A glimmer of light, mixed with the scent of rust and a sickly sweet decay, pierced the boundless darkness.
Jaden found himself lying on a luxurious, Baroque-style carved bed, but his limbs felt as heavy as if filled with lead, unable to move. He could feel his breathing, faint and rapid, each inhale like struggling through a viscous syrup. He knew he was dreaming, an overly clear, eerily real nightmare.
"Soul-leaver..."
That familiar voice, Hawk Moth's voice, like an echoing whisper from the depths of hell, gently circled in his mind. This time, there was no anger, no temptation, only a heartbreaking sympathy, as if it understood all his loneliness.
"Look at this false world, look at these puppets whose joys and sorrows are programmed. You are different from them; you are awake, and you are in pain."
A purplish-black butterfly silently landed on his chest. This time, it didn't bring cold, dark energy; instead, it felt like a warm feather, bringing a strange, drowsy warmth.
"Don't you want to fit in? Don't you yearn for true connection?"
Hawk Moth's voice was coaxing.
"But, you see clearly, their connections are so fragile. Today's best friends might turn against each other tomorrow because of a misunderstanding; today's lovers might part ways tomorrow because of an argument. Their emotions, their world, are all built upon imperfect, flawed foundations."
Jaden felt his eyelids growing heavier. He wanted to retort but couldn't make a sound. He felt himself being pulled down by an invisible force, falling into a warm yet dark abyss.
"Come, come to me," Hawk Moth's voice became even softer, like a loving father calling to a lost child, "We… are kindred spirits. We both see through the hypocrisy of this world. We can create a new, perfect world together. A world without betrayal, without misunderstanding, without sorrow. There, those we love will forever be by our side in their most perfect form."
"Emilie… she is waiting for me. And those figures you yearn for are also waiting for you. Come, accept my power, and together, we will create that happy, eternal kingdom that belongs to us…"
"No…"
Jaden used all his strength to squeeze out a faint syllable from deep in his throat. But that sound, in the face of such immense temptation, seemed so powerless. He felt like he was dying, a spiritual death. That sense of helpless despair was more terrifying than any physical attack. He felt his soul being devoured little by little by that warm darkness… "Splash!"
A gush of cold water poured over his head, instantly shattering that warm yet deadly illusion.
Jaden bolted upright from the bed, gasping for breath, his heart pounding. He looked around; the familiar, simple apartment room, and outside the window, the bright morning sunlight of Paris.
That… was a dream.
He touched his face, covered in cold sweat. He threw off the covers, rushed into the bathroom, and buried his head under the faucet, letting the cold water repeatedly wash over his mind.
Every word from the nightmare was clearly etched in his memory. That sense of powerlessness, that temptation that almost made him completely succumb, was so real.
"A premonition dream?" He looked up at his pale face in the mirror, water droplets dripping from his hair, "This feeling… it's too real."
What Hawk Moth said, creating a "perfectly happy world," sounded so absurd, yet it precisely struck that deep-seated desire for "eternity" and "control" within him. He suddenly realized that he and the villain hiding in the shadows might indeed share a damnable resonance in some fundamental loneliness.
He shook his head, forcing himself to shake these jumbled thoughts out of his mind.
"What am I thinking?" He gave a self-mocking laugh, "The next year or two? Why think so far ahead? Let's just get through today first."
He checked today's date, washed his face, changed his clothes, and, pulling himself together, walked towards that dramatic school as usual.
On the morning at François Dupont High School, the air was filled with an unprecedented, restless excitement. Yesterday's epic "Villain Prank Fest," having fermented through Alya's blog videos, had completely exploded across the entire school.
As soon as Jaden entered the campus, he immediately felt this change. Many older and younger students, upon seeing him, would cast curious, admiring, and even slightly worshipful glances, then huddle together to whisper.
"Look! It's him! The guy who voiced Hawk Moth!"
"Not just that! He was the one who fixed the painting at the end of the video too! Super cool!"
"I heard he was the one who came up with the 'alternating Akumatization' plan yesterday!"
Jaden accepted these gazes calmly, merely nodding in greeting to every classmate who said hello. He walked towards his classroom, where Rose and Alya were chattering together. Seeing him, they immediately waved enthusiastically: "Good morning, Jaden!"
"Good morning," Jaden responded with a smile.
He entered the classroom, and the atmosphere reached its peak.
Chloé, the newly crowned "Miraculous Queen," was acting like a true queen, surrounded by a group of classmates (mostly from other classes). She reveled in their endless praise and envious glances, her chin held higher than ever before.
"Chloé, you're so cool! How dare you tease that big bad guy like that!"
"That line, 'Miraculous Queen,' was absolutely domineering! I'm going to be your fan!"
"My dad is the mayor," Chloé responded casually, with an air of entitlement, but the ill-concealed triumph in her eyes and brows had already betrayed her true feelings.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the classroom, there was a completely different, low-pressure corner.
Nino, Kim, and Max, the three "heroes" who were so boisterous yesterday, now sat dejectedly at their desks like three defeated roosters. They had lost all the spirit they had when pranking Hawk Moth yesterday, their faces etched with guilt and self-reproach. Teacher Caline had already spoken to them individually this morning about Ivan's withdrawal and had strictly warned them not to spread the news for now. If anyone asked, they were to say Ivan was unwell and had taken leave.
"It's all my fault," Nino took off his signature red baseball cap and slumped weakly on his desk. "It was my bad idea; I was too eager for success…"
"It's my fault too," Kim hung his head. "If I hadn't mocked him and not written that note, none of this would have happened…"
"My calculations were flawed," Max pushed up his glasses, his eyes behind the lenses dim. "I overlooked the irrational variables in human emotions. Marc's database needs a complete reconstruction."
The dejection of the three formed a stark and ironic contrast to Chloé's high spirits.
In another corner of the classroom, Alya was giving Marinette a "pre-battle pep talk."
"Be brave, Marinette!" Alya grabbed her shoulders and shook her vigorously. "Didn't you talk to him really well yesterday? Go on! Go thank him, and then… casually chat about something else!"
"But…" Marinette's gaze uncontrollably drifted towards the black-haired boy who had just returned to his seat and was lazily leaning back in his chair. She mumbled softly, "I… I don't know how to start…"
"Are you serious?!" Alya looked at her with an expression of "disappointment." "Yesterday, he approached you. Today, it's your turn to be proactive. Is it that hard?"
With that, without waiting for Marinette to protest further, Alya, like a whirlwind agent, directly pulled Marinette and strode towards Jaden.
"Hey! Jaden!" Alya's voice arrived before she did.
Jaden looked up, seeing Marinette, slightly flushed, being half-pushed, half-dragged over by Alya, and a smile flashed in his eyes.
"Good morning, Alya, Marinette."
"Good morning!" Alya greeted him openly, then nudged Marinette with her elbow.
Marinette could only whisper, "Good… good morning."
"Um, Jaden," Alya began, her tone becoming serious, "I'm here on behalf of Marinette… no, it's from me personally, to thank you sincerely. The day before yesterday at the stadium, if you hadn't pulled me away, I might have… been flattened by that rock."
"It's nothing," Jaden waved his hand, but his gaze was gentle as he looked at Marinette, "Besides, if Alya hadn't reacted quickly yesterday and torn up the paper in my hand, I might be the one who had a Akumatization now. So, we're even, there's no saving involved."
"That's not the same!" Alya immediately retorted, her voice agitated, "That was just tearing a piece of paper! You saved my life! How can you talk about a life-saving favor so lightly?" She looked at Jaden, her eyes filled with sincere gratitude, "So! To express my thanks, I'm treating you after school this afternoon! We'll go get something to eat, how about it?"
This was her ultimate goal.
Marinette, who was behind Alya, heard this and her eyes instantly lit up, a small, excited expression appearing on her face. Her family's bakery was the best place to go!
Just as she was about to agree, several figures nearby also came closer.
"Hey? Treating us to food?" Rose blinked her big eyes and asked curiously, "Can… can we come too?"
Juleka, Mylène, and Alix, who stood beside her, all looked over with expectant gazes.
Alya hadn't had a chance to answer when Marinette, out of excitement, blurted out, "Of course you can! Everyone is welcome to come along!"
After speaking, she realized what she had said. She turned her head and saw Alya's desperate look, a mix of "speechless," "crushed," and "you idiot."
Alya was roaring in her heart: My Lady! I worked so hard to set you two up for a private date! Why are you inviting so many third wheels?! Is this a tea party?!
The atmosphere in the classroom became a little delicate due to this sudden development.
Jaden looked at Alya's almost frantic expression and Marinette's belatedly regretful look, and couldn't help but find it amusing. He stood up, breaking the small awkwardness.
"Alright," he said with a smile, his voice not loud, but clear enough for everyone to hear, "The more, the merrier. Since that's the case, why don't… we all from our class go together?"
As he spoke, his gaze turned to Nathan and Marc, who were sitting in the back of the classroom, also watching. He gave them a subtle wink, one only they would understand. His eyes said: "Bail me out, brothers."
Nathan and Marc instantly understood his meaning.
"Great!" Nathan immediately stood up, a gentle smile on his face, "I don't have anything to do after school anyway. It's nice for everyone to get together."
"Hmm, I agree," Marc echoed.
"Then…" Jaden's gaze turned to the corner that was still emitting negative energy, "Nino, Kim, Max, you guys come too? Don't be so gloomy all day."
The three of them were stunned when they heard the invitation. They hadn't expected that at a time like this, someone would still be willing to include them. A warm current surged through their hearts.
"Can… can we go too?" Kim asked somewhat uncertainly.
"Of course," Jaden nodded, "Eating some dessert will make you feel better."
Finally, everyone's gaze focused on the only person in the classroom who hadn't been invited, the most arrogant presence — Chloé.
"So, Chloé," Jaden looked at her, his tone flat, neither fawning nor deliberate, "and Sabrina, would you like to come along?"
Chloé had originally scoffed at such gatherings; she was about to dismiss it with a simple "boring." But when her eyes met Jaden's calm, seemingly all-penetrating dark pupils, the words caught in her throat, and she inexplicably swallowed them back.
"Hmph," she tossed her head arrogantly, "Who… who wants to go to such a common place with you people…"
"Is that so?" Alya immediately seized the opportunity and used a goading tactic, "You're right, Marinette's bakery, although it's recognized as the best in all of Paris, isn't a Michelin three-star or five-star restaurant after all. Perhaps… it doesn't quite suit your taste, Miss Mayor's daughter? I'm afraid you might not be used to it."
"You—!" Chloé couldn't stand this kind of goading. Her pride was instantly ignited.
Just then, Jaden added nonchalantly, "That's truly a pity. I originally thought that someone like Chloé, who is at the forefront of fashion, would have unique insights and interest in discovering and appreciating true delicacies among the common people. It seems we thought too much."
This sentence, like a precise arrow, hit the bullseye. It didn't directly challenge Chloé's status; instead, it first elevated her to the height of a "taste connoisseur," and then expressed "regret." This made it so that if Chloé refused, she would be admitting that she "had no taste" and "didn't understand common delicacies."
She gritted her teeth, a reluctant expression on her face that said, "You made me do this."
"Alright!" She stood up from her seat, crossed her arms over her chest, and announced condescendingly, "Since you've invited me so sincerely… then I'll condescend to grace you with my presence this once! I want to see just what level of 'delicacy' you're talking about!"
"Great! Chloé's coming too!" Sabrina cheered excitedly from the side.
Thus, a "date for two" planned by Alya, through various coincidences and Jaden's clever prompting, successfully evolved into a… nearly class-wide collective afternoon tea event… At the same time, at the Agreste Mansion.
Adrien once again, secretly, with his backpack on, tiptoed to the entrance. Just as he was about to twist the handle of the door that symbolized freedom, two figures, like ghosts, appeared silently behind him.
It was Nathalie, and… His father, Gabriel.
Adrien's body instantly stiffened. He slowly turned around and saw His father's face, as cold as a marble statue, and a wave of despair washed over him. It was over, he was going to be escorted back to his room again.
However, what Gabriel said next made him think he was hallucinating.
"Have you finished your music, fencing, and Chinese homework?" Gabriel's voice was as cold as ever.
"…Yes, Father," Adrien replied softly.
"Very good," Gabriel nodded, "When you come back this afternoon, there's a new set of ad photos to shoot. Now…"
He paused, then said the words Adrien had dreamed of hearing.
"You may go to school."
Adrien was completely stunned; he couldn't believe his ears.
Gabriel ignored his shock and continued in his emotionless tone, "Nathalie will arrange everything. The Bodyguard will be responsible for picking you up and dropping you off at school. At school, no getting into trouble. After school, you must come straight home."
After speaking, he turned and prepared to return to his cold studio, as usual.
"Wait… wait!"
Adrien finally recovered from the immense shock. An uncontrollable wave of euphoria instantly overwhelmed him. He rushed forward, first giving Nathalie, who also had a relieved look, a big hug, and sincerely said in her ear, "Thank you, Nathalie!"
Then, he mustered the greatest courage he had ever had, spread his arms, and from behind, tightly hugged his tall, cold, yet incredibly revered father.
"Thank you… Father!" His voice was choked with emotion.
Gabriel's body visibly stiffened the moment his son embraced him.