Aethercrest // FayeYoko, LingOrm, MilkLove

Chapter 5

Seiryu's POV

The world was swallowed in fog.

I could barely see through the thick, heavy mist that clung to everything like a second skin. The familiar stone walls of the Aethercrest Academy rose up around me, cracked and broken, like they had been abandoned for centuries. Shadows twisted and stretched across the courtyard, dancing just beyond my sight.

Then, a chill washed over me, hindi lang ako nag-iisa.

A figure stood at the far end, half-hidden in darkness. I couldn't see their faces—blurred, shadowed, as if they were barely there—but something about them felt off, dangerous. They stood perfectly still, pinapanood ako, kahit na hindi ko maaninag ang mga mata nila. But I felt their gaze—a piercing, cold weight that settled in my chest. "Noxoria... betrayal... Academy."

My feet wouldn't move, no matter how hard I tried. Parang ang bigat-bigat ng katawan ko, as if the shadows themselves were holding me in place. All I could do was watch, frozen, as the figure took a slow step forward, the fog parting around them.

"You don't belong here," they whispered, the words somehow echoing through my mind instead of the air, soft but cutting.

A flicker of light caught my attention, and I looked down to see flames creeping along the walls, spreading fast. The Academy was burning, engulfed in fire that crackled and spat, bright against the shadows. Panic clawed up my throat, but still, hindi ako makagalaw.

The figure moved closer, and though I couldn't see their face, I knew they were smiling. The flames reached higher, consuming everything, casting twisted, monstrous shadows across the walls. And in the middle of it all, they raised a hand, pointing at me.

The shadowy figure tilted their head, a cold smile barely visible through the haze. "Tell me, Seiryu... when the lines blur, will you still know where you stand?"

I jolted awake, drenched in sweat, heart pounding. The room was dark and silent, but the echo of their words lingered, heavy and suffocating. I tried to shake off the dream, telling myself it was just my mind playing tricks.

These dreams—hindi ko na nga alam kung panaginip lang ba o visions-were getting weirder each night. Parang ako lang ang nandun, pero ibang-iba ang pakiramdam. It was like I was somewhere familiar and yet... parang ibang mundo rin.

Shadows were everywhere, and I could barely make out anything beyond this thick fog that pressed on all sides. And then, out of nowhere, may figure akong nakikita. Blurred, malabo, pero ramdam ko ang panganib kahit di ko makita ang mukha n'ya. Alam ko lang na may malalim na connect s'ya sa Noxoria.

May sinabi s'ya kanina but.. hindi ko na matandaan. Minsan, lalapit s'ya, then the figure will fade, leaving only whispers, barely audible yet chilling. "Noxoria... betrayal... Academy." Words that clung to my mind even as I jolted awake, gasping.

And every time, nagigising ako with my heart racing, para bang may.. kulang.

I sat up, rubbing my temples. It was just a dream, I tried to tell myself, but something deep within told me otherwise. Every fiber of my being screamed that this wasn't just my imagination running wild. It felt real, like a warning... or a glimpse into something dark that was waiting to unfold.

Hindi ako mapakali.

The next day, the Academy was practically buzzing with rumors. I didn't want to feed into the paranoia, but it was hard to ignore na parang may nagbago sa energy ng lugar na 'to. Everyone was talking about how some confidential plans had somehow been leaked or stolen. Plans na ilang linggo rin naming inaral at pinaghirapan. Every time may dadaan na instructor or student na mukhang balisa, may tension sa paligid. You could feel it in the way everyone's voices dipped low, as if everyone was hiding something.