Pendarghast Academy 1

Eli pushed open the door to his dorm room, the familiar space greeting him with its quiet, lived-in feel. The faint scent of books and the faint hum of his laptop charger still plugged in made the room feel like a safe haven. He tossed his bag onto the desk chair with a soft thud, rubbing the back of his neck as he walked to the small window. He stared outside for a moment, his golden eyes unfocused as the events of the day played over in his mind like a half-forgotten dream.

He sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping as he leaned against the windowsill. "One step at a time," he muttered to himself, though the words felt hollow, a mantra he wasn't sure he believed. The distant image of the icy-haired boy flickered in his thoughts again, and he felt a strange chill race up his spine. Shaking his head as if to banish the thought, Eli turned away from the window and made his way to the bathroom.

The harsh, fluorescent light flickered for a second before steadying as he stepped inside. Eli squinted, his tired face reflected in the mirror—a boy who seemed older than his years, though his youth still clung stubbornly to him in the unruly strands of golden hair and the faint curve of his lips. He ran cold water into the sink, letting it pool in his cupped hands before splashing it onto his face.

The water was cold, a sharp bite against his skin that momentarily cleared his mind. He grabbed a towel and patted his face dry, lowering it slowly as his gaze lifted back to the mirror. For a second, everything seemed normal—his golden hair damp and sticking to his forehead, his golden eyes staring back at him.

But then, as he blinked, the reflection shifted.

Eli froze, his breath hitching in his chest. The figure in the mirror wasn't him—or, it was, but it wasn't. The reflection now had silver-blue hair that shimmered faintly like frost under moonlight, and piercing, icy-blue eyes that seemed to glow with an unearthly light. The reflection's gaze wasn't neutral like his; it held a sense of purpose, intensity, as if it were alive—as if it were studying him.

"What the hell?" Eli whispered, his voice barely audible over the sound of the dripping faucet. His brows furrowed, his golden eyes wide with confusion and a growing sense of dread. He leaned closer to the mirror, hesitant, his hand hovering in the air as if testing its reality. The figure in the reflection leaned forward too, mirroring his movements, but there was something deliberate, almost intentional, about the way it did.

Eli's fingertips brushed the surface of the glass.

The mirror rippled like water, soft waves spreading out from where his fingers made contact. He jerked his hand back instinctively, his heart pounding in his chest. "What—?" he started, but before he could finish the thought, the mirror seemed to pull at him.

The glass rippled again, this time reaching out toward him, the waves forming tendrils that wrapped around his wrist. Eli yelped and pulled back, his muscles straining as he tried to free himself. The tendrils of light held firm, their grip cold and unyielding. His other hand braced against the sink as he struggled, his breath coming in quick, panicked gasps.

"Let go!" he shouted, his voice breaking as he tugged with all his strength. But it was no use—the pull grew stronger, relentless, as if the mirror had decided it wasn't letting him go. His feet slid against the tiled floor, his balance faltering as the mirror dragged him closer.

"No! Stop!" he yelled, his voice tinged with desperation. His reflection stared back at him, calm and unbothered, its icy-blue eyes unyielding and resolute. It almost seemed to smile faintly as the tendrils of rippling light consumed his hand, then his arm.

Eli twisted, his body jerking in a final attempt to break free, but it was futile. The pull was stronger than gravity, stronger than his fear, and in one last, wrenching moment, he was yanked forward, his body plunging through the mirror as if it were a surface of water.

The world turned cold and silent, the sensation like being submerged in icy depths. Eli's screams were swallowed by the void, his golden eyes wide with terror as he reached out, clawing at nothing. The last thing he saw before darkness overtook him was the faint shimmer of silver-blue light, a flicker of something ancient and powerful waiting on the other side. Then, everything went black.

Eli's senses returned all at once, a rush of cold engulfing him as he plunged into water. His lungs burned as he instinctively gasped, only to choke on the icy liquid that surged into his mouth. Panic exploded in his chest as he flailed wildly, his limbs heavy in the cold, oppressive depths. The water was dark, a murky expanse that stretched endlessly in every direction, its weight pressing down on him like a vice.

K-keep moving, Eli thought, his mind a jumble of fear and instinct. He kicked his legs, his arms sweeping in wide, desperate arcs as he tried to propel himself upward. His chest tightened, the air in his lungs dwindling as the surface remained frustratingly out of reach—or maybe it didn't exist at all.

His golden eyes stung as he forced them open, squinting through the water. The faintest glimmer of light danced far above him, distant but real. A thread of hope spurred him on, his strokes growing more frantic as his vision blurred from exertion. The cold seeped into his bones, numbing his limbs, but he refused to stop.

Almost there.

Then, just as the light above seemed within reach, a voice pierced the watery silence.

"Easy there. You're almost safe."

The words weren't muffled like he expected; they resonated clearly, like they were spoken directly into his mind. Eli's movements faltered for a split second, confusion mixing with panic as he looked around. The light grew brighter, almost blinding now, and a shadow emerged from its center—a figure, descending toward him with a calm, deliberate grace.

The figure's hand extended toward Eli, the movement smooth and unhurried, as if time itself bent around them. Their face came into focus first: dark skin, smooth and radiant even in the water's dim light; dark, piercing eyes that held a quiet depth; and black hair that floated gently, swaying with the current. The figure's lips curved into a soft, reassuring smile—a smile that carried an unspoken promise of safety.

"Take my hand," the voice said again, this time warmer, more personal.

Eli hesitated, his body trembling from both exertion and the icy water. His golden eyes locked onto the figure's, searching for something—deception, danger, anything that might make him question the outstretched hand. But all he found was calm, an anchor in the chaos. The man's expression didn't falter; his dark eyes held a steady kindness, and the slight upward curve of his lips never wavered, as though he had all the time in the world to wait for Eli's decision.

Eli's chest burned, his lungs screaming for air. He realized he didn't have much choice.

With a shaky, uncertain motion, he reached out, his hand trembling as it neared the figure's. The moment their hands touched, warmth surged through him—an otherworldly heat that chased away the cold and filled his body with a strange, invigorating energy. The man's grip was firm but gentle, his touch grounding Eli in a way that felt almost... familiar.

"Got you," the man said softly, his smile widening just enough to reveal a hint of teeth. His other hand reached down, gripping Eli's arm as he pulled him upward with an effortless strength that belied the calmness of his movements.

Eli gasped as they broke through the surface. He coughed violently, gulping down sweet, blessed air as the cold water dripped from his face and hair. The light was no longer distant; it surrounded them, illuminating the vast, glassy expanse of water. Yet there was no sky, no horizon—just a shimmering, endless glow that bathed everything in a surreal radiance.

The man pulled Eli close, steadying him with an arm under his shoulders as he floated beside him. "You're alright now," he said, his tone even and soothing, though his dark eyes studied Eli with an intensity that suggested he saw far more than just the boy before him.

Eli blinked up at him, his breath ragged as his heart still thundered in his chest. "Wh-where am I?" he managed to rasp, his voice cracking.