The Aetherial Academy's courtyard buzzed with energy as the remaining applicants dispersed, some celebrating their success, others slinking away with bowed heads. My legs still trembled from the Trial of Echoes, the strain of weaving my four elements lingering in my bones like a dull ache. I wiped the sweat from my brow, my fingers brushing the pendant around my neck. Its cool surface grounded me, a quiet reminder of Dad's words: It'll keep you grounded. I needed that more than ever now. The Nexus's light had faded, but its hum lingered in the air, a constant pulse that seemed to seep into the very stones of the Academy.
Professor Kaelith stood on the platform, her golden eyes scanning the crowd. The jagged scar on her cheek shimmered faintly, catching the light of the crimson spire above, and her stern voice cut through the chatter. "Those who passed, follow me. Your journey at the Aetherial Academy begins now." She turned, her robes flowing like liquid starlight, and led us through a massive archway carved with runes that glowed faintly blue. I fell into step with the others, my heart pounding with a mix of exhaustion and anticipation. I'd made it, but this was only the beginning.
The archway opened into a vast hall, its ceiling so high it seemed to vanish into a haze of shimmering mana. Crystal chandeliers floated above, their light fracturing into a thousand colors that danced across the polished marble floor. The walls were lined with tapestries depicting mages wielding elements in battle, their threads woven with mana that made the scenes flicker as if alive. One showed a mage summoning a storm of fire and wind, the flames curling around gusts in a mesmerizing dance. I couldn't help but stare, my own wind affinity whispering faintly in response, too weak to do more than stir the air around my fingers. I clenched my fist, determined to master it here.
Kaelith stopped at the center of the hall, where a circular dais rose from the floor, etched with the same runes I'd seen on the gates. "You are now initiates of the Aetherial Academy," she said, her tone sharp but carrying a hint of pride. "This dais will assign you to your elemental hall, where you will train, study, and grow. Step forward when called." She gestured to the dais, and a soft hum filled the air as the runes began to glow, their light shifting through hues of red, blue, green, and gold.
The first initiate, the boy with red hair who'd summoned a fireball in the courtyard, stepped onto the dais. The runes flared crimson, and a wave of heat washed over the hall, the air shimmering with the scent of embers. "Fire Hall," Kaelith announced, and the boy grinned, stepping down as the crowd murmured in approval. The gnome girl with the wind charm went next, her runes glowing a soft green as a breeze swirled around her, lifting her hair in gentle spirals. "Wind Hall," Kaelith said, and the girl beamed, clutching her broken charm with renewed hope.
I watched, my stomach tightening with each assignment. Most initiates had one or two affinities, their placements straightforward. But I had four, fire, water, earth, and wind, even if wind was barely a whisper. What would the dais do with me? I glanced at the tapestries again, my eyes lingering on a mage blending water and earth into a swirling vortex of mud. I'd blended fire and water into steam before, but never more than two elements at once. The thought of trying made my palms sweat, the memory of the Nexus's tempest still fresh.
"Ardyn Vaelor," Kaelith called, her voice pulling me forward. I stepped onto the dais, my boots echoing against the stone, and the runes flared to life. A surge of mana coursed through me, sharp and electric, and the air around me shifted. Fire sparked first, a warm glow that flickered at my fingertips, followed by water, its cool touch soothing the heat. Earth rumbled beneath my feet, steady and unyielding, but wind, as always, was faint, a teasing breeze that slipped through my grasp. The runes pulsed, their colors shifting rapidly, crimson to azure to emerald to gold, unable to settle. Whispers rippled through the hall, and Kaelith's eyes narrowed, the scar on her cheek glinting as she leaned forward.
"Four affinities," she said, her voice low but carrying a weight that silenced the crowd. "A rare gift, though unbalanced. The Academy has not seen a student like you in decades." She paused, her gaze piercing, as if searching for something in me. "You will train in the Nexus Hall, a place for those whose mana defies simple categorization. It will challenge you, Ardyn Vaelor, but it will also forge you." She stepped back, and the runes settled on a deep violet, a color I hadn't seen in the other assignments. The air around me hummed with a strange resonance, and I stepped down, my mind racing. Nexus Hall, a place for the unbalanced, the rare. I wasn't sure if I should feel honored or terrified.
The assignments continued, but I barely heard them, my thoughts spinning. The Nexus Hall sounded like it would push me to my limits, force me to confront my weaknesses, especially with wind. But it also felt right, a place where I could learn to blend my elements, to uncover the secrets of my mana, and maybe even the rune on my dagger, which pulsed faintly at my hip as if responding to the dais's magic.
As the ceremony ended, Kaelith directed us to our respective halls, assigning guides to lead the way. She lingered for a moment, her golden eyes scanning the crowd one last time, her scarred cheek catching the light as she turned. There was a heaviness in her posture, an ancient weariness that made me wonder how many trials she'd overseen, how many students she'd seen rise or fall. Then she was gone, her robes vanishing through a side archway, leaving a faint shimmer of mana in her wake. A boy with broad shoulders and a serious face approached me, his dark eyes assessing me with a quiet intensity. His skin had a faint sheen, like polished stone, and his hands were calloused, as if he'd spent years working with his hands. "I'm Korran Holt," he said, his voice deep and steady. "Earth Hall. I'll show you to the Nexus Hall." He extended a hand, and I shook it, noting the strength in his grip.
"I'm Ardyn Vaelor," I said, managing a small smile despite my exhaustion. "Thanks for the help." Korran nodded, his expression softening slightly, and we started down a corridor, the walls embedded with crystals that glowed with mana, casting shifting patterns on the stone. I glanced at Korran, curiosity stirring. "How long have you been at the Academy?" I asked, hoping to learn more about this place that already felt so overwhelming.
"Two years," Korran replied, his tone matter-of-fact. "I joined when I was fifteen, after my clan sent me here to train. The Academy's tough, but it's worth it if you survive the first year." He paused, then added, "The Nexus Hall, though, it's different. They say it was built for students who could change the balance of Valtheris, centuries ago. Most don't last long."
I swallowed, my throat dry. "Change the balance of Valtheris?" I asked, my mind racing. "What does that mean?"
Korran shrugged, his broad shoulders rolling with the motion. "No one really knows. The professors don't talk about it much, but there are rumors, old stories about Nexus Hall students who wielded powers beyond the elements, who faced threats even the Academy couldn't predict." He glanced at me, his dark eyes serious. "You'll hear more from Professor Kaelith, I bet. She oversees the Nexus Hall herself. She's strict, but fair. Some say she's seen more of Valtheris's secrets than anyone alive."
I nodded, filing away his words. Kaelith's sternness, her ancient weariness, it made sense if she'd witnessed the kind of power Korran described. As we walked, I caught sight of something unusual, a statue tucked into an alcove along the corridor. It was a mage carved from black stone, his hands raised as if summoning something, but his face was obscured by a veil of carved stars. The statue's base was etched with runes that pulsed faintly, their light dimmer than the others I'd seen, as if hiding something. I slowed, a chill running down my spine. "What's that?" I asked, pointing.
Korran glanced at the statue, his expression unreadable. "No one knows for sure," he said. "It's been here longer than the Academy, some say. The runes are old, older than most of the magic we study. They call it the Veiled Mage, a guardian of secrets, or a warning." He shrugged again, but I couldn't shake the feeling that the statue was watching me, its hidden face somehow familiar.
We continued, passing other halls, the Fire Hall's entrance marked by a blazing arch, the Water Hall's by a cascading fountain that shimmered with a soft blue glow. The air grew warmer, then cooler, then heavy with the scent of earth, each hall's mana distinct and powerful. Korran spoke again, his voice low. "The Nexus Hall isn't like the others. It's smaller, more intense. You'll need control, more than anywhere else."
We reached a smaller archway, its frame carved with swirling patterns that seemed to shift and move, like a storm caught in stone. A faint violet glow emanated from within, matching the color of the dais's final runes. "This is it," Korran said, stepping aside. "Your hall. I'll see you around, Ardyn. Don't let the Nexus break you." He gave me a nod, a hint of respect in his eyes, and turned back down the corridor, his steady footsteps fading into the distance.
I took a deep breath, the air here thick with a metallic tang that coated my tongue, and stepped through the archway. The Nexus Hall was smaller than I'd expected, its walls smooth and dark, embedded with tiny crystals that shimmered like stars. A circular chamber opened before me, its floor inlaid with a mosaic of runes that pulsed with violet light, their glow distorting the air above them in faint, rippling waves, like heat rising from a desert. At the center stood a smaller version of the Aetherial Nexus, its crystal glowing softly, surrounded by a handful of initiates, maybe ten in total. They turned to look at me, one boy raising an eyebrow skeptically, his lips curling in a faint smirk, while a girl with wide, uncertain eyes clutched a small charm, her knuckles white.
An older student stood near the Nexus crystal, his presence commanding attention. He was tall, with sharp features and hair that glowed faintly with threads of light, his mana a mix of light and fire that made the air around him shimmer. "I'm Raelis, a third-year in the Nexus Hall," he said, his voice crisp and authoritative. "You're the new initiates. Before you settle in, you'll need to sense the Nexus's mana, attune yourselves to its rhythm. Step forward and place your hand on the crystal. If you can't handle its resonance, you won't last here."
The initiates murmured, some exchanging nervous glances, but Raelis's expression didn't soften. I stepped forward, joining the group, and felt a prickle on the back of my neck, as if the runes on the floor were watching me, their violet light flickering in time with the Nexus crystal's glow. A girl with sharp features and a cocky grin moved to my side, her blonde hair streaked with faint sparks of electricity. "Well, well, the four-affinity wonder," she said, her voice laced with playful challenge. "I'm Sylis Vren, lightning affinity. Heard you made quite a show at the trial." She crossed her arms, her fingers crackling with tiny bolts of energy, and I couldn't help but smile at her energy.
"Ardyn Vaelor," I said, meeting her gaze. "I just got lucky, I guess."
"Lucky, huh?" Sylis raised an eyebrow, her grin widening. "We'll see about that. The Nexus Hall doesn't care about luck, only skill. Stick with me, and you might survive your first week." She winked, and I chuckled, the tension in my shoulders easing slightly. Sylis's confidence was infectious, even if it bordered on arrogance.
A soft voice spoke from my other side. "Don't mind Sylis, she's all talk," the girl said, stepping closer. She had warm brown eyes and dark hair braided with tiny beads that clinked softly as she moved. Her presence carried a gentle breeze, her wind affinity evident in the way the air rippled around her. "I'm Liora Tane, wind affinity. Welcome to the Nexus Hall." She smiled, her kindness a stark contrast to Sylis's bravado, and I felt a flicker of warmth at her words.
"Thanks," I said, returning her smile. "It's good to meet you both." I glanced at the Nexus crystal, its violet glow steady but somehow heavier now, the runes beneath my feet pulsing in a rhythm that seemed to echo in my chest.