Dawn is just breaking as Kaiden jolts awake in his bed, flinging the blanket onto the floor in a frantic movement. Sweat glistens on his face, and his heart pounds in his chest, racing with adrenaline. The vivid images from his dream keep replaying in his mind, like a relentless loop. Kaiden rises to his feet, still trembling from the intensity of the dream. He scans the room, only to find himself alone. Thoughts race through his mind, where could Loden have gone? But he quickly refocuses his thoughts on what's in front of him, spotting a wash basin on one of the tables. With slow, deliberate steps, he moves towards it.

Kaiden grasps the water, pouring it into the bowl and splashes it on his face and hair, trying to calm down. However, as the water ripples and then settles, the scenes from the dream suddenly come back, projected onto the surface. Terrified and alarmed, Kaiden instinctively swipes his hand at the bowl, accidentally knocking it to the floor, causing it to crash with a loud clatter.

The broken bowl scatters across the floor, shards of glass and water spilling all over the rugs. Kaiden instinctively steps back, avoiding the sharp debris. His hands quiver with fear and tension. He grips his chest once more, but this time, his fingers clutch onto the cool metal of the pendant instead. The soothing touch of the metal begins to calm him, albeit slightly.

Loud footsteps echo through the hallway outside, followed by the door abruptly flinging open. Loden bursts into the room, his body coiled and ready for combat. His voice rings out with concern, "Priestess, are you alright?"

Kaiden gazes at Loden, his surprise slowly giving way to a calmer demeanor. Taking a few deep breaths, he collects himself before responding. "I'm fine," he reassures Loden. For a moment, he contemplates mentioning the dream and the actual reason behind the broken bowl. But then, he shakes his head, deciding against it. "I accidentally slipped and broke the bowl," he admits, half-truthfully.

Loden glances toward the bowl and then back at Kaiden. Observing the distance between Kaiden and the broken bowl, Loden furrows his brow. The placement doesn't quite add up if the bowl had simply fallen. Loden carefully steps around the shards of glass and moves closer to Kaiden. Concern echoes in his voice as he asks, "Are you certain you're alright?"

Kaiden nods affirmatively, uttering a quick "Yeah" as he moves away from Loden. He heads back to the bed and takes a seat, positioning his back toward Loden. His fingers gently brush against the pendant, the coolness of the metal providing a sense of comfort and relief. Kaiden deliberately pushes the distressing dream to the recesses of his mind, focusing on the present for now.

Loden walks over to the table and rests his hand on the barren surface. His voice is gentle as he queries, "Do you want me to summon someone to fetch you some more water or perhaps some food?"

Kaiden turns to face Loden and shakes his head, politely declining the offer. "No, I'm good. I'm not feeling particularly hungry right now," he replies. "Let everyone else continue sleeping. It's still quite early," he adds. "I'll just stay here in the room for the time being."

Loden chuckles softly and shakes his head. "Apologies, I realize you're still adjusting to life in the palace and the world," he explains. "Most of the people here are already up and attending to their daily duties. I just spotted several servants starting their morning routines." He continues, "We could step outside into the palace courtyard and get a breath of fresh air if you'd like. You don't have to remain cooped up indoors the entire time."

Kaiden listens intently to Loden's suggestion and then shakes his head again. He brings his legs closer to his chest, wrapping his arms around them, and rests his head on his knees. With a weary voice, he responds, "I'm good. I think I'd just like to stay here for now."

Loden responds, "Alright then, I'll stay here with you." He moves toward the chair, intending to keep Kaiden company. However, Kaiden swiftly turns towards Loden and asserts, "I want to be left alone."

Surprised by the unexpected response, Loden looks at Kaiden. Kaiden hastily adds, "I just need some time to myself right now. Could I have some privacy?"

Loden nods understandably, straightening his stance. He replies, "Of course. I'll wait just outside the room, and you won't be disturbed. Just call if you need me or require anything. I shall take my leave for now." With a respectful bow, Loden then proceeds to the door and exits quietly, leaving Kaiden alone in the room.

Kaiden looks at the closed door after Loden leaves, silently cursing himself for his words. Inwardly questioning his own actions, Kaiden thinks to himself, "Why did I respond that way? Loden has been so kind and understanding, yet I treated him poorly."

Kaiden then proceeds to place his head back on his knees and allows himself to slump onto the mattress on his side, curling up into a tight, balled position.

As Kaiden remains curled up on the bed, he gradually drifts off to sleep, still caught in the clutches of his recurring dream. The dream replays in his mind, its vivid images and intense emotions consuming his subconscious state.

The dream seems to blur the line between memory and prophecy as Kaiden witnesses the summoning of Astralyn alongside Molly and the warriors of the past. The scene unfolds, with Molly suddenly pausing in the middle of reciting the scripture, her gaze fixed on the glowing fox above the fire. Then, the fire erupts, and shadowy figures emerge, obscured by the flames and smoke. Two of the warriors are assaulted, while the other grabs Molly, both vanishing into the fire once more. The pendant necklace lies abandoned on the ground beside the scroll. The warriors frantically scour the room, searching for Molly. They rush to the two wounded warriors, their expressions a mix of confusion and dread. A soft, silvery glow emanates from the pendant, only to then gradually fade away, leaving behind a sense of helplessness and uncertainty.

The dream shifts suddenly, transporting Kaiden to the familiar room once more. Only now, he is dressed in the same attire as Molly, holding the scroll. The pendant is now encircling his neck. Kaiden's gaze falls upon Wulfric and Loden, who are among the group of men surrounding him. However, the other men are concealed in shadows, their forms obscured and darkened. While reading the scroll, Kaiden abruptly halts as the same fox appears in the fire, its gaze meeting his. Startled, he steps back and inadvertently drops the scroll. Loden swiftly moves to his side. Just then, two shadowy figures emerge from the flames once again, swiftly approaching.

The nearby warriors tighten their formation, closing ranks. Loden places himself protectively in front of Kaiden. The two shadowy figures swiftly attack with an energy force, causing a forceful impact that sends all the warriors reeling back, knocked off balance. One of the shadowy intruders moves with alarming speed and strikes Loden on the side, simultaneously seizing Kaiden in a firm grip. Without hesitation, they then race back into the fire, Kaiden clutched in the intruder's arms. The pendant slips from around Kaiden's neck as they disappear into the flames, trailing close behind the shadowy assailant.