Kael stepped through the arched entrance of the Aetherion Spire dormitory wing as the last light of day faded. The building rose narrow and tall, its pale stone walls etched with runes that moved slowly like equations writing themselves. Balconies overlooked a deep chasm between floating rock formations, and a constant low hum vibrated through the floor, as if the island itself was testing gravity with every breath.
His room was on the upper floor — simple, with a bed, a desk, and a wide window that offered a clear view of the distant islands. He set his small bag down and stood at the window for a moment. The shifting light played across the landscape, the bridges of light glowing softly against the darkening sky. The view was striking. Kael simply observed.
The night passed quietly. He listened to the distant sounds of students training on the lower levels, the low hum of the island, and the occasional footsteps in the hallway. He did not sleep much. Instead, he sat by the window, watching the lights of the other islands.
The next morning, all new students gathered for the mandatory general class on basic cultivation knowledge. The hall was a massive open chamber carved into the side of the main island, its ceiling high and open to the sky so that sunlight streamed down in broad, golden beams. Rows of smooth stone benches curved in a wide semicircle facing a raised platform. Runes etched into the floor glowed faintly, pulsing in time with the low hum that filled the space. The air felt charged, thick with Prime Essence that made the skin tingle and the heart beat a little faster.
Hundreds of new students filled the benches some sitting straight with nervous energy, others leaning forward with open curiosity. Whispers rippled through the crowd as they waited. Kael sat near the back, his posture relaxed but his eyes scanning the room. He noted who sat with their house groups, who sat alone, and who already watched others with calculating glances.
An older instructor stepped onto the platform. His robes were simple gray, marked with the imperial emblem. He raised a hand, and the hall fell quiet.
"I am Instructor Harlan," he said, his voice carrying clearly to every corner. "Today we begin with the foundation of cultivation. Bloodlines are the root of all power. They are inherited containers of potential, passed down from ancestors through pacts, mutations, moments of great authority, or inhuman heritage. When Prime Essence surges through you during the Awakening Ritual, it awakens the dormant potential in your blood. The stronger and more stable the bloodline, the more intricate and reliable the runes that form on your skin."
He gestured, and a large illusion appeared above the platform — glowing lines forming on an invisible arm, then branching into complex patterns.
"Cultivation itself is the process of drawing Prime Essence into those runes, circulating it through your body, and strengthening both the runes and your soul. The more Prime Essence you absorb and control, the more complex your rune circuits become. Full rune circuits are required to advance between realms. Partial circuits leave you vulnerable to Atavism — the reversion to primal chaos that pulls everything back to the Origin."
The instructor continued, his tone measured. "The realms of cultivation are as follows:
Awakened — the starting point. You have formed your initial runes and manifested a Soul Weapon. Your anchors are weak, and Atavism risk is low but present.
Elite — your rune circuits expand significantly. You gain better control and stronger abilities, but the pull of reversion grows stronger if you push too hard.
Master — full rune circuits allow stable, powerful use of your bloodline. At this stage, many begin to feel the true weight of Atavism. Mutations can appear if control slips.
Sovereign — the pinnacle most strive for. Complete mastery over your bloodline and Soul Weapon. Only a few reach this realm, and the risk of primal distortion is severe.
Atavist — the near-mythical highest tier. Fully awakened ancestral power. Rare, feared, and almost always unstable. Those who reach it walk the edge of complete reversion to the Origin."
He paused, letting the words settle. "Pros of strong cultivation: faster growth, more powerful abilities, greater resistance to external threats, the ability to manifest stronger Soul Weapons, and the capacity to absorb and control larger amounts of Prime Essence, which in turn allows you to push further into higher realms and unlock abilities that weaker bloodlines can never reach. Cons and limitations: the stronger you become, the more Prime Essence you draw, and the faster Atavism pulls at you. Overuse without proper control can lead to primal mutation bones lengthening, skin bubbling, mind slipping toward instinct. That is why the Academy exists. Families are forbidden from teaching advanced cultivation at home. Only here can you learn to control what you have awakened before it controls you."
As the words sank in, a ripple of unease moved through the benches. Several students shifted in their seats, faces tightening. One girl near the front clutched her hands together, her newly formed runes faintly visible on her wrists. A boy two rows ahead swallowed hard, his eyes darting around as if he could already feel something pulling at the edges of his mind. The instructor's calm explanation of reversion and mutation had made the risk feel immediate. Even those who had awakened strong bloodlines now sat a little straighter, the earlier excitement dimming as the weight of the warning settled over the hall.
Kael sat still, listening. When the instructor called for practical circulation, he placed his hands on his knees and drew Prime Essence into his runes. The black gravitational force inside him responded immediately. He felt it pull at the energy in the air, drawing it in like a silent vortex. The runes on his skin warmed, the dark swirling patterns growing slightly more defined. Around him, other students struggled some produced only faint sparks, others caused small disturbances in the air that quickly faded. One girl nearby gasped as her attempt made the bench beneath her creak under sudden extra weight. Another boy's circulation caused a brief ripple that made the light above him flicker.
Kael kept his breathing even. The Devourer's Hunger stirred faintly beneath the runes, tasting the Prime Essence he pulled in. It wanted more. He held it back, letting only what was needed flow through the circuits. The sensation was precise — a steady draw, a controlled compression. He noted how the energy felt different when it passed through the Graviton Crest's influence versus his own black singularity. One was structured, the other simply hungry.
The class continued with demonstrations of basic rune circulation. Students practiced drawing Prime Essence into their newly formed tattoos, the air in the hall growing thicker with energy. Kael moved through the exercises with steady precision. Sunlight from the open ceiling shifted across the stone benches as students concentrated, some sweating, some frowning in frustration when their runes flickered weakly. The low hum of the island seemed louder in the quiet moments between instructions, mixing with the soft sounds of breathing and the occasional creak of stone under sudden weight.
By midday, the general class ended and students dispersed toward their respective school wings or the shared training yards.
Kael walked back across the bridge of light toward the Aetherion Spire dormitory, the wind tugging at his clothes. The view below the deep chasm, the floating rock formations, the distant glow of other schools was striking. He observed it all without expression. The Academy was beautiful in its own way.
He reached his room and pushed the door open. The space was simple and functional a bed against one wall, a wooden desk by the window, a small wardrobe, and a second bed on the opposite side. The wide window offered a clear view of the distant islands, the light outside turning the chasm into a sea of golden haze.
A boy was already inside, sitting on the other bed and unpacking a small bag. He looked up as Kael entered. He was tall and lean, with sharp cheekbones, dark brown skin, and short, neatly cropped black hair that had a slight wave to it. His eyes were a deep amber, almost golden in the slanting sunlight, and they carried a quiet intensity that made him seem older than his twelve years. A faint scar ran along his left jawline, thin and pale, as if something had once grazed him sharply. When he moved, his shoulders shifted with the easy confidence of someone used to physical training.
"You're the gravity guy from the general class," the boy said, his voice calm and low, with a slight accent that suggested he came from one of the border territories. He stood up, offering a nod rather than a hand. "I'm Darius Vale. Iron Citadel bloodline endurance and reinforcement. They put me here because my secondary awakening had some spatial overlap. Looks like we're sharing the room."
Kael closed the door behind him and set his bag on the empty bed. He observed the boy the way he held himself, the faint calluses on his hands, the steady gaze that didn't waver. Darius moved with controlled strength, the kind that came from years of physical conditioning. The scar on his jaw suggested he had already faced something sharp and real.
Kael gave a small, even nod. "Kael Draven."
Darius sat back down and continued unpacking, placing a few folded clothes and a small, worn notebook on the desk beside his bed. "The view from here is good for training focus. The chasm helps with balance exercises. If you want to practice circulation later, the balcony is wide enough for both of us without interference."
If Darius Vale carried the Iron Citadel bloodline, that meant he had awakened two distinct abilities, marking him as a rare genius much like the boy named Jian during the awakening ceremony. Yet Jian could not compare. Darius came from a noble family, and his secondary awakening carried a spatial overlap, a combination that made the prospect far more formidable. Spatial awakenings were exceptionally rare and almost always belonged to noble bloodlines, while Jian had only manifested basic elemental abilities. Darius should have carried the refined bearing of high nobility, yet his appearance suggested otherwise.
This seems quite interesting, Kael thought as he chuckled inwardly.
The room felt quiet except for the low hum of the island and the distant sound of wind moving through the chasm. Sunlight poured through the window, warming the stone floor and casting long shadows from the furniture. The air carried a faint, clean scent of polished stone and the distant greenery from the lower levels.
Kael sat on his bed and took out his Academy Sigil. The crystal disc was warm in his palm, the emblem of Aetherion Spire pulsing faintly. He turned it over once, feeling the subtle pull of the black gravitational force inside him. The Devourer's Hunger stirred faintly, tasting the Prime Essence in the air. He held it back, letting only what was needed settle.
Kael has been trying to secretly use that special power different from his bloodline, something he later named Devourer's Hunger. It seemed to be hungry for anything... in short everything. While the school of Crimson Caldera also has the ability of consumption, they can only devour small amounts of prime essence from objects or energy from spells to cause it to break down and fuel themselves. However, he found out that his Devourer's Hunger can devour everything including spells, bloodlines, and even runes. After devouring these abilities you can assimilate them, however the downside is that the more he devours, the stronger the hunger grows and the faster Atavism pulls at him, threatening to erode his own sanity and body. Even with these, it terrifies him because if people were to find out he might become the enemy of the people. After all, while on Earth he had seen what absolute power and authority did to people — just because it made others feel threatened they would not hesitate to eliminate you, and no matter how strong one is, you can never be too careful when you become the common enemy of others.
I guess i have to forget I have such an ability for safety sake, even though this should Golden finger but what use it is, when it might bring me and my family harm...
With one final sigh Kael promised himself not to make use of the Dovourer's Hunger.