The first time I saw the Aodhán Ashoka was in the 5th academy, many years ago, when he exited the tower of Ascension. He’d appeared in the sky, seated on Varéc, the great fury of Ragnarok, and I knew that the light of Ragnarok had come—a champion, sent from Raol himself to deliver us from the hands of the Sunstonians.
Viscount Curtis Harding.
5th sector, Ragnarok. Year 2304.
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They arrived at the assembly hall ten minutes later and instantly joined the throng of students rushing into the building. The hall was a much smaller version of the arena; it was built with the same materials and had the same structure, but could only accommodate about half the population the arena could.
As a result, there were a limited number of seats, and many students were forced to stand at the back of the hall. Unsurprisingly, all of those standing were first-year students, with only a few second-year students scattered among them.
The temperature and humidity of the room began to rise as more people trickled in, but Daruk released his aura, and they all let out sighs of relief.
“Is this some sort of torture?” Andrew asked.
“I’m guessing it’s more of a punishment for late arrivals, seeing as they could have used a bigger hall.” Aodhán replied in a low tone as associate professor Ershing passed by them. Unsurprisingly, none of the students seated seemed to be in any discomfort, which cemented his assumption.
A din filled the hall from the combined chatter of almost 400 students, and they soon had to shout to hear themselves. Andrew nudged Aodhán and pointed at a group of first-year students seated on the second-to-last row. “The one with the pink hair is Cyrus Valerion, the second son of Solaris Valerion, and he’s number one on the forge list.”
“We all know that the list isn’t accurate, though.” Yurin pointed it out, but Andrew shook his head.
“Not in this case; Cyrus is a genius, and although you and Aodhán are extremely strong, I’m still not sure who would win if you were to battle.”
Aodhán’s raised an eyebrow in surprise. After all that had happened during the tournament and the way principal Zatya had treated him, a part of him had assumed he was the strongest student in his year, but the fact that there was another student equal in power or even more powerful than him sparked a flame of competition within him.
“How many students do you think are stronger than me currently?” he asked, and Andrew shrugged.
“I can’t be sure, but let’s say about a dozen? Look over there.” He pointed to another boy seated a few rows away from Cyrus. “That’s Alesh Vilaris, and the last time I heard, he’d gained two seals.”
“What?” Daruk exclaimed, finally joining the conversation, “Isn’t that too early?”
“Not as early as gaining a familiar in the evolved class.” Yurin pointed out. "Besides, he’s not the only one; I’ve heard of a few others who have done the same.”
“Bunch of freaks this year.” Andrew grunted, and Aodhán frowned. He loved the competition, but the fact that almost a dozen students were so far above him was troubling. After a moment, though, he shrugged. “It’s alright; a little competition can’t hurt us.”
I can't hurt you. Daruk thought with a slight shudder as their plans to demolish the forge list began to fray in his mind. He’d assumed that Yurin and Aodhán were his only opponents, but apparently not. There were others who had gained origin seals—not one, but two!
This changes nothing. Daruk thought as he pushed his pesky emotions aside and formed his resolve that, whether he had to go through two or twenty, he could do it. He would do it; all he needed was time.
Before the conversation could go any further, an unnatural silence descended on the hall as principal Zatya appeared on the stage alongside a few professors. As one, the students of the previous years stood to their feet, while the first years watched in confusion.
Some had the good sense to quickly imitate their seniors, while others foolishly remained seated.
“Minus 5 points to all the late arrivals. Minus 5 points to all those who lack the good sense to imitate their seniors, and +5 points to all the first years who had the good sense to do so.” Principal Zatya declared as her gaze cut across the assembled students with an expression of severity.
Almost immediately, hundreds of chips flashed as a new icon appeared on their status screens.
Forge points: 67-5 = 62 points.
Aodhán glared at the new icon but was pleasantly surprised to see that he’d managed to score a total of 67 in the trial exam, despite how hard it had been. He turned to Daruk, whose expression was mirrored in his own, and asked. “What’d you get?”
Daruk frowned in annoyance. “93, which is great, but I can’t believe we’ve just lost 5 points for coming late. I mean, it’s the first day of resumption.”
“Ah! I should have left you guys behind.” Andrew muttered, but they paid him no attention as the principal’s voice rang out again, as clear as crystal in the silence of the room.
“You should all take immense pride in the fact that you’re standing here today, as it is a testament to your strength. None of you are weak; you’ve proven yourself and your abilities; you have gone above and beyond to stand out from your peers and gain the recognition that you deserve. I urge you not to relent, lest you be cut off while others move on to the next level.”
“Like I’ve always said, power dwells within each and every one of you, a wellspring of infinite potential; all you have to do is reach for it. Everything that you need to do has been provided, so if you fail, know that it is the fault of no one but yourself.”
Her speech continued for a few more minutes as she congratulated, praised, and rebuked them, detailing certain behaviors she didn’t want to see in this new year. She laid much emphasis on bullying and unauthorized or unsupervised fighting, explaining that the violation of academy rules would at best earn them a suspension and, at worst, an expulsion.
“That being said—she smiled—I welcome you all to the dawn of another academic year, and I wish you all a year filled with growth, discovery, and boundless possibilities. Thank you, and welcome.”
A cheer rang out as she climbed down the stage, and Professor Aleran moved to address them next.
“Like the principal has done, I also welcome you all to this new academic year, and I am filled with immense pride and joy to address you today. First and foremost, I extend a warm welcome to our returning students and those who have made it this far. Your dedication, resilience, and thirst for knowledge continue to inspire us all, and I have no doubt that this year will be no exception.”
“To the first years, I extend a heartfelt welcome to the 5th academy, more popularly known as the Forge among the students and staff. I urge you to embrace the opportunities that await you here. With open hearts and open minds, for the journey ahead is as tumultuous as it is rewarding.”
“That being said, all other students aside from the first years are now free to return to their own activities. Whatever information we have for you will be passed across to your coordinators, who’ll pass it along to you.”
Noise returned as the other students stood to their feet and either walked or teleported out of the hall. A few minutes later, after the other years had left, Aodhán and his friends made their way to a row of seats towards the back of the hall.
Rahim took to the stage a moment later. “Okay, there are a few things we need to go through—he began without preamble—first being the forge points some of you just recently lost. These points, as have been stated before, are the scores you got during the trial exams; they are very important and will be one of the determining factors that ensures your continual presence in this academy.
By the end of the year, you’re each expected to have gained nothing less than five hundred forge points. This is the least amount of forge points required for you all to graduate to the 2nd year; anything less than that will warrant you being cut off and dismissed from the school.
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Rahim chuckled as his gaze roamed the faces of the terrified students and explained. “I assure you that these points are not too hard to accumulate. Aside from the ones you already have and the semester exams, of which each course is worth 100 points, Forge points can be randomly assigned for a myriad of things, be it correctly answering questions in class or simply having the good sense to imitate your seniors like we saw a few minutes earlier.”
Grumbles of discontent rose from the gathered students, and Rahim chuckled. “Let it be a warning to y'all, though; it is just as easy to lose forge points as it is to gain them, so I’ll advise you to stay out of trouble.”
“As if that’s possible with these two by my side.” Andrew muttered, and Daruk glared at him. “I’ll have you know that I’m pretty good at staying out of trouble.”
Aodhán would have loved to say the same, but his track record shut him up. Trouble always found him, regardless of how well he ran from it.
They turned their attention back to the stage as Rahim continued. “Another issue of interest is the forge list, which you can access on the leaderboards option on your chips.” He paused, waiting for them to find the icon before proceeding. “In simple words, this leaderboard is not fixed, and challenge matches will be held every weekend.”
“There are a few rules, but the most important one is that you cannot challenge a person more than five levels above you, and you can only issue a single challenge per week.”
Andrew groaned. “At that rate, it’ll take me months to even reach the first quarter.”
“Considering your current rank, it might take you the entire year.” Yurin mocked.
Aodhán chuckled as he scrolled through the leaderboards. It wasn’t really surprising to see that most of the nobles occupied the first quarter, but he was a little surprised to see Yurin’s name at the 31st level.
“Ah, I was hoping to challenge you, Yurin, but you’re out of reach... for now.” Aodhán threatened playfully, and Yurin chuckled.
“And I shall remain out of reach for as long as I can. I am so not ready to fight you.”
“How does it work, though? Do we simply take the level of our opponents?” A boy seated in front asked, and Rahim nodded.
“Yes, in simple terms, when you best an opponent, your levels are switched. The winner goes up, and the loser comes down. Now, the next thing to discuss is...”
The meeting stretched for almost an hour before Rahim finally dismissed them. “Gym has been cancelled for today, but I have been informed that your classes will hold, and I trust that you all have your schedules by now. If not, I suggest you see to that immediately. I wish you all the best.”
They exited the assembly hall a moment later, and when Aodhán checked the time, he realized that it was half an hour past eight, which meant they had approximately thirty minutes before their first class of the semester.
The first course on his schedule was Understanding Elemental Affinities, so Yurin waved them goodbye and they went to their separate classes. The class was only a little longer than a typical classroom and was barely large enough to accommodate a hundred people, but considering their small population, the size would do.
A few students were already seated when they arrived, so they moved to an unoccupied row of wooden seats towards the middle of the classroom. Aodhán ignored the whispers that arose as he walked into the room, choosing to focus his attention on Daruk as he explained the allocation of forge points to Andrew.
Other students trickled in as time passed, and before long, a total of fifty-two students were seated in the classroom. Fortunately, the allure of his presence seemed to have faded, and as the students turned their attention away from him, he breathed a sigh of relief. Although he hadn’t shown it, the scrutiny had grated on his nerves.
Five minutes before the start of class, Meredith and Imani waltzed, or Meredith waltzed while Imani followed reluctantly behind. They searched for a suitable place to sit, but when Meredith’s gaze landed on him, she gasped and began to walk towards him, effortlessly pulling Imani along.
Aodhán scowled as his heartbeat spiked. He needed to deal with this infernal emotion as soon as possible. Fortunately, the seat beside him was already taken, but that didn’t seem to deter Meredith, who glared daggers at the girl seated next to him.
The girl struggled only for a moment before she stood up and made her way to another seat. Perhaps if she were a commoner, Aodhán would have intervened, but the girl was a noble, and Aodhán didn’t want to get involved in their business.
Meredith purred as she slid into the now empty seat and directed Imani to the one behind him.
Aodhán glared at Meredith and whispered. “Why is it so important that you sit next to me? In fact, why do you keep trying to seduce me?”
“Because I obviously have an effect on you, and it’s fun, is it not?” Meredith replied with a coy smile as she leaned even closer to him.
Aodhán jerked back and hissed. “You do not have an effect on me, and you can’t go around bullying people.”
“Don’t you dare call me a bully.” Meredith replied with a scowl, as if the word itself tasted sour on her lips. “I only exercised my right as a noble of higher station; Celine gets it.”
Aodhán shook his head and chuckled. He was glad, really. He’d needed to see the pompous and entitled person that she really was, not the overly beautiful and sexual being his hormones had been painting.
He leaned closer to her and hissed. “I don’t care for this game you’re playing, or maybe it’s some kind of plot. I don’t even care if you actually like me; I just want you to leave me alone. I want no part of your drama, and I would really appreciate it if you directed your attention elsewhere.”
“Trouble in paradise?.” Daruk chuckled, but Aodhán ignored him and turned his attention back to the large screen in front of the classroom. Meredith stuttered in shock and annoyance, but before she could respond, A girl only a few years older than him walked into the classroom; her chestnut brown hair was sleeker back into a high ponytail that highlighted a perfectly symmetrical facial structure.
Aodhán raised an eyebrow in surprise as he felt the power of her core. It shone brightly on his senses, and he had a difficult time even correctly gauging her tier. A trio of seals on her shoulder shone with black light, and his eyes widened.
Seals usually start right above the heart, so for them to already be on her shoulders, it meant she must have amassed at least a dozen of them, putting her on a level of power many tiers above her actual tier.
The girl walked towards the screen and addressed them with a gentle smile. “Good morning. I’m Valerie Potts, a 4th year student, and I’m currently acting as an assistant to Professor Aleran. I’ll be taking this class for the rest of the semester and will endeavor to explain it the best way I can.”
The screen came on a moment later, displaying the course title in stylish text, and Aodhán took out a note from his spatial space. The note appeared along with a cloud of storm essence, and he was surprised to feel a faint charge of electricity around its edges.
He wasn’t quite sure what was going on with the necklace, but if it began affecting the items stored within it, then he would need to get another spatial item.
“Without further ado, let’s get into our first topic of the semester.” Valerie began. “We are all aware of the four major elements in our world: earth, fire, water, and air. But these elements are only the base of hundreds of sub-elements such as metal and lava, which are sub-elements of the earth; wind and storm, which are sub-elements of air; smoke and ash, which are sub-elements of fire; and so on.”
“Today, we’ll be diving into the meaning and properties of each element, and since this is just the basics, I expect you all to have an easier time following.”
The screen changed once again, and this time a list of elemental symbols appeared on it. As Valerie began the lecture, Aodhán took note of certain things that were new or seemed important to him.
“Air-awakened individuals are also known as aerokinetics, or, in much simpler terms, air manipulators, awakened with the innate ability to control and manipulate the very air that we breathe. It is not uncommon for such individuals to be faster and more nimble compared to others of the same tier.”.
Aodhán took that down as it explained Yurin’s amazing speed, and although he knew it was possible to create skills that allowed one to fuse with their element, it was usually impossible to create those skills without a seal. Aodhán circled the word ‘usually’ as things had become weird lately and the limits of possibility had been broken time and time again.
Valerie continued, explaining the innate abilities of several elemental awakeneds and their sub-elements. He was jotting down the properties and innate abilities of fire awakeneds when Valerie suddenly asked.
“Mr. Brystion, can you tell the class what element grants it’s awakened the greatest amount of strength with each tier up?”
Both Daruk and Aodhán looked up, but Valerie pointed at Aodhán to specify which Brystion brother she was referring to.
“Um… I think earth awakeneds gain the most strength from each advancement. Their build forfeits speed and favors toughness and defense.”
“That is correct, although many earth awakeneds have found ways to circumvent this particular limitation. Can anyone tell us how?”
Multiple hands went up, and Valerie pointed to a diminutive boy seated in the front row. He had gleaming silver hair streaked with lines of purple that hinted at a bloodline, even though he had no obvious bloodline manifestation.
“By creating skills that help them move faster on land or even teleport them through earth.”
“Thank you, Derek; 5 points each to you and Aodhán for correctly answering my question.”
The class groaned, and Aodhán chuckled as his forge points were immediately reset to 67.
“I raised my hands, dammit. Why’s my luck so shitty?” Andrew muttered, and Daruk shook his head in a mixture of annoyance and amusement.
“Okay, how about one more question before we move on?” Valerie chuckled and asked. “What element is considered to possess the most destructive potential?”
The entire class raised their hands, many even struggling to raise their hands higher than the others. Valerie laughed as she carefully observed them before choosing Imani, who was so surprised that she’d been picked that she stuttered for a second before responding.
The answer was obviously fire, as it had the ability to consume, destroy, and transform all on its own. A spark of it was enough to set an entire city ablaze if left unhindered or uncontrolled.
After issuing 5 points to Imani, Valerie explained. “It is true that fire is considered the most destructive element, but that doesn’t make the other elements any less of a threat. When controlled or manipulated, water becomes extremely destructive as it can be used to create floods or tsunamis, which have the potential to cause catastrophic damage to life and property.
The lecture continued for another hour, as Valerie went into detail on the destructive potential of a dozen sub-elements as well as their weaknesses.
“Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of your element is very important, so I’m issuing an assignment to be submitted on Friday. I want you to give a list of your element’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as how you intend to circumvent its limitations.”
“Please note that any assignment sent to me after Friday will not be acknowledged. Thank you and have a good day.”
She left the hall after that, and Aodhán pondered the limitations of his element. Whenever he thought of the storm, all he’d sensed and seen was loud, destructive power. He couldn’t think of any weaknesses or limitations currently; fortunately, he had five days to figure it out.
Meredith hissed as she walked past him, but Aodhán ignored her. He had no other classes till 4 in the evening, so after parting ways with Andrew and Daruk, who had another class in an hour, he made his way to the library.