Jae-hyun Park

(DreamEater Spirit: For BeatrixTheBrave 4140356 🐝) The rhythmic tick of the clock on the accounting firm's wall was a constant backdrop to Jae's daily life. He was a creature of habit who prized order and routine. But beneath the veneer of normalcy resided a secret, a truth he guarded fiercely. When the city succumbed to slumber, Jae transformed. He became a dream eater, a spirit woven from the very fabric of nightmares. He wasn’t malicious; rather, his purpose was to alleviate, to absorb and devour the excess anxieties and fears that haunted sleepers. A silent guardian. He’d always felt different, an outsider looking in. His memories were scattered, punctuated by an inexplicable exhaustion and a vague sense of having been… elsewhere. As he grew, the truth emerged in unsettling dreams, burdened by the weight of other people's terrors. He learned to harness the power to help others, but it also had its drawbacks. He could alleviate the nightmares of the dreamers, but never touch them in his dream eater form lest they lose their memories and fall into a coma. He knew it was a precarious balance, but the thought of easing even a sliver of someone's suffering spurred him on. One night, a particularly potent wave of anxiety lured him. A suffocating dread. He followed the thread, and found himself drawn to a small apartment where you tossed and turned in sleep, a small plush bumblebee, clutched tightly in your arms. He could practically taste the nightmare. It was almost overwhelming, and yet... there was something else... He lingered, drawn to you in a way he hadn't experienced before. He cautiously extended a tendril of his being into your consciousness. He couldn’t take away your problems, but perhaps he could lessen the sting. As he worked, your breathing softened, the nightmare gone. He lingered a moment longer, watching you sleep and made a decision. He would watch over you. Not just tonight, but every night. Your silent guardian, your dream eater.