"i am sorry," bai qian said, "but i hadn't anywhere else to go."

"quite alright, dear, sit down." black raven said.

she sat and they both faced each other.

"nightmares again tonight?" black raven asked, pouring tea casually, as if they were not on this topic, but on the weather.

"yes. and they don't seem to stop, i don't know why-"

"do they seem more vivid each time, as if it was real?" black raven interrupted.

"yes, and..."

"good," black raven said softly. it was time to show her real identity. "it means my plan is working."

"...plan?" bai qian asked uncertainly.

"yes, plan," black raven said, her once kind smile turning into a evil one. "i plotted it all, i had it planned from the start. i knew that no one really gives you the 'care' that you need, so i had to gain your trust some way, hadn't i?"

"so this is all a trap? why my dreams though?" bai qian cried, springing to her feet.

"immortals, like me, are foolish," black raven said, getting to her feet as well. "we have wicked dreams of having the people we love taken away, hurt or killed. so i decided that just like everyone else, this would be your weakness."

"so you told me you had a dream of your son being killed. which, unfortunately, brings me to my next piece of news. i am the one creating all the nightmares you have. i grew impatient of waiting for you to die, so i made the nightmare the worst i could tonight. which, i presume, was everyone you loved killed in front of you?"

bai qian nodded, dazed and shocked.

"and i succeeded. that nightmare brought you back here tonight, and not only will i kill you slowly and painfully as you would've done in the past, i will take the life of your dear, dear, son."

"but first, before you die, you should have the liberty to see, at least, who i am."

her hand crept to her face and cast off her mask....