Alex's morning unfolded with the comforting familiarity of breakfast alongside his dorm mates. Yet, today marked a departure from the norm. Instead of bracing for the grueling regimen under Lieutenant Smith, he was bound for an examination with Lieutenant Elara—a prospect that secretly pleased him.
With a lightness in his step, he bid his friends goodbye and navigated his way to the tech department. Despite having been there before, the sheer magnitude of the building had him meandering through its corridors more than once before he finally reached his destination. Upon arrival, he announced his name and the purpose of his visit to a private who seemed to be orchestrating appointments.
She instructed him to wait while she notified the relevant personnel.
As he settled into his seat, Alex's gaze drifted across the room to the seasoned instructor he had met previously, now engrossed in delivering a lecture to a group of cadets. These weren't solely F-Rank cadets; the varied hues of their uniforms signified higher ranks.
He observed them, engrossed in their digital displays, diligently taking notes—a stark contrast to the sweat-drenched lessons of Lieutenant Smith, where the only thing flowing more freely than the effort was the perspiration.
Engrossed in his reverie, Alex barely registered the private he had spoken to earlier until she stood right before him. "Follow me, Cadet Alex," she instructed in a flat tone. He complied, trailing her through the labyrinthine corridors of the facility.
The walls, embedded with runes, exuded an ancient aura that contrasted starkly with the modern surroundings.
They arrived at a large door leading into an office. The private ushered him inside with a prompt farewell, then departed to manage further appointments.
Alex surveyed the room, finding a curious blend of the old and the new. Bookshelves laden with tomes, some so old they seemed to whisper tales of yore, coexisted with the glow of digital screens and a desk that wouldn't be out of place in a laboratory. The juxtaposition was striking.
His contemplation was interrupted by the arrival of a portly man with a substantial moustache and round, spectacled eyes that peered out with an almost comical intensity. Following him was Elara, known among the new F-Ranks as 'The Beauty of Pain.'
Alex hadn't paid her much mind before, but now, her fiery gaze and the auburn tinge in her long brown hair captivated him. He caught his breath, a silent admonition to himself— 'I have no chance with her, best to let that thought go.' Elara's amused look suggested she was no stranger to such awestruck reactions.
The portly man's eyes sparkled with a mix of curiosity and anticipation as he regarded Alex. "Greetings, Cadet Alex. I am Dr. Thaddeus Blythe. I hold no military rank; my role here is solely for research purposes. Elara has informed me that you've encountered some peculiarities when gathering essences, is that correct?"
With a cautious glance at Elara, Alex received a nod of encouragement. He then detailed the unusual sensations and the chaotic nature of the essence he experienced during refinement. Dr. Blythe listened intently, his mind already turning over the possibilities.
"Very well, let's observe this phenomenon firsthand. Please, proceed with gathering essence as you normally would," Dr. Blythe instructed, his voice tinged with excitement.
Alex focused, attempting to draw in the essence as he had been taught.
Meanwhile, Dr. Blythe bustled about him, deploying a variety of rune-inscribed instruments designed to measure and analyse the essence's behaviour. The room was silent save for the soft hum of the devices and the low murmur of Elara's observations.
Dr. Blythe's muttering broke the tense silence. "Curious indeed," he observed, noting the unusually high volume of essence Alex was absorbing, atypical for an F-Rank with an unstarred rune. "Let's amplify the essence in the room and observe the effects."
With that, he activated a device that bloomed open, increasing the essence tenfold.
The sudden shift in ambient essence didn't go unnoticed by the other cadets, who felt the energy wane as if being siphoned away. Their instructors quickly reassured them, but the disturbance was palpable.
Alex, meanwhile, was in agony. The pain eclipsed even that of his rune's awakening during the evaluation. Initially, the process was familiar, but the moment Dr. Blythe's device came to life, a searing pain erupted within him. Peering inward, he saw his rune pulling in a whirlwind of colored essences—blue for water, red for fire, grey for metal, brown for earth.
But then, something unexpected occurred: a nascent star began to form above his rune, a sign of burgeoning power that filled him with elation. Yet, as the star reached completion, it was abruptly consumed by his rune, intensifying the pain and pressure within his very soul.
Outside, Elara's concern was evident as she witnessed Alex's distress, blood seeping from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. "Blythe, you fool, you're going to kill him!" she exclaimed, her voice laced with fear. She had seen such symptoms in battle-worn soldiers, but never from mere essence gathering. She feared he might burst from the strain.
Dr. Blythe, however, remained oddly calm. "Relax, I'm quite aware of what I'm doing. He's not going to explode—at least, I'm fairly certain," he replied, his curiosity piqued by the unfolding events. He had sensed the formation of Alex's star, only to feel its power vanish as quickly as it appeared.
Alex, still fixated on his rune, was dismayed. The star he had unwittingly created—and which should have been a mark of his strength—had been devoured by his own rune. He cursed the insatiable hunger of what he now deemed a gluttonous rune. As he berated it, the chaos seemed to subside, and the rune's appearance transformed, taking on the splendor of a starry galaxy, though it lacked the initial impressiveness of his awakening.
Another change caught his attention: the essence he released was now clear, tinged with shades of grey and blue, no longer the jumbled mess it once was. Instinctively, he understood that his rune had refined it into space essence.
The sensation of space essence was unmistakable, akin to the familiar rush a rune user feels during teleportation. The onlookers turned their gaze towards Alex, their expressions a mix of astonishment and disbelief.
The notion of an F-Rank cadet, especially one from a common background, being attuned to space essence was preposterous.
Such an affinity was typically reserved for those of higher ranks, for space, like time, was an elusive essence that few could wield instinctively. While disciplined training could enable any individual to utilize any essence—hence the establishment of teleportation lines—rare were those whose runes naturally refined space essence from the ambient energies.
Elara and Blythe shared the cadets' shock. It defied logic for an F-Rank to demonstrate such a capability, let alone one without a prestigious lineage.
Elara had delved into Alex's history upon discovering his shared surname with a notable family, only to confirm he was indeed an ordinary youth from the planet's outskirts. The only peculiarity was his parents' departure when he was fifteen, leaving behind a life assurance fund—a common military practice to secure a financial safety net for loved ones posthumously.
Yet, here he was, an anomaly in their midst, challenging the very foundations of their understanding of rune essence.
As Alex's senses steadied, he lifted his gaze to meet Elara and Dr. Blythe's, both wearing expressions of utter astonishment. "It's not a jumble anymore," he managed to articulate, just as consciousness slipped from his grasp and he collapsed, the world fading to black.
Alex's slumber was riddled with a bizarre dream, one that could have been a comical skit if not for the unnerving sensation it left behind.
In his dream, he was the unwilling star of a madcap medical show, with a doctor whose enthusiasm for research was as oversized as his mustache, and an assistant whose beauty was matched only by her penchant for mischief. They poked and prodded at Alex's rune with an array of outlandish instruments, each more ridiculous than the last, all while debating the best way to 'maximize his essence potential.'
The doctor's eyes bulged with every new discovery, and the assistant's laughter echoed, a soundtrack to the absurdity. Just as the doctor brandished a feather—ostensibly to 'tickle the essence into submission'—Alex's eyes snapped open, the dream dissolving into the sterile calm of the medical pod.
He found himself not in a torture chamber of comedic horrors, but in the embrace of a luxurious medical pod, far removed from the austere beds commoners would be accustomed to. The pod was a sanctuary of healing, where technology and comfort merged to create an environment that could mend both body and spirit. It was a stark reminder of how far medical care had come—and how grateful he should be that his reality was no joke.
Exhaustion pulled Alex back into the depths of sleep, his body demanding the rest it needed to recover from the ordeal. When he next opened his eyes, it was to the sight of Elara standing over him, her gaze curious and probing.
"Finally awake, Cadet? Good. Once you're ready, get out and get dressed. We have some meetings to attend to. Oh, and congratulations on your rank," she said, her voice laced with a hint of intrigue.
Bewildered, Alex turned his head and caught sight of his new uniform. It wasn't the standard red of an F-Rank cadet; instead, it was a sleek black runefit ensemble, elegantly accented with specks of yellow that shimmered subtly, the hallmark of a C-Rank. The uniform lay neatly folded, its fabric catching the light in a way that suggested both luxury and utility—a garment befitting a cadet who had just made an unexpected leap in status.
Alex's eyes narrowed inquisitively at Elara. "We retested you while you were unconscious," she explained, her voice carrying a nonchalant edge. "It appears you've been classified as a C-Rank Rune Awakened. The academy's system has already updated your records." With a casual shrug, she conveyed the weight of this revelation as if it were mere routine.
Once Elara had stepped out, granting him privacy, Alex emerged from the pod. Clad only in his undergarments beneath the pod's coverings, he was mindful not to reveal too much. He waited for the sound of her footsteps to fade before he ventured to dress in the new uniform that symbolized his unexpected ascent within the academy's ranks.
Alex's gaze lingered on his reflection, a sense of newfound pride swelling within him. The mirror revealed not just a young man, but a figure who could easily be mistaken for nobility.
His features were a harmonious blend of strength and refinement; a strong jawline softened by the gentle curve of his cheeks, and eyes that held the depth of the night sky—a striking contrast to his fair hair, which fell in a casual, yet deliberate style that framed his face perfectly.
His stature was tall and commanding, yet there was an ease to his posture that spoke of confidence rather than arrogance. The uniform clung to his frame in all the right places, hinting at the lean muscles beneath without ostentation.
It was the subtle grace in his movements, the unspoken assurance in his stance, that completed the image. Alex Sterling might not have been born a noble, but he carried himself with the effortless elegance of one who belonged among them.
Alex found Elara waiting patiently outside the medical bay. As he approached, he snapped a crisp salute, a gesture of respect ingrained in him from his earliest training sessions. Elara acknowledged with a subtle nod and gestured for him to follow her to their next destination.
As they walked, Alex couldn't help but glance at the Rune information now displayed on his device. The once-empty space was filled with an image of his Rune, a swirling galaxy of stars, mirroring the cosmic display he had witnessed during its voracious absorption of his star. The details provided were enlightening:
Alex Sterling – M.R Cadet
Awakened Rune – Space
Potential – C-Rank
Rune Rank – 0 Stars
With a newfound sense of purpose, Alex felt ready to embrace the growth and opportunities that lay ahead, now that his Rune's information was finally revealed. They reached the orientation area of the academy, where Private Morris hurried over, saluting Elara with precision.
"At ease. Escort Cadet Sterling to his new quarters; the instructors are already briefed," Elara commanded, her voice carrying the weight of authority. She then turned to Alex, her eyes locking onto his. "Cadet, prepare for significant changes. Review the document sent to your display when you can and familiarize yourself with your new timetable—it's tailored to your updated status." With those final words, she departed, her confident strides echoing in the hallway, leaving Alex in the capable hands of Private Morris.
Elara left Alex to acclimate to his new status and made her way to the dean's office, her mind abuzz with the possibilities that Alex's unique rune awakening could unlock. She entered Dean Michael Anderson's office with a breezy disregard for protocol, her smile betraying her anticipation of the potential benefits to come.
Dean Anderson, looking up from a pile of paperwork, let out a weary sigh. "Elara, must you always flout decorum?" he implored, his voice tinged with exasperation. He had his reservations about bringing his sister into the academy's fold, but their parents' wishes were clear—they wanted her to broaden her horizons. Assigning her an instructor's role seemed the simplest solution, sparing him the added burden of playing mentor to his headstrong sibling.
Elara's grin widened, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Come now, Michael, lighten up. I've just handed you a new space runesmith on a silver platter. You ought to be singing my praises," she teased, her smile sharp as a blade when she sensed an opportunity.
Michael let out another sigh, resigned to the familiar dance. "Alright, out with it. What do you want?" he asked, bracing himself for her request.