The bell of boundless tone echoed through the halls of Airien Academy, vibrating across floating towers, aurora-laced courtyards, and dream-forged classrooms. Team Next Gen was gathered in the Heart Chamber—a circular arena where concepts flowed like music, and the walls responded to emotion.
Jack Sterling Oberempong stood in the center, scratching his head.
> Jack:
"Cayso... I gotta ask, bro. Your Bloom Affinity... like, are you summoning hope grenades or is it like 'I dream therefore I nuke'?"
Cayso leaned back, arms folded, a mischievous smirk growing under his galaxy-patterned hoodie.
> Cayso:
"I was always a dreamer, man. Dreams are abstract, unpredictable. So... I just translate them. Hope? That's a staff. Justice? That's a shotgun. Melancholy? Boom—grenade launcher."
"It's like mood swings... but weaponized."
---
Sonia popped a gum bubble.
> "Y'all all weird."
Kennedy elbowed her.
Charles scribbled in a notebook.
Henry leaned forward like a kid at story time.
Osei crossed his arms, always listening deeper than the rest.
Yyvone floated slightly off the ground, eyes glowing with curiosity.
> Sonia:
"Okay then, Hersa, your 'Boundary Forge' thing... that like, walls and force fields and stuff?"
Hersa, calm but firm, nodded.
> Hersa:
"I've always tried to stop bad things. That's just me. My affinity makes that instinct real. I can make physical boundaries, sure. But I can also... block guilt, slow rage, delay time for a second if I'm desperate."
"Avia honors intention. Mine is protection."
---
Targor looked down. The room felt heavier.
> Targor:
"I linked to a star once. Lost control. Nearly melted a city. If not for the knights... I'd be gone."
"Now? I'm stable. My Threadborn Nexus keeps me tethered. But Avia doesn't forget recklessness."
Silence.
Then shy little Lia cleared her throat. Her eyes shimmered like uncertain futures.
> Lia:
"My... Potential Sculpting lets me see small versions of what might happen. It's not always right, but... lately..."
(She hesitated.)
"...I keep seeing war."
Tension swelled. Jack opened his mouth—closed it. Nobody spoke.
Then...
> Nova:
"Whew! Well I just talk and reality listens—for a little while. That's Language Embodiment. Avia knows better than to let me be OP for long though, so... reality slaps back."
(She grinned.)
"Hard."
---
Obi, ever the confident flame in a bottle, cracked his knuckles.
> Obi:
"Me? One word. That's all it takes. Oblivion Pulse. I say 'gravity,' it vanishes. I say 'sound,' silence. But only for a while. Still, pretty sick, right?"
Frolo, with goggles and a diagram tattoo, sighed.
> Frolo:
"Event Chain Affinity. I chain cause and effect. You step on a pebble? Ten minutes later, a building falls. But it's dangerous. Chain the wrong events and... boom, butterfly apocalypse."
Zekar, chaotic smile blooming, nudged Osei.
> Zekar:
"Chrono Stitcher. I patch time like it's cloth. About to be punched? Stitch to the past before the fist. Or to the future after it. Timing's tight though. Can't keep it stitched for long."
---
Then the door cracked open—and the new wave entered:
Anima, wrapped in kinetic threads.
> Anima:
"Anima Echo Pulse. Hit me once... and the pain ripples. Once. Twice. Five times. Depends on how loud your soul screams."
Miria, walking in step with... herself?
> Miria:
"Existence Mirage. My clones? Real. Until they're not. Even I get confused sometimes. But Avia drags me back when I start to fade."
And then…
Sylra stepped in. The room glitched.
> Sylra:
"Reality Mosaic. I shape patches of truth like a broken mirror. Everything's real, but not the way you expect. Only... my power hiccups."
(She glitched mid-sentence, then returned.)
"...See?"
---
The students laughed, gasped, joked, questioned.
> Jack:
"So basically... we're all walking contradictions with metaphysical laser tag gear."
> Cayso:
"Exactly."
And as their laughter echoed, somewhere far beyond the clouds above Airien Academy...
A ripple in time.
A vision in Lia's eye.
A war... not yet written.
But very much... on its way.
The energy in the Heart Chamber had shifted from awe to curiosity. After the Airien-borns shared their truths, Cayso twirled his Hope Staff and grinned.
> Cayso:
"Alright alright... we bared our Avias. Now it's y'all's turn, Earthlings. Human team, show us what the multiverse blessed ya with."
Osei stood up first, brushing invisible dust off his shoulders with enough swagger to power a small continent.
> Osei:
"Instinct Manipulation. Master of flash instincts. I move before thought. Dodge before danger. Blink before the blink happens."
Cayso:
> "Flash instincts? Bro that's taught in like, every beginner class."
Osei:
> "True. But my affinity makes it my core. Yours is homework. Mine's DNA. There's a difference between learning the drums... and being the beat."
They all burst out laughing. Even Zekar almost choked on his time-stitching gum.
---
Yyvone stepped forward, calm and glowing.
> Yyvone:
"Healing Threads and Barrier Creation. I don't like people hurting... so I learned to stitch them back. Protect them. My power came from... that desire."
Lia softly whispered, "That's beautiful."
---
Charles adjusted his glasses, eyes gleaming with arcane runes dancing around his irises.
> Charles:
"Inscription Manipulation. Basically… I write reality. Runes, codes, formulas. Each one holds meaning. Problem is... I gotta learn them. The more I read, the more I can rewrite."
Nova:
> "So you're like, the nerdy wizard-hacker hybrid?"
Charles:
> "Exactly. Just need a spellbook and a coffee machine."
---
Kennedy cracked his knuckles. His hands shimmered like scaffolds in mid-construction.
> Kennedy:
"Framework Manipulation. I animate reality... in small doses. Think: reality has rules. I find the rules. I rewrite them... temporarily. I'm working on a trap technique—The Framework Vault. When it's done, enemies won't even know they're prisoners."
Frolo:
> "I suddenly feel like a test subject."
Kennedy:
> "You should."
---
Then Sonia stepped up, eyes already shifting between colors like a living mood ring.
> Sonia:
"Mine's called Emotional Spectrum Manipulation. Every emotion I feel? It becomes power."
She pointed to her shifting aura as she explained:
Red: Rage – pure strength.
Green: Determination – insane speed and durability.
Yellow: Joy – grants flight.
Blue: Hope – shields and blue energy constructs.
Indigo: Enthusiasm – super strength and reflex surges.
Sorrow: Turns her invisible.
Pink (Love): Amplifies healing and bonds.
Silver (Euphoria): Solid matter constructs and glittery silver form.
Orange (Anxiety): Hyperactivity and... spontaneous teleportation.
She paused.
> Sonia:
"Fear's a... Negative Color. Haven't fully felt it yet. But I think it might stop time."
Cayso:
> "So... you're like a walking Pixar movie but also a nuclear reactor?"
Sonia (shrugging):
> "Basically."
---
Henry stood tall beside Jack, his energy buzzing like a live wire.
> Henry:
"Mine's simple. Electric Affinity. Pure power, raw and refined. Lightning speed, static defense, volt-infused fists... I'm Jack's wingman."
Jack:
> "More like my overcharged sidekick."
Henry:
> "Lies. Slander."
---
Ian unsheathed a nearly invisible blade, its edge humming softly.
> Ian:
"Slash Manipulation. My sword is my soul. I can slice things others can't even see—light, sound, emotion. Even my punches leave cuts in the air."
Targor whistled.
> "Remind me never to tick you off."
---
And then... all eyes turned to Jack.
He stepped forward, his aura crackling with golden light.
> Jack:
"Divine Lightning Manipulation. Not just lightning—Divine lightning. Think lightning... but laced with intention, clarity, purity. It purges lies, burns through falsehood."
The air around him shimmered like judgment itself.
> Jack (cont'd):
"Still tricky though. I'm learning. Sometimes it zaps me. But I've also got these—Analysis Eyes."
"They see the flaw in anything. A stance. A strategy. A lie."
Sylra, glitching faintly, stared at him.
> Sylra:
"You're gonna be important. I saw it. Or... felt it. Maybe both."
---
The room went quiet again.
Airien-borns. Earth-borns. All gifted. All weird. All powerful. All... next.
Cayso clapped dramatically.
> Cayso:
"Well... Team Next Gen officially has enough power to rewrite history, cause existential crises, and possibly break reality."
Jack:
> "Let's just hope we save it instead."
> Lia (whispering):
"If we can... before the war arrives."
The laughter faded like smoke as the conversation spiraled deeper into the foundations of their growth—the Avian Tiers. Cayso, lounging lazily upside down midair, tapped his chin thoughtfully.
> Cayso:
"So, for context—most of us on Team Next Gen? We're clocking in somewhere between late Adept, like 90+ percent... and just peeking into Ascension territory."
Zekar nodded, his eyes briefly warping time as he checked his own tier-readings like a spiritual wristwatch.
Lia smiled warmly, trying not to come off condescending.
> Lia:
"It took years. Pain. And a lot of... self-wrecking discovery."
Meanwhile, the human squad scratched their heads in sync like a confused barbershop quartet.
> Charles:
"So... we just left Initiate. Yay?"
> Henry:
"Does this mean we're still in tutorial mode?"
> Sonia:
"I think we're in... emotional loading screen."
> Jack (grinning):
"Hey. Every Ascension starts with a stumble."
They all chuckled. A little humble. A little insecure. But unshaken.
Cayso pointed his staff at them, eyes suddenly sharp.
> Cayso:
"But listen close. This isn't a power fantasy system, The tiers don't measure power. They measure clarity. Depth. Survival of self. It's not about who's stronger. It's about who's anchored enough to withstand the real nightmares."
Zekar (nodding):
> "Exactly. An amateur with soul awareness can outplay a master lost in ego. Experience helps. But cleverness? Understanding your Affinity? That can turn the tide."
> Kennedy:
"So power's a byproduct... not the point."
> Ian:
"Then we're not behind. We're just... still writing the book."
Nova smirked.
> "Just make sure it's not a tragic comedy."
---
They leaned back, sharing old training stories. Pain, pride, and roast-level memories.
> Frolo:
"When we were starting out? The Airien knights made sure we didn't sleep on our potential. Fighting ghouls that giggled mid-kill, sparring with robots programmed to insult your form and your fashion sense..."
> Cayso:
"Don't forget the cosmic gym. Crushing gravity. You breathe wrong? It slaps you."
> Zekar:
"And Aprexion... that guy is trauma in arrow-form. He'd shoot your ego down mid-sentence."
> Yyvone (groaning):
"If you blink wrong, he calls it a 'flawed reaction strategy.'"
The humans stiffened.
> Jack:
"Wait—Aprexion? Arrow Affinity? Silver eyes that pierce your soul with judgment?"
> Henry:
"That guy trained us once. Said my stance was 'an embarrassment to logic.'"
> Charles:
"Told me my rune spacing was a war crime."
They all burst out laughing. Unity in shared trauma.
But then... the air shifted.
Like reality exhaled.
A dimensional seam split the air beside them.
He stepped through first—Aprexion. Sharp as silence. Eyes like precision daggers. His cloak fluttered like a sharpened whisper. An aura of expectation incarnate.
> Aprexion (flatly):
"You're laughing. Fascinating. Laugh while you can. You'll need the breath."
Behind him came a pantheon of power:
Kainen, still majestic, the sage with the storm in his gaze.
Ractor, muscles humming with restrained chaos.
Hela, wings folded but ever-watchful, her Avian presence like quiet thunder.
And then...
A new presence. One they'd never seen before.
Con.
Hair like wildfire and shadows. His skin shimmered between dimensions, and his eyes—his eyes shifted shape as you stared.
> Yyvone (whispering):
"...Who's that?"
> Lia:
"That's Con. One of the Old Guard. A knight who left before even Cayso rose up."
> Jack:
"What's his Affinity?"
Aprexion didn't smile. He never smiled. But his voice held weight like a loaded bow.
> Aprexion:
"His Affinity is Reality Shape-Shift. He doesn't bend to reality. Reality bends to him."
Con stepped forward, reality rippling at his feet like paint unsure of which color to be.
> Con:
"I heard the Next Gen was getting cocky. Figured I'd visit."
His voice sounded like multiple versions of him were speaking at once—sarcastic, kind, cruel, and calm—all layered perfectly.
> Con (grinning):
"Let's see if your talk matches your tier."
And just like that...
Training was over.
Trial had arrived.
The air felt... off.
Reality had barely settled from Con's arrival, and yet he was already cutting through silence with sharp intent. His gaze locked on Lia, the empath-seer of the Next Gen.
> Con (calmly):
"You've seen something, haven't you? Your eyes flicker like fate's on fire."
Lia didn't flinch, but her voice dropped to a hush even the wind leaned in to hear.
> Lia:
"Not a full vision. Just... impressions. Echoes from the edges of time. A war is stirring, but I can't see who throws the first stone. It might be the ghouls. They're up to something subtle... deceptive."
Con's eyes narrowed, reality around him subtly dimming.
> Con:
"Of course it's the ghouls. Tricksters of existence. But if they're hiding this well, it means they're not planning destruction... they're planning infiltration."
That hit like a silent alarm. Klexis's corruption came to mind—his fall wasn't pure rage or ambition... it was suggestion. The slow slipping away of self.
> Lia (softly):
"Maybe that's why Klexis fell. Maybe they planted something... a seed of false freedom. And now they're waiting for more to bloom."
> Kainen (grim):
"Then we have no time to waste. Prepare the young ones. We train them. We forge them. No one else falls."
The Airien Knights turned toward the humans—Jack, Henry, Sonia, Ian, Kennedy, Yyvone, Charles, and Osei.
> Aprexion (sharply):
"You've danced through the first lessons. Now it's time to bleed concept."
> Ractor (grinning):
"Time for the next technique."
> Hela:
"The Hollow Step."
The human team blinked.
> Sonia:
"That sounds either super cool... or like we're gonna lose limbs."
> Kennedy:
"Why not both?"
---
Cosmic Gym.
Day 1 of Hollow Step Training.
The chamber shimmered into a void—a floating temple atop fragments of shattered stars, each platform moving, phasing, glitching through gravity.
> Kainen:
"The Hollow Step isn't speed. It's not teleportation. It's erasing your presence for an instant—becoming an idea, not a being."
> Aprexion:
"For that instant, you have no weight, no breath, no heat, no emotion. You step out of now, and back in... just enough to evade death."
He demonstrated.
One second he stood before them.
The next?
He vanished mid-breath. No flash. No ripple. And reappeared behind Jack, whispering:
> Aprexion (softly):
"You only saw me because I wanted you to."
Jack's skin tried to run away without him.
> Henry:
"Yeah. That's gonna suck to learn."
> Charles:
"I'm gonna need like seventeen libraries to understand that."
> Ian (fired up):
"I wanna slice reality too!"
> Yyvone (calmly):
"It's like becoming a pause in existence. I can feel it... but I can't hold it."
> Osei (grinning):
"I've got instincts. Maybe I can blink into the Hollow."
> Sonia:
"If I feel emptiness... grey emotion... does that help me Hollow?"
They all stood at the edge of training's next chasm.
Jack closed his eyes. Divine lightning buzzed faintly through his veins. His analysis eyes sparked. And in that moment, he didn't try to move.
He tried to disappear.
And the air stuttered.
Only for a nanosecond. A microblip in cosmic rhythm.
But it was enough.
> Kainen (smiling):
"He's learning to whisper. Soon... he'll roar in silence."
---
And somewhere far beyond them...
In the veiled corners of the Free Abyss, a ghoul with no face laughed.
Because the humans were growing stronger.
Which meant the war could finally begin.