So basically I've been seeing a trend of "insert kid's character here but they're evil", whether that be in creepypastas or horror movies meant to milk the trend, and most of the time they're poorly executed. However, I've wanted to make my own concept for one, specifically for NiGHTS (yes, that NiGHTS), and let's just say it's kinda interesting. Also fun fact: I got inspired to make this after seeing Joe's design for X if he was NiGHTS (https://bsky.app/profile/losermakesgames.bsky.social/post/3lbojj2xjyc2r), so huge credits to him for making me think of this "what-if" concept.

So in this universe, NiGHTS was still created by Wizeman and unlike the other Nightmarens, they were kind and not entirely malicious. This is when everything deviates; when NiGHTS was younger, they came across an injured Nightopian (one of those fairy critters) and decided to raise it while hiding it from the other Nightmarens. Eventually, however, Reala stumbled upon it, and out of anger, they ate the Nightopian in front of NiGHTS, which was what finally pushed them to rebel.

Eventually Into Dreams happens, same events for Journey of Dreams too. However, NiGHTS starts to feel rather lonely without the kids tagging alongside them. Owl suggests that, if Nightopians can lay eggs, Nightmarens could possibly reproduce. Problem is, while it could be possible, NiGHTS doesn't know how, especially since the Nightmarens either want them dead or subserviant to Wizeman. This is actually based on official trivia for the games; there is leftover code for a "Nightmaren egg" of sorts, but it was ultimately unused (https://sites.google.com/view/nidrep/saturn-data). NiGHTS then starts remembering how they failed to save that one Nightopian, and this causes them to become paranoid; what if the same happens to one of their friends in the real world? That's when one day, they get an idea.

Years pass, and NiGHTS, out of desperation one day when another kid enters the dream world, decides to keep the kid there and tells them not to wake up. This works... but unfortunately for the kid, they passed in their sleep in the real world because they had no way of eating or drinking. Owl confronts NiGHTS about this, but they try to justify it by saying that kid had a far better time in the dream world rather than the real one. Owl tells them that they stooped to the level of the Nightmarens, but NiGHTS asks him "And what else was I supposed to do? Let them die out there just like my other friends?" And before you ask, yes, this self-gaslighting attitude is gonna be important throughout this story, especially with NiGHTS themself.

For every kid that enters the dream world, NiGHTS pulls the same tactic, even resorting to more brutal methods in case of resistance. You see, in real life, we have sedatives that keep someone asleep for surgeries and whatnot. In the dream world, they have an equivalent; except this keeps humans in the dream world for longer periods, basically putting them in comas. NiGHTS somehow got their hands on these drugs, and they're careful to inject them into any kid who comes across them (but said kids forget about it because NiGHTS distracts them with their special powers and the beautiful sights in Nightopia). In their desperate struggle to keep friends with them, NiGHTS ended up subjecting countless people to a fate worse than death; being asleep forever.

Remember when I mentioned how NiGHTS self-gaslights themself constantly? This is where it's at its worst. Eventually, Jackle actually freed one of the kids from NiGHTS (said kid would grow up into one of the investigators for this incident - happens later on). NiGHTS got really pissed off at this, but Jackle basically laid into them that they were ultimately becoming what they initially fought against. However, they offered NiGHTS that, if they stop this, Wizeman wouldn't hunt them down anymore, though Jackle wasn't even sure if that would be plausible, and they only blurted this out to get NiGHTS to stop - plus to lower their guard down since Jackle actually did all of this to have the Nightmarens eventually steal the Ideya from NiGHTS' captives. NiGHTS obviously wasn't buying this, and in desperation to get Jackle to shut up, they brutally ripped them to shreds (the kid Jackle freed escaped during this). NiGHTS didn't mean to kill Jackle, but ultimately their primal instincts got the better of them in the scuffle. NiGHTS was initially horrified that they actually killed someone, but they quickly reminded themself that they did it for their "babies", and that Jackle was trying to "take them away to be killed by Reala", feeding into their delusions even more. So yeah, NiGHTS is willing to do anything for their "babies", including killing people, something they definitely don't do in the games.

In case it wasn't obvious already, the pressure drives NiGHTS insane, to the point where, with them being Nightopia's only protector, NiGHTS is hailed as their saint (even Owl gets deluded into thinking this), which they preach to children in order to have them trust them more. However, there is one thing to note: NiGHTS won't do this with adults, seeing them as not "innocent" enough. Instead, they will try their best to shoo any adults out, just so nobody in the real world will catch on; so that their "babies" won't be taken away. Eventually, investigations start happening surrounding the deaths of these kids, and reports of people seeing this "strange purple jester/demon" in their sleep. However, since NiGHTS is a dream demon who can't normally be affected by outside sources, how these humans get rid of/kill off NiGHTS is gonna be an issue, assuming they have to resort to that somehow. Now, if Reala is still alive (since NiGHTS resorted to killing Jackle earlier)... that gives anyone who enters two options: being eaten by Nightmarens, or being trapped forever with NiGHTS.

Not sure if I wanna make a full-fledged story about this, but feel free to leave suggestions. Especially in the case of how these researchers and other people are gonna stop NiGHTS. That one I feel should be up to speculation.

And yes, the title wasn't a lie; I did brainstorm all of this during my work shift. That's the power of autism lmao