Mr. Kaelen adjusted his spectacles, the brief interruption of Elian's daydream seemingly forgotten as he turned back to the holographic display. He swiped his hand through the air, and the image shifted from the star rankings to a swirling, multicolored nebula.
"Now, pay attention," Kaelen commanded, his voice gravelly. "The Star Rank determines your potential volume of power, but your Trait determines the shape of that power. Most of you act as if you're shopping for superpowers, hoping for Pyromancy or Telekinesis. But the Ether is not so simple."
He tapped a section of the hologram. "We categorize Traits into three primary phyla. Physical Augmentation: your skin becomes steel, your eyes see heat, your muscles tear through concrete. Elemental Manipulation: you command the forces of nature—fire, ice, lightning, wind. And finally, Conceptual: the rarest. Dealing in abstracts—gravity, time, space, or entropy."
The class leaned in. Even the slackers were attentive now.
"However," Kaelen continued, his expression darkening, "Awakening is only the key. The door... is the Realm of Enlightenment."
The hologram changed again, showing a massive, grid-like plane stretching into infinity.
"Exactly twenty-four hours after your Bloom, your neuro-synaptic pathways will finalize their connection to the Ether. You will feel a tug at the back of your mind. It is a telepathic gateway. With a mere thought, you can project your consciousness—and your physical form—into the Realm."
Kaelen walked between the rows of desks, his presence heavy. "The Realm is not a dream. It is a parallel dimension of pure resources and danger. When you enter, you will be spawned in a Territory. For some of you, you will appear near established Citadels run by powerful Lords, offering safety but demanding taxes and servitude. For others..." He paused for dramatic effect. "...you will spawn in the Deep Wilds, secluded, far from civilization. There, you have total freedom, but you are also prey to the Ether Beasts."
"Remember this," Kaelen said, his eyes scanning the room. "The Realm is where you grow. It is where you harvest resources to increase your Star Rank. But if you die there, your Sigil fades here. Permanently."
The bell rang, a shrill electronic chime that shattered the tension.
"Class dismissed," Kaelen grunted. "Go home. Rest. Tomorrow, you are no longer children."
Elian gathered his bag and shuffled out of the academy, stepping into the late afternoon sun. The streets were crowded with students wearing the same uniform, all bearing the same heavy expression.
It wasn't a coincidence. In this society, efficiency was paramount. Schools weren't organized by neighborhood, but by birth date. Every single student in the Senior Academy was born on October 14th. Tomorrow, thousands of them across the city would Bloom simultaneously.
Elian walked in silence, glancing at his peers. To his left was Sarah, who sat two rows ahead of him. She was brilliant at math; maybe she'd be a Lord, managing the logistics of a new territory. To his right was Marcus, the captain of the rugby team. He was built like a tank already; he was practically guaranteed a high-ranking Physical Augmentation.
Elian felt a knot in his stomach. They were all equals today, united by the calendar. By this time tomorrow, the caste system would slam down between them like a guillotine. Some would rise to the penthouses of the Elite; others would be sweeping the streets as 1-Star Adepts.
He turned down his street, the noise of the city fading into the quiet of the residential sector. He reached his front door, thumbed the biometric scanner, and entered.
"I'm home," he called out.
Silence answered him. The house was dark, save for the ambient light filtering through the blinds.
Elian dropped his bag on the couch and sighed. He walked into the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water, his eyes immediately drifting to his phone sitting on the counter. The screen was black.
He tapped it. No new messages.
His sister, Mara, was a 4-Star Elite. She possessed a dual-function trait called Verdant Steel—she could manipulate plant life but harden it to the consistency of metal. Since their parents had died in a Realm accident five years ago, Mara had been his entire world. She had skipped university to become a Traveler, diving into the Realm daily to harvest enough resources to keep Elian in the best academy.
She had gone into the Realm of Enlightenment this morning on a raid with her guild.
Elian stared at the phone. Four Stars is strong, he told himself. She's Elite. She knows what she's doing.
But the anxiety was a parasite that refused to let go. He knew the statistics. Even Elites died. A sudden ambush by a rival guild, a spawn of a high-level Beast, or a collapse of the unstable terrain in the Realm. If something happened to her...
He sat at the kitchen table, the silence of the house pressing against his ears. He wasn't just worried about the Bloom tomorrow. He was worried about being left truly alone. If he Awakened as a 1-Star, he wouldn't be able to help her. He would just be another weight she had to carry.
"Please," he whispered to the empty room. "Just be okay."
He checked the phone again. Nothing.
He paced the living room. Ten minutes passed. Then twenty. He imagined her cornered in some dark ravine of the Realm, her Verdant Steel shattering under the blow of a monster. He imagined the government officials knocking on the door, holding a folded flag and a condolence letter.
Buzz.
The sound was like a gunshot in the quiet house. Elian scrambled for the phone, nearly knocking his water glass over.
Sender: Mara
Message: Raid took longer than expected. The Gateway location shifted on us, had to trek back to the extraction point. I'm out. Safe. I'll be home in two hours with takeout. Rest up, birthday boy.
Elian let out a breath he felt like he'd been holding for hours. He slumped against the counter, the tension draining out of his shoulders, leaving him exhausted. She was safe.
For now.
He looked out the window at the setting sun. The light was fading, making way for the night. And after the night, the 18th year would begin.
"Two hours," Elian muttered, clutching the phone like a lifeline. "Just enough time to prepare."