The ship shuddered as it descended through atmosphere.
Ilias pressed his face to the viewport, watching clouds peel away like curtains, revealing the world below.
Aeon.
It didn't look real.
Floating structures drifted through the air—islands of stone and greenery suspended by nothing, waterfalls cascading from their edges into rivers that wound through sprawling grasslands. The land itself seemed to *breathe*, alive in a way Elyria never was. Trees larger than buildings stretched toward the sky, their canopies glowing faintly with bioluminescent veins. Creatures—winged, scaled, impossible—soared between the floating platforms, their calls echoing even through the ship's hull.
And in the distance, rising from the heart of it all, was the Academy.
Ilias's breath caught.
It was *massive*. A city unto itself, sprawling across the landscape like a living organism. Buildings grew from the earth, interwoven with trees so large their roots formed archways, their branches entire districts. Bridges of crystal and vine connected towers that spiraled upward, defying physics, reaching for the sky.
And at the very peak—at the center of it all—a crystal.
Enormous. Radiant. Pulsing with light that shifted through every color Ilias had ever seen and some he hadn't. It *hummed*. Even from here, even through the ship, he could *feel* it—a resonance that made his chest vibrate, made his power stir weakly in response.
"That's Aeon's Cradle," Cadmus said from behind him.
Ilias didn't look away from the window. "It's..."
He didn't have words.
Cadmus stood beside him, arms crossed, watching the Academy grow larger as they descended. "It's overwhelming the first time. You'll get used to it."
"I don't think I will."
Cadmus almost smiled. "Good. The moment you stop being awed by it, you've learned nothing."
The ship banked, turning away from the Academy, heading toward the outskirts instead.
Ilias frowned. "We're not going straight there?"
"No." Cadmus moved toward the door, gesturing for Ilias to follow. "First, you walk through the city. It's tradition. You need to see what you're protecting before you learn how to protect it."
---
The port was chaos.
Ships of every shape and size—some sleek and organic like the one Ilias had arrived on, others blocky and utilitarian, still others that looked like they'd been *grown* rather than built—descended and ascended in perfect choreography. The air smelled like ozone and fuel and something floral Ilias couldn't name.
People *everywhere*.
Not just Blessed. *Everyone*. Mortals hauling cargo, street vendors selling food that smelled incredible, children darting between legs, musicians playing instruments Ilias didn't recognize. Species he'd never seen—blue-skinned, four-armed, horned, scaled, humanoid and decidedly *not*—all moving together like they belonged.
It was beautiful.
It was terrifying.
Cadmus stepped off the ship, and Ilias followed, legs unsteady from three days in a pod. The ground felt strange beneath his feet. Solid, but not quite. Like the planet itself was *aware* of him.
"This way," Cadmus said, not waiting to see if Ilias would follow.
Ilias hurried after him.
---
The streets were alive.
Music drifted from open windows—not one kind, but *dozens*, all blending together into something chaotic and beautiful. Ilias caught snatches of melody, fragments of rhythm, sounds that made his Resonance hum in recognition.
People noticed him.
Not everyone. But enough. Eyes lingering a moment too long. Whispers following in his wake. He was human, and apparently, that meant something here.
Cadmus led him through the market district, past stalls selling food and fabric and strange glowing objects Ilias couldn't identify. A vendor called out, offering something that looked like fruit but pulsed with light. Ilias shook his head, kept walking.
Then he saw the beggar.
Sitting against a wall, tucked into the shadow of an alley most people walked past without noticing. Old. Worn. White hair matted and tangled, face half-hidden by a hood, one eye covered by a jagged scar that cut from brow to cheek.
No one looked at him.
Ilias almost didn't either.
But something made him stop.
The beggar's hand was extended, palm up, fingers trembling slightly. His visible eye was milky, unfocused, staring at nothing.
Ilias glanced at Cadmus, who had stopped a few feet ahead, waiting.
Then he turned back to the beggar.
He didn't have money. Didn't have anything except the clothes on his back and Revub's food package tucked into his bag.
He pulled it out.
The beggar's eye shifted, tracked the movement.
Ilias knelt down, placed the package in the old man's hand. "Here. It's not much, but—"
The beggar's fingers closed around it.
Then he looked up.
Really *looked*.
His milky eye cleared for just a moment—sharp, knowing, *seeing*—and his lips curved into the faintest smile.
"Thank you," he whispered.
His voice was rough, broken, but there was something underneath it. Something familiar. Something that made Ilias's chest tighten with a recognition he couldn't name.
The beggar's hand shot out, grabbed Ilias's wrist.
Not hard. Just... firm. Grounding.
For a heartbeat, they locked eyes.
Then the beggar released him, smile fading, eye going milky again.
Ilias stood slowly, heart pounding for reasons he didn't understand.
"Ilias," Cadmus called. "We need to move."
Ilias turned, walked away.
When he glanced back, the beggar was gone.
---
"What is this place?" Ilias asked as they walked.
Cadmus didn't slow. "Aeon. A planet that didn't exist five hundred years ago."
Ilias blinked. "What?"
"There was a war," Cadmus said, voice steady, like he was recounting history he'd memorized. "Among the Blessed. Not a small conflict. A *schism*. Eight Supremes—the most powerful Blessed of their time—split into two factions. Four believed power came with responsibility. That the strong should protect the weak. The other four believed power *was* the right. That the strong should rule."
Ilias listened, the city moving around them, oblivious.
"They fought for decades. Destroyed worlds. Killed billions. And when it became clear neither side would win, one of them made a choice."
"What choice?"
Cadmus stopped walking, turned to face him. "Sacrifice. His name was Aeon. A Supreme. One of the four who believed in protection. He pulled the debris of shattered worlds together, compressed it, shaped it. Then he gave up everything—his power, his form, his *life*—and became the core of this planet."
Ilias stared. "He... he *is* the planet?"
"Yes. Curled at the center like a sleeping child. Still sentient. Still aware. But silent. He made this place as a legacy. A home for future Blessed who would choose responsibility over dominion. A sanctuary. A training ground." Cadmus gestured to the city around them. "Millions of cultures live here now. Refugees. Natives born on Aeon's soil. Traders. Scholars. Anyone who wants to contribute to the dream."
"And the Academy?"
"Built on his sacrifice. Funded by empires who want to say they sponsor Blessed from Aeon's Cradle. It's a bragging right. A status symbol. We're the largest economy in the universe because of it."
Ilias looked around—at the people, the buildings, the *life* thriving here—and felt something heavy settle in his chest.
This place was built on someone's death.
Someone who chose to die so others could live.
"Why are you telling me this?" Ilias asked quietly.
Cadmus met his eyes. "Because you need to understand what you're walking into. This isn't just a school. It's a *promise*. And if you're going to carry the name of a student from Aeon's Cradle, you need to know what that name means."
Ilias swallowed. "What does it mean?"
"That you'll be better than the ones who came before. That you'll choose right over easy. That you'll protect, not dominate." Cadmus turned, started walking again. "Can you do that?"
Ilias didn't answer.
He didn't know if he could.
---
The Academy grew larger with every step.
The floating structures outside the city gave way to solid ground, and the buildings—*gods*, the buildings—rose around them like living monuments. Trees grew *through* them, branches forming balconies, roots creating natural staircases. Animals flew overhead—birds with iridescent feathers, creatures that looked like dragons but smaller, more graceful.
Everything was connected. Balanced. Harmonious in a way Ilias had never seen.
And at the center of it all, that crystal.
Up close, it was almost blinding. Light pouring from it in waves, casting rainbows across the streets, making the air shimmer. Ilias could *feel* it pulling at his Resonance, like a magnet, like a heartbeat syncing with his own.
"What is it?" he breathed.
"The Resonance Crystal," Cadmus said. "A focus point. It amplifies the planet's natural energy, channels it through the Academy. Helps students train. Keeps the balance." He glanced at Ilias. "You'll feel it stronger the closer you get. Don't fight it. Let it flow."
Ilias nodded, though he wasn't sure he understood.
They reached the main gates—enormous, carved from stone and crystal, inscribed with symbols Ilias couldn't read.
Cadmus pressed his hand to the surface.
The gates opened.
And Ilias stepped into Aeon's Cradle.
---
Registration was overwhelming.
The hall was massive—vaulted ceilings, walls lined with screens displaying information in languages Ilias didn't recognize, students *everywhere*. Hundreds of them. Maybe thousands. All shapes, sizes, species. Some looked human. Most didn't.
Cadmus led him to a desk where a bored-looking woman with four eyes barely glanced up.
"Name," she said.
"Ilias Venn."
She tapped something into a screen. Her expression didn't change. "Blessed?"
"Yes."
"Power category?"
Ilias hesitated. "Uh... I don't—"
"Resonance-based," Cadmus said.
She nodded, tapped again. "Dorm assignment: Building Seven, Unit Thirteen. Roommates already assigned. Here's your ID."
She slid a card across the desk—sleek, black, his name printed in silver.
"Points?" Ilias asked.
She glanced at the screen, then at him. For the first time, something flickered in her expression. Surprise.
"Your balance is... restricted."
"What does that mean?"
"It means your points aren't visible to other students. Faculty override." She leaned back. "Someone doesn't want you drawing attention."
Ilias frowned. "Why?"
She shrugged. "Not my job to know. Next!"
Cadmus pulled him away before he could ask more questions.
---
The dorm was... not what Ilias expected.
He'd imagined a cramped room. Bunk beds. Shared everything.
Instead, the door opened into what looked like a *house*.
A full living area with couches, a kitchen, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. Three doors leading to separate bedrooms, each one large enough to be an apartment on its own. Everything was clean. Modern. Comfortable.
"This is insane," Ilias muttered.
"Standard," Cadmus said. "The Academy has resources. Use them."
One of the bedroom doors opened.
A figure stepped out—tall, lean, with pale blue skin and silver markings tracing his arms. His eyes were sharp, intelligent, and when he saw Ilias, he smiled.
"You must be the new guy," he said. "I'm Zael. Zael Orin."
Ilias blinked. "Ilias. Ilias Venn."
Zael's smile widened. "Good to meet you, Ilias Venn. You Blessed?"
"Yeah. You?"
"Yep." Zael's tone was light, casual, but there was something underneath it. Something guarded. "Welcome to the madhouse. Fair warning: the other roommate hasn't shown up yet. So it's just us for now."
"That's... fine."
Zael studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Cool. I'm gonna let you settle in. If you need anything, just yell."
He ducked back into his room, door closing softly.
Cadmus turned to Ilias. "You're on your own from here. Orientation starts tomorrow. Don't be late."
Then he left.
And Ilias was alone.
---
He explored.
Not the dorm—that could wait. The *Academy*.
He wandered through courtyards where students sparred, powers flashing in controlled bursts. Walked past the library—a tower that spiraled upward so high he couldn't see the top, books and data-screens lining every wall. Saw the cafeteria, the training grounds, the meditation gardens where students sat in silence, Resonance humming around them like a living thing.
Animals were everywhere. Birds perching on shoulders. Small lizard-like creatures sunbathing on benches. A massive wolf-creature padding past without so much as a glance at the students.
Everything was *alive*.
And Ilias felt... small.
He found himself back outside, staring up at the Resonance Crystal.
It pulsed. Steady. Eternal.
Like a heartbeat.
"This is real," he whispered to no one. "I'm really here."
The crystal flared brighter for just a moment, and Ilias could've sworn he felt it answer.
*Yes. You are.*
He stood there until the sun set, until the moons rose—three of them, larger than any he'd seen—and the city lit up with bioluminescent glow.
Then he went back to the dorm.
Zael was in the kitchen, making something that smelled incredible.
"You eat yet?" Zael called.
"No."
"Good. Sit. I made too much anyway."
Ilias sat.
And for the first time since leaving Elyria, he felt like maybe—just maybe—he could do this.