The sky above the Atrium's glass dome slowly paled. The warm orange of the evening faded to a cold, pale blue, like the light had run out of breath. They were still sitting on the stone floor of the inner garden, near the roots of the ancient trees that had spread roughly around them. The leaves rustled softly far above, while from the corridor outside came footsteps, the sound of doors, and the faint conversations of other students returning to their dormitories.
Eric was the first to notice. He looked up, watched the changing color of the sky for a few seconds, then stood up, patting the dust off his pants.
"It's almost night," he said flatly. "We have to prepare."
Ivan looked up from his water bottle. "Preparing for what?"
Mikhail was still sitting, his hands supporting his back. "Every night on Lunin's Day, we worship Queen Lunareth."
Ivan frowned. "Wasn't it last night?"
Eric shook his head slightly. "Before Lunin's Day, her presence draws near. That night it peaks. After that... she begins to recede."
The Rev, who had been lying on his back, let out a long sigh, still staring at the increasingly pale sky. "Like a goodbye," he muttered casually, then glanced at her with a lopsided smile. "Oh yeah… you two had nightmares, right?"
Mikhail snorted softly, but his fingers unconsciously gripped the grass beside him. "Very funny."
They finally got up—Rev first, then Eric. Mikhail stood more slowly, his body still heavy with the strange lingering drowsiness from the morning. Ivan followed last. They began walking along the edge of the training area. The grass slowly gave way to stone, the sound of their footsteps turning into a soft echo. A few other students also passed by, talking quietly, not paying much attention.
The outer walls of the Lumen Atrium loomed beside them, pale in the last of the twilight.
Eric suddenly glanced up. "Strange…"
Rev stopped whistling. "Why?"
Eric furrowed his brows. "There's no wind."
There wasn't. The air felt still, too still.
Ivan, walking ahead of Mikhail, suddenly slowed. His shoulders tensed. His hands raised slightly, as if reflexively holding something invisible. His face was pale, his breathing shallow. He looked up—for exactly one second—and then his eyes widened.
And without a word, he shoved Mikhail hard in the shoulder.
"—!"
The world turned upside down. Mikhail lost his balance and fell backward just as a deafening crack pierced the air.
CLACK!
A head-sized chunk of rock slammed into the stone floor where he had been standing a split second ago. Shards of it splattered, dust flying.
Several students screamed. Someone dropped a book. The sound of panicked footsteps echoed.
Eric immediately knelt beside him. "Did you get hit? Mikhail!"
Rev was there too, his face tense. "That was close—"
But their voices seemed to come from underwater. Mikhail's head was buzzing loudly. His vision was blurred by the floating dust. Slowly his focus shifted… past Eric's face… past the shards of rock… until it settled on Ivan.
He stood a few steps away.
His face was ashen.
His eyes weren't those of shock.
They were the eyes of someone who already knew.
Their gazes met, and the surrounding commotion seemed to recede, as if enclosed by a glass wall.
What just happened?
Is it… because I asked Billy?
Ivan saved me?
How did he know? Did he look up? Or… did he know before it fell?
The thoughts collided in an incoherent manner.
Ivan took a step back. Then another. His lips parted slightly, his breathing unsteady. Fear was clear on his face—not at the stone… but at something unseen.
Then he turned and ran. He didn't look back. He didn't stop. Like someone running from something still standing right behind them.
"Mikhail! Focus on me!" Eric's voice pulled the world back.
Up above the observation hall, the adult Keepers were already shouting. "Away from the wall! Everyone away!"
Several people were quickly descending the stairs, making sure no one was hurt.
The twilight was completely gone now.
And for the first time since coming here, the Atrium Lumen didn't feel like a sanctuary.
It felt like… something was trying to happen.
And almost succeeded.
Footsteps, Keeper shouts, and the sound of crumbling dust still echoed in the air when they were finally separated and directed back to the dormitory.
The area near the outer wall of the Atrium was cordoned off. Several Keepers stood guard, their faces tense. The other students whispered, a fear they didn't yet understand spreading faster than any explanation.
Eric walked beside Mikhail, his jaw tight.
"You almost died," he said quietly, but his tone was sharp, not angry—more like someone who had just realized something they couldn't control.
The Rev wasn't joking. He only glanced at Mikhail a few times, as if to make sure he was still there.
Ivan wasn't with them.
He had disappeared around the corner since he started running.
The dormitory hallway was quieter than usual. The wall lamps cast a dim yellow glow, reflecting off the cold stone floor. In the distance, the sounds of other students could still be heard—cupboards being opened, water being poured, low, forced conversations. The world seemed to be trying to return to normal, but it didn't feel quite the same.
Mikhail stopped in front of Ivan's door.
He raised his hand and knocked.
Knock. Knock.
No answer.
He waited a moment. His heart still felt strange, not from running—from something that almost happened.
He knocked again, more quietly. "Ivan... it's me."
Silence. But not empty. As if someone inside was deliberately standing still.
Mikhail turned the doorknob. It was unlocked. He opened it slowly.
The room was dark, lit only by the hallway light, which formed a pale line on the floor. Ivan sat on the edge of the bed, still wearing the same clothes. His body was bent forward, his elbows on his knees, his hands hanging limply between his legs.
"Ivan..."
He gasped. His shoulders rose sharply, his breathing sounding like someone just emerging from the water. His eyes immediately turned toward the door.
It took a moment for him to recognize Mikhail.
"Are you… okay?" his voice was hoarse.
"Yes." Mikhail took a half step inside. The air in the room felt stuffy. "You saved me?"
Ivan didn't answer. His gaze fell back to the floor.
"Ivan… did you see something up there?" Mikhail asked quietly, cautiously.
Ivan immediately shook his head—too quickly. "Don't." The single word came out softly, but firmly. He finally turned his head, looking at Mikhail, and in his eyes there was no confusion—only lingering fear. "Don't ask about that again. Please."
He didn't sound like he was hiding a secret. He sounded like he was afraid it would be heard.
Stepping footsteps passed in the hallway. A soft chuckle from another room, thin and nervous. The ordinary world was still moving, but this room felt separate from it.
Mikhail nodded slowly. "Okay." The other words felt all wrong. "Get some rest."
He took a step back out of the room.
Ivan's hand moved quickly.
BRAK
The door slammed shut in front of him.
Mikhail remained standing in front of Ivan's bedroom door for a few seconds after the slamming sound echoed through the hallway. The wood in front of him was still, unmoving, as if it had never opened. From inside, there was no sound.
What was really happening?
Ivan didn't look like someone who was hiding something.
He looked like someone who already saw the consequences.
Footsteps passing at the end of the hallway finally made Mikhail move. He exhaled slowly, then walked. At first, he didn't know where he was going—just away from that door, from Ivan's gaze, from the all-too-real fear.
The dormitory hallway turned into a connecting corridor. The air was colder here. The light from the tall windows filtered in pale, indicating that night had fallen completely. The sounds of activity dwindled; only the echo of his own footsteps accompanied him.
Only after a few steps did he realize where his feet were taking him.
To the painting corridor.
He didn't stop.
All the while, one thought lingered, refusing to let go: it all started after I asked.