THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: NIGHTMARE AT DUMAS CASTLE – BLOOD AND OLD OBSESSIONS RESURFACE
A Nightmare Revisited: A Blade to Phyllis’s Throat
Genoa City has never known nights this terrifying. The ancient stone walls of Dumas Castle, once a backdrop for lavish parties and whispered power plays, are rapidly sliding into an abyss. No one expected a nightmare to erupt amidst the bustling gathering, centered around two women who were once sworn enemies: Sharon Newman and Phyllis Summers.
Sharon thought she had learned to control her fear, overcoming years of facing crime and darkness. But nothing she had experienced compared to that horrifying moment when, from a cold, dark corner of the stone maze, she witnessed with her own eyes: Aristotle Dumas—now revealed as Cain Ashby—holding a knife to Phyllis’s throat.
The pale yellow light of the corridor cast long shadows on Phyllis’s face. Her eyes, wide with defiance, couldn’t hide her terror. Dumas, completely transformed into a predator, made Sharon almost suffocate with panic. Feelings of helplessness, fear, anger, and regret rushed back, as if all the nightmares from the time of Martin Lauron had returned, weighing heavily on her heart.
Phyllis’s Deadly Curiosity and Dumas’s Savage Nature
The truth was, Phyllis wasn’t on Dumas’s original hit list. He had come to Nice with a different, cold, and precise plan, targeting those who truly threatened his power. But Phyllis, driven by a survivor’s instinct and a desire to control her own destiny, had chosen the wrong time to be curious.
She quietly crept through the corridors, following traces no one else noticed. Groping her way into the forbidden part of the castle where Dumas’s operations were based, she found strange maps, notes, and even confidential reports that should never have fallen into her hands. Phyllis knew she was playing a dangerous game, but couldn’t stop. She might have hoped to find evidence for bargaining or protection, but she didn’t expect the risk to awaken Dumas’s darkest nature. He was a skilled predator, ready to tear apart any obstacle.
When he discovered Phyllis had seen top-secret documents, he exploded in fierce rage. No longer the cool businessman, but a crazed predator bent on destroying anyone who might disrupt his plans. At that moment, Phyllis realized the price of her curiosity could be her life. She thought she feared nothing, but when the cold blade pressed against her neck, Dumas’s hot breath on her skin, and his eyes burned like a wild animal’s, Phyllis truly understood the boundary between life and death. Her survival instinct and strong will surged. Phyllis didn’t scream or beg, but looked straight into Dumas’s eyes, trying to stay calm, distract him, and find any fragile way out.
Old Traumas Resurface and A New Murder Unfolds
Outside the maze, Sharon was petrified. Her mind spun with fear for Phyllis, self-blame, and the struggle between fleeing and saving her friend. Old memories of Martin Lauron’s torture, being held hostage, and pushed to the brink of death, all rushed back, nearly suffocating Sharon. But in that moment, friendship and courage prevailed. Sharon tried to warn others, approaching the maze area despite the danger. Dumas, in a rage, could barely hear human voices. For him, Phyllis’s intrusion was an insult, a grave danger to his entire plan.
The nightmare truly began when Phyllis mysteriously disappeared from the castle. Sharon, after witnessing the horrifying scene, fell into extreme panic. She didn’t know if Phyllis was alive or dead, or what Dumas would do next. All she had were lingering memories of her strong friend, now possibly the next victim of a cold-blooded killer. Rumors spread: Phyllis had fled after discovering a shocking secret, or worse, was kidnapped or murdered and hidden within the castle’s stone maze and ancient chambers.
Despite her mental turmoil, Sharon tried to piece together clues, determined not to give up. She contacted Nick Newman, shared her fears, and asked for help. For Sharon, this wasn’t just a search for a friend, but a battle to regain the psychological balance broken for so long. The atmosphere in Nice grew stifling. Everyone became a suspect, wary of each other, fearing for themselves. But one thing was certain: if Phyllis was indeed murdered by Dumas, it would mean the end of any hope for reconciliation, any illusion of safety in their world. Sharon knew she had to face her fear, enter the dark maze, and confront Dumas, even if it cost her her life.
In the final moments of that fateful night, Sharon stood before the maze’s entrance, where Phyllis had been dragged. She took a deep breath, told herself not to be afraid, and stepped inside, carrying her memories, courage, and desire to see hope once more, even in despair.
The Final Confrontation and a Deeper Conspiracy
Nick Newman appeared, immediately sensing something amiss. His protective instinct flared. He questioned everyone, following strange noises from the garden. Remembering how he’d comforted Phyllis, knowing her strength but also her pain, he decided to cross all limits, even confront Dumas, to save the woman he once loved and still deeply cared for.
The encounter between Nick and Dumas in the maze was like a storm. Nick not only protected Phyllis but confronted Dumas with determination and compassion. He looked into Dumas’s resentful eyes, trying to soothe his anger with sincere words, to make him understand that hatred only leads to destruction. Nick advised Dumas to let go of the past.
Finally, in a moment of extreme tension, Phyllis burst into tears, letting all the memories, pain, fear, and hope melt away. Sharon hugged Phyllis, and together they walked out of the maze, leaving Dumas alone in the darkness with no way out.
When dawn broke over Nice castle, everyone gradually calmed, but no one could forget that terrible night. Phyllis knew her journey through darkness was still long, but she was no longer alone. Nick and Sharon would be by her side, facing whatever storms lay ahead. Dumas, aka Cain Ashby, stood silently in the maze’s winding passages, letting loneliness and anger gnaw at his soul. In this ancient space, secrets remained buried, and heartbreaks were a permanent reminder of the lengths people go for power, love, and survival.
However, in a more terrifying development, when police arrived at the scene of the garden murder, they made a chilling discovery: evidence suggested this victim was not random, but part of Dumas’s intricate plan. And horrifyingly, Dumas had not acted alone. Clues pointed to a true mastermind—a shadowy and far more dangerous figure who had been pulling Dumas’s strings, just as Adam had once warned.
As the mysterious murder finally unravels and the truth behind it all comes to light, Sharon and Phyllis will likely never forget their fateful trip to Nice. There, they faced the deepest darkness in their souls, overcame their fears and hatreds together, and grew to appreciate life, knowing that every day they lived was a day of victory over themselves.
