My eyes snapped open, and I found myself kneeling on a cold, hard surface. Dregs of fog and confusion clouded my mind as I shakily stood. I looked around and blinked hard to focus on my surroundings, but the space before me constantly shifted in and out with shadowy darkness. Eventually, the shadows stilled and sank away to simply hover over the floor like a dense mist.

From what I could tell, I was in a rather large room with only the moonlight that shone through shattered stained glass for dim lighting. There were obsidian pillars, fractured and dull, reaching high into a ceiling I couldn't quite see. I strained my eyes as I stared above, but the walls disappeared into darkness the higher they climbed up.

Along the walls stood empty husks of giant armor more than twice my own height. As daunting as they appeared, they were blighted with varying degrees of decay. The shadows reached up from the floor and seeped into the cracks, coalescing around the weapons in their grasp. The shadowy husks were equipped with wide lances, flagged spears, and massive shields. They stood ominously. Silent. Waiting.

A shiver shot down my spine, and I felt as if my body was numbed. I couldn't raise my arms nor move my legs properly. My thoughts were slow to form as I took in the once-regal room. What had happened here to leave these ruins? Shadows lapped at my feet, chilling my bones and leaving a lingering sensation of unease. Dread. Fear.

I tried to kick at the shadows in an attempt to keep them at bay, briefly revealing dusty floors that were probably once polished. The shadows parted then, split down the middle of the room. Up and up, the shadows rolled away to the foot of a staircase. Hints of gold and embedded gemstones sparkled along the sections of the handrail that hadn't crumpled to the floor. The steps, too, were reduced to ruin. I highly doubted one could ascend them without tripping over themselves, yet I moved forward.

I didn't want to move. My footsteps echoed in the desolate room, and I commanded my feet to stop. It was no use. Only after reaching the bottom of the staircase was I able to halt. Compelled by the grand steps before me, I looked up to see where they led. A throne.

This was a throne room. Amidst the endless decay, the throne sat at the top of the stairs in perfect condition. The back rose high, made of dark, plush material. It was regally framed by shards of glass, bits of ore, and gilded gold that branched out like brilliant rays of light in a lightless world. It was breathtaking. Beautiful. Haunting. Lead weighed my limbs once more, and my feet were glued to the floor.

A whirlwind of shadows swirled up in front of the throne, materializing two humanoid figures. They were just as imposing and abnormally tall as the shadowy husks, but these two were animated. They looked similar in the design of their armor but were distinctly separate in color—a captivating violet and sapphire. They hovered there. Silent. Staring at one another. Neither had seemed to take notice of me standing here. Was I invisible to them?

"Herald," one of them spoke. I could not tell which, for their intricate armor reached from head-to-toe, masking their faces entirely. "How fortuitous."

The sapphire one nodded its head. "The agenda is proceeding accordingly, Lector. By now, Celestia is well-aware that our power did not die out as they had hoped all those millennia ago."

"They have grown to be too complacent in their position above," the violet one grumbled. "The time has come for the Abyss to claim what rightfully belongs to the Order. With Comet Paimon fast approaching, we cannot allow for the opportunity to slip from our grasp a second time."

No way. If my body wasn't already involuntarily bound to stillness, I would have frozen. This place…these figures…they were part of the Abyss Order? Strange. None of what I saw before me aligned with the Abyss exposure I've had so far. Where were the unruly monsters, the unintelligent hilichurls? As much as I was intrigued by this reveal, the unknown structure of the Abyss Order was overshadowed by my growing panic.

"There is still no information on the original Source?" the Abyss Herald inquired.

"Affirmative," the Abyss Lector responded with sparks of Electro crackling from its fingertips. "We were too hasty, too eager with its appearance last year. The Source's whereabouts continue to elude us. It is no matter, for we have located a new Source."

Hydro energy swirled around the Abyss Herald as its voice boomed. "The search for the original Source must continue. If the Order obtains them both, our power will go beyond what our reservoirs have ever beheld. We will breach the threshold and ensure that Celestia pays for their betrayal. An agreement established for thousands of years suddenly voided with no appropriate cause beyond their own greed—this treachery will not go unpunished."

"Retribution is well within our sights, Herald. I have the utmost certainty that the new Source has already been primed for the initiation."

"It is willing?"

The Abyss Lector shook its head. "It is not yet aware."

"It must be willing. The transfer of power will not come to fruition in the absence of consent."

"The energies we left behind in their domain are already in the process of seeping further into Celestia's defenses. There is no doubt that the new Source had fought one of our monsters. We will garner its favor."

"In time," the Abyss Herald said. "It will have aligned itself to our side in time for Comet Paimon. We must be sure of it."

"As for the next phase, it would be best if—" the sapphire figure stopped.

"Lector."

"Herald."

The violet Abyss Herald tilted its head. "You sense it too, then?"

They fell into a mutual silence before suddenly pivoting their levitating bodies to face my direction.

"The Source."

"It's here."

"But how?"

The invisible hold around my body vanished, and I stumbled backward under the pressure of their attention. I could not see their faces. Their eyes were mere glowing orbs of elemental energy peeking out from their armor. And yet, I felt their stares honed in on me. Snapping out of the fear that hammered in my chest, I backed away.

"Its energy is strong." The Abyss Lector lowered itself down the steps. "Though, not strong enough. Its physical presence is not yet tangible. More time is needed for it to attain maximum power."

"Source," boomed the Abyss Herald, and the shadows around me began to take the form of weaving tendrils. "Reveal yourself."

The shadows shot into action. Like an invasive ivy, they coiled up my legs and wrapped around my arms, pulling me closer to the Abyssal figures. As each tendril made contact with my skin, the fear within me heightened, and I began to sweat. A scream rose in my throat but failed to come out. Fighting against them was useless.

Cold. It was so cold.

Darkness swept through my vision as I was hurtled straight toward the throne.

I shot up from my bed, sweating and breathing heavily. Frantically, I wiped at my arms and kicked my legs, desperate to remove the shadows, but there was nothing there. My mobility was fully restored as I sat in my bed. My bed. It was a dream. I was only dreaming about the Abyss.

Surely, there wasn't actually an Abyss Herald and an Abyss Lector plotting to drag me into the darkness. After the events of today, I had gone to sleep exhausted, and my imagination had gotten the better of me. The dark throne room didn't exist. The Abyss Order's plot to wreak havoc on Celestia Academy had nothing to do with me.

"Stress," I panted. "It's…It's just the stress."

Although, assuming what I saw wasn't pure imagination, they were talking about a Source. A Source of what? Power? If that were the case, why did it seem like I was this Source they were referring to? I tried to recall the details of the conversation, but they were quickly slipping from my mind.

I shivered. So cold.

My neck itched with the amount of hair plastered like glue with all the sweat. If I was sweating so much, why did I feel so cold? A quick glance at my closed window told me it wasn't coming from outside. The moon was still out. I hadn't been sleeping for long, then.

Quickly, I got out of bed with shaky knees and fumbled around my desk for a sheet of paper and something to write with. I had to document what I had seen—what I had heard—before it was gone completely. The planned monster raid, the timing of Comet Paimon, a mysterious Source of power that went missing. And…me? A new Source? Another shiver came at the thought of the Abyss Order coming after me.

There was only one other person who knew about Celestia Academy's secrets. Only one other person had a hunch that the Abyss Order might be involved in Celestia Academy's affairs. What started out as a simple treasure hunt…I swallowed hard.

I wasn't sure if it'd be so easy to go back to sleep after having a dream like that, but I had to try. Maybe this will all make sense in the morning. Maybe I'll have another dream that explains everything—without the shadows.

The sun had just risen. I was awake in bed. Not one wink of sleep.

I got out of bed for the second time, tired yet determined. After quickly getting dressed and grabbing the notes I had jotted down in the middle of the night, I left my room and prepared myself to climb six flights of stairs. I know it was still fairly early in the morning, but it couldn't wait. Kaeya had to hear about my dream. I had to tell him so he could make proper sense of what was going on. I'm sure Kaeya would know what to do.

Once I got to his door, I knocked twice and waited for a response. There was no sign of him. I expected this, of course. I'd probably just woken him up, and he needed some time to get ready. I continued to wait, bouncing on the balls of my feet with anxiety. Still nothing.

I knocked again. He'd probably be annoyed at this point, but I could live with that. I waited, burning a hole in his door with my fierce stare. It didn't budge. For the third time, I raised my fist to announce myself, but then a hand caught my wrist before my knuckles could make contact with the door.

I spun around to see who had snuck up behind me, and my eyes widened. It was Kaeya. In a towel. Nothing else.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you at my door?" he drawled.

He must have just gotten back from a shower. That would explain his damp hair and the state of the towel wrapped around his waist. The rest of his toned body was left exposed to the world. I thought I would have gotten used to seeing Kaeya's sculpted chest. For as much as he modified the school uniform to leave room for an open-chest window, without the clothes, he was…I shut my jaw and focused intently on the wall behind him. It's not surprising that Kaeya was so fit, the curriculum basically demanded every student to maintain their physique.

"I came here to…Well, you see, you're this dream—I mean—I had this dream."

He chuckled. "You can't even bear to look at my face when speaking to me. Am I really that displeasing to the eye?"

It was quite the opposite, and he knew that. I forced myself to meet his teasing expression, and I noticed that he still wore his eyepatch. Did he shower with it on? Stop. Don't think about Kaeya in the shower. Focus on his face, Lumine. His face—framed by damp hair that led rivulets of water to cascade down the front of his bronze chest. Defined muscle carved out a path that led the water down his tapered waist before getting soaked up by the towel.

"I must say," he lowered my wrist. "You seem awfully flushed, Lumine. Are you sure you got all the treatment you needed at the infirmary? I think you may be running a fever."

I cleared my throat. "Not a fever. I was just…taken by surprise."

"I'm sure," Kaeya smirked. "Now, what was it about me being dreamy?"

"That's not—Look, can we talk after you've covered up a bit?"

"If you insist." He stepped forward, and I instinctively took a step backward, colliding with the door. "I'm afraid you'll have to move aside if I am to get dressed. You're welcome to follow me inside, though that may slow the process."

I stepped away from the door, letting him pass. "I'll wait out here. Let me know when you're, uh, decent."

"It doesn't get any more decent than this. I won't keep you waiting too long."

I simply nodded in response and waited for Kaeya to disappear behind the door before letting out a deep breath. For the past few hours, I wasn't able to shake off the eerie chill that clung to me after that dream. And yet, after seeing Kaeya like that, I was grateful for Cryo House's curiously low temperature that helped to cool me down.