Aetherthorn Dormitory, Night—
The dorm room was quiet, with only the soft ticking of a wall clock and the faint night breeze slipping through a slightly opened window. On his bed, Demian leaned against the wall, arms crossed, a bit annoyed as he glanced toward the bathroom.
In a low grumble, he muttered,
"Why the hell is he taking so long… like some kind of woman!"
Not long after, the bathroom door creaked open. Warm steam rolled into the room, followed by Sebastian Thaloré, stepping out with just a towel wrapped around his waist, dripping wet hair clinging to his skin. He snorted, glancing at Demian without a word—but from his expression, it was clear he heard the comment.
"Hurry up and take your shower. Don't use up all the hot water," he said curtly before walking to his bed.
Demian pouted and dragged himself to the bathroom. But as he opened the door, he suddenly stopped in place.
"Whoa… it smells really good in here…"
A delicate aroma—floral with a hint of citrus—filled the bathroom. Sniffing curiously, Demian searched the shelves until his eyes widened.
"Huh?! A women's body wash? This is what Sebastian uses?!"
He stared at the pastel-colored bottle labeled 'Blossom Aura – Feminine Body Wash'. Unable to stop himself, he blurted out:
"Is that guy a crossdresser or what?!"
Still, he used the body wash anyway—grudgingly admitting it smelled surprisingly pleasant.
After Shower – Dorm Room
When Demian returned, he noticed Sebastian was gone. A small piece of paper lay on Sebastian's bed. Demian picked it up and read the message:
"I've gone out for a bit. Take care of my bed and don't touch any of my stuff!
—Sebastian"
Demian scoffed, crumpling the note slightly.
"Who even wants to touch your stuff, idiot…"
He tossed the note aside, sat on his bed, and reached for his mentor Leonard's book resting on his bedside table. Under the dim dorm lighting, he opened the next chapter and began reading intently.
At the same time, Sebastian walked through a quiet corridor and stopped before a large door engraved with wave symbols and a sacred trident. He knocked softly,
Knock-knock! …
A deep, resonant voice echoed from behind the door,
"Enter."
Sebastian opened the door. The room was neatly arranged and majestic—walls adorned with ancient sea charts and aquatic runes. At the center floated a long spear, suspended above a basin of holy water that shimmered with a soft blue glow.
At the far end sat an elderly man in all white, his face stern yet wise, his eyes deep as the ocean. Though age showed in his features, he was still visibly athletic. He was Benedict Thaloré, Academy President and a Phase 6 evolutionist from the Church of the Deep Sea.
"Ah, my little nephew… come closer. Why are you here? Not getting along with your roommate? I can have you reassigned."
Sebastian bowed slightly, replying with a sheepish tone,
"Ah, no, Uncle… he's actually a good guy."
Then, with a bit of smugness,
"Though he's not nearly as strong as me."
The President raised an eyebrow and chuckled lightly.
"Oh? Didn't you lose to him during the duel in front of the dorm?"
Sebastian flinched, surprised and embarrassed.
"You saw that?!"
"I saw everything," Benedict said with a small laugh.
The air grew heavier as the President's expression turned serious,
"Two weeks ago, there was a massive explosion in the Pelion Forest. Our analysis indicates Celestial Church energy signatures. You must stay within the academy. I don't want to face the High Pontiff if anything happens to you."
He leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing.
"Now tell me, Mireille Thaloré… what is it you need from me tonight?..."
---
Back at the Dorm—
Demian shifted a pillow behind his back, eyes glued to the book detailing the evolution phases of the nine major churches, written by his mentor Leonard. The elegant script read.
---
—Page 3—
Each church possesses unique characteristics, and thus each evolution phase is named differently. Currently, the strongest church in the world is:
1. Celestial Church
Led by High Pontiff Aurion Seraphael.
Characteristics stars, cosmos, and celestial order.
Their god is known as The Celestial.
Phase:
1.first starlight
2.sky watcher
3. Constellation
4.Balancer
5.Celestial Wanderer
6. Voice of the Cosmos
7.Order
8.Half-high priest
9.High-Priest
2. Church of the Deep Sea
Led by High Pontiff Aequorion Thaloré.
Characteristics: mastery over oceans and sea creatures.
Their god is called Poseidon, the Sea God.
Phase:
1.Wave Initiate
2.Coral Warden
3.Deep Sea Wanderer
4.Tide Tamer
5.Current Commander
6.Sea Sovereign
7.Ocean Spirit
8.Half-Son of the Sea
9.Son of the Sea
3. Church of Earth of Life
Led by High Pontiff Sylvareth the Verdant.
An elven race guarding nature.
Their characteristics nature and life energy.
Their god is Gaia, the Earth Goddess.
Phase:
1.Seed of Life
2.Deep Root
3.Warden of the Wilds
4.Tremor Caller
5.Stone Sovereign
6.Heart of the Mountain
7.Spirit of the Soil
8.half-Heart of Gaia
9.Heart of Gaia
4. Penpath Church
Led by High Pontiff Oraneth the Quillbearer.
Hidden desert scholars.
Characteristics wisdom, magic, deep knowledge.
Their god is Thoth, the God of Wisdom.
Phase:
1.Awakened Pen
2.Seeker of Glyphs
3.Script-Sorcerer
4.Chrono-Scholar
5.Judge of the Ink
6.Keeper of the Akashic Scrolls
7.Engraver of Fate
8.Half-Sorcerer Supreme
9.Sorcerer Supreme
5. Church of the Judge
Led by High Pontiff Alzareth Maelyon.
Upholders of justice and balance.
Characteristics harmony and universal law.
Their goddess is Ma'at, the Goddess of Truth.
Phase:
1.Feather of Awareness
2.Weighing Gaze
3.Soul Arbiter
4.Guardian of Equilibrium
5.Scribe of the Just
6.World Judicator
7.Cosmic Harmonizer
8.Half-Divine Order
9.Divine Order
6. Church of the War God
Led by High Pontiff Pontifex Karrax.
Bloodthirsty and ruthless warriors.
Power increases with bloodshed.
Their god is Ares, the War God.
Phase:
1.warrior
2.knight
3.war commander
4.disaster
5.Blood Warrior
6.Hand Of ares
7.soulless
8.half-War Priest
9.War Priest
7. Church of the Golden Wish
Led by Selphira Vanys.
They value peace and love but are merciless to traitors.
Characteristics: soul harmony and love.
Their goddess is Freyja, the Goddess of Love.
Phase:
1.Touch of the Vanir
2.Valkyrja's Charm
3.Weaver of Threads
4.Golden Blood
5.Soulbinder
6.Harvester of the Fallen
7.Mistress of Seiðr
8.Half-Inkarnasi Freyja
9.Inkarnasi Freyja
8. Church of the Blazing Sun
Led by High Pontiff Solarius Aurean Valtor.
Not very powerful alone, but allied with Earth of Life.
Characteristics: life-giving fire.
Their god is Helios, the Sun God.
Phase:
1.Solar Spark
2.Bearer of Dawn
3.Warden of Radiance
4.Sunfire Knight
5.Sky Rider
6.Hand of Helios
7.Solar Avatar
8.Half-EOS
9.The EOS
9. Church of the Bright Moon
Led by High Pontiff Catherine Violette.
Renowned for impenetrable defenses.
Characteristics dream and illusion manipulation. Weak physically.
Their goddess is Selene, the Goddess of the Night.
Phase:
1.Dream Rope
2.Build Dream
3.Endless night
4.sapphire
5.dreamwalking
6.calamity
7.all dream
8.half-dream angel
9.dream Angel
---
Demian's eyes lingered on the entry for Celestial Church.
"So they're the strongest? And I've only seen the power of one Cardinal at peak phase 6…"
He recalled the terrifying aura of Theodore Lucian Gray, then muttered to himself,
"If their High Pontiff is already Phase 8… a Half-High Priest… that's the pinnacle of the mortal world."
Demian gripped the book tightly.
"To reach Phase 8 requires a divine blessing… but also immense mental strength, since one must pass the world's judgment trial to ascend."
He leaned back, sighing.
"Yeahhh… seems like my journey for revenge and to find my mother just got a whole lot harder…"
But his gaze sharpened—there was determination in those tired eyes.
"At the very least, I'll need trustworthy allies… I'll have to build my own organization… unlock the sealed runes in my body… and uncover the truth about this world… just like Master Leonard asked of me."
---