14th September, 1507

‘It's been 15 years since I transmigrated to this world, and a few days ago, I finally got my first relic!’

As Elise navigated through her morning routine, memories of her previous life flooded her mind.

‘I was originally an engineering student back on earth. I was crazy about creating machines and learning how everything worked in the world. I would often spend 16 hours a day studying about random things I found interesting’. she reminisced, a sense of nostalgia washing over her.

Descending the stairs, Elise encountered her mother bustling about in the kitchen, a warm sense of familial love enveloping her as their eyes met. "Oh, Elise, you're already up," her mother greeted her warmly. "Yea, I need to get ready for the academy," Elise replied, her anticipation evident in her tone. “Can you go wake your brother up?” her mother asked gently.

At her mother's request, she proceeded to rouse her younger brother from his sleep, a familiar task that she had done countless times before.

Entering her brother's room, Elise couldn't help but chuckle at the sight before her—a cluttered mess of clothes everywhere on the floor, and her brother sprawled clumsily across his bed.

With a mischievous grin, Elise yanked the blanket from underneath him, prompting an indignant outcry as he tumbled to the floor.

PA!

"OUCH! I told you not to wake up like this every day!" he protested, clutching his forehead in pain.

"Since when were you the type to wake up gently?" Elise teased, her grin widening as she playfully pinched his cheek. Despite his protests, she firmly guided him downstairs.

"Ow Ow stop pinching me I can walk on my own", He said trying to free himself.

"You are just going to run back onto your bed," Elise stated knowingly, her brother's feeble attempt at defiance failing to sway her resolve. With a resigned click of his tongue, he begrudgingly followed his sister downstairs, their morning routine playing out as it had countless times before.

...

When Elise arrived at the classroom, she was greeted with a vibrant scene. Most students were happily chatting with each other.

Elise couldn't help but notice Lorien and Finn engaged in their usual argument over something trivial. Surprisingly, the quiet Kai had also joined in this time, adding his voice to the fray.

As Elise settled into her seat, she observed the lively interactions unfolding around her, feeling a pang of loneliness as she realized she didn't have anyone to share such moments with.

‘Even if I am an illegitimate daughter of the Frostshade family, would it kill you guys to at least talk to me?’ she mused silently, a wry smile touching her lips.

However, her solitary musings were interrupted when Seren and Susie entered the classroom. As they made their way to their seats, a murmur of surprise rippled through the room as students noticed Susie's perfectly reattached arm.

"Hey, didn't Susie lose an arm during the Rite?" one student whispered to their neighbour, prompting a ripple of curiosity.

"Yeah, but she got it back in only 2 days. Want to go ask her about it?" the reply came, sparking a surge of interest among the students.

Before Susie could even settle into her seat, she found herself surrounded by her classmates who bombarded her with questions.

"How did you heal your arm?"

"Did it cost you anything?"

"D-do you mind if we become friends?" they clamored, their sudden attention leaving Susie somewhat taken aback.

Amidst the chaos, Elise also stole a glance at Susie, who was valiantly fielding the barrage of questions from the bewildered crowd. Yet, when her gaze fell upon the area where Susie's arm had once been severed, a chilling realization gripped Elise. Her mind seemed to freeze, unable to process the sight before her, her breaths turning jagged as sweat began to form in tiny droplets along the nape of her neck.

With a concerted effort, Elise forced herself to take a deep breath, struggling to regain her composure. The skin around where Susie's arm was reattached bore stitch marks, akin to those left behind by skilled surgeons.

‘Why are there stitch marks on her arm? Could surgery be a practice in this world as well?’ Elise's mind raced, entertaining various hypotheses before swiftly dismissing them. ‘Surely not’. She reasoned internally. ‘With the abundance of relics capable of miraculous healing, the need for conventional surgery would be obsolete. Could Susie, like me, be a transmigrator?’

The urge to approach Susie and inquire about the unusual marks tugged at Elise, but she hesitated, mindful of the enigmatic persona she had cultivated.

‘No, I can't risk tarnishing the mysterious allure I have built up’ she mused silently, drawing upon her memories of anime characters she had admired on Earth, their aloof and enigmatic demeanor a source of fascination. In her pursuit of replicating their allure, Elise had adopted a reserved and mysterious image that would make her look cool.

From a rational person's perspective, she would be called 'delusional'.

Elise leaned in, her ears straining to catch the words that fluttered from Susie's lips, about the mysterious healing of her arm. But to her disappointment, Susie didn’t say anything as she refused to reveal who healed her.

Meanwhile, Seren, seemingly detached from the flurry of attention Susie garnered, sat in his corner, and proceeded to ignore the commotion.

Elise’s gaze lingered on the stitch marks with a subtle frown on her face, then she glanced at Seren who was quietly sitting in his seat, a flicker of suspicion igniting in her mind. "Could it be..." she pondered, but her thoughts were abruptly stopped when Aldric walked into the room, his presence silencing the students with an unspoken authority.

The students, previously huddled in eager clusters, reluctantly peeled away to find their seats, their eyes briefly meeting Susie's. They had all seen the potential that Susie held and they wanted to cling to her bright future. Susie, with her eyes a mix of weariness and resolve, slid into her seat beside Seren.

When Aldric walked to the front he announced, "After the short lecture today, we will have our first training session," his voice slicing through the students’ scattered thoughts.

A ripple of excitement swept through the classroom; the prospect of wielding their relics in a test of strength and skill against their peers was exhilarating to think about. They were Lexarchs now, marked by destiny, and every challenge was a step toward their future.

The lecture resumed, but the students' minds were adrift with visions of the training session. "Now, who can tell me how laws come into existence?" Aldric's question cut through the daydreams, meeting a wall of silence.

Seeing that no one knew the answer, he stepped in to provide the answer himself. "Here's the general breakdown," he began, his tone commanding attention. "Laws are created from the Heaven's essence that is naturally found in our world, but the essence cannot create a law on its own. It needs a wish. Every law that is in existence came into existence because someone wished it to be there."

The students listened intently, captivated by Aldric's explanation.

"The essence uses the wish of someone to condense and take the form of a syzygy stone," Aldric continued, his words painting a vivid picture of the process. "These stones have the power to make the wish of the individual come true. Every stone, when first created has a consciousness, will of its own but we humans cannot use its powers unless the will gives us its permission."

A murmur of understanding rippled through the class as Aldric paused for effect.

"So, in order for us to use them," he concluded, "we combine them with an object that roughly represents the law or its characteristics. This will effectively kill off the will inside that law, enabling us to use them without any problems"

The students took a few seconds to digest the information in silence, their thoughts swirling with newfound questions and uncertainties.

Kai, who had been sitting silently, raised his hand tentatively, his curiosity piqued. "Then who was the first person to make a wish?" he asked in a voice tinged with wonder.

Aldric paused, as he considered the weight of Kai's question.

"The Gods," he finally responded, his voice deep and resonant, carrying the weight of ancient truths.

The classroom erupted into a chorus of hushed whispers and wide-eyed stares. The concept of Gods had never been talked about before in their lives, leaving the students stunned and bewildered.

Seren, usually reserved and aloof, spoke up from his corner of the room, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. "Then who are the Heavens?" he inquired, his voice flat and composed.

Aldric's gaze sharpened as he regarded Seren, a hint of suspicion flickering in his eyes. With a deep breath, he spoke again, his tone laced with indignation and resentment. "Traitors," he declared, the word hanging heavily in the air like a lingering echo.

The students recoiled in disbelief, their minds struggling to reconcile the revelation with their understanding of the world. The very essence of their reality seemed to shift beneath their feet, leaving them adrift in a sea of uncertainty.

Seren had a shocked look on his face as he stared at Aldric’s deadpan eyes. He then slowly composed himself as his face returned to the usual emotionless look.

Despite his shock on the outside, Seren had already expected this to be Aldric's answer, but he chose to feign surprise to avoid arousing suspicion among his peers and their instructor.

Ignoring the tension that gripped the classroom, Aldric cleared his throat and swiftly redirected the conversation to a different subject. The students, though disappointed, reluctantly followed his lead but their minds still reeled from the revelation of Gods and the traitorous Heavens.

...

As the final bell tolled, signalling the end of class, Aldric motioned for the students to follow him. With a sense of eager anticipation, they trailed behind him, their footsteps echoing through the empty corridors of the academy.

Emerging into the open air, the students found themselves bathed in the warm glow of the afternoon sun, the sprawling grounds of the academy stretching out before them. In the distance, the same solitary stone platform stood, which they had seen the gruesome spectacle before, the students feeling a bit anxious at the thought of fighting like the black figure.

Arriving at the platform, Aldric turned to address the gathered students, "Listen closely," he began, his tone firm yet measured. "In this practice, you all will make groups of three. Each group will select another group to face off against in battles of 1v1, 2v2, and 3v3." The students listened attentively, "The battles will test not only your individual skills but also your ability to work as a team," Aldric continued, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "Last thing to keep in mind, each winning team will be awarded with 12 soul stones and losers get nothing."

As the students absorbed the details of the challenge, excitement rippled through their ranks, their minds already racing with strategies and alliances. With Aldric's guidance, they quickly began to form groups, their movements swift as they sought out compatible teammates for the battles ahead.

As the groups began to take shape, the dynamics of power and skill became readily apparent.

The spotlight first fell upon Seren and Susie, their partnership drawing curious glances from their peers. Susie, a figure of intrigue among the students, possessed an ethereal grade, a rare designation that set her apart from the rest.

Nearby, Lorien and Finn, their alliance solidified, welcomed Kai into their group, further bolstering their ranks. The sight of this formidable trio sparked a sense of despair among the other students.

Lorien and Kai were both ethereal grades and were strong enough to take on a few of the students just by themselves, while Finn, an apex grade, rounded out the group with his unmatched battle instincts. Together, they formed a trio that seemed nearly unbeatable, their collective strength and skill setting them apart from the rest.

With a sense of trepidation, the other groups attempted to focus on their own preparations, trying to get the best teammates they could.

Among the murmurs and whispers, a glimmer of hope emerged as the students turned their attention to the potential matchups. It became clear that Seren's group and Noah and Ethan were the only ones capable of putting up a fight.

In a silent acknowledgment of the challenge ahead, the students gravitated towards these two groups, hoping to align themselves with the strongest contenders in a bid for victory. For them, joining forces with Seren's group or the formidable brothers Noah and Ethan represented their best chance at surviving.