The training field of Horizon Primary Academy was a vast expanse of adaptive "smart-turf" that shifted its density to match the weight and pressure of the students. Under the bright, artificial suns of the Core, Kaelen stood with his classmates in neat, disciplined rows.
For a five-year-old in the Core Era, physical education was not about sports or games. It was about preparing the vessel. The body was a biological circuit board, and the muscles were the insulation for the Ribbon.
Professor Andrew paced before the formation. He was a man whose physical frame was as lean and corded as a high-tension wire, his presence radiating a sharp, disciplined amber aura. "Your Ribbon threads are currently anchored to your nervous system," he projected, his voice carrying effortlessly across the field. "But a nerve is static. A Ribbon must be fluid. If your body is stiff, your Ribbon is a cage. If your body is a whip, your Ribbon becomes a weapon."
The Ribbon Extension Exercise
"Begin the Ribbon Extension," Professor Andrew commanded.
Kaelen moved into the stance. He didn't need to overthink it; the Veyron blood in his veins responded to the command instinctively. The exercise was a series of rhythmic expansions of the joints designed to "pull" the internal Ribbon threads toward the extremities, encouraging them to grow in length and flexibility.
The Academy taught this exercise in three distinct, perfected stages:
Stage One: Surface Tension. Learning to feel the Thread move from the spine to the fingertips without breaking contact with the nervous system.
Stage Two: Elastic Resonance. The ability to hold the Thread at full extension while maintaining its breadth.
Stage Three: Perfect Fluidity. The stage where the body and the Thread move as a single, frictionless unit. At this stage, the Thread grows rapidly because the biological resistance of the body is removed.
Kaelen didn't strain. While other children grunted and struggled to keep their threads from snapping back like overstretched rubber bands, Kaelen's crimson thread slid through his forearms and shins like liquid fire. It was effortless. He wasn't just stretching; he was flowing.
"Look at Veyron," Professor Andrew pointed out. "He isn't fighting his own anatomy. He's inviting the Ribbon to expand. That is the natural path to Level 100."
The Bio-Fuel of the Core
After the physical session, the students gathered in the shaded pavilion for "Nutritional Education." In this era, food was not just a meal; it was a stabilizer.
"Listen well," Andrew said, holding up a translucent, glowing fruit. "This is a Vitreous Pear. It contains stabilized minerals that strengthen the 'sheath' of your Threads. If you want to reach Level 100 without your nervous system burning out, you eat your Vitreous Pears and your Iron-Leaf Spinach."
He walked through the rows, checking their plates. The UCC—the Unified Council of the Cosmos—ensured that the Academy had the best resources. They weren't a threat to be feared; they were the architects of this stability. They provided the curriculum and the food because they wanted every child to reach their potential.
The Foundation of the Era
"In this Primary Academy," Professor Andrew continued, "we teach you History, Health, Finance, and General Knowledge. You learn how to manage the assets the UCC will eventually lease to you. You learn how to live in a society where power is real."
He looked at the small, accelerated minds before him.
"Science starts in Secondary School. Weapons and tool training start in High School. But from age five to ten, your only job is to become a stable human being and reach Level 100. The curriculum is designed to ensure success for those who follow it."
The Natural Peak
Mina sat next to Kaelen, nibbling on her iron-leaf spinach. Her silver thread was pulsing with a calm, rhythmic beat. "You made that look too easy, Kael," she whispered. "Vax looked like he was going to pop a vein trying to copy you."
"It's just a stretch, Mina," Kaelen said, his eyes fixed on the distant orbital rings. He wasn't trying to be "cool" or showing off. To him, the movements were as natural as breathing.
He didn't feel the need to hide his talent. The UCC wasn't looking for reasons to punish him; they were looking for leaders. And Kaelen, with his crimson thread lengthening further every day, was simply becoming what he was born to be.
He took a bite of the Vitreous Pear. It tasted like cold glass and honey. Level 100 was five years away, but as his crimson thread hummed with the perfect math of his ancestors, Kaelen knew he wouldn't just reach the goal. He would define it.