The training grounds of the Grand Celestial Academy shimmered under a canopy of energy veils, their soil-like surfaces pulsing with a low golden glow. It was here that earth-type celestial energy flowed most vibrantly—semi-transparent and yellow-hued, rising gently in spirals from the ground.
Nocth stood still as stone.
His presence was eerily quiet, the air around him rippling ever so slightly. If one focused deeply enough, they'd catch the faintest visual tremor, like heat waves over dry plains. It was the soundless signal of his 145 veins—the mark of a Class 4 Vein-Woven.
A little to his left stood Tanno, a plump student with perpetually red cheeks and an ego inflated well beyond his strength.
"Heh... This flow feels perfect for a genius like me," Tanno said loudly, puffing his chest. "With 88 veins of pure rising strand, Class 3 quality! Who else can match this mastery?"
"Besides a rock?" Harkonn Runeblaze muttered under his breath, eyes focused on the spiritual engravings before him.
Harkonn was a member of the Runeblaze subclan—a branch of the prestigious Zyreon ruling clan. Delicate features, snow-pale skin, and a calm demeanor framed his sculpted face, earning him the mocking title "Porcelain Prince." He was currently channeling a focused stream of celestial energy into the crafting of a Grade 9 exoskeletal arm part—a beginner-level spiritual forge.
The air around the three flickered as an old man approached, weaving drunkenly between sparking stones and students.
"Oi, dull eyes!" came the slurred call.
Old Jhin had arrived.
With tousled white hair, torn robes stained by spilled wine, and perpetually rosy cheeks, the elder looked more like a village beggar than a venerated guest. A wineskin dangled lazily in his left hand as he hiccupped and squinted at the trio.
"Rolling Cloud, Porcelain Prince, and Dull Eyes! I swear the academy's naming standards have fallen worse than zyreon celestial kingdom's grain prices."
Tanno's cheeks twitched violently at the nickname, his pride punctured.
"Sir... That's not my name," he muttered, eyes darting to the other students who chuckled nearby.
Old Jhin wobbled closer, eyes glazed. "Rolling Cloud, eh? Always floating on delusions... I like it."
With a final sip from his wineskin, Old Jhin frowned suddenly, swaying unsteadily as he stared at the guard.
"...Someone drank my wine!"
He turned sharply toward Nocth, Harkonn, and Tanno. "You three! Who's the thief!?"
"I-I've been engraving the whole time!" Harkonn protested.
Tanno raised both hands, palms trembling. "I'm too noble for theft!"
Nocth blinked in silence.
Old Jhin froze mid-sway, eyes narrowing at Nocth's still form. His gaze deepened.
Then he took a slow step closer, voice muttering beneath his breath.
"No wonder... no wonder the old fossils from the houses are at each other's throats. Trying to either recruit the boy or... get rid of him."
Tanno blinked. "What do you mean, Sir Jhin?"
Harkonn leaned in.
Old Jhin didn't answer immediately. He simply exhaled, eyes never leaving Nocth.
"Imius's old man—an old friend—he asked me to check on this boy's potential. To decide if he's worth taking as a disciple..."
His tone darkened. "Last time I took a disciple, he stabbed me in the back. Ungrateful brat—Lord Enma of Mhaerun House, that snake."
Tanno gasped, eyes widening. "That Enma?! B-But isn't he—"
"Shh!" Harkonn snapped.
Old Jhin scratched his head and burped. "Still... this boy… His aura's different. Feels... clean. Calm. Hmm."
Before Nocth could reply, Old Jhin suddenly grabbed the hem of his robe.
"Hup!"
"W-Wait—!"
With a drunken swoop, he lifted Nocth into the air, his energy flaring just enough to send them into a soaring arc above the academy grounds, wind howling around them.
Below, Harkonn and Tanno stared up, dumbstruck.
"He just... took him?" Tanno said.
"Yep," Harkonn answered. "Just like that."