The first light of dawn crept over the horizon, bathing the entire city of Arachis in soft, pale gold. Shadows stretched across quiet streets as dew glinted on rooftops. Drake trudged along the cobblestone path toward his early lecture, each step heavy with exhaustion. The sharp sting of last night's training still lingered—every strike, every stumble, every breathless moment spent pushing beyond his limits. The morning's peaceful beauty stood in stark contrast to the turmoil simmering beneath his calm exterior.
Then, the air turned heavy.
The courtyard stones shivered beneath his boots. Around him, students froze mid-step as if gravity had doubled. They all felt it—a presence descending like a mountain, crushing sound from the academy. Windows cracked in their frames; holographic displays flickered and died. The pressure wasn't raging or flaring. It simply was, subtle and undeniable, like the weight of a living god.
Drake turned.
A black vehicle, sleek as a blade and identical to the one that had brought him to Arachis, glided into the academy's inner courtyard. From it emerged Winston. His eyes, cold and stern as ever, swept over the campus, lingering on the blackened crater where the Watcher had fallen, the shattered training yards, the armored sentinels scanning students like criminals.
The air thickened until breathing became labour.
"Sir." The driver's voice was taut.
Winston glanced at him, then gave a curt nod. For a moment, even *he* had been carried away. The students' stares prickled against his back as he strode toward the council chambers, his silence more terrifying than any outburst.
Sound rushed back into the world. A second-year near Drake vomited onto the pristine lawn.
*Now that's power,* Drake thought, and continued walking.
---
### **Awakened Biology Lecture Hall**
Professor Lin, Maya's replacement adjusted her holographic display, the swirling galaxy of Aetheric particles expanding as she delved deeper.
The Core: A Living Filter
"Your core," she began, pointing to the glowing orb in the human diagram, "isn't just a filter—it's a living organ, fine-tuned by evolution to process Aether at the cellular level." The image zoomed in, revealing microscopic gate-like structures along its surface.
"Think of these as locks. Only certain keys—specific Aether types—fit. Crimson embers bind to a fire-wielder's receptors like a key in a lock, triggering enzymatic conversion into usable energy." She tapped the display; blue and green particles bounced harmlessly off a fire-aligned core. "Incompatible Aether? Repelled. The core's outer layer charges like magnets pushing the wrong pole away."
Her voice darkened. "But force unfiltered Aether into a core—whether by defect or defiance—" The screen switched to a Null's ruptured core, veins blackened, cells unravelling. "The locks break. Proteins warp. Tissue mutates. This is how Nulls are born."
Concept-Wielders: Gold Beyond Elements
A murmur ran through the lecture hall as the professor switched the display to a new set of particles—these ones shimmering gold, moving in precise, almost sentient patterns.
Now, for those rare individuals who wield not just elements, but **concepts**—Absolute Strength, Unyielding Defence, Infinite Motion—their Aether is different." She gestured to the golden particles. "This is **Ideal Aether**, the raw manifestation of abstract principles. Unlike elemental Aether, which is bound by natural laws, Ideal Aether rewrites them. Those who can harness it don't just manipulate fire or wind—they embody the very idea of Destruction, or Speed, or Dominion.
A student raised a hand. "So if elemental Aether is like chemistry, Ideal Aether is….?
"Philosophy given physical form," Lin said. "For example, Lord Balthazar of house Storm doesn't just control storms-he embodies the concept of the Sky. The wind, rain and lightning obey him because he represents their very purpose."
Multiple Affinities: The Exception, Not the Rule
Most Awakened have one affinity. Some, through genetic predisposition or brutal conditioning, develop two. But a handful in history have mastered **three or more**." The hologram highlighted two figures—one clad in storm-wreathed regalia, the other a towering silhouette wreathed in lightning.
Take Lord Balthazar, Ruler of the Royal Houses and one of the world's **Seven Saints**. His control over the sky isn't just Lightning Affinity—it's a fusion of Wind, Water, Ice, and the rare Cloud Affinity, allowing him to manipulate storms at a continental scale." A few students gasped; Balthazar was a living legend.
Then there's Ragnar Storm." She paused, noting the way a certain blonde-haired student in the back stiffened. "Elder brother to our very own Jackson Storm, and another multi-affinity prodigy. Wind, Lightning, and minor Water synergies make him a force of nature—quite literally."
A ripple of glances toward Jackson, who didn't lift his gaze. His father's voice hissed in his memory: "One element? Pathetic."
Lin's tone turned grave. "Multi-affinity users face a constant struggle. Their cores are overworked- like a liver filtering poison every second. Energy leaks. Control slips. And if they push too hard…"
The null's image reappeared. "They join the ranks of the fallen."
Silence clung to the room. Drake stared at his notes, the Watcher. *Did it remember its name before its core tore itself apart?
The bell rang.
Class dismissed.