A cursor hovered over a digital map, checking various sectors out.
On the digital map, twenty-five sectors circularly arranged themselves, eight in the middle layers octagonally and seventeen in the outer layer polygonally.
As if arranged in some hierarchy, the innermost was uplifted above all sectors, touching the sky. Followed by the middle layer, and then the outer layer on the level ground.
The height gap between each layer was in kilometres. The walls were smooth, so normal climbing was impossible. Only way to move were the checkpoints present at each sector.
Commercial districts and residential sectors, where the highest density of students and "Original Residents" lived were in the middle layer. The Sectors in middle layer were relatively normal with nothing notable except few landmarks.
They had high density of beautiful houses and shops. Streets looked like labyrinth from above, easy to get lost in. All sectors in middle layer were a city in and of itself, bustling and lively like a capital city of a kingdom.
The Sectors in outer layer were huge, larger than the middle-layer sectors atleast. They were not normal.
They edged the outer lands of StarStrek Academy, the various enigmatic and dangerous lands of StarStrek Realm.
Chaos Harbour(sector 14) is present at the edge of the Chaos sea. Forest of Forge(Sector 17) is a cut of section of the seemgly endless Eternity Forest. Suspended Archipelago (sector 21) are group of islands artificially built above a void.
You get the memo. They are all unique in a way.
In middle of twenty five Sectors, in the very heart of it all was a giant castle-like structure. It was sector 0 - the heart of the Academy and governance.
It's where the lectures from seniors or outsiders are hosted. Official organisations meet-ups and important social gatherings also occur here. It's a place with many important facilities and is symbolic to the holy Sanctuary for the people who were born and raised in its protection.
The entire academy ground from sector 0 to outer sectors is comparable to a small state due to the huge multi city sized sectors.
And within that space, many events occur - from small thefts to secret organisations' scuffles.
It's a land of various interests, always changing politically and physically beneath its pretty surface.
The cursor on the screen after great deliberation, moved towards sector 07 and selected it.
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"What are you thinking so hard about?" Aeon asked, noticing sky spacing out.
Sky shook his head, then causually replied,
"Thinking what my last words should be - Long live Orange juice! Or Sink with coffee!....care to help me make the choice?"
Aeon narrowed his eyes at sky but didn't bother with his antics, going back to randomly waving his hand, it felt like he was doing some kind of weird gang signs...
Why did Sky respond like that, you ask? Well....they were currently free falling; matter of fact, they have been free falling for the last thirty minutes.
Without the academy brooch acting an Space-Time anchor, they were randomly tossed to wherever their last general location was. It unfortunately didn't account for the Z axis...thus the current situation.
Truthfully, Sky didn't mind the current situation, he liked sky diving....ironic, I know.
It gave a sense of freedom from earthly matters and cleared his mind.
For a transmigrator who knows various futures, not having to immediately go head first into another problem is a huge plus. Sometimes, a short time to review and enjoy the peace is good for health.
[Name : Sky Theobane.]
[Ascension : I ]
[Level : 21/50]
Ah~ That single increase in level after being stuck for so long so euphoric~
Sky was over the moon, who won't be.... where others kept moving forward, he alone was stuck in the same rotten pit. That's the worst feeling. So he is very happy that he can get out of that rotten pit even if it's only for a while.
Moreover, he can now finally participate more actively in the plot! If Previously, he was weak like a dry twig.Now...he was weak like a healthy twig.
'Improvement I say.' he encouraged himself.
After a little more self compliment, he lazily gazed at Aeon to see what he was doing.
He still was throwing gang signs.....
"I don't see any deaf around, who are you even cursing at?" Sky teased
Aeon stopped and locked his gaze on Sky.
"I am trying to imitate the hand signs sorcerers make."
Oh, Sky got the gist of what he was doing. He just ascended and was already practising how to manipulate elemental laws. Truly a model student worthy of the main character title.
Or maybe it was so that they don't flatten upon impact. Sky liked to think that it was the latter, as a fellow perviously model student to another. It's never good.
"You are confusing the laws with those...gang sign, not ordering them. Do you even feel them in the first place?" Sky dismissed aeon's silly attempts by waving his hand exasperately.
Aeon contemplated sky's word, then hesitantly spoke,
"Do you mean...the ones looking over us right now?"
Sky briefly halted, ceasing his taunting.
'Wow, he already figured that out. Truly...' He was internally amazed. Most take months to figure it out, sometimes even years.
Afterall, connection to the world is one matter. Acknowledging the other side of that connection is another matter.
Though sky expected this kind of talent, he didn't expect it would be this fast. Even in the game it took a while. Was it due to this stressful situation where his life is on the life?
He should put Aeon under stress more frequently then....
"Well hello there, genius~ maybe you really can save us. Look the grounds visible." Sky spoke sarcastically, acting uncaring of their nearing demise.
The academy was now visible, they could see it's hexagonal shape from their view.
Aeon panicked and asked in a slightly hopeful tone,
"Don't you have a plan?"
Sky nodded,
"Yes."
He smiled, shrugging his soldiers,
"The plan is to hope that there is a haystack where we land."
If disappointment had a face, it will be Aeon right now.
He ignored sky and desperately tried to manipulate the laws to slow down their fall.
"Slow down!.....SLOW DOWN!...Wind heed My call!...Air gust!" He tried various things, from incantations from fairytales to hand signs he had saw others using.
None of it worked, the laws didn't respond. He could feel them but couldn't make them cross the bridge.
"Looks like there is no haystack, look Aeon!" Sky added fuel to the fire. Pointing at the desolate stone paved street they were falling towards.
"SLOW DOWN!...SLOW DOWN!" he screamed out with desperation. The imaginary bridge trembled slightly.
His desperation peaked when they were just few metres away from impact.
"SLOW DOWN!" He screamed out with all his power, pushing both his hands forward as if trying to move the air in front of him to stop the fall.
The laws answered his desperation and crossed the bridge.
A strong gust of wind pushed past them, colliding with the ground and creating a uplift force.
It's uplift force countered their downward force. Though it lasted for only few seconds, it was enough to slow down their decent by a large margin.
Sky landed gracefully, his hands folded behind his back. while Aeon gracelessly fell on his buttocks.
"Oh wow, you actually did it. Congratulations, we are alive."
'For now' he added the last part inwardly.
Aeon glared at sky but didn't argue any further, he was too tired both mentally and physically to deal with the blasphemer's antics.
Sky offered him a helping hand to get up. After some thoughts, he took it and with its support stood back up on his feets.
"I d-" just as he opened his mouth to speak, he stumbled. He saw the world spinning.
The imaginary bridge thinned out. The world went dark.
Sky caught Aeon before he fell to ground.
Aeon was knocked unconscious.
"Classic symptoms of overclocking.....you did enough for the prologue act. Now rest well." He muttered in a soft tone, almost like a whisper. Lacking the usual playfully or whimsical edge to it.
He had done enough for today.
For now both Aeon and sky needed a place to stay.
Sky looked down the desolate stone paved street which was empty even after all the commotion in middle of day.
'Conveniently' there was a cafe with spare rooms right down this very desolate street.