Chapter 35: The Veil Begins to Fracture

Elias hesitated for a moment, his fingers still on the door handle. The weight in Lucien's voice sent a shiver through him—this was not a simple request. It was a warning.

"What's going on?" Elias asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Lucien's gaze flickered past him, into the room, as if expecting something—or someone—else to be there.

"No time to explain," Lucien said sharply. "Just trust me."

Elias swallowed hard, glancing once more at the mirror. The reflection stood still now, perfectly normal. Too normal. As if it were forcing itself to behave.

A deep unease settled in his gut, but he nodded.

"Alright. Let's go."

Lucien grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the dimly lit corridor. The air felt thick, heavier than before. The halls of the dormitory stretched unnaturally long, and the flickering lamps overhead seemed more like dying stars than sources of light.

Something was wrong.

They moved quickly, Lucien's grip firm, leading him through the maze-like hallways. Elias had walked these corridors countless times, but now, every turn felt unfamiliar, as if the building itself had shifted.

"Where are we going?" Elias asked, his breath uneven.

Lucien didn't answer. Instead, he stopped abruptly in front of an old wooden door—one Elias had never noticed before. The wood was cracked, its surface marred with faint symbols carved into the grain.

Lucien exhaled, pressing his palm against the door.

"They'll come soon," he muttered. "We don't have much time."

A cold prickle ran down Elias's spine.

"Who?"

Lucien's expression darkened. He looked at Elias, something like regret flashing in his eyes.

"The ones who don't want you to wake up."

Before Elias could ask what he meant, Lucien pushed the door open—

And the world shifted.

A rush of air swallowed them whole, the space beyond the door collapsing inward like a vortex. Elias felt himself falling, spiraling through darkness, through fragments of memories, voices, and something else—

A presence.

Watching.

Waiting.

And then—

Everything went white.