Elysium—a world brimming with soul energy, or essence—so abundant that its inhabitants can manifest the essence of their souls. On rare occasions, certain individuals can harness the soul essence from their surroundings, weaving the threads that form the core of their souls. This grants them superhuman and supernatural abilities. These rare individuals are known as Soul Weavers.
Soul Weavers are the natural champions and leaders of Elysium. By gathering soul essence, they can fly, shatter rocks with their bare hands, run at incredible speeds, and possess an unnatural resistance to injury and death by mundane weapons. They also live significantly longer than ordinary humans.
Their supernatural abilities are based on their soul affinities, which manifest around the age of ten. Depending on one's soul affinity, a person might control fire, ice, summon weapons or tools, or even harness the abilities of animals. These powers aren't exclusive to humans; animals, known as Soul Beasts, have also evolved due to the abundant soul essence. Though their power is more rudimentary compared to Soul Weavers, they wield their abilities in ways that complement their natural instincts.
Soul Weavers are ranked by the density and complexity of their soul core's weave, categorized into tiers and ranks:
Tier 1: Soul Perception
- Rank: Soul Weaver, Soul Elite
Tier 2: Soul Manipulation
- Rank: Soul Master, Soul Grandmaster
Tier 3: Soul Shaping
- Rank: Soul Lord, Soul King
Tier 4: Soul Domain
- Rank: Soul Emperor, Soul Monarch
Tier 5: Soul Dominion
- Rank: Soul Sovereign, Soul Saint, Soul Daemon
Tier 6: Soul Ascension
- Rank: Soul God
Though no one has reached the pinnacle of *Soul God* status, Soul Daemons are the closest, wielding power that shakes the very foundations of Elysium.
Despite these mystical abilities, Elysium is far from primitive. Its advanced technology includes hover cars, holograms, and even planetary resource harvesting. Everything seemed perfect... until the Gates of the Abyss opened.
A power-hungry, world-devouring god sought to plunder Elysium's resources. Unable to descend in person, the god sent grotesque and nefarious monsters—Abyssal Shades—to invade the world. The Soul Weavers responded quickly, but not quickly enough. The Abyssal Shades claimed 30% of Elysium, destroying lives and land alike.
In response, humanity and the Soul Weavers built borders to push back the invaders, but their progress was slow. Over 4,000 years of battle, the Abyssal Shades claimed another 10% of the world. Despite this bleak outlook, the people of Elysium discovered that Abyssal Shades were rich in soul shards, strands of souls energy that could broken down and purified to many soul threads, and carried shade cores—valuable for technological advancements, especially for crafting weapons usable by ordinary people.
They also found a way to summon echoes of the dead Abyssal Shades as temporary allies in battle, slowing the enemy's advance. Even intelligent Soul Beasts joined the fight.
This was the world in which Sirius lived. A world full of power struggles for survival, where the fate of humanity was increasingly uncertain. Hence, the academy, where aspiring Soul Weavers trained to face the looming threats that sought to claim their world.
---
By now, Sirius and Xander had reached their school. A lot of parents were dropping off their children, and the wealthier ones arrived in sleek hover cars.
"Look at her," Xander whispered, nudging Sirius. He was eyeing a girl about their age stepping out of one of the hover cars, flanked by guards—Soul Weavers, no doubt. She had striking golden hair, bright green eyes, and a graceful figure. Her face was pretty, but her cold gaze was unsettling for someone so young.
"What's up with the Ice Princess today?" Xander mused aloud. "She looks colder than usual."
Sirius shrugged. "School's almost over. She's probably stressed about entering the Weavers Academy."
"True," Xander said, nodding.
"Alright, I'm off. See you at lunch?" Xander called, heading toward his class.
"Yeah, see you later," Sirius replied, waving as they parted ways.
Sirius walked into his classroom, noticing several students staring at him. He ignored them and went straight to his seat by the window. The golden-haired girl sat at the front, her presence as commanding as ever. A few kids nearby whispered jokes at Sirius' expense, but he paid them no mind, preparing for the lesson.
The bell rang, and their teacher, a stern woman in her late forties, entered the room.
"Settle down, students," she commanded. The chatter quickly died down as everyone took their seats.
"As you know, school is nearly over, and some of you plan to take the Weaver Academy exams, hoping to become Soul Weavers. Some of you already know you have the aptitude for Soul Weaving. Others... will not."
Her words lingered in the room as the students absorbed the weight of what she said.
"Now, there's a difference between a normal weave and a Legacy Soul Weave. Legacy weaves are those developed by Soul Weavers who ascended to Soul God status. They refined their soul weaves to their optimal state, passing them down to those deemed worthy. A prime example is Aurelia."
The teacher gestured to the golden-haired girl. Aurelia lifted her head slightly, her pride evident.
"Her weave is the Sun Blade, passed down by the Golden Sun God. Before he ascended over ten thousand years ago, he was already a legend among Soul Weavers. That's why a Legacy Weave like hers is so powerful. It's guided by a god's insight."
The teacher paused, letting the information sink in.
"But," she continued, "this doesn't mean Legacy Weavers are unbeatable. With hard work, any of you can become strong enough to rival them. Improving the quality of your soul weave is the key."
The students listened intently now, the hope of matching a Legacy Weaver gripping their imaginations.
"But there is another way to match them, even without becoming a Soul Weaver," she added, her tone hinting at a secret.
"What way is that, teacher?" a student asked eagerly. Even Sirius, who had little hope for himself, leaned forward with interest.
The teacher smiled. "That, my dear students, would be becoming a Mecha Pilot."