Darkness.
The world was swallowed whole by it, leaving nothing but the stench of ash and burnt flesh in the air. Wherever she looked, the sight never changed—ruins, fire, and death.
She stood in the heart of a devastated town, its streets aflame. People screamed and ran, their voices tearing through the night, while monsters hunted in the chaos, tearing the world apart. It was a living nightmare.
And yet… she couldn't move. She never could.
Her body lay limp in someone's arms, pressed against a warmth she could still feel in her heart. She couldn't see his face, but the pain radiating from him was undeniable. His anguish bled into her soul.
She wanted to reach for him. To speak. To cry. But nothing came.
Even as her chest ached with an unbearable, hollow pain, she remained trapped in herself, her vision fading at the edges.
Then, as the shadows crept in to claim her soul, a second figure emerged—radiant, cloaked in light.
And from the glow came a voice, calling her name again and again, pulling her toward something beyond the darkness.
"Aysel… it's okay now. I'm here… to protect you."
The gentle voice echoed in the darkness—then shattered, replaced by the sharp, cheerful chirping of a bird.
Aysel jolted upright, her heart skipping a beat. For a moment, the fragments of her dream clung to her like cobwebs. Blinking the haze from her eyes, she scanned her dorm room and realized that morning had already arrived.
"…The same dream again," she murmured, voice groggy. Her gaze drifted to the Dawnchime sparrow perched proudly in its gilded cage, its beady eyes glinting as if to say, "Yo, human! Time to wake up!"
The bird had been a gift from the Headmistress, delivered alongside her class schedule just yesterday. Trained as a living alarm clock, it was convenient—and, judging by its ornate cage and exotic plumage, undeniably expensive.
With a small sigh, Aysel pushed the blanket from her lap and slid out of bed, stretching her stiff limbs. Her soft, fluffy slippers muffled her steps as she crossed the room to the tall window. Drawing back the curtains, she was greeted by the first blush of dawn, sunlight spilling over the horizon and painting the sky in hues of gold and rose.
Aysel's dormitory, Neutral House, occupied the southern tower of Astraeon Academy, its windows overlooking an endless stretch of emerald forest.
She unlatched the window, letting in a crisp morning breeze. The cold wind brushed against her cheeks, making her shiver, and in that moment, the memory of her dream came flooding back.
It wasn't the first time. Lately, she'd been haunted by the same strange visions, night after night, ever since the day she awakened the Five Moon Marks.
At first, she had dismissed them as mere nightmares—fatigue from travel, nerves from starting at the academy, or simply an overactive mind. But as the dreams persisted, whispering the same unease every time her eyes closed, a gnawing thought began to take root:
What if these dreams are connected to my marks?
Aysel exhaled a long, weary sigh, feeling drained despite just waking up.
"Maybe… I should start looking for clues," she muttered to herself, gripping the windowsill as the resolve slowly settled in her chest.
Straightening her posture, she turned from the window, determination sparking in her tired eyes.
"But first things first," she said under her breath, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "A bath. I need to clear my head."
She padded toward the bathroom, thinking of the warm water and steam that might wash away both the chill of dawn and the heaviness of her dreams. After all, a clean body could sometimes bring a clearer mind.