The morning sunlight streamed through the towering glass walls of Zenith Academy's Atrium, casting golden hues across the marble floors. The atrium, a massive open space with sleek holographic displays and floating news feeds, buzzed with students heading to their first classes. Some were deep in conversation about the latest dream research theories, others debated the best training simulations, and, as always, there was the usual morning rush for coffee.
Orion moved through the crowd, barely paying attention. His mind was elsewhere.
His fingers brushed against his wrist, where the faint scratch from his dream still lingered. He had checked it multiple times since waking up, hoping he had imagined it. But no—it was real. It wasn't deep, but it was fresh, and that bothered him more than he was willing to admit.
Cas's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
"You're unusually quiet."
He turned to find her walking beside him, her gaze sharp as she studied him. Cas wasn't the kind of person to pry, but she had an uncanny ability to notice when something was off.
Orion sighed. "Just thinking."
Cas didn't respond immediately. She adjusted the strap of her bag, glancing around before speaking again. "Still about the dream?"
"Maybe," he admitted.
She tilted her head slightly. "Something about it felt different, didn't it?"
He hesitated. Cas was logical, almost to a fault, but she had an intense curiosity about lucid dreaming—more than anyone else he knew. If he told her about the dream, she wouldn't dismiss it outright.
"It just felt... real," he said finally.
"Lucid dreams always feel real," she pointed out.
Orion shook his head. "No. This wasn't just vivid—it felt like I was actually there. And then I woke up with this." He gestured subtly at the mark on his wrist.
Cas considered that for a moment. "There are theories about that," she said. "Mind-body connection, psychosomatic responses—Rin could probably go on about it for hours."
"Yeah," Orion muttered, "which is why I'm not telling her."
Cas smirked slightly but didn't push further. Instead, she nodded toward the large crowd gathering near the lounge area. "Looks like Seth's back."
Orion followed her gaze.
Seth Lorne had just entered the atrium, moving with his usual unhurried confidence. Dressed in the standard Zenith Academy uniform—pristine, of course—he looked like someone who never had to struggle to make an impression. People naturally gravitated toward him, though not in an overwhelming way. He had an easy presence, one that made him approachable despite his family's wealth and status.
"Rich boy returns from his weekend retreat," Neil commented, suddenly appearing beside Orion and Cas, balancing a coffee cup and his holo-tab. "Bet he spent it in some high-end lucid training facility while the rest of us suffered through assignments."
Rin arrived just in time to hear that, tossing an apple in the air before catching it. "You sound jealous," she teased.
Neil scoffed. "Please. I prefer my tech to do the work for me."
Rin ignored him, focusing on Seth instead. "You know, his family funds a ton of lucid research projects. The kind normal people don't get access to."
"Must be nice," Orion mused, watching as Seth casually greeted a few students before taking a seat near the lounge.
Neil shrugged. "To be fair, he's not a bad guy. Just… has everything handed to him."
Cas spoke up. "Not entirely. He actually trains pretty seriously."
Rin grinned. "You sound like a fan."
Cas gave her an unimpressed look. "I just pay attention."
"Right," Rin said, clearly not convinced.
Orion took another glance at Seth. There was no arrogance in the way he carried himself, no effort to dominate a conversation or prove a point. He was just… there. Friendly, relaxed.
Seth caught Orion's gaze and nodded in a casual greeting before turning back to his group.
Neil sighed dramatically. "Well, there goes my morning entertainment. No drama, no rivalry, just rich and well-adjusted. What a waste of potential."
Orion rolled his eyes. "Sorry to disappoint you."
They started walking toward the lecture halls, navigating through the flow of students. The academy was massive, blending modern architecture with futuristic elements—floating displays, auto-adjusting desks, AI tutors. It was designed for the best minds in dream sciences, lucid technology, and high-tech engineering.
Orion still wasn't sure how he fit into all of that.
"Hey," Rin said suddenly, nudging Orion. "You never did explain why you look like you got into a fight with your pillow last night."
Neil smirked. "Don't tell me. Another nightmare?"
Orion hesitated for a fraction of a second before scoffing. "Yeah, sure. My pillow fought back."
Rin raised an eyebrow. "You know, there's a theory—"
"Of course there is," Orion muttered.
Rin ignored him, launching into an explanation. "Some believe that the stronger the emotion tied to a dream, the more likely it is to manifest physically. Like, if you get hurt in a dream, your body might react as if it's real. Lucid dreaming just enhances that connection."
Cas shot Orion a look but stayed quiet.
Neil groaned. "Rin, I say this with love—shut up before my brain explodes."
"Fine," Rin huffed. "Stay ignorant."
Orion was only half-listening at this point. His thoughts drifted back to the dream, to the strange weight of the old woman's words.
It's almost time.
What did that even mean?
As they reached the lecture hall, Orion shook off the unease creeping up his spine.
It was just a dream.
It had to be.
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