Hunger was a cruel, cruel motivator
The instructor had segregated them into individual spaces protected by barriers. The lack of control can get messy hence the protection.
One by one the students tried to control their Primis. It was difficult to say the least. Every Therion is born with a Primis core within their being. This core is what holds a Therion together and also what helps them control the reality shaping power of Primis.
Some students tried to release raw Qi, shaking their barriers with unstable bursts. Others spurted out weak flickers of mana but few found the balance of Primis.
The instructor, Jude, from Umbra Dominion, walked among the students correcting them and commending them.
"Primis is what holds bloodlines together. It's what makes us a unique individual species from the rest of the universe. Primis is our identify. The lack of control in Primis is a stain to a Therion."
The students felt pressured because from birth they have all known strength is what matters to a Therion regardless of it's form. One by one the weaker students began to grasp the balance between the intensity of Qi and the speed of Mana.
When the instructor arrived at Auren's space, he fell silent. Auren was just standing there not doing anything. Before the instructor spoke, Auren raised his hand.
For a moment, nothing happened but with a subtle motion of his fingers, Primis poured forth creating a small ball of flame. It was created swiftly and it was dense with power.
The ball of flame rippled outward in controlled waves before fading without a trace. The instructor's brow lifted slightly,
"Pass. You may depart for your meal."
Auren was about to walk away when he felt a dark presence beside him. It was Eiran, his tails swayed lazily. He had barely done anything, simply breathing out and Primis shimmered around him with flawless ease and control. It was smooth and refined.
"You also pass."
The instructor walked away and headed to other students. As Auren and Eiran were about to leave, their path was blocked by a group of nobles who had just finished.
"Hey. This isn't your Dominion so don't be getting arrogant." One of them said.
Auren looked at them blankly but Eiran wasn't silent,
"I suppose you want to conquer the school?"
The nobles were a bit flustered having expected Auren to talk rather than Eiran. One noble to cover up the shame of his fumble, released a flash of unstable Primis towards them.
Auren's response was instant. He moved through them like a blade through cloth, each motion precise and merciless. A wrist twisted until it cracked. A leg swept until it buckled. A shoulder slammed unti the wall with enough force to fracture it. Within moments, the nobles were groaning on the floor subdued.
Eiran didn't even bother to intervene. He just leaned against the wall, tails swaying with amusement,
"Wolf. You're too rough." He muttered. "But effective I suppose."
The class hall was silent and even the instructor ignored them. He did say class ends if one controls their Primis. The silence in the class, even as the remainder tried to control Primis, carried something heavy. Whispers spread like smoke.
This was the outcome some nobles wanted. For the strongest to be isolated and painted as threats.
Sadly, they underestimated their character. Auren and Eiran brushed past them, unbothered. They did not argue trying to explain. They both did not care.
Indifference was their victory. The whispers spread but it raised their reputation from that day as distant, feared and untouchable.
....
The corridors of Nexus Academy stretched wide and crystalline. The walls shimmered faintly with condensed Primis streams. Auren walked in silence, his steps even, tail swaying behind him.
Beside him strolled Eiran, every movement languid, his violet hair spiling carelessly down his shoulders and his 6 tails flicking with a rhythm only he understood.
They were heading towards the cafeteria and though the silence between them was companiable, Auren broke it with a blunt question,
"How did you control your Primis so efficiently?"
Eiran glanced sideways, fox-like eyes gleaming with mischief. His lips curved into a self satisfied smirk.
"So you noticed. Of course you would. I'm naturally talented after all"
"You didn't answer," Auren replied flatly.
The fox chuckled, tilting his chin upward as though the very question inflated his pride.
"You must understand, I am a very humble person. Extremely humble. It would wound me to speak too much of my greatness."
Auren stared at him without blinking.
Eiran huffed. "Fine. I was trained early. The Kitsune bloodline is blessed by the Thread of Illusion.
Illusions are not mere tricks of sight but distortions of perception, woven from spatial Primis and Wind Primis. Because of that affinity, channeling balance between Qi and Mana comes naturally to me. It's like breathing."
"Hmm." Auren gave a short nod. "So your control is innate."
"Yes" Eiran said, puffing his chest proudly.
"Then it's not skill. Just bloodline advantage."
The air froze. Eiran's tails bristled immediately, his black eyes flashing with light. "What did you just say...?"
"You heard me." Auren's tone was even, almost disinterested.
For a moment, the Kitsune's pride threatened to erupt but Auren's calm gaze did not mock him, did not challenge him, simply stated. Something in that unshaken look melted his anger into reluctant recognition.
Eiran clicked his tounge, whipping tails in irritation not carrying for the students he hit. "You're insufferable."
Auren blinked once. Then said quietly, "You're a Tsundere."
The fox nearly tripped. "A–what?!"
"You bristle when refuted. Then confirm it later."
"That– ! I do not –! Absolutely not!" Eiran sputtered, ears turning red at the tops.
Auren merely looked forward again, saying nothing more. His silence was damning. Eiran groaned, dragging a hand down his face.
"You're Impossible."
And yet he found himself oddly amused. He thought the first question Auren would ask was if he was connected to the Thread of Illusion. It's what almost everyone asks and when they receive a negative answer, he's no longer worth the interest.
Eiran's face grew dark but he distanced his thoughts as his curiosity about Auren flared,
"What about you then, wolf? What Thread favors you?"
Auren hesitated for a bit. The question touched more than he wanted revealed. But after a moment of thinking, he answered with careful words.
"My bloodline is complicated. A black primordial Fenrir and an Arctic Dragon."
Eiran froze mid step. Auren also stopped, some part of him wanted to know if he made the right choice. Eiran slowly, turned his head to face Auren. His onyx eyes widened as though staring at a living legend.
"You're joking."
"No." Auren answered, face calm.
The kitsune let out a whistle his tails snapped upright flicking excitedly. "Two bloodlines? Not just rare ones but a Fenrir and Dragon? That's..."
Eiran shook his head, unable to finish his sentence. He was too excited to hear Auren's dual bloodlines. His grin spread, sharp and genuine,
"Only someone like you is worthy of being my friend. This way I shall not outshine you in my outstanding ability."
Auren glanced at him, expression unreadable. "...You choose friends based on worth?"
"Of course." Eiran said without hesitation. "Worth and Interest. And you, wolf, are both."
Auren looked ahead again and continued his journey to the cafeteria. His lips did not move,but inside his chest, a flicker of something unfamiliar warmed.
The lunch hall loomed before them, it's double doors towering like a fortress. As they spelled inside, the murmur of voices , the clatter of trays and the scent of roasted meat alongside other food rushed over them.
The smells were not what caught Auren's attention, it was the layout.
Three distinct sections divided the hall: Royals, Nobles and Commoners. The marked banners shimmered above each section marking invisible boundaries.
Eiran's eyes narrowed, "So blatant," he muttered. "Even within one Academy, they fracture us into our status."
Auren ignored the politics, gaze instead drifting across the room. He noticed something different, some certain nobles had slipped into the royal section chatting easily with princelings and heirs.
Alliances had already been forged subtlety, the weaving of influence into bloodline hierarchy. Eiran gazed at the hall and noticed that even some commoners could be seen at the royal section.
Eiran's lips curled into a sly smirk, "Interesting. Some students have already gambled their status hoping to climb the social ladder."
Auren and Eiran are both last born princes. They approached the royal section and as soon as they entered the differences became clear.
The earlier whispers of them being violent and cruel had already drifted throughout the whole royal section so they were left alone. Both Auren and Eiran thanked the stupid nobles in their heart.
As they sat down, they noticed the service and even the menu was tailored. The food gleamed with higher quality cuts, rarer seasonings and Primis infused cooking that nourished bloodlines as much as bellies.
The noble section had a self service of their meals and the commoner section had to stand in line to be served their meals. Only the royals section could sit and order as though in a 5star restaurant.
As a waiter stood by Auren and Eiran's table, Auren wasted no time. He ordered an array of rich red meat. Eiran on the other hand selected a lighter fare of white meat and some vegetables.
The order took less than 5 minutes and Auren had a plate full of Braised Deer meat, oven baked beef and fried mutton. The scents of roasted fat and seared spices curled around him.
Eiran's plate was more chic, fried chicken, grilled fish and shrimp. At the side was some crisp greens shimmering with faint Primis energy.
The two sat opposite one another, their plates a contrast of crimson weight and pale delicacy.
Sadly their meal was interrupted.