[I]It was the same recurring dream he's had for years now. He was submerged in a vast, empty, and never-ending ocean, floating on his back in the middle of its inky-black depths. Its dark waters were cold and drained him of the energy to move, limiting him to merely existing within its icy embrace. Vision blurred from being underwater, he knew what he should've been looking at was the moon or night sky above the surface, but there was no such image. It was as if the stars were stolen away, hidden by dark clouds. His eyes peered at nothing but more darkness. Sometimes in his dream, he was able to turn his head slightly to look over his shoulder. To stare at the abyss beyond him. But, he never had the courage to gaze into the void in his dream. He never found the courage or energy to save himself from drowning and swim to the surface. To him, the darkness surrounded him from both sides. It was inescapable, his death within the dream inevitable. 

As his body slowly sank towards the black behind him, he knew it was only a matter of time. Lungs burning from having held his breath, he always wondered why he didn't just give up immediately. To embrace the cruel and cold darkness. His lungs unable to take anymore, his body forced him to cough out in an attempt to take in more air. Only for his body to be filled with the same dark water that surrounded him. As his chest filled with liquid, the horrible sensation of drowning gripped him. No matter how many times he tried to fight and struggle to change the outcome of things, it always ended the same. With his quiet and lonely death. As the darkness filled him, he could feel the last bit of warmth and life he had left slowly leaving his body, his eyes glazing over. As he slowly died, his hand reached out towards...anything. Only for nothing to be there. His heart felt heavy with sorrow, but it didn't matter anymore. The vast ocean swallowing him whole as he sank.[/I]

His white tiger ears twitched, picking up sound within the room. Voices, it sounded like. A female one at first.
"[B]Rest easy friend, find peace where you can...[/B]"
He felt a hand on his forehead.
There was silence again for some time.
There was a knock on a door, then a sound of creaking hinges. A door being opened.
"[B]Abel! I didn't expect to see you so soon. Is everything okay?[/B]"
A male voice answered.
"[B]Everything out there is great. Made my way straight here to share the news. Gren'll be comin' in a few minutes. How are you two doin'? Feelin' alright?[/B]"
Kuhaku's hearing temporarily faded away, returning shortly after.
"[B]...And here's the coolest thing: you are the leader of our team! Ozpin called it 'Blackguard'--B for you, K for Kuhaku, G for Gren, and A for me. Pretty neat, right?[/B]"
There was another knock at the door, a different male voice speaking this time.
"[B]It's me, Gren. May I come in?[/B]"
"[B]Here's Gren now,[/B]" the first male voice said.
The door opened. Another moment of silence.
"[B]...Blackguard is together for the first time,[/B]" the first male voice faintly whispered.

Finally fully awake and aware, his eyes slowly opened. Blinking, he found the strength to slowly sit up in his bed. After another moment of silence, he decided to speak. His voice cracking at first, he cleared it and tried to speak again. "[B]Ahem...H-...hello? Who's there?[/B]" He waited for a response, the room's only sound was the beeping of his heart monitor.