Alice in Wonderland

"A whimsical fairy tale signifying the famous 'happily ever after' scene – though fairy tales are known for their deceptions, your actions are equally artful and cunning. To be precise, it's a grand ruse. Through the enchanting web of dreams, Alexis firmly believes she's alive and living out her dreams as the female protagonist of "Spider-Man," ascending to stardom and reaching the pinnacle of her existence. All so she can find happiness in her dreams and ultimately fade away."

Lying in her bedroom, gazing up at the familiar ceiling, Charlize couldn't help but simmer with irritation.

Truly, deceiving.

'Mastering the art of dream control, a feat beyond the grasp of mere mortals is not even the beginning of our discussion. I can't even sleep at all now, so how can I have that blasted dream?'

"Insomnia is the new normal. You've taken quite a load of painkillers to tamper with Alexis while she's conscious. The hallucinations caused by this overdose should have lasted longer, yet it dwindled rapidly. Why? Because at that time, it was Alexis manipulating your body. Her ghostly nature accelerates the painkiller's loss of effect. So, when you reclaim your body, the painkiller's potency has essentially vanished. But this acceleration and overdose of the drug itself brings a side effect – insomnia."

As Christian elucidated the aftermath to Charlize, she couldn't help but gloat.

"I estimate the insomnia may linger for a while, be it as short as three days or as long as a week. During this spell, falling asleep won't come easily, but if you follow my advice, weaving a dream for Alexis isn't a Herculean task, and it's a chance for you to get some rest."

'So, if I aim for a peaceful slumber in a few days, I'll have to craft that darned dream? I'll probably be plagued by nightmares.'

Charlize thought bitterly as she tossed and turned in bed. She felt physically exhausted, yet mentally, there was an inexplicable excitement keeping her wide awake.

"The agony of insomnia is truly unbearable"

She decided to cover her head with a quilt, but in the darkness, the looming sense of unease still clung to her, and, paradoxically, the quilt made her feel even more stifled...

"Never mind, I'll give it a shot. After all, one sheep is better than none, and I've already done both. Nightmares are preferable to insomnia"

Charlize thought with a touch of arrogance. She reached for the glass bottle still on the bedside table, a piece of paper tucked beneath it. Charlize grabbed the paper—

[Crossed valleys and hills, passed through thorns and underbrush; crossed pastures and gardens navigated rapids and fire; I wandered far and wide, as gracefully as the moonlight.]

After reading these lines, as per Christian's guidance, they were extracted from Shakespeare's sonnets. Charlize paused for a moment, savoring the poetic beauty before resuming:

"Dream forever, Alexis Rachel Hyden"

Mentioning Alexis's name again sent a shiver down Charlize's spine, especially since the name was penned by Alexis herself.

Yes, this is where Alexis signed the contract Christian used to dupe her. Christian played a sly trick here. The contract had a dual layer; the surface appeared as a standard performance contract with no issues, but beneath it lay the piece of paper in Charlize's hand, inscribed with a peculiar incantation.

"In truth, these incantations are similar to the ones I chanted before; they're more about psychological suggestion. Yet, this paper bearing the incantations was specially treated by me. As long as she signs the surface of the contract, she also signs the spell paper underneath, activating my spells. Whether it's binding Alexis or ushering her into a dream in the future, the cornerstone is this spell paper."

As Christian clarified the process of dream-weaving to Charlize, he emphasized the significance of this spell paper.

"When you lie in bed with this glass bottle at your bedside, after reading the contents within, you will enter a dream. There, your desires will come to fruition, and you'll encounter Alexis. Assist her in living her dream happily. This dream might be quite lengthy and require multiple sessions to complete. Once it's done, you need to go to a nearby crossroads, ignite the spell paper, and then shatter the glass bottle. Finally, bury all the remaining items together, completely freeing Alexis from your grasp."

"Do you use dreams to detach ghosts? I can't help but feel like I'm in a dream with everything that's happened in the past two days"

Reflecting on Christian's explanation for weaving the dream, Charlize sighed. She continued to read along the spell paper but encountered a large blank space below. According to Christian, there was a Chinese poem called "Chun Xiao" written there, but it was obscured with starch water, rendering it illegible.

"Add some iodine, and you'll unveil the text."

Even though she was familiar with this ancient method of concealing words, Charlize was not inclined to experiment. Christian deliberately incorporated this poem, likely for a specific reason. Charlize skipped the blank section and carried on reading the subsequent content, which was the final portion:

"To Charlize Theron"

Once she read her name, Charlize experienced a tingling sensation throughout her body. She reclined softly on the bed, drifting into a half-awake, half-asleep state, a piece of spell paper in her hand. The paper spun gently in the air, defying gravity, rather than falling to the ground, twirling like a graceful swift, hovering directly above Charlize. The 'swift' began to twirl faster and faster, and Charlize seemed to perceive a glimmer of light...

She ventured through valleys and streams, forests and lakes, and a sea of blossoms, echoing the chirping of countless birds...

"The night brings wind and rain, whispering color."

After softly reciting Meng Haoran's poem, Christian sighed.

"Surprisingly, she resisted reading this poem with iodine, which made things more complex. I assumed she'd be a very inquisitive girl, but she's surprisingly straightforward here. She wants to learn from the experts, just like old ghosts, who are eager to invite you into their trap. But I didn't expect... Pretending is asking for trouble"

****

Leaning back comfortably in the chair, Christian began to ponder.

Of course, he wasn't in Charlize's house at this moment. While he could easily bridge the distance due to the drawbridge effect, he chose not to take advantage of the situation. He was also keen on experimenting with spells he hadn't used before. He had passed up on a golden opportunity.

"Idiot, I could've taken the opportunity to lie on the bed with an uncontrollable, gorgeous girl, but now I'm stuck in this dinky, doggone hotel, listening to the noises of the sleeping girl next door"

Christian knocked on the wall, but the noise from the next room showed no sign of abating, leaving him even more exasperated.

"Damn! I swear, I can't waste this life now that I've been reborn. Even if don't master the abilities of a playboy, I'll have ten or eighteen unruly children, after all. It's America, and no one cares, they'll even pay bonuses. If the brats misbehave, a good scolding will set them straight, and then I'll say 'I am your father' "

As he mused on his "aspirations," Christian's voice grew increasingly subdued.

"Finally, finally, it's here. It's truly effective, I can use it"

He was grinning widely, but his voice was tinged with sorrow. At that moment, he was on the verge of tears. His emotions surged within him, and it took a while to regain his composure.

"While the resonance of the two poems on the spell paper allows me to facilitate Charlize's initial dream weaving, this isn't 'Inception' after all, and I can't devise intricate designs. The art of dream-weaving essentially involves Charlize's deliberate guidance. I'm simply using magic to ensure that Charlize has a joyful and lengthy dream in which both she and Alexis find happiness. For Alexis, this truly is liberation and solace, but for Charlize..."

For a struggling actress, what could be more intoxicating than the dream of landing a leading role in a major production and becoming a celebrated star?

Christian's previous words pertained to more than just Alexis.

"I hope she doesn't lose herself in it. After all, for the living, dreams are nothing more than dreams."

Silently contemplating, Christian finally reached a decision.

"Forget it. If something truly goes awry, I'll have to assist her again. Let's consider it a special favor for the person who helped me for the first time. Beautiful women always deserve a little extra attention"

Pondering this, the preeminent magic theory expert of his era, the novice in the realm of magical practice, the "Master", Christian, drifted off to sleep...