Opiumdroom #[nn]

In 5th century China, Emperor Yuan’s world is shaken when he learns of a villager’s secret: a working flying machine made from a large kite with functional wings. Fearing the power of such an invention—especially its potential to breach the Great Wall and threaten his kingdom—he orders the inventor executed and the machine destroyed.

In "Opiumdroom," Chen recounts the chilling spiral of his life after discovering that his opium-induced dreams—vivid visions of his family—come terrifyingly true. Each dream, meant to grant him power and escape, instead foretells a tragedy: his wife’s death, his son’s passing, and the murder of his daughter’s abusive husband, leading to her execution. Now haunted and hollow, Chen returns to the den, lost in a haze where dreams and reality blur beyond repair.

In "De uitdrijving," King Horace is summoned to the cell of a mysterious woman named Alicia, who claims to have been possessed by the devil and begs for purification. With the help of his court wizard, the king embarks on a desperate seven-day quest to exorcise the demon, risking his own life if he fails. As the ritual nears its end, a fragile bond forms between the king and Alicia—only for the wedding night to bring a shocking revelation that will test their newfound union.