos energy is... unique. It doesn't just attract nightmares; it eats them."

The room fell silent as everyone tried to process her words. Ethan's mouth opened slightly, and he blinked several times. "Eats them? Like... a snack?"

Another cheerleader rolled her eyes. "You're hopeless, Ohio boy."

The captain continued, ignoring Ethan with rolled eyes. "Her chaos energy is destructive, but her nightmare? It's not chaos type. It's... stable, somehow. Balanced. They coexist, which is rare. Most nightmares feed on fear or desire, but hers is more like a guardian. It's hard to explain without sounding like a textbook, but trust me—Evie isn't defenseless."

Fiona leaned forward, narrowing her eyes. "So... you're saying her nightmare is strong enough to protect her? Even from Damien's nightmare?"

The captain tilted her head, considering this. "Not necessarily. Damien's nightmare is something else entirely. But if Evie's shadowy students show up, it'll mean one thing—she's still fighting. And if she's still fighting, we have time."

Richard crossed his arms, clearly uneasy. "I don't know... it feels wrong to leave her out there alone."

"We're not leaving her," Fiona said firmly. "We're finding her, no matter what."

The captain nodded, but her expression remained cautious. "Fine, Dora. But if you want to get to her, you'll need to figure out how to deal with Damien's nightmare first. That thing isn't going to let any of you near her without a fight."

Ethan, still wide-eyed, muttered, "This is so messed up. Why can't any of us have normal nightmares, like clowns or math tests?"

"Because this isn't a normal place," the captain replied with a smirk. "Welcome to the Nightmarish."