It's a relief to finally reach his own, personal space, curtained off from the rest of the barracks (which are sparsely populated, anyway; only a few Sleepers actually live at the outpost, and most of the space is intended for future refugees, should an emergency ever drive them out of the city). Shen Yuan sits down heavily on his bed and accepts the cup of water Lan Xichen hands him, sipping slowly this time instead of gulping.

"I know," he grumbles. Oh, he knows. When he looks down into the cup to avoid Lan Xichen's gaze, it's not even a surprise to find his reflection floating on top of a cup full of blood. Shen Yuan sighs heavily and closes his eyes for a moment, focusing on his breathing.

"It's all fake," he finally says. "Somebody's trying to scare us, that's all."