The immense doors of Aetherion Academy's Ceremony Hall stood wide open—a monumental archway of carved marble and luminous crystal, towering high as if it could scrape the edge of the heavens. In the warm afternoon light, the threshold shimmered, and the very air seemed to hum with ancient resonance. These were not doors that merely opened; they parted, like gates to another reality.
As Kai crossed through, he felt it
A subtle compression in the air, like stepping through the invisible veil between who he was and who he was meant to become.
Inside, the world narrowed around him—then bloomed into something staggering.
The Ceremony Hall was unlike any space he had known. The vaulted ceiling, so high it seemed to float, was composed of enchanted glass interwoven with silver-threaded runes. Sunlight bled through in cascades of living color—blues like deep oceans, golds like dawnlight, silvers that danced like wind on water. The floor beneath his boots was a seamless mirror of polished obsidian, so pristine it seemed to reflect not just faces, but possibilities.
And the people
Hundreds of students streamed in, each a vision of a different world:
Humans from the Capital in finely tailored uniforms, and others from the Borderlands wearing simpler garb marked by practical scars.
High-blooded elves with ancient sigils woven into their cloaks, their eyes glowing faintly like starlight held captive.
Beastkin, wild and proud—fox ears twitching, tails flicking, feline eyes narrowing as they scanned the crowd.
Dwarves with braided beards adorned with metal charms, their clothes reinforced with steel-threaded cloth, moving like warriors even when still.
And then, at the edge of the crowd, draconic hybrids—their presence subtle but warping. The air bent around them, distorted as though the laws of the world hesitated in their wake.
Each student carried a sense of purpose, and yet—none of them looked at Kai.
Not yet
He stayed to the side, skirting along the shadows of the towering hall. There was something soothing about being unnoticed, even as tension pulsed beneath his calm and the energy in the room prickled against his skin, like the moment before a lightning strike, but within, his heartbeat remained steady, his thoughts clear.
At the far end of the hall, the stage rose like a throne cut from legend.
Forged of obsidian veined with living silver, it pulsed faintly with residual magic; columns lined its borders—tall, spiraled things sculpted to resemble angelic wings and wild vines, each subtly glowing in rhythm with the arcane forces in the room. A lectern stood in the center, black and sharp as volcanic glass, with silver filigree that moved of its own accord—like it breathed.
Then the energy shifted
A figure approached the lectern with deliberate grace, and the entire hall, noisy and restless just seconds ago, fell into silence.
She did not command silence
She earned it by existing
Principal Selvaria Nyx
One of the world's few A+ Ranked Humans.
Kai recognized her at once—not just from the holographic bulletins or the academy's admission records.
No
He knew her because his sister, Ren Lian, had spoken of her often and reverently, not only as a mentor, but an idol. A woman carved from myth and will.
Selvaria's robes shimmered like woven lightning—silver thread crackling faintly along the seams, coiling and uncoiling like a storm contained by flesh. Her dark hair was braided into elegant loops that shimmered faintly, and her eyes burned—not with heat, but with clarity, like they could see through bone, through magic, through lies.
And when she spoke, she needed no enchantment to be heard.
"Welcome" she said, her voice soft, and yet it echoed to the farthest columns. "To Aetherion Academy. The crucible that will test your truths… and forge your destinies"
No one moved.
Even the light seemed to pause.
"You stand" she continued, "On sacred ground; Founded in the aftermath of the Fracture, when the skies burned and the oceans turned against us. Aetherion exists because we demanded that chaos yield to order. That weakness make way for strength"
She raised one hand.
With a flick of her fingers, illusion magic unfurled across the ceiling—a living sky of history blooming into being.
Winged shadow beasts roared across a burning horizon, their bodies made of black fire and hunger.
Elemental sanctuaries rose from nothing—towers of flame, forests of crystal, seas held in suspension like hovering miracles.
Seven races, standing shoulder to shoulder in defiance, etched their blood and Talents into a single scroll: the Accord of Talents.
Selvaria's voice cut through the fading illusion.
"But peace is not permanence" Her tone darkened. "Our enemies may be hidden… but they are not gone. This is why Aetherion exists, because you all are not simply students; you are the inheritors of this burden; weapons waiting to awaken"
A quiet shiver rippled through the crowd.
Kai didn't flinch
But something in his chest shifted. That strange resonance again—like a memory just out of reach, a truth wrapped in shadow.
"This academy" Selvaria continued, "Exists to shape your destinies. Some of you will rise to unimaginable heights and others will fall; but all of you are here for a reason, you were not chosen by accident at all"
The center of the room darkened. A crystalline sphere rose from beneath the stage, flickering to life with layered sigils.
The Ranking System emerged in holographic light: S, A, B, C, D, E. Colors danced along the tiers—scarlet for S, azure for A, gold for B, and descending shades into the abyss.
"Today" Selvaria said, "you will meet those who may define your path: Some may become your allies; Others…" Her gaze narrowed. "Your rivals"
She lifted her hand again.
This time, a massive map unfurled in the air—continents carved by old war, oceans that shifted like sleeping gods with floating islands drifted lazily across the illusion, and hidden places sparkled only faintly.
Then—sigils flared into view.
"These" Selvaria said, "are the known A+ Rank Talents still alive today"
They were few
So few
A hush spread across the hall—so deep even the air seemed to lean in.
"Among humans" she said, "There is Myself, Grandmaster Callen of the Western Reaches and the Witch of Windspire… who vanished decades ago"
She gestured.
"Among the elves: three
Among the dwarves: one
Among the dragonkin: two
And among the beastkin… none. Not since the fall of Elder Tavar"
Murmurs spread like wind through dry leaves: Disbelief, Shock, Fear
Selvaria didn't waver
"Fewer still have ever reached the legendary S-rank; so few that they could be counted on one hand and none did so by accident. Not by lineage, nor by luck; but by enduring what broke the rest"
Kai's fingers curled subtly at his side
The weight of it pressed in—not as burden, but as something… familiar.
Something inside him stirred
Then Selvaria stepped back and the atmosphere thickened
"And now" she said, "allow me to present this year's most promising student"
Two instructors emerged from the wings, flanking a figure who moved with the stillness of a held breath.
He was beautiful, but not gently
He was a blade
Cael Solvain
His black uniform bore no ornamentation save for one—a silver sigil etched onto his chest, shifting through shapes like a flame caught between worlds.
"S-ranked Talent" Selvaria said. "Born with Elemental Supremacy—flame, ice, and shadow. Holder of the Entropic Pyre Sigil. He shattered entrance records untouched for three centuries"
The hall did not cheer
It did not dare
Cael's eyes moved across the crowd like frost, unhurried and unimpressed. His gaze passed over Kai. Barely a moment, but something inside Kai bristled—a flicker of tension. As though he'd been seen… and discarded.
But Kai didn't react
He didn't need to
"Do not aspire to become him" Selvaria said, her voice now as sharp as Cael's presence. "Aspire to surpass him… or be shattered trying"
And with that, she raised both hands.
Illusory scrolls ignited in midair—layered names blooming across the hall.
"Class assignments begin now"
Each list shimmered with color-coded headers:
Class 1 – Gold
Class 2 – Azure
Class 3 – Ember
…and so on.
Rank by rank. Class by class.
Until—
Class 7 – Black (Codename: Solstice)
Appeared in dark violet flame, pulsing with strange intensity.
And there—his name.
Ren Kai
The room didn't gasp; but Kai felt it in the sudden drop of tension.
The shift
People noticed now
His name hung there, glowing faintly
A mystery among prodigies
Class 7 – Black (Codename: Solstice)
Instructor of Magical arts: Seris Vael – Rank: B++
Istructor of Combat arts: Kevin Norn - Rank: B++
Cael Solvain – Human; S-Ranked Talent; Ice-Flame-Shadow affinity; Sword genius
Aelira Venn – Half-elven; A+Ranked Talent; All-elemental affinity; Tactical prodigy
Nyra Thorne – Beastkin; A+Ranked Talent; Blood affinity; Battle maniac
Damius Crowe – Human; A+Ranked Talent; Gravity-Sound affinity; Quiet but devastating
Ren Kai – Human; Unknown Ranked Talent; Affinity: Unknown; Brother of Ren Lian
Ren Kai read the list twice
Then a third time
The world didn't fall away, didn't roar or shatter around him, but something shifted, subtle and final. A puzzle piece, long lost or long ignored, settled into place within him.
This… was right.
The name "Solstice" lingered in his mind. It was a word that spoke of cycles ending and beginning, of light held on the edge of dark, and darkness waiting just beyond the horizon. There was something poetic about it and Something ominous too.
A soft murmur rippled through the audience. Some recognized the names instantly. Others only stared, wide-eyed and silent. Not everyone knew what it meant to be placed in Class Black—but those who did, understood: it was both honor and warning.
And then, from the shadows beside the stage, a woman stepped forward.
Seris Vael
Tall, wiry, with sharp lines in her posture and sharper judgment in her eyes. Her hair was bound in a single black braid that fell past her waist, streaked with a line of white like a lightning scar. Her cloak shimmered faintly, woven through with defensive wards that pulsed like a second heartbeat. Her steps were slow but not hesitant—deliberate, every motion carved from a soldier's precision and a scholar's poise.
She looked over the list once. Then looked up.
"To my new students" she said, her voice low and smooth. "Congratulations.. You're not dead weight"
A beat
"Yet"
Silence, followed by a few uncertain laughs and then stillness
Her gaze raked across the crowd like a whetstone
"You've been placed here not because of your families, or your bloodlines, or the politics that brought others to the gates. You're here because someone—Principal Nyx, myself, or the 'threads of fate'—saw something in you that didn't fit the molds." She paused, her lips quirking into a smile that was all edge and no warmth. "And that means you will either forge something new—or break under the pressure"
It was not encouragement
It was simply a fact
So began the first echoes of a new chapter
And so it began
The first echoes of a new chapter; a class of monsters
And a boy with a Secret Talent, quietly walking among them
The atmosphere in the Ceremony Hall had shifted from awe to palpable tension; from the sudden appearance of Cael Solvain, the most talented ranked in three centuries, had done its work. There was an undercurrent of nervous energy now, rippling through the students and their families. Some of them whispered in hushed tones, others stared wide-eyed, their gazes locked on Cael.
Kai could feel the weight of expectation in the air, even if the silence hung like a thick cloud, binding everyone in place.
Kai's gaze followed Cael as the prodigy stepped back and took his place, exuding an aura of almost unnatural confidence. The power that emanated from him was unmistakable. It was a force unlike any Ren Kai had felt before, not simply because of its sheer intensity, but because it felt... familiar.
Ren Kai's thoughts whirled as the Principal continued her presentation, guiding the students through the rankings, the traditions, and the unspoken rules that governed the academy. She spoke of trials and challenges, of the paths that each student would take to forge their futures, their talents pushing them toward greatness or failure.
And then, as though her words were no longer simply a formality, Veyna's gaze swept over the gathered crowd, pausing on Kai for a fraction of a second. It was subtle, but enough for him to catch it. There was something knowing in her eyes—a recognition, an understanding that he couldn't quite place.
"Class Solstice" Selvaria voice rang out once more, bringing Kai's attention back to her "This class will be an exceptional one, composed of individuals whose talents defy conventional expectations. Some of you may rise above even the most powerful among us. Others…" She paused, allowing the weight of her words to sink in "Others will struggle. It is not an easy road, but it is one you must walk alone"
Kai shifted uneasily, the words echoing in his chest. The other students in the hall seemed to sense it too, the sudden chill in the air settling into their bones. Cael's name had already set the bar for excellence but now it was their turn.
"Next," Selvaria continued, her voice smooth like a lullaby, "let us move to the other members of Class Solstice and pheraps the most curius ones.." She raised her hand once more, and holographic images of the remaining students appeared.
She raised her hand
"Damius Crowe" she intoned, "Son of the renowned Crowe family, talented in sound and gravity magic, While he excels in manipulation and control , he has yet to fully unlock his true potential. But I expect him to surprise us"
A lithe figure with silvery hair and piercing violet eyes stepped forward from the left, his gaze cool and calculating. He gave a polite nod to the crowd, but there was an air of quiet superiority in the way he held herself; As the crowd murmured, Kai couldn't shake the feeling that Lira's true power was something far beyond the surface.
Damius stepped forward—silver hair, violet eyes, unreadable expression.
"Nyra Thorne" Veyna continued, "An anomaly of her own kind. Raised in the harshest environments, Thorne has mastered blood manipulation and combat techniques like few others. Her skills, though raw, are capable of shaking the very earth beneath our feet"
A tall, broad-shouldered figure stepped forward, her dark hair and sharp features contrasting with his casual, almost lazy demeanor. She wore a leather vest adorned with various runes, each one radiating with elemental power, and there was even a faint smirk on her face as if she knew exactly how intimidating she looked, and the murmurs among the students grew louder, some out of fear, others out of curiosity.
"Aelira Venn, whose talent for arcane manipulation has already earned her a reputation. A prodigy in her own right, Myriah possesses a keen intellect and a sharp focus that makes her a formidable strategist. But her weakness lies in her reliance on her mind—let us see how she adapts when faced with true adversity"
Aelira nodded, gaze calculating
"And Ren Kai," Selvaria said last. Her eyes—piercing—met his. "His Talent is… unknown, but not insignificant; perhaps time will unveil what he cannot yet see."
A striking young woman with dark auburn hair and ice-blue eyes stood from the far side of the stage. Her gaze was intense, scanning the crowd with the air of someone who had long since grown used to being in control. She held herself with an air of quiet superiority, but it was clear that there was a fire within her—a hunger for knowledge and power that could not be ignored.
With that, the holographic images of the students were replaced by the stern figure of their instructor.
"Finally" Selvaria said, turning her attention to the imposing man standing beside her, "Your 2 instructors: Seris Vael B++ Ranked human; a master of magic arts and strategic warfare, as well as the leader of Class Solstice and his companion Kevin Norn B++ Ranked Human, a master of martial arts and a Sword Empereor"
The man nodded once, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression unreadable. His steel-gray hair was neatly trimmed, and his eyes were as cold and hard as the blade on his back with an aura of quiet authority around him that seemed to command respect from everyone in the room.
"As your instructor" Selvaria said, her voice now filled with finality, "Instructor Vael and Norn will guide you through your trials where you will face the impossible; you will face your worst fears and you will grow stronger. It is not a question of whether you can survive, but of whether you will."
With a final sweep of her gaze, Selvaria stepped back, and the room seemed to collectively exhale. The tension that had built during her speech melted into a quiet anticipation.
Class Solstice
Ren Kai's name now stood alongside those of some of the most talented students in the academy. The weight of the situation hit him suddenly, like a hammer against his chest. He knew that this was no ordinary class. He would face more than just tests of magic and skill here—he would face himself.
And then, the murmurs began
"Who's that?" someone asked, their voice full of incredulity. "Ren Kai? Isen't he just a regular student? How is he in the same class as someone as talented like Cael?"
Ren Kai's heart pounded as he felt their eyes on him. His name had only been spoken in hushed tones before and now it was said with equal parts confusion and skepticism; and it was a strange feeling; he had always been just another face in the crowd, but here, in this moment, that would no longer be the case.
The ceremony dragged on, the Principal speaking of what was to come: dormitories, schedules, the importance of dedication, and the unspoken reality that not all would survive the trials. Kai's mind was elsewhere, turning over the events of the day, feeling the weight of destiny pressing against him.
As the last of the ceremony came to an end, Ren Kai found himself walking toward the exit, his footsteps light despite the heavy thoughts swirling in his mind; the others in his class passed by him, each one absorbed in their own world, their own thoughts, but Kai's focus was on the path ahead—the trials, the challenges, and the looming question of why he had been placed in Class Solstice.
The truth, he knew, was still out of reach; but every step he took brought him closer to something. To the awakening within him that he hadn't yet fully understood.
But soon, he would