The first rays of sunlight filtered through the thick curtains of Krion’s room, bathing the spa a soft golden hue. He blinked awake slowly, stretg as he did so. The events of the previous day briefly repyed in his mind, and he remembered he was not alone.
Turning his head, Krion was greeted by the sight of Hatsune. She y curled up on the couch still, her head resting against one arm and her legs tucked beh her. Despite the alertness and posed demeanor of yesterday, she looked peaceful and rexed in sleep. Her silver hair spilled over her shoulder in loose waves, catg the m light like strands of moonlight. Krion couldn’t help but smile. For the first time in what felt like forever, he’d slept deeply and without worry. Perhaps he was getting used to the new enviro, or maybe it was the silent reassurance of having Hatsune nearby.
He rose quietly, careful not to disturb her, and made his way to the bathroom to freshen up. By the time he emerged, Hatsune was beginning to stir. Her eyes fluttered open, and she stretched gracefully.
“Good m, Hatsune,” he said as her eyes shifted over to his bed and then to where he stood. “I hope you slept well?”
“I… did.” She seemed almost surprised in her response.
After direg her to the bathroom and givihe space to get dressed in her armor, they made their way to the kit, where they shared a simple breakfast of fruit, bread, and honey. Hatsue sparingly, her movements effit and deliberate, while he savored each bite, excitement bubbling within him for the day ahead.
Today was the day he’d attend his first css in Esseudies, the one subject he’d been looking forward to above all others. Magic — real magic — felt tantalizingly close, and he couldn’t wait to dive in.
After breakfast, they left the manor, Krion only pausing to lock up behind themselves, then made their way dowreets that were gradually being familiar to him. The air gradually began to buzz with anticipation as other students began to appear with their own bodyguards, hurrying along to their own csses. Hatsune walked a step behind Krion, her eyes sing their surroundings with a sharphat trasted with her earlier calm demeanor.
Soon a familiar tall building came into view. He remembered the rge spire covered in magical lights of some sort that J-65 had shown him the other day. Today, they flickered between red and green spheres as he watched, almost reminding him of a Christmas tree. The closer they got, the more the air began to feel charged with some kind of energy, but ohey passed through the mairahe charge fell away.
When they reached the where Esseudies would be held, Krion’s breath caught as soon as they went ihe room was vast, easily rivaling the size of the Foundations of History , but with airely different atmosphere. Shelves of books lihe walls from floor to ceiling, each shelf packed with aomes, scrolls, or more modern-looking books that radiated an almost palpable energy. The ter of the room was dominated by a series of trigs carved into the stone floor, eascribed with intricate runes. A faint glow emanated from the carvings, shifting much like the lights had outside.
Hatsune’s gaze swept the room briefly before she gestured to a side door. “I’ll wait in the adjoining room with the other bodyguards,” she said. “Call if you need anything.”
Krion absently nodded, his attention already drifting back to the wonders around him. He stepped into the and looked for ay seat. Rows of desks were arranged in a semi-circle fag the carved rings on the floor and the bckboards on the far wall. Students had already begun to fill the seats, but no ohat he reized. He found ay seat he middle aled in, pulling out the notebook he had borrowed from Hector.
Gradually, the room began to fill, bodyguards leaving their ss to find their seats. The lecture hall buzzed with the low hum of versations as students filled the rows, their chatter ranging from excited specution to indifferent pints about the early hour. But the noise dimmed as the door at the back of the room smmed open with a resounding bang, a man in a long bck coat sweeping inside. What was it with these professors and doors?
The idle thought fled as Kiron got a look at the man. His sharp, chiseled features were set in a scowl, and his brown eyes gleamed with irritatiotered a string of phrases under his breath, his words barely audible but steeped in frustration. Krion only caught the st of what he said. Something about him being a prodigy of the Essences of Air and Fire, reduced to babysitting fledglings. The man strode purposely to the front of the room, ign the curious and occasionally angry gnces cast his way. Apparently, Krion had not been the only oo hear some of what he had said.
Oudehe front — a gangly boy with a mop of unruly brown hair — inning a pencil between his fingers, leaning back precariously in his chair as he ughed at a joke whispered to him by a student in a neighb seat.
The professor stopped abruptly, his gaze snapping to the boy. Without a word, he raised his hand and made a sharp being motion. A gust of wind swirled through the room, invisible but powerful, yanking the student from his tilted chair. With a startled yelp, the boy was lifted into the air and unceremoniously deposited bato his seat, pencil cttering to the floor. The room fell silent.
“Sit properly,” the man said, his voice a growl that carried to every er of the room. “Or the ime, you’ll find yourself stuck to the ceiling.”
Satisfied, he turned back to the stuudents and approached the chalkboard. With swift, almost aggressive movements, he scrawled his name across the board in rge, jagged letters:
Professor Darion Stormcloak
Beh his name, he scribbled a list:
EssenceMagicAbilitiesSkills
He then tossed the piece of chalk onto where he had picked it up with a sharp clid turo face the css, his arms crossed over his thi.
“My name is Professor Darion Stormcloak. Wele to Esseudies,” he began, his voice filled with disdain. “For most of you, this will be the most important css you’ll ever take. For the rest of you… well, I’m sure the Empire always needs new fodder for its wars.” His lips curled at the uneasy rustle that ran through the room.
“Essences,” he tinued, pag in front of the board, “are the building blocks of existehey permeate everything — the air you breathe, the grouh your feet, the fire that burns, the water that flows. They are the threads from which the tapestry of the System’s Multiverse is woven. And for those of us with the will and the wit to master them, they are power.”
He stopped and swept his gaze over the students, his eyes narrowing. “Magic is the art of maniputing these Essences, bending them to your will. Whether through raw talent, discipliraining, or sheer stubbornness, those who harness Essences gain access to power that sets them apart. They iably rise to the peak of warriors, healers, schors, rulers — or, in the hands of fools, corpses.”
“Magid Essences,” he tinued, “are often fted by the unlearned and the foolish. To do so is to misuand the very foundation of power itself. Today, we shall correct this error so that you don’t make this mistake as well. I would ence you to take notes on this part.”
The rustling of papers and packs spread throughout the as students that hadn’t already been taking notes pulled out notebooks and pencils to do so. While Krion had thought ahead, he alshat he would o find a school supply store sooner rather thahe oebook Hector had given him wouldn’t likely be long enough to hold all the notes he would o take.
“Imagine,” Professor Stormcloak said as the rustling died down, “a maer el. It is designed with purpose, and structed of various parts and pos to direct water where it is needed. Its paths are limited, and its fun determined by its builders. This is magic.” He paused, eyes sing the room for uanding before tinuing. “Now, imagihe o. Vast, untamed, and boundless. It operates on principles no mortal fully trol or fathom. This is Essence.”
Krion hurriedly jotted down his notes, and took an additional moment to draw some crude drawings of a water el and a circle with squiggles to represent the waves on an o. All the students around him were taking notes as well.
“Magic,” Professor Stormcloak said, starting to pace, “is a tool. It is utility made ma. With effort and study, many people — be they peasant or noble — learn to wield it. Fireballs, healing spells, illusions — these are struagic, bound by strict rules and reliant on aernal source of power called mana.” He muttered under his breath, then flicked his wrist, causing a small fme to appear in his palm, where it danced zily before extinguishing itself. “But it is limited. Magic is finite, strained by the knowledge and creativity of its user.”
He stopped, his sharp gaze jumping from student to student, driving home the importance of what he was saying. “While a signifit part of this css will be devoted to providing you training in magic, it is Essence where true power lies, and thus why the course is beled as such. It is intrinsic, tied to the very nature of the individual. Unlike magic, Essences ot be borrowed or directly taught; they must be awakened. And once awake the highest levels, it allows for feats that magic could never achieve.”
Professor Stormcloak raised a hand again, and the air around him seemed to shimmer. For a brief moment, the space between him and the sitting students seemed to twist, giving glimpses of something just out of view. Then it was gone, leaving a heavy stillness in its wake.
“Essence is not bound by the rules of magic. It is a refle of one’s soul, one’s being, and it grows alongside you, unlog abilities uo the specific Essence. Whether you are aligned with Fire, Shadow, Storm, or some other Esse will shape the limits of your potential. ”
“But if it ’t be directly taught,” an elven s he front spoke up, “then why have it as part of this css? Why not just a css focused on magic?”
“A good question,” Professor Stormcloak nodded. “Just because I ot teach you an Essence directly, doesn’t mean that knowledge and exposure to what Essences are capable of is not useful. It might well help tribute to you being able to unlock your own. There just is no one-size-fits-all approach for everyone. Beyond this css, here at the Academy, yranted access to resources that are the envy of the Empire. The libraries, training grounds, and professors at your disposal are unparalleled. With these, each of you should be able to awaken at least one Essence before yraduation. If you do not,” his voice grew cold, “you will not graduate. Period.”
Krion’s fingers brushed the edge of his desk, tapping lightly as his mind worked through the implications of what the professor was saying. Apparently, beyond the css he o graduate to the sed year, to graduate from the Academy itself, he would o unlo Essence of some sort. He wrote down a brief bulleted list of ideas of how he could begin pursuing an Esse the same time he was looking into a css to unlock. The tral Archive was at the top of the list.
“Professor!” a voiterrupted from the back of the , but Krion couldn’t tell who eaking from where he sat until a young woman with red hair raised her hand. “What about skills and abilities? How do they fit into all of this?”
“An astute question as well,” Professor Stormcloak said, his tone measured. “Let me crify. Skills and abilities are distinct from both Magid Essence. A skill is something anyone learn through effort aition. Swordsmanship, potion-making, advanced mathematics — these are skills. They are not tied to your Essence or your css.” He tapped the lee as he stepped back to it. “Abilities, oher hand, are a different matter entirely. An ability is an innate capability that only be unlocked via specific csses. For example, a Shadow Stalker, a css of the Rogue sub-type, may gain the ability to meld into darkness, while a Storm Sage, a css of the Mage sub-type, may gain the ability to call lightning from the sky. While it is possible to mimic these abilities to a lesser degree with the proper application of higher-ranking magic, they are still not something that you learn without the required csses. ”
The red-haired girl frowned. “But what if someorains hard enough? Couldn’t they —”
“No,” the Professor interrupted. “No amount of training repce the fual e between csses and abilities. It is as futile as trying to breathe uer without gills.”
The student sank into her seat, chastened but with a thoughtful expression on her face.
“Now, are there any additional questions on Essences?”
A hand shot up from the opposite side in the back of the hall. A wiry young man with sharp features and a skeptical expression stood before the professor could aowledge him. “Professor,” he began, “are there any forbidden Essences? Ones so dangerous or vile that they are outwed?”
Krion looked back dorofessor Stormcloak. The professor’s expression didn’t ge, but a glint of something — perhaps approval — fshed in his eyes.
“Forbidden?” the professor repeated, as though tasting the word. “No. Just as with knowledge, forbidding an Essence would achieve nothing but make it more desirable. Within the Empire, no Essence is off-limits for those with the affinity to attain it. Even the darkest of Essences, such as Disease ah, are not barred. Power is her good nor evil, it is the i behind its use that matters. Now, any final questions?”
When no one else spoke up, Professor Stormcloak snapped his fingers, and a series of clear orbs rose from a shelf at the side of the room. The orbs floated through the air, carried by invisible currents, aly settled on each student’s desk. The orbs were perfectly smooth and cool to the touch, their surfaces refleg the light of the room.
“These are Assessment Orbs,” Professor Stormcloak said, his tone brisk. “Their purpose is simple: to help you identify potential Essences within you. For some vanishingly few of you, they may glow immediately, reag to an Essence you’ve already begun to ma. For the vast majority, they will remai for now. That does not mean you are incapable. It simply means that you have yet to tap into the power that surrounds you.”
He leaned against the edge of his le, surveying the room. “Your task is to spend time with these orbs outside of css. Focus on them. Meditate. Seek out Essences in your enviro. Feel the hum of the air, the warmth of the sun, the solidity of the earth. The more you work to attune yourself, the greater your ces of awakening an Essence.”
Academy Assig - Essences of Being
Professor Stormcloak has told you to spend time with your new Assessment Orb. Meditate upon it, trying to feel the existence of Essences around you. Successfully doing so will unlock a deeper uanding of yourself and the world around you. Good lulog the keys of existence.
ditions for Success: Unlock at least one Essence. Use the Assessment Orb (Optional).
Rewards for pletion: Your first Essence.
Accept: Yes/Yes
After accepting the test Academy Assig, Krion’s attention turo see a hand raised in the back row. Once she sarofessor Stormcloak was looking at her, she took that as permission to speak. “Professor, based on what the Academy Assig said, are these Assessment Orbs not necessary to unlog an Essence of our own? Do we o unloe tress in our studies?”
“Necessary? No,” Professor Stormcloak replied, his tone clipped. “But advisable? Absolutely. Unlog an Essence is not required to gain a css, but it is crucial for unlog csses of higher rarity and power. And those csses — the rare, the epic, the legendary — are what separate the ss who will bee great pilrs of the Empire from those who will remain mediocre.”\
The Professor straightened and began pag again. “Now, as I was saying. Essences influence everything — not just magic, but warfare, governance, and the very structure of society. A ruler at the peak of their power who ands the Essence of Water bring prosperity to their nds through irrigation and trade. Ae legionnaire who wields the Essence of Fire turide of battle with a single, devastating spell. Uanding and mastering Essences is the key to power in this Multiverse. And if you don’t uand that… then you’ve already failed.”
As he spoke, he turo move over to the shelves on the left side of the room. He ran a hand down the spine of a particurly a-looking tome. “The knowledge tained within these walls is unparalleled except by the other Imperial Academies and the Imperial Capital. Nothing is free, however. To access these tomes and the training this Academy has to offer beyond the minimum will require Knowledge s or, in some cases, various Seals. With enough of each, you purchase access to advaraining, rare materials, and even personalized instru. This system ehat only those who are truly dedicated thrive here. Now, any final question?”
The same red-headed girl from earlier spoke up. “Professor, what’s your Essence?”
A slow smile spread across Stormcloak’s face, the first true one iire sessioended his hand, palm up, and a small whirlwind of air spiraled above it, crag with tongues of fme that danced and iwined.
“I am a prodigy of the Essences of Air and Fire,” he said, voice full of pride. “And with them, I have aplished feats most of you only dream of. But do not think for a moment that this came without effort. Despite how easy these Essences came to me, the power I have now had to be earned. And if you’re not willing to put in the work, like I did, then you will be wasting my time in this css.”
The whirlwind dissipated with a snap of his fingers, and Stormcloak crossed his arms, his expression back to ral.
“Now,” he said, “spend the few minutes familiarizing yourselves with the orbs. Focus on them. See if you feel even the fai whisper of an Essence. And remember: this is only the beginning. The path to Essences is ohat is long and arduous, and I have no patience for the zy or the faied. In the css, I will lead you in some basic exercises to use magic. Dismissed.”
Merry Christmas to you all! I hope you all have a lovely holiday, and that everything is well with you and your families!
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