Students bustled up and down the halls, laughing and chatting.

"Do you guys ever... have nightmares?" Paige asked as she walked down the hallway with Kaitlin, Ivan, and Harry.

Ivan looked at her, confusion masking his face. "Yes?" he asked. "Why?"

"What are your nightmares about?" Kaitlin asked.

Paige rubbed the back of her neck. "Well..." she began slowly, "I wake up in this field and there are a lot of moons in the sky. But then there's this... shadow wolf. I don't know. Sometimes I jerk awake, feeling like I can't breathe."

Harry frowned as Kaitlin and Ivan exchanged worried glances.

"Maybe you can talk to the Headmaster about it," Ivan suggested.

"Maybe..." the Evaran hummed.

Kaitlin rubbed the back of her neck. "I sometimes have these weird dreams where I'm on a snowy mountain. It's hard to hear anything through the snowstorm... and it's cold. I keep seeing this shadow and it keeps calling me... Silver One."

Paige widened her eyes at that before she looked at the floor, her eyes narrowing in thought.

Were their dreams connected somehow?

She frowned nervously, nibbling on her finger.

The bell rang, and the three students looked up as the sound echoed through the halls. The other students started to walk up and down the halls and the stairs, saying their goodnights to each other.

"Curfew," Ivan sighed, rubbing his arms.

Harry looked at the Irifloran. "Not a fan of curfew?" he asked.

"Not... really," Ivan replied, "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Night."

"Goodnight."

Harry looked at the two girls. "I'll see you tomorrow then. And Ivan's right. Maybe you should talk to the Headmaster."

"Yeah..." Paige nodded slightly. "I'll... I'll do that."

Harry walked away. Kaitlin watched him for a moment before she looked at Paige.

She placed a hand on the Dual-Blooded girl's shoulder. "Do you want me to come with you?" she asked.

Paige shook her head slightly. "No, but thank you, Kait. I'll be okay."

The Irilian nodded before she walked away.

Paige exhaled sharply and ran her hands through her hair before she walked to the Headmaster's office.

She glanced at the window as she walked up to the double doors. She swallowed nervously before slowly raising her hand and knocking on the door.

"Come in," Headmaster Prokopios's voice hummed from inside, and the door opened with a creak.

Paige stepped into the office. "H-Headmaster?"

"On the dot," Headmaster Prokopios hummed, "just what I expect from my students. You may approach. How are you, Paige?"

"Um... I'm okay," the Dual-Blooded girl answered as she slowly walked up to the desk, "how are you, Headmaster?"

"How polite of you to ask," Headmaster Prokopios replied with a soft smile, "I'm alright. Though I am a bit tired. The amount of students applying is becoming hectic. But it certainly helps that there are those who are always willing to be part of Primordia's Tapestry."

Paige nodded slightly as she fidgeted. "Headmaster... I've been having these nightmares. And... I don't know what they are or what they mean. But this shadow wolf calls me Dark One."

Headmaster Prokopios furrowed his eyebrows before he frowned. "I understand your anxiety, Paige. But these nightmares, they're just that. They're part of the usual school stress."

"...do you think Primordia is trying to tell me something?" The Evaran asked.

"If she was, I would know," the headmaster said firmly.

Paige's shoulders tensed before she cast her gaze to the floor. "I-I'm sorry."

Headmaster Prokopios's eyes softened before he stood up. He walked around the desk. "No need to apologize, dear," he said, "but it's just stress over studies and training. But... if it eases your heart, I can pray for you."

"Okay," Paige nodded before she knelt down, and Headmaster Prokopios placed his hands on her forehead.

Silence fell over the room.

Headmaster Prokopios opened his eyes. "Open."
Paige opened her eyes, and gold and silver light reflected in her irises.

Headmaster Prokopios chuckled softly. "You are a special Transcendant, Paige. You may not know it yet, but you will soon."

The Evaran nodded and sighed softly.

"Stop that sighing," Headmaster Prokopios huffed, playfully and gently pinching her cheek, "it's late and my students need plenty of rest for tomorrow."

"Hnng! Myes, sir!" Paige squeaked softly.

"Good night, Paige," he chuckled as the Evaran hurried out the door.

"Good night, Headmaster. And thank you!" She replied, and the door closed behind her.

Prokopios crossed his arms over his chest before he glanced at the window again. He exhaled sharply.

Night arrived, and all of the students were asleep.
Lady Corice stood outside of the door to the Star Pool, fidgeting nervously.

Inside, the Star Pool's walls were pure silver. The tile floor was cold, and the water was dark. On the other side of the pool was a metallic silver statue of a woman on her knees, eyes closed.

Prokopios took off the silver robe, and stepped into the water. There were numerous, healed scars on his upper arms. He knelt down into the water and closed his eyes.

"Primordia... I speak to thee through the Star Pool," he began. "Your Atlases are beginning to receive visions of... your presence. And I worry that it will be too early. I do not want to protest against your wishes, but please... give me a sign that things will go slow. I don't want to do this alone."

He lifted a dagger and dragged the blade across his shoulder, and blood trickled from the new scar.

The blood landed on his hand before he swung his hand forward, sending blood droplets scattering across the water.

In front of him, the water swirled around before large blue octopus-like tentacles suddenly burst up from the water.

One tentacle wrapped around his wrist and he closed his eyes for a moment before he opened them, revealing them to be glowing silver.

A large bright blue eye stared back at him, the pupil slitted. Slowly, the fog behind the blue eye cleared, revealing a nineteen-year-old girl.

She had porcelain skin with espresso-brown patches, honey-blonde hair, and bright crimson red eyes.