A/N: I know it's been a long time, I apologize for it. I've been going through difficult times. There's a lot changing in my life and I really can't concentrate on my stories as much as I would like. It doesn't mean that I'll stop writing, I'll keep posting this story until the end if you all want it, I just can't promise it will be quick, maybe it will, but I really don't know when I'll be in the right mood to work on my stories. I'm working on another story by the way, a Zhao Yun/Yukimura, writing little by little, very slowly. It doesn't mean I'm neglecting this story, it means I'm working on both erratically xD It depends on my mood. I hope you comprehend. This is also the reason I'm practically not reading other fanfics and answering PMs. Thank you all who are still reading… if there is someone still reading xD I also need to thank my beta-reader Nightlore for all the support you've been giving me through these hard times.

So here's the chapter! Oh I forgot to tell there's a Samurai Warriors guest here, I hope it's not too awkward for him to be in the story as it is a humor fic xD I'm still a lot nervous to work with Samurai Warriors characters as I don't know too much about the game, but I'm trying little by little xD


In Your Dreams


Chapter 3

"It is cold here…" Lu Xun said when he saw Ling Tong at a corridor, leaned against the wall.

"No… it's not that cold…" the taller man shivered.

"I was trying to do some research in the library, but it was too cold for me to stay there, so now I'm going to my room. It would be better if you went to your room too."

"It's nice here… People walk here… I'm in the mood to see people."

Lu Xun arched and eyebrow in question. "Are you feeling lonely?" he asked in concern. "Do you want to come to my room? I don't drink, so I don't have any wine, but I have tea," he offered sympathetically.

Ling Tong smiled gently, "It's okay, Boyan, I don't mean to bother you. I guess I'll have to go back to my room sometime…"

"Is there a problem in your room?"

"No… not in my room…" With me…

Ling Tong thought it was just an impression on the first day; he assumed he was just feeling tired. It was then more disturbing things started to happen: he saw bigger objects moving and doors slamming without reason; he heard what seemed to be whispers; sometimes he was almost sure there was a presence nearby, someone sitting next to him on the bed. Even though most of the events occurred in his room, it wasn't the only place weird things happened, so he didn't really feel safe anywhere.

"Are you okay?" Lu Xun asked in concern.

"Yeah... I'm okay. I'm going to my room now." Ling Tong saw the young strategist still worried expression. "Don't worry, I'll be fine," he smiled reassuringly.

"Well… if you say so… Good night then."

"Good night."

Ling Tong still felt the warm presence of Lu Xun when he left the corridor, but as he neared his room, the air grew colder. When he was staring at his door, he took a deep breath and opened it, entering quickly. He closed the door behind him and prepared to go to bed. Nothing out of the ordinary happened during that time, so he felt a little more comfortable to lie on the mattress. Ling Tong put the covers over him and gripped them tightly. It was one of the coldest nights of the year; he could hear the heavy wind howling outside and then slamming against his window with force. He closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep.

xxx

It was late at night when Ling Tong opened his eyes again. It seemed his covers weren't enough to keep him warm, he was shivering all over, so much his muscles ached. Ling Tong tried to stand up to see if he could find some other blanket hidden in his room, but it was so difficult for his body to obey him… Finally he was able to lift himself out of the bed and he was surprised to see his window opened.

No wonder it was so cold…

He walked to the window's direction as fast as he could and closed it, going back to bed as soon as possible. Ling Tong closed his eyes again and tried to sleep, but heard an unnerving sound after a while… It seemed something was whining and for a moment he was afraid to look. The sound continued and he finally opened his eyes… to see his window slowly being opened again… He got up angrily and closed the window shut. Then he pushed a wooden cabinet to the place to cover it. He kept standing at the place, trying to regain his breath, daring anything to happen. For a moment, it all seemed quiet, so he gave up on his waiting and went to bed once again… just to hear the cabinet being pushed and the window opening once more. He buried his face on his pillow and felt like crying in deep frustration.

Why? Why is all this happening to me?

It was then he heard the window closing and he looked at the place to confirm his assumption. It was indeed closed. Nevertheless, he knew it wouldn't remain much time that way and, just as he expected, the window opened again. Curiously, however, it closed right after.

"What do you think you're doing?" Lu Meng said after he slammed the window close.

"It's none of your business, old man!" Gan Ning opened the window again.

"You know he's going to get sick if he stays in this cold!" Lu Meng closed the window.

"That's the idea!" the blond man said.

"Why?!" the older man asked in confusion.

"Well, people get sick and die, things like that happen all the time…"

Lu Meng narrowed his eyes in thought and studied Gan Ning's expression. "Are you trying to kill him?"

"What if I am?" Gan Ning opened the window again.

"Have you gone out of your mind?!" Lu Meng rushed to close the window again and smacked Gan Ning at the back of his head.

"Hey! That hurt!" the blond man yelled in pain.

"Good to see you're still able to feel something, you heartless pirate."

"Stay away, old man, I'm warning you…" Gan Ning stared deeply at Lu Meng's eyes.

"Oh really, what can you do to me, kill me?" the older man mocked him.

Gan Ning remained silent for a moment, until he spoke again, "You're not gonna let me kill him, will you?"

"Of course not! I don't know why you had this stupid idea. I thought you two were on good terms. I thought you two got along well with each other…"

"We did."

"I don't understand." Lu Meng inquired seriously, "Can you really see him die?"

Gan Ning averted his gaze for a while and stared at the floor in thought. "…I don't know," he confessed after a moment of silence.

"Then why are you doing this?"

"Okay… I won't do this… you're right. It's a crazy idea. Let the living live." Gan Ning walked through the room in the direction of the door, even though he wouldn't need it to exit the place.

"Gan Ning…" Lu Meng crossed his arms over his chest and eyed the blond pirate.

"What? I gave up, I'm leaving now."

"Really?" Lu Meng arched an eyebrow in question.

"Yeah…"

They stared at each other, deeply, none of them trying to move for a long time, until Gan Ning rushed to the window again. Lu Meng held him from behind, preventing him to conclude his intent.

"Let me go!" Gan Ning yelled.

"I won't until you stop it!"

Ling Tong stared as tables and chairs fell to the floor, as if some force bumped into them, and objects were thrown into the air, before falling with hard thuds. For a moment, he was too afraid to move, but eventually he gathered enough courage to go to the direction of the door, leaving his room as fast as he could.

xxx

The man ran desperately through the corridors until he reached a certain room; without even knocking, he opened the door and closed it behind him.

"I'm sorry, you need to help me... please... I can't think of anyone else who could help me…"

The owner of the room was caught by surprise in one of his most private moments: he was sitting at the table, drawing a heart...

Ling Tong stared around him and saw drawings of hearts everywhere in the room. It seemed the man was in love...

"What happened?" the man saw Ling Tong's troubled expression.

"I think you're my only hope..." the general of Wu stared deeply into the man's eyes. His name was Naoe Kanetsugu. He was a little shorter than him, around 6 feet tall, and had brown hair and eyes. The man seemed to be almost the same age as Ling Tong and he had very fine features of a handsome man. He was found unconscious and received treatment. They had discovered Kanetsugu came from another land called Japan, an island in the east. He told them he belonged to a future time, something they didn't even question and considered to be very reasonable due to the chaotic times they lived; something was not quite right in the order of things in the world... Until they found a way to bring him back to his time, he was a guest of Wu—kingdom the man sworn he would defend with honor.

"Come here," Kanetsugu said, motioning for the chair opposite from the one he was sitting. "Have a seat."

Ling Tong nodded and sat. Kanetsugu stared at his unfinished heart drawing on the table in front of him and took it aside, slightly ashamed.

"I..." Ling Tong started, "I've been having some problems... I think I know what's happening, it's an evil spirit..." his voice trembled as he spoke.

Kanetsugu thought about what he heard and was about to ask some questions when the wooden table seemed to shake and the lights of all candles flickered.

"I think it's him..." Ling Tong said.

For a moment, nothing happened… until a shadow moved over the walls and the flames of the candles moved from side to side in an unnatural pattern. Suddenly, however, everything was calm again.

"Where are you?" Kanetsugu asked after some minutes of silence.

"I'm right beside you," a voice said.

Kanetsugu almost jumped out of his chair when he stared to his side: there was a man there, blond hair and tattoos over his body.

"Finally someone who can hear me," Gan Ning grinned.

"What do you want with this man? Don't you see you're troubling him?" Kanetsugu asked boldly.

"Yeah it's fun."

"Who are you?" Kanetsugu asked.

"It's Gan Ning, isn't it?" Ling Tong asked.

"The one and only," the blond grinned and stared at Kanetsugu. "Listen, I need you to tell something to Ling Tong."

"What do you want to say?"

Gan Ning remained silent for a moment and his expression changed to a serious one. He stared at Ling Tong and then said, "I want him to die."

Kanetsugu gulped in surprise, but then recovered himself. "I won't tell him that."

"I want to hear it!" Ling Tong said.

Suddenly Kanetsugu's eyes seemed to gain a different gleam; there was something very disturbing in the way he stared at Ling Tong, deeply into his eyes, "I want you to die," he repeated Gan Ning's words.

Ling Tong felt a cold shiver down his spine. "So that's what you want..." he whispered.

"Yeah that's what I want."

Ling Tong gripped the border of the wooden table firmly, trying to hold onto something. "Why…?"

"..." the spirit remained silent for a moment.

"Gan Ning?" Ling Tong demanded an answer.

For a moment, there was no response, until the ghost of the pirate spoke through the other man's voice again, "I just want you to die, Gongji."

Ling Tong stared speechless as Kanetsugu's body trembled slightly and then stilled. The Japanese man closed his eyes for a long time and when he opened them again they seemed to regain their normal color.

"He's gone," Kanetsugu said.

Ling Tong let out the breath he was holding and closed his eyes.

"Do you want something right now?" Kanetsugu asked in concern.

"That's it," Ling Tong lowered his head and gripped his knees with force, "He has been trying so hard to kill me... one day he will succeed."

"Don't say something like that, we won't let this happen."

"Can you do something to protect me?" Ling Tong raised his head again and stared at the other man with a desperate hope in his eyes, "Those charms of yours, is there one to repel bad spirits?"

"I'll see what I can do," Kanetsugu stared at Ling Tong's eyes reassuringly. He wouldn't let an evil spirit harm one of the people who saved him. The man stood up and rummaged through his room, until he came back with a piece of paper with something written in golden ink. "Hang it on your room, it should protect you."

"Do you think this charm can help me?" Ling Tong took it in his hand and inspected the inscriptions.

"For now."

Ling Tong stood up and was almost turning to leave, before he stared at Kanetsugu again, "Can you give me more? I mean... a lot more... I think I'll need it..."


A/N: Thank you for reading. I'll be working on chapter 4, finishing my Zhao Yun/Yukimura and trying to get some inspiration for an Achilles/Nemea fic too. Thank you Animelover6000 and CherryNinja for the last chapter reviews :)