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Chapter 6 - Orientation

Auren watched as the students filed their way into the school grounds. He rarely had his bloodline traits out in the open but it seems he'll have no choice here.

His personal Butler Han, gave his luggage to the school servants. When he looked back he saw his young master embracing his heritage.

Auren's own body bore the heritage like a crown. His silver wolf ears twitched at every ripple of sound. His tail brushed lightly behind him, silver fur marked with streaks of black scales. At his collarbone, faint black scales glimmered in the light. It is proof of the dragon's breath that slept in his veins. More scales lay hidden beneath his clothes, quiet and waiting.

For the first time, Auren felt free. It seems constricting his heritage was a mildly suffocating experience. Bloodlines were not chains here, they were banners of pride.

Auren bid his family servant farewell and as he made his way to the orientation hall, the students turned to watch him pass, eyes lingered his dual markings.

"A wolf and a Dragon? Is he from Blest?" A student asked in wonder,

"Most canines are from Blest. Not sure about the dragon though" another answered in silent whispers.

"He's too young. Look at his size" A slightly older Therion said with disdain.

"Don't underestimate him. He must be the young prince of Blest Dominion."

Auren ignored all the talk and whispers. His gaze roamed the courtyard, pupils narrowing with intrigue. The world was suddenly vast in his eyes.

[This is bigger than I thought]

So many kinds of Therions, so many paths of power, each burning with ambition. For the first time since his rebirth, Auren felt a spark of curiosity.

Not for conquest. Not for revenge. But curiosity for knowledge.

The academy was not just a cage of rules but a crucible. Within these walls he is not the son of Fenvaros, he is not a prince. He is just a boy with dual bloodlines.

Sadly, he was wrong.

The grand auditorium of Nexus Academy stretched like a carven beneath the stars, vast enough that no mortal could imagine it's scale. Light shimmered from crystalline filaments along the ceiling. Primis was woven into the structure itself, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat.

Hundreds of seats, carved from black and white obsidian lined the hall and we're engraved we th the sigil of the Nexus Academy. The new students gathered within their heritage like stars in the galaxies.

Auren walked among them, his wolf ears twitching, tail brushing the seats. Every step resonated through the polished floor, echoing like a heartbeat in the vast hall.

He thought he would not be a prince but turns out hierarchy is everywhere. Near the front of the hall were seats designated for the royals and nobles of the 8 Dominions. The other seats were for the commoners.

It was understandable because this world ruled for strength and by strength. Auren took a seat on the chair imprinted with his family's sigil next to the academy's insignia.

The throne at the very front rose higher than any ordinary platform, crowned by a pulse of green-gold Primis. Upon that throne sat the principal of Nexus Academy, the queen of bloom dominion, Oriana.

She waited until all students had settled into their seats before she rose. Her presence cut through the murmurs and whispers like a blade through mist.

Her figure was imposing, a mixture of elegance and raw authority. Her insectile wings folded behind her like living armor. Her eyes glimmered with the verdant sheen of Bloom's signature aura, her voice carried over the auditorium without a hint of strain.

"Welcome students," Oriana said, her tone measured yet imbued with authority.

"You are here because your bloodline, your potential and your ambition have marked each of you as heirs of a legacy that stretches beyond the stars.

Understand this, the Academy is not merely an institution. It is a crucible and only those who endure it will shall lead the future of our kind."

Auren tilted his head, eyes tracking the faint shimmer along her wings.

[A crucible] He thought. [A forge for ambition]

Auren felt a thrill of anticipation pulse through him. His tail lightly tapping the seat's base.

Principal Oriana gestured and the lights within the auditorium dimmed. Holographic images of history began to spin above the hall.

"The Nexus Academy alongside the other academies, Genesis and Plume, were built by the first primordial Therions. They were explorers who ventured beyond our Void universe."

She paused letting it sink within the student's mind. " They sought knowledge across galaxies, weaving together science, cultivation and Primis. From their discoveries they shaped our world, Caethiria. A world founded on knowledge, ambition and the convergence of primordial power."

The projection shifted, displaying star maps and the swirling formation of galaxies.

"As if today, ten million years have passed since their journey began. Caethiria is now at the peak of technology, cities rising like crystalline monuments of power.

This world is now preparing it's fleets to expand the dominion of Therions across the ShardBound Universe, a Mortal Universe centuries behind in evolution. It is the canvas for our ascendancy."

Auren's eyes widened as the sheer scale of history sank in. This was power that humans could never imagine and all of it was structured, deliberate and vast. The ShardBound Universe was not merely a target, it was a legacy waiting to be etched to Caethiria's history.

The principal's voice softened slightly, drawing the students closer, though the weight of authority remained unbroken.

"You, students of this cycle, will be tested as never before. The last year of your schooling will determine who joins the expedition beyond our universe and who will remain within Caethiria bound to serve the world rather than glory.

Those who fail will serve our world, yes, but they will not carve a mark in the stars. Those who pass... will shape the history of Therions in realms beyond."

Her words lingered like a blade. The stakes were absolute. There would be no second chances and no mercy.

Auren's jaw tightened, his awakening had taught him patience and discipline and now the academy will test him in a new way.

"The academy consists of 5 cycles each 6 months with a 2 week break in between the cycle. During this break students are allowed to reconnect with their families, recalibrate and then return to continue their studies. The final year, the 5th year, will be your crucible."

Auren made note in his mind,

[An academic cycle is a year. Within that cycle 6 months I'm in school. 2 weeks I go home then another 6 months in school.]

[This is enough time to grow, learn and surpass my limits.]

The principals gaze swept across the hall, resting briefly on the royal children before moving on.

"Here at Nexus Academy, we recognize not only strength of body but of the mind as well. You will study the essence of your own being, your bloodline and the manipulation of Primis in ways that test your limits.

You will also learn strategy, negotiation skills, diplomacy ,health among other things. Everything you do and learn here will determine the mark you leave not just here in Caethiria but across dimensions."

Auren's tails flicked. His ears twitched at the mention of dimensions. He had only just accepted the weight of his rebirth, the impossible revenge against Creation and now a new horizon of knowledge had opened before him. A chance for him to carve his path into something tangible.

He glaced at the students surrounding him. The diversity was staggering as each carried their lineage with pride and honor. All these ambitious students would be his rivals towards the end.

Auren looked at himself, wolf ears and silver tail, scales glinting along his collarbone, others beneath his clothes.

[I guess I really am not human. I am much more]

Auren had survived the system, he fought and endured and he was granted a new slate of life. He is brimming with potential as his dual bloodlines coiled within his veins.

His lips curved into the faintest of smiles. This was no longer just survival. This was strategy, ambition and growth. Every lesson, every duel would bring him closer to controlling his own fate.

Oriana gestured with her hands for students to settle as she concluded,

"The expedition is not merely a journey of conquest. It is the measure of all that you are, the test of your ability to survive, adapt and assert dominance where other species - mortal, divine or others cannot. Build yourselves. That is all"

The weight of her words even as she walked away, pressed against every student's minds.

Auren found himself staring at the ceiling now void of any projection, the students chatter filling his ears.

He took a deep breath. The future stretched out before him vast and infinite, a canvas awaiting his mark.

He waited until most students had left the hall before exiting. His mind sharp and his will shaper. He was determined to carve a path for himself and venture into that ShardBound Universe.

"I will paint this world with my own color"

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