Silver Star Academy's curriculum, meshed like a set of precise gears, began its rotation even before the morning mist had fully dissipated. Elara Thorne headed to her first practical lesson, Aether-Filament Weaving Fundamentals, held in the Contemplation Hall on the ground floor of the Weaver's Gallery.
Unlike the grand historical gravity of the main tower, the Contemplation Hall resembled a precision instrument built purely for function. The hall was a perfect circle with a low dome ceiling, inlaid with countless adjustable milky-white Aether-Crystals that radiated a soft, mind-calming glow. The walls were covered in sound-absorbing dark velvet, embroidered with complex silver-thread rune arrays symbolizing mental focus and constraint. The floor was mirror-smooth, reflecting the dome's light, and partitioned into dozens of individual meditation cubicles separated by faint light screens. The air was permeated with a special incense, cool and sterile, a blend of mint and ozone, designed to help Weavers concentrate and block out distractions.
Yet, beneath this deliberately engineered tranquility, Elara could sense countless subtle, nascent, and restless Aetheric Ripples. According to Academy rules, all incoming students, regardless of prior Aetheric foundation, had to begin at Tier One, uniformly wearing the gray uniform of the Tier-One Apprentice, with no exceptions, not even for nobles. These ripples included the rawness of those who had just touched the Tier-One threshold, and the steadiness of those already at high Tier One, currents colliding and interweaving silently in the hall.
The students filed in quietly, finding their positions according to the plaques on the cubicles. Elara chose the cubicle furthest in the corner, nestled against a massive support pillar. As she settled, she heard light footsteps behind her.
"Thorne? Is this spot free? May I stand next to you?"
Elara turned to see a girl with simple ponytail and light freckles on her face. She also wore the gray uniform, with no family crest on her chest, only a small, hand-carved Wooden Bird Pendant. The girl was Lina, a commoner student like Elara. They had briefly exchanged words a few days ago during a basic theory class while discussing Aetheric runes.
"Of course." Elara stepped aside. Lina thanked her quietly, quickly adjusted the intensity of her light screen, and secretly offered Elara a small, grease-paper-wrapped candy. "My mother made it. It helps calm your mind if you suck on it. Oh, I heard you know Kaelan? He's a genius who reached Three-Tier in two years. Most of us will be lucky to graduate at Tier Two!"
At the mention of Kaelan, Elara's fingertip paused—Kaelan's swift advancement to Three-Tier was due not only to his talent but also to the resources poured into him by The Association. After all, Academy resources were tied directly to The Association; even nobles who privately reached Tier Two without Academy guidance would be deemed Wild Aether-Adepts and disqualified from entry. She took the candy, but before she could respond, a scent blending expensive perfume and overbearing arrogance wafted over them.
A young woman, escorted by a small entourage, walked directly to the cubicle next to theirs. Her gray uniform was the same model as the others, but her collar was embroidered with an extremely fine silver thread—the hidden marker of a High Tier-One Student. She had clearly completed the Tier-One accumulation before entry and now surveyed her surroundings with an air of superiority. She had nearly silver-white blonde hair styled in a complicated, immaculate bun, and a face that was refined yet marked by sharp arrogance. Her blue eyes, like two chips of ice, swept over Elara and Lina as if appraising two unremarkable old tools.
"Tsk," her voice was low, yet audible to nearby students, "It seems the Academy's admission standards have truly… relaxed this year. Even 'Fledglings' who barely met the Tier-One threshold, and those who haven't even touched high Tier One, can drift into the Contemplation Hall."
Her followers immediately let out suppressed chuckles. One male student in a silver-edged uniform deliberately bumped Lina, nearly making her drop her Aetheric sensing crystal. Lina scrambled to steady the crystal, her knuckles white with strain, her face flushed, but she dared not utter a single word of retort. Before entering the Academy, she had pursued fragmented Aetheric guidance with her father, barely reaching the Tier-One threshold. This opportunity to study at the Academy was hard-won, and she could not afford to lose it.
Elara steadied Lina's arm and handed the crystal back to her, her gaze calmly meeting that of the young woman—Cecilia Frostborne, the daughter of the Frostborne Family. Elara knew well that Frostborne members generally possessed a Frigid Aetheric Trait, specializing in Ice Weaving and Mental Freezing. Even their private army, the Frostborne Guard, was renowned for its prowess. While Cecilia had reached High Tier-One before entry due to family patronage, she would still rely on Academy-bound resources to advance to Tier Two and would never risk a private breakthrough.
"Quiet." A gentle voice, yet carrying an undeniable force, sounded. Mentor Ilise Whisper entered the hall. She wore a simple deep-blue Mentor's robe, pinned with the emblem of a Three-Tier Heart-speaker—three intertwined silver threads beneath an open eye. Her gaze swept the room, pausing briefly near Cecilia and Elara, her sight resting on Lina's slightly trembling hand. She didn't directly rebuke anyone, only saying softly, "The Academy measures itself by the mastery of Aether. Be it the Tier-One threshold or High Tier-One, all possess room for growth."
"Today marks your first practical lesson as Weavers," Mentor Ilise's voice flowed like a clear stream, calming the restless Aetheric Ripples in the air. "Before you delve into how to influence others, you must first learn to sense and control yourselves. Aether, especially the Weaver's power, is not brute force; it is the extension of your will, the antenna of your spirit."
She extended her index finger, and a soft, moonlit silver thread slowly emerged from the tip, dancing lightly in the air, stable as if solid. "The key to control lies in breath, and in a peaceful state of mind. Any anxiety, fear, or anger will make the Aether-Filament weak, chaotic, or even psychically backlash."
The students began to attempt the exercise. Subtle noises immediately filled the hall: students barely at the Tier-One threshold managed to extend a weak filament that quickly dissipated; High Tier-One students' filaments were more stable but still crude. Lina's fingertip produced a faint Pale Pink Filament, less than half a foot long. Sweating at her nose tip from the effort, she secretly looked at Elara and whispered, "Thorne, how are you… so steady?"
Elara took a deep breath, recalling the ancient descriptions of energy channeling from The Rotting Earth Codex and disguising her Dissonant Power as Tier-One Aether. A strand of nondescript gray filament quietly extended from her fingertip. It lacked dazzling brilliance but was extraordinarily stable, like a calm shadow-serpent circling slowly before her. This stability stood out sharply amid the surrounding raw Aetheric fluctuations—but she deliberately restricted the filament's intensity, maintaining it only at a Mid Tier-One Level, neither exposing her anomaly nor drawing undue attention.
Mentor Ilise walked slowly between the cubicles. Reaching Lina, she guided softly, "Imagine the filament as a dialogue with the air. Don't rush to extend it; first, feel its weight at your fingertip." When she reached Elara's cubicle, her steps paused slightly. Her gaze rested on the gray filament, her eyes narrowing slightly, carrying a hint of scrutiny. "The filament stability is excellent. Mid Tier-One mastery is rare among freshmen. Maintain this control."
The lesson proceeded to the practical exercise: Psychic Sensing and Dampening practice in pairs. Mentor Ilise's voice came calmly: "Thorne, you will pair with Frostborne; Lina, you will pair with the High Tier-One student next to you, learn from each other."
Elara's heart sank, but Cecilia broke into a malicious smile. An ice-blue filament pulsed at her fingertip—it carried a bone-chilling coldness, a combination of High Tier-One Aether and the Frostborne Family's Frigid Aetheric Trait. Its edge was sharp as a blade, far from the gentleness required for the exercise.
"Begin."
Cecilia's filament darted toward Elara's brow like a viper. A torrent of emotions filled with contempt and superiority rushed along the filament, mixed with the coldness of Ice Weaving, attempting to freeze Elara's consciousness. "Only Mid Tier-One, yet dare to pair with me? Today, let me show you the difference between High Tier-One and a fledgling!"
Elara did not resist forcefully. Instead, she guided her Dissonant Power to penetrate the filament in reverse—she did not unleash stronger power, but merely amplified her memories of Cinder Town's misery and her defiance of Kaelan's control, attaching a subtle whisper of 'nihility' and 'decay' to them, pouring them like cold water onto Cecilia's arrogance.
Cecilia's face instantly changed. She looked as though she had stepped into a bottomless bog, her superiority replaced instantly by shock and anger. She violently severed the filament, stumbling back a step as the ice-blue filament dissolved into fine speckles of light. "You… how does your Aether carry such a… bizarre fluctuation?"
"What is the matter?" Mentor Ilise walked over, her gaze sweeping between the two.
"Nothing, Mentor," Cecilia quickly suppressed her shock, regaining her haughty composure. "It's just that Student Thorne's Aetheric Trait is quite unique, and I was momentarily unaccustomed."
Mentor Ilise looked at Elara, her tone advisory. "The power of the Soother lies in diffusion and peace, not in Trait Overpowering. Remember, even at Tier One, you must hold fast to the Weaver's true purpose."
"Yes, Mentor," Elara replied softly, knowing well that although Cecilia was High Tier-One, her reliance on family resources meant her Aetheric control was less solid than Elara's—more importantly, Elara dared not expose any anomaly, lest the difference in her power system be detected, with unthinkable consequences.
After the practical lesson ended, Cecilia passed Elara with her followers and threatened in a low voice, "Cinder Girl, don't think a little weird Trait makes you arrogant. You'll pay for this when I reach Tier Two." Lina hurried to Elara's side, clutching her wrist. "She was too much! But… you were so amazing just now, you handled a High Tier-One student!"
Elara shook her head, looking at Lina's still slightly pale face. "Your filament is much steadier than when you started. Practice a few more times, and you'll definitely reach High Tier-One. And don't worry about Cecilia's words. She needs Academy resources to reach Tier Two, she won't do anything extreme."
Lina nodded, yet still worried, "But I heard there are only a handful of people like Senior Kaelan who can reach Three-Tier in the whole Academy. We'll be doing well just to graduate at Tier Two."
Elara didn't answer, only looking up at the sky, filtered by the Aetheric Shield and appearing somewhat unreal—Kaelan's path to Three-Tier was a combination of resources and talent, while her Witch's Path could only be explored in the shadows. Cecilia's hostility, the Mentor's scrutiny, Lina's concern, and the Academy's rigid hierarchy all converged like a tightening net, enclosing her completely. She touched The Rotting Earth Codex in her tunic, the ice-cold sensation traveling through her fingertip—she had to tread this forbidden path with extreme caution to find her own space for survival in this gilded cage.