Children of Aether

The uniforms we wore clearly marked us as Class 1-A students, and it was impossible not to notice how others reacted to us. Most gave us a wide berth as we walked along the cobblestone roads, their gazes a mix of curiosity and, in some cases, apprehension. I was used to being on the receiving end of such treatment—it felt more isolating than anything else. And I hated every second of it; it reminded me so very much of home. 

Noel tilted her head, glancing at a group of students of lower class who quickly stepped aside to let us pass. "You notice that?" she muttered.

"Yeah," I replied, my eyes flicking over the others who avoided making direct eye contact. 

"It's fear," Natalia said softly, her gaze steady. "Maybe respect—or maybe envy. Class 1-A stands at the top after all. Everyone knows that."

"Respect?" I scoffed lightly, shaking my head. "There's no such respect in their gazes. They think we're spoiled brats who used our privilege to secure our spots here. We haven't earned their respect, so why should they show us any? In their eyes, we're just another set of elites handed everything on a silver platter."

Noel raised an eyebrow at me, her expression half amused. "Well, someone's feeling cynical today."

"It's not cynicism; it's reality," I shot back, nodding toward a group of students lingering at a nearby corner. Their hushed whispers stopped the moment they noticed us looking their way, but their stares were unmistakable. "You saw how they moved aside—not out of reverence, but out of fear."

"This whole academy is a statement against equality," I continued, my voice firm as I scanned the surroundings. "Look around—each student wears both their uniform and rank. Their worth, according to the institute, is literally written on them. I assume they do this to promote competition, but all it does is foster resentment. You can see it in their eyes." I motioned subtly toward a few students who glanced at us with disdain as we passed. "It's not healthy. It creates a divide, an invisible wall between us."

"Instead of promoting teamwork and equal growth, they foster competition between classmates," I said, my tone growing more reflective. "And I guess that's fine if you're driven by rivalry, but it makes it harder to build real connections. Everyone's so focused on climbing higher, proving they're better, that they forget what's supposed to unite us—our shared purpose here." I let out a slow breath. "But, I guess that's the nature of places like this, isn't it? Power, status—it's all about how you're perceived."

I awoke late in the night from my endless dreams. I couldn't shake the earlier conversation—what was my purpose here, and what were my aspirations and dreams? It was truly ironic. I had a dream affinity, where my sleep was an ever-turning and ever-evolving dream, but I still didn't know what I wanted out of life. What was my purpose or goal? Did I want to be in first place in Class 1-A? Truthfully, I wasn't sure.

I thought about my time within the endless darkness of the Aetheric Trail, I dreamed a lot—of what I would do outside, of what I wanted in life. But the thing that stuck with me the most was freedom. Absolute freedom. But what was that, really? Was absolute freedom even a good thing? And how could I achieve such a thing?

A thought sparked within my mind: power. Enough power, and you could be free from the restraints of society and the shackles that weighed down on my soul. 

And with that final thought, I let my endless dreams consume me once again, slipping back into sleep.

Stars crackled behind my eyes the following morning as I reeled back from a powerful punch, the impact reverberating through my entire body. The force was so intense that for a moment, everything seemed to blur—the air, the ground beneath me, the distant glow of lights, all spinning in a whirl of colours and motion. My senses screamed at me to steady myself, but the stars in my vision made everything feel distant, almost dreamlike. I could taste the sharp tang of blood in my mouth as I staggered, the aftershock of the blow radiating through my head like a shockwave.

I pushed aether throughout my body, cycling it through my aching muscles, the familiar warmth of energy spreading through me. The pain from the punch still lingered, but the aether acted like a soothing balm, knitting my body back together with each cycle. My hand met the hard, unyielding training ground, and I pushed myself up slowly, every movement deliberate but far from impressive. I could hear the faint scraping of my palm against the ground as I struggled, feeling the weight of the moment pressing on me.

Ms. Athena's voice cut through the tension. "You can't lose focus like that," she said, her tone sharp but not unkind. "You must fight through it. Focus your will, your desire."

Her words rang out like a bird's cry in the middle of a storm, struggling to be heard yet drowned out by the relentless winds and the crackle of the unseen lightning that seemed to hang in the air. 

All I could think of was the dizziness, nausea, and confusion that permeated my entire being. My head rang like a morning bell, each toll of pain sharper and more insistent than the last. With every breath, it felt as though the world around me tilted just a little more, threatening to pull me under.

So, I closed my eyes. I focused on my Time affinity, letting its familiar pulse fill me. I called upon the Eye of the Eternal Weave, using it as a conduit to steady myself. The sense of clarity it offered was like a lifeline in the storm of my senses.

Different timelines spread before me, even through my closed eyes. They flashed by, ever-present and ever-fading, one after the next. They passed so quickly that I couldn't dare grasp one. Each was a fleeting moment, just out of reach, like trying to catch a ray of light in a storm.

I couldn't help but think about this ability, even as my mind swirled in confusion. What allowed me to interact with these other versions of myself and other timelines? And what limited how I could influence them?