Professor Aldrick stepped forward once more, his voice deepening with solemnity.
"The final known Type of Topological Matrix, if one could even call it a 'Type', so rare it manifests perhaps once in a century, we now turn to the ζ-Type. This configuration appears only in individuals who possess an extraordinary κ-value, typically above 0.95."
Magister Silas Ren took over with fervorous passion.
"ζ-Types are... anomalous in the best way." He stared at Isaac and Caelum. "They reinforce both cognitive centers and the muscular system at the same time with no inefficiency. Their Thaumitons weave into both domains at around 85% of full specialization in each by unknown biological and physical means."
Aldrick raised a hand subtly.
"What truly distinguishes the ζ-Type is their full-body BEC saturation. Their Thaumitons form a Bose-Einstan Condensate across both muscle fibers I and II, and prefrontal synapses. It is somehow a quantum-level unification. One could analogate the ζ-Type as a Clause-Construct the universe In-Threaded."
Magister Silas folded his arms, voice shifting to something more grounded and informal.
"Now, when it comes to subtypes, we officially recognize only ζ-Type: Hybrid. Here's where things get interesting. A prodigy from Advanced in their Third-Year recently proposed a refined subtypification, based on polarity shifts and resonance matrices, as expected from that uni. At first, most dismissed it as speculative."
'Uni'...
Aldrick nodded. "Until Headmaster Orthellius endorsed the theory himself. He personally invited the distinguished student and cited her work comparative to Thaumiton Shielding studies and early TRC-BEC overlap—"
"Which," Silas interjected with a grin, "for those wondering, the TRC is the Thaumiton Resonance Chamber. That's where a Wave Binder's unique 'path' per se begins to form, the foundation that eventually determines your Topological Matrix."
The room visibly brightened as realization sparked.
"In fact," Silas added with a wink, "due to the Headmasters' own financial investment to the point of engineering entirely new models of the TRC for our academic use, we'll be holding an extracurricular session today, where you, yes, YOU will get to discover your own pat—"
The student body of cohort 2409 erupted.
It's as simple as that.
The cheers were thunderous, so youthful and full of energy. The availability of self-discovery and unprecedented progression on the second day only? Unbelievable, seeing as this opportunity of this nature only existed outside the campus every 2 years, let alone the alleged technological and scientific leaps of the TRC machines, endorsed by Headmaster Orthellius.
Aldrick coughed, reasserting control.
"Calm yourselves. Yes, we will escort you to the TRC later this afternoon, where you'll undergo your assessment. But allow us to finish first." Masgister Silas pushed.
As the excitement simmered down, he continued:
"While we still use 'Hybrid' as the formal designation, our internal research now recognizes distinct variations, classified by polarity dynamics and Thaumiton stability ratios, with neuro-muscular coherence as a prevalent factor as well."
Magister Silas smiled faintly, his voice dipping into nostalgia.
"EINA has been blessed, or perhaps challenged, by only two ζ-Type: Hybrids out of the 135 recorded in the last six hundred years. Both who were trained, disciplined, and graduated from this very Institute."
Hm?
Aldrick's eyes gleamed.
"And students... I'm certain you can guess the identity of one of them."
Easy. Obviously. The guy with three global arcane awards and a whole damn wing named after him.
With a single, thunderous shout, the entire cohort called the name:
"Headmaster Orthellius!"
"Correct!" said Aldrick, nodding. "The Headmaster was a ζ-Type: Hybrid, with a recorded κ-value of 0.97—the third highest in known history, surpassed by our Righteous King."
Isaac glanced toward Turaiya. Her posture stiffened. Her face dimmed at the mention of her father's name.
Naturally..
The room fell into a heavy silence, thick with awe and the possibility of legacy.
Then Aldrick added, quieter now:
"And if fortune, or fate, smiles upon us… there may yet be a third among you."
Lady Luck must be a simp.
Still… Fate…
Magister Silas's voice cut clean through the moment.
"Students—be punctual! At 1:30 PM sharp, report to the Centre Hall. Queue up according to your student ID, bringing your Pactum Passport. We will begin your Resonance Path Examination at once!"
He paused, then smiled.
"Well then. I have nothing to add. Aldrick neither. You are dismissed for lunch. Eat well. And do not be late."
With what was reminiscent of Isaac's good old, albeit boring, university days, this lecture had finally come to an end. The students started dispersing, most going for their lunch, of course. Still the classic, Isaac lingered behind in the now repaired training grounds, observing the fine work of reparations that were made, so much so that the chairs made of the arena had melted back into the very ground.
He was puzzled.
So much to unpack…
As if a mental palace was erected in Isaac's mind.
Involuntary Synthesis and Activation of Attributes: 'I Hate Therefore I Think, I Think Therefore I.M' and 'Media Literacy'... Resulting Attribute: 'Theater of Loci' |
Accept?
Yeesh… This bloody fella is back…
…
What the fuck?
| I Hate Therefore I Think, I Think Therefore I.M |
When did I get this?
Hmmm…
Do I be smart and check what this does before synthesizing it?
Hmmm… Hard choice…
"Accept."
| New Attribute: 'The Theater of Loci' unlocked |
| Attribute: 'The Theater of Loci' activating |
In that instant, Isaac's inner mindscape ran wild; what he currently thought of the facts was reorgani—
.
.
.
You are blasted past the atmosphere of Agerea from where you stand.
You scream and pant uncontrollably.
Curses and questions fly out of your mouth at the same speed you are travelling now.
Immeasurably, you pass familiar planets of which you know not their names.
Further and further you go as the domain of this solar system disappears, turning infinitesimal. Spirals, dwarfs, lenticels, giants, holes, ellipses, and voids zip and erase from your perception.
At a certain point, your body begins vanishing. It starts with cells, then particles, then atoms. So that all of you begins flickering in and out of actuality as you eventually disappear entirely. All that has passed you seems transparent, with all that comes bending perceptions and geometry in sectional ways that topology cannot explain.
But you cross it, your body returns… And it disappears… Its back… And it's gone.
Over and over you enter worlds then emptiness. Worlds where logic ceases to exist, colors seem to be physical, heads and hands turn uniformly, structures of magnificence and incomprehension tower over you, and imagery comes to life. You feel the forces of the innumerable trying to rip your mind apart, and you can do nothing to stop them.
In hopes of refuge, you do eventually leave this chaos after 22 orders of repetition.
Entering Black.
Then White.
Black. White. Black. White. Black. White. Black. White. Black. White. Black. White. Black. White. Black. White. Black. White. Black. White. Black. White. Black. White. Black.
White. Black.
Black. White. Black. White. Black. White. Black. White. Black. White. Black. White. Black. White. Black. White. Black. White. Black. White. Black. White. Black. White. Black. White. Black. White.
Before you can differentiate the colors, the Black liquidates into Text on the White sheet.
They are arbitrary, sporadic letters and symbols.
You yourself are composed of them too.
But they disappear, and once again you race higher, through the worlds and emptiness. Only this time, past that, reality seems to unfold into smaller and smaller compartments. Perhaps the previous infinitesimal was an overstatement of what you witness now. It starts with the violins of creation, turning music into a grand field. Of which, all the particulars take their place.
All, eventually kicking you out of that void.
And before long, you return to where you stand.
As if no time has passed.
.
.
.
"Hah… Hah…. Hah….. Hah….. Hah... Hah...."
Isaac began frantically patting his entire body before hugging himself, afraid he might vanish once more. There was no thought in his brain; once more afraid. The notion of a single flicker of cognition was completely absent.
He did not dare think.
Slowly lowering his trembling hands, he stood there muddleheaded.
It was only till Isaac felt a presence lock onto him that he returned to reality. A gaze he had hoped to avoid this early, but at the same time, a comforting gaze after all that he had experienced, one that reminded him he was back before 'that'.
"Ah, Mr Isaac Mun." The voice was soothing in a sense. "We haven't met properly, outside of lectures that is."
Isaac, still shaking, glanced up.
Magister Silas Ren.