The interior halls of Astral Academy were wide enough for dragons to pass through—lined with relics from the First Convergence, statues of heroes long forgotten, and glowing murals that danced with ancient battles of magic and power.
Cadets were led in lines by senior officers, but six were called into a separate chamber. A dark, rune-etched room with one chair in the center.
Aelros stood there, arms crossed, watching them file in. No greeting. Just silence.
One by one, they stepped forward as their names were called:
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1. Elara Vaen, The Scholar
A slight girl with large round glasses and a stack of notes even now in her hands. Her magical theory scores were unmatched—she could recite pillar formulas like sacred texts—but in battle simulations, she barely lasted seconds.
> "Miss Vaen," Aelros said, "Your mind is sharp. Your instincts are dead. We'll fix that."
She blinked, unsure whether it was a threat or a promise.
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2. Kael Stroud, The Brawler
Towering and scarred, Kael stood with arms folded, jaw clenched. He had the combat instincts of a seasoned warrior, but every test that required concentration or control ended in an explosion or a detention.
> "Your strength is wasted without focus," Aelros told him. "You're not a hammer. Not yet."
Kael smirked. "Didn't think gods gave lectures."
Aelros raised an eyebrow. "I'm not here to be worshipped."
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3. Nessa Rune, The Firestorm
She was silent at first, crimson eyes downcast. Her power flared unconsciously when provoked—fire magic that responded to her rage. Three injuries in a month. Nearly expelled.
> "Anger is not your weapon," Aelros said. "It's your leash. I'll teach you how to burn without breaking."
She said nothing, but her clenched fists trembled.
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4. Lio Merek, The Shadowbound (Darkness-Affinity)
He appeared as if from nowhere—literally. Lio had the natural affinity for the Sixth Pillar: Darkness, but the whispers around him said he didn't sleep. Didn't bleed. Wasn't entirely… normal.
> "You don't fear the dark," Aelros observed. "You listen to it."
> "It whispers truths the light won't admit," Lio said calmly.
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5. Ayen Solmir, The Hollow Star (Void-Affinity)
His eyes were pale and empty, like twin galaxies that had forgotten how to shine. An enigma. Sometimes brilliant, sometimes lost in thought for hours. But when his power surged, even instructors took a step back.
> "You've touched something old," Aelros said.
> Ayen simply nodded. "It touched me first."
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6. Riven Dusk, The Eclipse Hybrid (Darkness + Void)
The last to enter. Riven was neither entirely cold nor entirely violent—but always watching. A hybrid, attuned to both Void and Darkness, yet not consumed by either. His presence made even other cadets uneasy.
> "You walk between endings," Aelros said.
> "And beginnings," Riven replied. "That's where all stories are born."
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Aelros looked at them all, one by one.
Six cadets. Each flawed. Each broken. Each carrying a piece of the future.
> "From now on, you answer only to me. You are not elite. You are not heroes. You are my project. My burden. My war."
> "And if you survive… perhaps, you will be my legacy."
As they left the chamber, the murals on the wall began to glow, shifting into the forms of the Five Great Pillars:
Space, the Untouchable Reach
Gravity, the Eternal Anchor
Light, the Guiding Flame
Fire, the Consuming Trial
Summoning, the Gateway to Realms
And unseen behind them… flickers of Darkness, and Void.
But above all, far beyond the mural's visible edge—
A silhouette neither cadet nor instructor noticed.
A Ninth shadow, vast and unknown, pulsing like the first breath of creation.