The school's massive hall was filled with a silence, the morning light filtering through the windows. Students were lined up, teachers waited behind their desks. The title of today's extraordinary meeting flashed on the holographic screens hanging on the walls:
"Nova Research and Dimensional Phenomena Conference."
VEX appeared to be an ordinary student; a few strands of his blue hair hung over his forehead, his sharp eyes scanning every corner of the hall. He took his place in the queue, his hands shoved in his pockets, his feet swaying slightly. He suspected that everyone around him still hadn't grasped the gravity of the meeting. For him, this couldn't be just another lecture. He felt a sense of unease; it was as if he could somehow hear the heartbeat of the universe.
As the meeting was about to begin, simulations of the Nova Core began to spin on the holographic screens in the hall's ceiling. A teacher took the podium and spoke in a solemn voice:
"Students, the purpose of this meeting is to observe the effects of a small fragment of the Nova Core on Earth. Please remain calm and do not panic…"
VEX squinted slightly, examining the screens. It was as if a pulse of energy had suddenly appeared somewhere above the school roof. A deep instinct lifted his head and looked up at the sky.
At that moment, in the blink of an eye, a massive beam of light descended from the sky toward the school's central courtyard. What began as a faint hum quickly escalated into an explosion. The windows trembled, the holograms went dark, and the hall was illuminated by a blue glow.
VEX reflexively drew his two swords—Astra and Umbra—began to vibrate with blue energy. Before the blast wave ripped the hall door open, VEX swung his swords to protect the students around him. As the heat of the energy touched his skin, his body felt the Aetherline Flux—a force difficult to control but familiar.
"This… this is a piece of Nova!" he whispered to himself. His instincts were working correctly. The energy released from the explosion left a mixture of confusion and wonder in the students' eyes. Some were afraid, others looked around in surprise. But the VEX had realized something at the heart of the energy: This was no ordinary falling rock, but a living cosmic fragment; a spark from the Nova Core had descended to Earth.
At that moment, the holographic screens on the hall's ceiling flickered again. As blue energy beams enveloped the hall, the VEX realized he was not alone. As the energy coursed through his veins, the blue light on his swords synchronized with the explosion. And from that moment on, his life would never be the same again.