Upon passing through the portal, Elio found himself in an unfamiliar world.
Nothing could have prepared him for what lay ahead.
He scanned his surroundings, trying to make sense of where the portal had taken him.
When he looked up, he saw the sun — but instead of its usual white glow, it was pitch black.
The clouds above burned a fiery orange, and the air stung like flames against his skin.
Elio could barely breathe.
In an attempt to find some relief, he tore off his cape and gloves, left only in his deep-black shirt and pants. Sweat clung to him instantly.
Out of all places... why this one!?
He glanced at the other cadets who had crossed with him. They wore light, breathable clothes — nothing as elaborate as his.
It was like they had expected this unbearable heat.
Elio frowned. Did they know?
Why didn't anyone warn me — especially my friends?
His eyes settled on Lucious, who stood calmly, observing the sky and scribbling something into his notebook.
Lucious wore a short-sleeved white shirt, black pants, and formal shoes — completely unbothered.
When he noticed Elio approaching, he looked up and smiled.
"Oh, Elio. What do you think of this realm? Cool, right?"
"Cool my ass. I'm burning here."
Lucious laughed, but Elio just blinked at him, confused.
"Why laugh? Is this amusing to you?"
Lucious flinched, caught off guard.
"N-No! I mean... not really, I just... uh..."
His eyes flicked to Elio's outfit — the cape, the gloves, the black-on-black. He fidgeted with his pen.
"It's just... um, didn't you read the letter from the organization? It, uh… said to dress lightly..."
He offered a weak smile, then quickly looked back down at his notebook, clearly trying to escape the moment.
Elio tilted his head. Letter? What letter...?
And then it hit him.
Oh.
The memory struck like lightning. Two weeks ago — he'd been drinking, scrolling through the feed on his phone.
That was when he read it.
"... come with light clothes for the ceremony."
He'd barely registered the words before swiping it away to check memes.
"...Shit," Elio muttered under his breath.
Elio looked at Lucious and, instead of telling the truth, tried to save face.
"The letter! Of course I remember."
Lucious didn't look convinced.
Elio crossed his arms, defensive.
"What? You think I forget stuff? Come on, Lucious — we're talking about me."
Lucious raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it.
"...Exactly."
Elio opened his mouth, then closed it again, glaring up at the black sun as if it were personally mocking him.
Lucious glanced toward the far edge of the platform, where Odessa and Gemma stood huddled together, peering over the side.
"They've been looking down there for a while now…" he said. Curiosity sparked in his voice.
"Hey, Elio — let's go see what they found."
Elio followed Lucious across the cracked stone surface of the platform. The heat pulsed beneath their boots, like the ground itself was alive.
Odessa and Gemma stood near the edge, their backs tense, eyes fixed on whatever lay below. As Elio approached, he noticed how still they were — like something had stolen their breath.
"What are you two staring at?" he asked, wiping sweat from his brow.
Odessa didn't answer right away. Her eyes stayed locked downward, voice low.
"There's nothing down there. Just... fog."
Elio stepped closer and peered over the edge.
A swirling sea of gray stretched out beneath them, thick and endless. It churned like it had a mind of its own, hiding everything below in a dense, shifting veil. There was no land. No buildings. No sky beneath — only the abyss.
Gemma wrapped her arms around herself, shivering despite the heat. "It moves like it's breathing…"
Elio narrowed his eyes. "Are we... floating?"
Lucious knelt beside the edge, flipping to a fresh page in his notebook. "Technically, we're standing on a landmass suspended above something. Whether it's fog, gas, or... something else, I'm not sure."
A distant rumble echoed from below — low, deep, almost like a growl.
Elio stepped back instinctively. "Okay, yeah. Definitely not just fog."
Odessa finally turned to face the others. Her expression was calm, but her voice had an edge.
"We shouldn't stay here too long."
The fog below shifted.
Not like a breeze passing through — it twitched, like something massive stirred beneath it.
A deep rumble echoed up from below, vibrating through the soles of their boots.
Elio stepped back instinctively.
"Okay, nope. That's not just fog."
Lucious looked over the edge, narrowing his eyes.
"Something's coming…"
The mist began to spiral upward — slow at first, then faster.
Then came the sound: a low hum, mechanical and steady, rising like a storm building just beneath the surface.
A sharp crackle cut through the air.
And then—
A voice. Distant. Distorted. Almost a whisper.
"Stand back."
The group of cadets went still.
The wind died.
Something was rising.