The Morning After
Orion woke up feeling... off.
The golden city, the shadowed figure, the abyss—remnants of the dream clung to him, making the real world feel hazy. His body felt like it had been somewhere else entirely, and it remembered.
His head ached from barely getting any sleep after Neil's experiment. And now he had to sit through hours of lectures without looking like he'd been dragged through another dimension.
By the time he made it to class, Neil, Rin, and Cas were already in their usual spots. And they were silent.
Which was... odd.
Neil was usually muttering about tech, Rin was always making some kind of joke, and Cas—well, she was mostly quiet, but in a purposeful way. This silence? It was the heavy, unspoken kind. The kind that felt like a storm waiting to break.
Orion slumped into his seat.
"...Okay, what's with the funeral mood?"
No one answered immediately.
Neil was tapping a pen against his desk, eyes fixed on the lecture board like he was actually paying attention. Cas scrolled through her tablet, but Orion could tell she wasn't reading. And Rin—Rin was stirring her coffee instead of inhaling it, which was suspicious.
"Guys?" Orion tried again.
Still nothing.
Something was wrong.
But before he could press further, the lecture started, trapping them in a two-hour-long discussion about neural cognition models in dream-state analysis.
Normally, Orion might've been interested—especially after last night. But his mind kept drifting.
What did the dream mean?
Who was the figure on the tower?
Why did the abyss feel alive?
By the time class ended, Orion felt like a sleep-deprived ghost.
And whatever weird tension hung over his friends? That was just getting started.
---
Lunch at the Canteen
Zenith Academy's canteen was always packed—buzzing with conversation, the clatter of trays, and the occasional heated argument over grades.
Orion's group claimed their usual table by the window overlooking the training fields. The food was... edible, which was the best compliment it could get.
But no one was really eating.
"Alright," Orion said, setting his tray down. "Are you going to tell me why you're acting like someone died, or do I have to start guessing?"
Neil exhaled, finally looking up.
"It's about last night," he said. "The data from your scan was... weird."
Cas nodded. "We've been analyzing it all morning."
Orion frowned. "Weird how?"
Neil pushed his tablet toward Orion. A graph filled the screen—spikes and drops that looked erratic, extreme.
"You went into full lucid mode almost instantly," Neil explained. "But then—" He pointed at a sharp drop. "This. It's like you were pulled into something deeper."
Cas tapped her fingers on the table. "We've been debating what it means all morning."
Orion leaned back. "And?"
Neil hesitated. "Cas thinks you stumbled into a deeper dream layer. Rin thinks someone—or something—was keeping you there."
Orion's stomach twisted. "...And what do you think?"
Neil rubbed his temple. "...I think we don't know enough yet."
Orion sighed. "Great. So I'm either breaking the laws of dreaming, or something's watching me. Love that for me."
"Yeah, well, good luck figuring that out," Rin muttered, taking a sip of coffee. "Because here comes a different problem."
Orion followed her gaze—and froze.
---
Seth and the Others
Walking toward their table was Seth, along with a few students Orion only vaguely recognized.
Seth wasn't a problem, not in the classic sense. He was wealthy, well-connected, and rarely caused trouble. But lately, Orion had the feeling Seth was watching him.
And now, as Seth approached their table, hands in his pockets, there was something oddly deliberate about it.
"Hey," Seth said, stopping beside them. "Mind if I sit?"
Orion exchanged a glance with Neil, who shrugged. Cas simply observed, unreadable as always.
"...Sure," Orion said.
Seth pulled out a chair, setting down his drink. "You've been looking tired lately."
Orion narrowed his eyes. "Thanks?"
Seth chuckled. "I mean it. You okay?"
The casual tone didn't match the way he was watching Orion. Like he was waiting for a specific answer.
Orion hesitated.
"...Just not sleeping well," he said finally. "School stress."
Seth hummed. "Right." He took a sip of his drink. "And the experiment last night? That go well?"
Silence.
Neil stiffened. Rin stopped mid-sip.
Orion's heart skipped a beat.
How does he know about that?
Cas leaned forward slightly, eyes sharp. "...How do you know about that?"
Seth tilted his head. "Oh, come on. Word gets around. A certain someone has been obsessed with dream research lately." His gaze flickered toward Neil.
Neil clenched his jaw but said nothing.
Orion forced himself to stay calm. "It was just a test. Nothing interesting happened."
Seth studied him. Then he smiled.
"Good," he said simply. "Wouldn't want you getting caught up in something dangerous."
Orion felt a chill crawl up his spine.
Seth stood, brushing nonexistent dust off his uniform. "Anyway, take care. Sleep's important, you know?"
Then he walked off, as if nothing had happened.
Orion exhaled slowly.
"Well," Rin muttered. "That was... weird."
Neil shook his head. "He knows something."
Cas nodded. "And he wanted us to know he knows."
Orion stared at the empty seat Seth had left behind.
The way Seth had said it—"Wouldn't want you getting caught up in something dangerous."
It hadn't been a threat.
It had been a warning.
And for the first time, Orion had the sinking feeling that whatever was happening to him...
Seth was already one step ahead.
---