Chapter 11 - Aether

*CLINK*

Adrian closed the door behind him, he slowly walked towards the bathroom. After leaving the void zone, his aether started circulating around his body, reducing the pain and fatigue he was feeling.

He stood in front of the sink and turned on the tap, the clear water smoothly ran through the tap, after waiting for the water to fill the sink, he opened a small compartment on the wall, small bottles and toiletries could be seen inside, he picked one of the bottles, opened it and dropped a few drops inside the water.

The water took on a light green colour, letting out calming fragrance, Adrian dipped his palms inside the water, "Ahhh... Ouch, ouch, ouch," first came the cool feeling, then the stinging pain followed, Adrian endured and remained in that position for a few minutes.

He waited for the stinging pain to subside before removing his palms, the bruises and cuts were mostly healed, only slight red lines could be seen, as for his nails, they weren't fully grown yet.

Adrian removed his training suit and took a shower, then he put on his uniform and checked his watch,

>TIME : 8:26 AM<

>NEXT CLASS : AETHER CONTROL<

>HEAD TO THE ARCHIVIUM<

The next class was starting by 8:30 AM, so Adrian left his room, he made his way through the academy, his thoughts trying to remember what happened at the slope. One second he was lying on the floor, and next he emerged from the beam, he knew he moved, but the memory was hazy, 'Dosnt matter, at least I made it in time,' Adrian pushed the thoughts away.

He quickly stopped at the cafeteria to eat breakfast before he head to the class. After having his fill, he followed the maps directions.

Adrian stopped in front of a massive five story building, walking into the hallway, his watch pointed that his class was just ahead. He came to a stop in front of a large double door, the doors slid open as he got close.

As Adrian stepped into the classroom, he was immediately struck by the serene and calming atmosphere that pervaded the space. The white floorboards, polished to a high sheen, seemed to glow softly in the gentle light that filtered in through the large windows. The room was spacious, with high ceilings that gave the impression of airiness and freedom.

The futons, arranged in neat rows on the floor, added a touch of warmth and coziness to the space. They were a deep, rich brown color, and seemed to invite the cadets to sit and relax.

At the front of the room, a female instructor sat serenely on a slightly raised stage. Her futon was placed on a delicate, intricately carved wooden dais, and she sat cross-legged on it, her eyes closed in meditation.

The kimono she wore seemed to glow softly in the light, and her long, dark hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall. The air around her seemed to vibrate with a quiet, peaceful energy, and Adrian felt his own breathing slow down as he gazed at her.

Other cadets could also be seen sitting on their futons, so Adrian walked towards a futon near the front, he didn't want to miss out on anything she was going to teach today, since he's unawakened, a dud, he had to focus on aether.

Aether is his surefire way to progress, and he had to learn all he can about it.

Few minutes passed and the place was almost filled to the brim, Adrian looked around and noticed that the number of cadets here weren't more than 50, 'seems like the classes are separated, figures.'

The instructor opened her eyes, a piercing gaze fell upon the cadets, "Good morning cadets, I'm instructor Nakamura, and I'll be teaching you on how to control and understand the intricacies of aether." her soothing voice rang out.

"Aether is a vast expanse of energy that permeates the universe, the foundation of all creation, the raw material from which all matter and energy are derived.

But.. Aether is also chaotic. We are only able to harness it safely because humanity has slowly adapted to its presence over the years, and also because of our unique abilities.

Today, I will tell you about the Aetheric realms, Each realm consist of three sub-levels. Beginner, middle and peak.

A breakthrough to the next realm requires absorbing and condensing aether into the body, and strengthening the avaricum core.

Some breakthroughs also require insight, combat experience, or special conditions."

Instructor Nakamura let the cadets digest the information before she continued.

"The realms from lowest to highest are, Novice realm, Adept realm, Elite realm, Master realm, and the Grandmaster realm. They are other stages above that, but you don't need that information for now.

At the novice realm, aether flows weakly through your body, which brings about basic enhancements, to progress to the next stage, you'll have to absorb a sufficient amount of aether before you can form your core, this usually takes 2-3 months to form a core, before breaking into the next realm."

Adrian's eyes couldn't help but widen in surprise, he never knew about the realms, seems like he really didn't know much.

"The avaricum core is the central energy core within your body, responsible for absorbing, refining, and storing aether it acts as both a power source and a conduit for your abilities."

Instructor Nakamura stood up and clapped her hands, waking up some of the cadets that dozed off. Most of them already have knowledge on what she said, that's why they didn't pay much attention.

"I can see that some of you are already close to breaking through, but that doesn't give you the permission to slack off in my class, the next person to doze off in my class will be punished" instructor Nakamura said with a cold voice.

"With every breakthrough you have into the next stage, the strength of your abilities also increases. Next, I'll be teaching you all how to absorb aether, and as for those of you that already have the knowledge, use this time to meditate."

Adrian's eyes twinkled, the excitement and anticipation was obvious on his face.

"Any questions so far?" instructor Nakamura asked as she swept her eyes a roos the class, a cadet sitting at the front raised her hands, "Can we increase the grade of our ability by advancing through the stages?" she poised a question.

"No, the grade of your abilities cannot be increased, but your ability will undergo qualitative changes. Any more questions?"

After seeing that none of them had a question to ask, she walked back to her futon and sat In a crossed-leg position.

"Let's begin. Close your eyes and focus on your breath, inhale slowly, feel the aether around you and try to draw it towards your nostrils. Repeat this process till you synchronize your breath with the natural flow of Aether in your surrounding."

As the students closed their eyes, the room fell silent, with only the sound of gentle breathing breaking the stillness.

Adrian's eyes fluttered shut, and he focused on his breath, feeling the cool air fill his lungs. He tried to sense the aether around him, imagining it as a gentle hum, a vibration that resonated deep within his chest.

He slowly took in breaths, trying to take in the aether, after a few minutes of trying, he began to feel something other than air enter his nostrils, he kept on repeating the process.

A few minutes later, Adrian could feel the aether smoothly flowing into his nostrils, the aether slowly converged around his chest, that's when he noticed something happening.

Most of the aether were being drawn towards another place, he tried looking within him to find out why the aether was moving towards another point, that's when he felt his consciousness being pulled and he found himself floating in a vast, Grey space.

Above him, a cloud of aether swirled and pulsed, it's soft, blue glow providing the only contrast to the otherwise featureless Grey expanse.

He turned his gaze and saw a black pit in the distance, he floated towards the black spot and after a while he stopped, the seemingly black spot was now a deep dark chasm.

The aether seemed to be going into a dark chasm, the place was letting out an ominous aura, making him shiver. Confusion further etched itself on his face, why is there sure a place in here? , what's in the chasm?

He tried pushing his floating body into the abyss, but that's when he felt a resistance trying to stop him from entering the place, he kept on trying to break through by persistently hitting the barrier around it.

After a series of repeated banging, the thin barrier gave out.

CRACK!

Sounds of shattered glass echoed through the place, Adrian was feeling the fatigue taking over him, but he pushed on and entered the abyss, it didn't take long for him to come across a strange place.

His eyes widened in shock as a feeling of dread and danger came over him, causing him to snap his eyes open, his chest heaving up and down as he tried to make sense of what he saw.