The morning light spilled gently through the glass panels, pale and cold like melted silver. Gray stirred from his bed, eyes blinking open to the faint hum of the city outside his dormitory. The walls glowed with the faint, sterile light of the upper districts, and beyond his window stretched a horizon of floating towers, sky rails, and distant spires piercing through soft clouds.
He sat up slowly, his breath visible in the morning chill. The sheets rustled as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. His hair, now the color of ash, caught the light—soft streaks of grayish silver running down to his neck. His eyes mirrored it, sharp yet dim, their glow faint but steady.
The corruption mark on his chest, a spiraling pattern of black veins and faint red glow, had calmed since the last surge. It pulsed weakly beneath his shirt, not as hidden as before.
Gray placed a hand over it and let out a quiet exhale. "At least it's better," he murmured, almost as if speaking to something alive.
When he rose, he felt lighter—more agile, his movements sharper, balanced. The Wither strain inside him had settled in an uneasy truce. Not stable, but tamed for now. He got dressed, fastening his uniform loosely, and walked to the window once more.
The view was… unreal. Sky bridges shimmered between towers, airships drifted lazily above, and far below, the sprawling veins of the lower city flickered like molten gold. A faint smile touched his lips.
But even now, even here, he didn't understand why he lived. Why he was given this second chance. The thought weighed on him for a moment before he turned toward the door.
He needed air.
He left his room and entered the hallway which buzzed with movement. Students darted between rooms, instructors barked out last-minute instructions, and groups gathered in clusters, their laughter mixed with nerves. The scent of oil, Vyre dust, and steel filled the air.
Gray walked quietly through it all.
The training courts were packed—bright flashes of energy erupting with every strike. The library was crowded with students flipping through records of past expeditions, whispering theories and fears. The classrooms, in contrast, stood mostly empty—chairs left askew, chalk dust frozen mid-use.
Everything felt… wrong. Too much energy for what was coming.
Gray adjusted the strap of his coat and exhaled. "It's too late to train," he muttered to himself. "Might as well just… enjoy the peace before the storm."
He walked through the upper corridor leading to the open courtyard, where the faint sound of conversation reached him.
The courtyard shimmered under the morning light, the air crisp and cool. A faint breeze stirred the vines clinging to the old stone pillars, and the faint hum of the city from afar rose like a song. Lira sat cross-legged on a bench, arms folded, eyes closed as if meditating. Adel sat beside her, chewing on what looked like a sweetbread, crumbs collecting at the corners of her mouth.
Renn leaned against the railing, flipping what looked like a glowing coin in his hand, while Korr stood nearby, his posture a mix of boredom and contained energy. Aurelle lingered at the far end, near the shadow of an overhanging tree, eyes half-lidded and distant.
Gray approached quietly, boots scuffing against the stone.
"Morning," he said.
Lira cracked an eye open. "You look like someone just crawled out of the grave."
"Feels about right," Gray muttered, brushing ash-colored hair from his face.
Adel grinned, holding up a piece of bread. "Breakfast?"
He shook his head. "I'll pass."
Korr smirked. "He's too nervous to eat. Afraid of the big, bad expedition."
Gray shot him a look. "And you aren't?"
"Of course not," Korr said cheerfully. "What shoul I even be afraid of?"
Gray rubbed his eyes.
'Maybe the horrific monsters and abominations that await us...'
Renn flicked the coin into his pocket. "Can't believe it's tomorrow already. Feels like the last one ended yesterday." He whispered softly.
Adel exhaled slowly and stood, brushing dust from her trousers. "Feels like we never left that cursed, frozen hell hole."
The group fell quiet for a moment. Even the wind seemed to pause.
Lira broke the silence first. "Alright, let's focus. We all got the message—teams of three." She spoke clearly. "If we're six, that means we split in half."
Renn frowned. "Three per group… that's cutting it close. It's basically saying 'good luck dying together.'"
Adel gave a humorless smile. "Then we make sure we're not the ones dying."
Gray crossed his arms. "Guess we should start deciding."
Aurelle finally turned his gaze toward them. "The Academy already assigned preliminary team slots," he said quietly. "They must be completed by tonight, on the computer. Or else we will all be given random team members."
Adel nodded. "Right, but we'd better do it quickly."
They began throwing out ideas—Aurelle and Gray paired for combat synergy, Adel for support, Lira and Korr for offense, Renn for ranged coverage. But it quickly became more personal.
Lira looked at Adel. "Adel, it would be best if you went with us. Let Renn go with Gray and Aurelle. You are better suited with us than them."
Adel's expression softened. "Do you think I'm weak? And it's my choice, isn't it?"
"Adel," Lira said quietly, "you're not built for—"
"Neither was I," Gray interrupted, his tone calm but firm. "None of us are."
Lira blinked at him, then sighed. "Fair enough."
Korr stretched, cracking his neck. "I say we settle this easy. Lira, Renn, and me—team two. Gray, Adel, and Aurelle—team one."
"Just like that?" Renn asked.
"Just like that," Korr said. "Simple. Balanced."
Adel raised an eyebrow. "Balanced, huh? You're pairing yourself with a goddamn royal and this is fair?"
"Exactly."
She groaned. "Perfect logic."
Despite the tension, laughter slowly trickled through the group. The air eased. For a moment, it almost felt normal—like they weren't about to march into another death zone.
Then Lira's gaze dropped to her hands. "I wonder what the new territory will be like."
"There's some rumors," Renn said. "Underground ruin, dead voices in the wind."
"How lovely," Adel muttered. "I'll bring another set of daggers."
Lira smiled faintly at that, then her tone turned quiet again. "You know… my parents pushed me into this. Said it was mandatory for all royals to participate."
Korr blinked. "Mandatory? That's insane."
"That's nobility for you," Adel said, resting her chin on her palm. "You're not people to them. You're objects."
Lira looked down, her voice barely above a whisper. "I stopped being their daughter the day they decided this was 'honor.'"
A small silence followed. Gray glanced at her, but she didn't meet his eyes.
Renn broke the heaviness gently. "Well, for what it's worth, you're not exactly like them."
Lira gave him a faint smile. "Thanks."
Gray exhaled softly, looking around at all of them. "We've been through worse. We'll survive this too."
Adel smirked. "Optimism from you? Now that's rare."
He shrugged. "Trying something new."
Korr grinned. "If we can't regroup inside the territory, we'll just punch through whatever's between us."
"That's your plan for everything," Adel said.
"And it will work, watch." Korr replied proudly.
Aurelle finally stepped closer to the group. "If it's possible to reconnect mid-mission, we should aim for a central point. Right now we don't have anything, but when moving through the territory. Leave behind some sort of sign. Like a and X shape on the floor to mark you passed by there."
Gray nodded. "Understood."
They stood there for a while longer—talking about everything and nothing. Strategies turned into jokes, fear turned into teasing. For the first time in a long while, Gray felt a strange warmth around them. Familiar.
Eventually, Lira looked at the clock hovering in the corner of her tablet. "It's getting late. We should rest. Tomorrow's going to be… a lot."
Adel nodded. "We'll meet again in the territory."
"For sure," Gray confirmed.
Renn pushed off the railing. "Then... I'll see you all later.."
As they began to part, Lira lingered a moment beside Gray. "You sure you want to be with Aurelle?"
Gray looked at her, eyes calm but unreadable. "Yes. No doubt."
She studied him for a long second, then nodded. "Alright. Then remember the plan, rememebr it exactly."
"Yeah," he said softly. "I won't forget."
Aurelle turned to him. "You're not heading back?"
Gray shook his head. "Still have a few things to handle."
Aurelle nodded once, as if he understood. "Go ahead."
"I won't."
Aurelle turned around and vanished down the hall with the soft click of his boots echoing behind him.
Gray too, after a while, left the courtyard and made his way to Seraphine.
The upper floor where Seraphine worked was quiet. Gray took the stairs, enjoying the wuiet ambience. Even though jt was almost suffocating.
When he stepped into her office, the air was heavy with the scent of parchment and ink.
Seraphine looked up from a table filled with glowing documents, her pale blue eyes narrowing slightly. "Gray... Shouldn't you be preparing for the expedition?"
"I am," Gray said, walking closer. "That's actually why I'm here."
She gestured for him to speak.
He told her everything. From Lucian's thinly veiled threats to his sudden shift in demeanor, the hostility behind his smile, and the way his eyes had turned dark red. Seraphine listened quietly, one hand on her chin.
When he finished, she leaned back. "Lucian plans to eliminate you during the expedition."
Gray nodded.
Her gaze sharpened. "He shouldn't be able to track you. Unless…" She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Unless he's being helped. The Fractured Dawn, perhaps."
Gray frowned. "You think they are willing to go this far?"
"I wouldn't remove the possibility," she said, her tone flat. "They have eyes everywhere. And if someone's manipulating events within the Academy, he wouldn't be acting alone."
He clenched his fists slightly. "Then what do I do?"
"Nothing rash," Seraphine said. "Keep your distance. Survive. That's your job right now. Leave the rest to those who can handle it."
Her tone was flat but firm, the kind of authority he'd grown used to. Still, there was something faintly… human beneath it.
"You're not exactly comforting," Gray said with a dry laugh.
"I'm not here to comfort you," she replied, though a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "I need you alive, Gray. Preferably in one piece. You're one of the few who might actually untangle this entire mess."
He tilted his head. "So I'm useful to you."
"For now."
They both shared a short silence before she stood, gathering her notes. "There's one more thing you should know."
Gray looked up.
"This expedition," she said, "won't be like the last. It's not just about surviving the territory or returning alive. There will be objectives. Multiple ones. You'll be given assignments once inside."
"Objectives?"
"Yes. Not all will make sense at first. But if you want to understand what's really going on, you'll follow them. Closely."
Gray nodded slowly. "Understood."
She turned away, her expression unreadable. "Then that's all. Get some rest. Tomorrow will test you more than you realize."
Gray remained frozen, unable to move. After a while, he nodded and left the tower quietly.
The night had fallen, casting the city in a dim golden hue. The sky bridges shimmered faintly in the distance, floating airships glowing like insects.
He walked through the courtyard one last time, his boots echoing softly against the stone. His thoughts were a storm—Lucian's threats, the Fractured Dawn, the mysterious man above the clouds.
Tomorrow, they would be thrust into hell again.
He stopped for a moment and looked up at the sky. The clouds shifted, glowing faintly under the city's light.
He smiled faintly.
He would survive. No matter what it took.
And he would find the answers he sought.
Even if it killed him.