Aether is it?

The lecture hall was nothing short of majestic—high vaulted ceilings with floating parchment lanterns, glass windows that glowed with subtle runes, and dozens of tiered desks arranged in a semicircle around a central, rune-etched podium. Every seat came with a quill that wrote on its own, a textbook bound in thick midnight-blue leather, and a glass globe that pulsed faintly with color.

Ava sat at the second row, arms crossed, silver hair tied up in a messy braid. She looked around, trying to pretend she wasn't mildly overwhelmed.

Noctis sat beside her, elbows on the desk, staring at the glowing orb in front of him like it had insulted his family.

"Do we touch it or… feed it?" he whispered.

"It's a globe, not a hamster," Ava muttered back.

The murmuring quieted as an older woman glided to the front of the room. Her robes shimmered between deep violet and ash gray, embroidered with Aether runes that shifted shape when you tried to read them. Her eyes were sharp and silver, like polished steel.

"Good morning, Initiates," she said, voice smooth and commanding. "I am Professor Serel. I will be guiding you through your theoretical foundation of Aether Sciences. We begin now."

Noctis glanced sideways at Ava. "I already hate this."

She whispered, "Shut up, or she'll give us homework."

"Let's begin with the basics," Professor Serel continued, tapping the podium once. The rune-lit walls behind her shimmered and projected a glowing diagram of a human figure surrounded by swirling strands of color.

"Aether is not simply 'energy.' It is the expression of existence—the memory of matter, the will behind form. It is shaped by thought, emotion, lineage, and internal structure."

She tapped the figure. "You. All of you. Are born with latent Aether. You shape it as much as it shapes you. Your body is a vessel. Your mind, a filter. Your soul—" she paused, "—the furnace."

Ava's quill began scribbling on its own. Noctis watched his with suspicion.

"Did you understand any of that?" he whispered.

Ava shook her head. "I think she said we're human soup."

He stifled a snort.

"Control comes from resonance," Professor Serel continued. "The stronger your bond to your Aether type, the clearer your channeling. There are six dominant Aether expressions—each with subtypes and anomalies."

Another gesture revealed six shifting glyphs floating above the class:

Pyros – Flame and momentum.

Glaceon – Ice and stillness.

Voltaris – Lightning and impulse.

Terranox – Earth and durability.

Lumira – Light and presence.

Umbros – Shadow and absence.

A seventh, distorted symbol flickered briefly before vanishing. Most students didn't seem to notice.

Ava leaned closer. "You see that?"

Noctis nodded slowly. "Yeah. Glitched out or something."

"Rare Aether types," Professor Serel said, "don't always conform to our taxonomy. They are… less studied, and sometimes, unstable."

Ava's fingers clenched her notes slightly. Golden Aether—Lumira Prime—wasn't even on the list.

Noctis raised his hand. "Professor?"

"Yes, Mr. Vale?"

He hesitated. "If someone has one of those… rare Aether types—how do they train it if it doesn't follow the rules?"

Professor Serel studied him for a moment too long. Then her gaze softened—only slightly.

"They adapt. Or they burn out."

A cold silence followed.

Ava's voice was quiet. "That's encouraging."

The lesson continued, spiraling into complex theories—resonance loops, channeling circuits, internal Aether well mechanics. It may as well have been another language.

At some point, the professor asked a question:

"If Aether flow becomes blocked in the second spiral circuit, what reaction typically follows?"

A silence. Then a student three rows back answered: "Neural fatigue or elemental recoil, depending on the subtype."

Ava blinked. "We have circuits?"

Noctis whispered, "We're plumbing. We're literally soul plumbing."

Their confusion must have been obvious, because when Professor Serel called on them next, she didn't even give them a hard question.

"Miss Lyra. What is the purpose of a stability anchor?"

Ava froze. "…To keep things stable?"

A few students snickered. The professor didn't react.

"Mr. Vale. What are the three layers of Aether integration?"

He opened his mouth. Closed it. "…Is this a multiple choice question?"

More snickers.

Serel's lips twitched. "Not yet."

By the time class ended, Ava and Noctis were slumped in their seats, mentally fried.

"I actually miss physical training," Ava groaned.

"My brain's leaking out of my ears," Noctis said.

Their magical quills fluttered shut and returned to their stands. The pulsing globes dimmed.

As the students began to file out, Professor Serel's voice followed them.

"Tomorrow, we begin internal channeling theory. Do try to keep up."

Outside the hall, Ava rubbed her temples. "So, we're behind."

"Way behind," Noctis said.

They walked in silence for a moment before she added, "You still think we're going to find a way out of here?"

He didn't answer right away.

Then, "Not yet. But we're learning. And if we're stuck… I'd rather be the kind of clueless that survives."

Ava smiled faintly. "Clueless but armed."

"Exactly."