A Month in the Eclipse Class

A full month had passed since Hal's awakening and induction into the Eclipse Class, and in that time he'd settled into a rhythm he never could have imagined when he first set foot on Academy Continent. No longer did the initial awe—or the lingering haze of Authority surging through his veins—overwhelm him. Instead, sunrise came like clockwork, his body responding to the dorm's gentle holo-dawn with disciplined readiness.

Each morning began the same. He rose at dawn, stretching his stiff muscles beneath the soft sheets of his royal quarters. The uniforms he'd once admired from afar now hung in his closet: the black tunic trimmed in gold, the fiery eclipse insignia blazing on his shoulder. After a brisk shower in a stall that seemed sized for half a dozen soldiers, Hal dressed and strode through the silent halls, nodding to the floating maid-bots who prepared his meals.

Breakfast in the Eclipse dining hall was a subdued affair. The other students—god-descendants and prodigies alike—dined on exotic fruits and nutrient-rich broths tailored for peak performance. Conversation buzzed around him: debates over the day's lessons, quiet bragging about progress, and whispered rivalries. Hal, ever reserved, simply ate. His attention drifted to Riven, the hot-headed girl with tangled auburn hair, who sat across the long table dissecting the merits of spear combat with a pair of Zenith students. Kael, the stoic youth whose stillness made him all the more imposing, sat two seats down. He met Hal's eyes in a brief nod before returning to his silent meditation.

By first period, Hal was already reflecting on his next moves. Professor Aer's lectures offered the theoretical foundation he craved, yet Hal felt a gnawing urge to push beyond the classroom. He'd overheard whispers in the corridors: "Strongest cadet in conceptual classes," "Doesn't even break a sweat in sparring," "What's he hiding?" With each hushed rumor, Hal's resolve hardened. He added extra coursework—specialized classes that would stretch him further.

His schedule now included:

Swordsmanship with Master Kestrel, a former Lord whose blade singed the air with raw Authority;

Conceptual Understanding under the austere Lady Miren, who taught that Authority has to has a concept and the concept is the mirror of the soul and that for now as of his current power he cant wield concepts but he can atleast understand them and resonate until he reaches his truth

Meditation & Focus, a rigorous course led by Ascendant Sera, where Hal learned to increase his authority by understanding the laws of authority and his 'importance' so he got stronger

Universal Principles, a sprawling survey of cosmic balance, reality's architecture, and the rudiments of divine law giving him some enlightening words which he used in his meditation class to further increase his authority

It wasn't easy. On days with five classes scheduled, Hal's muscles burned and his mind felt stretched thin. Yet each class fed a different part of him—the physical, the metaphysical, the spiritual, and the cosmic and even after all that he would visit the library. Each evening, after his visit to the library he went to the training grounds, where he meet with Riven and Kael.

Riven, ever the spark, greeted him with a grin. "So, you're really doing this—four extra classes? You trying to short-circuit your brain?"

"I'm trying to get stronger," Hal replied, hefting his practice sword. "That's all."

She snorted. "Whatever keeps you from getting swallowed by one of those god-spawn." Her gaze flicked toward the distant silhouette of Lyra Vanthe, who practiced silent footwork atop a floating plinth. "I'll never understand why you didn't at least pick something fun—like elemental control or illusion crafts."

Kael merely shifted, the air around him rippling as he entered a meditative hold. He spoke at last, his voice a soft rumble: "Discipline, Hal. Some of us don't need more tricks. We need mastery."

That evening, beneath the twin moons that the holoprojector cast across the sky, Hal felt the weight of the month lift. He'd added those classes because he wanted to get stronger for a purpose something he wanted to feel the desire to be alive.