Void Dragon - A God among Gods

From that moment, I went back to sleep until I was shaken again. Thinking it was another prank by Theronir, I ignored it, but then another shake came, more intense. Still, I resisted.

- "…zzz…" I snored.

...Shake...

- "Tsk… I'm not responding this time, Theronir, you scoundrel," I thought.

...Intense shake...

- "I'm not responding."

...Endless shaking...

- "…TSK… CAN YOU STOP THAT, THERONIR???" I yelled, getting up, ready to punch him.

At that moment, I realized everyone was standing in silence. In fact, the presentation had already started. Eyes of astonishment and doubt turned to me.

- "…Sigh…" sighed Theronir and Aertharion almost simultaneously.

- "Ha… ha… I apologize, please continue with the presentation…" I said, embarrassed, adjusting myself.

The presentation continued while I felt contemptuous looks around me. Some, more intense, certainly came from Aertharion and Theronir. Not that it mattered — I was too tired to care about it.

- "Dear new students of Aeternal, my name is Lycandor. Welcome to the sacred grounds of Aeternal! Today, you step into not just a school, but a pillar among dimensions. Here, the impossible is shaped by learning, and the extraordinary is our norm. Aeternal is the place where the stories of past eras meet the potential of the future, and you, freshmen, are the guardians of this legacy. We are an institution that transcends time and space. Here, different species sit side by side, united by the quest for mutual evolution. This is the beating heart of the union between gods. After ages of conflict, Aeternal was created as a symbol of harmony, knowledge, and peaceful coexistence among our divine races. However, do not be mistaken. Harmony does not mean the absence of challenges. You will be tested not only in your skills and intellect but also in character and resilience. It is here that the strong become leaders, the just become beacons, and the unwise… well, they either learn or fade into insignificance. As beings who influence lower worlds, your responsibility goes beyond yourselves. You are here to learn, yes, but also to understand the impact of your choices and the weight of your powers on existence. Aeternal is the bridge between what you are and what you can become. From this moment on, you are not just students — you are pioneers. Lastly, remember that your human forms, required by our regulations, are more than just disguises. They are reminders that even gods can learn to see the world from different perspectives. Rise, young deities, and walk with purpose. The universe is watching."

He paused, his eyes scanning the audience.

- "May the wisdom of Aeternal guide your steps. Welcome to the school that challenges gods and shapes legends."

The hall echoed with applause.

- "Thank you! I now ask that you remain standing and pay reverence to our school hymn" he announced, placing his hand on his chest.

At that moment, I was fighting with all my might against sleep, begging for it to end soon. When the hymn concluded, the director finally permitted us to sit.

- "Dear students, you may be seated now."

- "FINALLY!" I thought, collapsing into the chair and almost immediately drifting back to sleep.

As sleep took over, I heard, in the distance, the director saying that from that moment on, the princess of the Light Dragons' kingdom would give a speech, as she had been chosen as a person of honor or something like that. I don't remember well, and I didn't care about the speech or the princess; I just wanted to sleep in peace.

- "Yes… now I can finally sleep," I said, dozing off almost completely immediately after.

- "Dear students, next we will have a speech from an honored guest on this special day. A new freshman who, I am sure, will further enhance the concept of our school across the universe and other dimensions. Please, Princess Aurëalis, the floor is yours," said the school director.

…Whispers among the other students present…

- "...What's happening now? Did he say princess? Speech? Is she going to give a speech, is that it? Ha… I couldn't be less interested… but why is everyone so restless?" I asked myself, opening my eyes a bit.

At that moment, I could hear many people whispering as if what they were seeing was something magnificent, or if the person up there was very important. Curiosity made me open one of my eyes slightly, just to see what was happening, and who that person was. Even though I had that cloth over my eyes, I could see, on the stage, a figure that exuded confidence, energy, and a lot, LOT of beauty. It was a being whose characteristics matched those describing how a deity should be. Her eyes were reddish and slit-shaped, her lips the color of human world apples, her hair long, white as light, straight, and slightly curled at the ends. Her body, though in ceremonial attire, was extremely athletic, with prominent curves, the real dream of any male, even of different species. She was indeed an extremely attractive female, and obviously had many suitors. However, just thinking about all that quickly tired my mind, and I ended up simply preferring to sleep, knowing I would gain much more from it than just looking at her, even knowing she was extremely beautiful, a being that would only be born once every million years.

- "...Uhhh…. wow… now I understand why everyone is like that… she really is very beautiful… ha... she is the stereotype of how gods are… If she is so beautiful in her human form, her real form must be even more beautiful… But… I won't gain anything by just looking at her… better go back to sleep…Yawn.." I said, yawning and going back to sleep.

- "Dear masters, leaders of divine races, new and returning students, good evening.

It is with immense honor and gratitude that I address all of you on this very special night. As the honor student chosen to represent the Light Dragons and our new generation at Aeternal, I recognize that this position is both a privilege and a responsibility that I carry with humility.

Aeternal is not just a school; it is the heart of our union. It is the place where we learn from each other, grow together, and build bridges that, I hope, will guide us to a stronger and more harmonious future. Our ancestors fought, often on opposite sides, in conflicts that could have condemned us to destruction. But it was the desire for peace and mutual learning that made this place possible.

Each of us carries the weight and glory of our lineages. The Light Dragons, whom I proudly call family, have always sought to illuminate the path for others, not just with power, but with wisdom and justice. However, this path does not belong to us exclusively. Each race present here has its unique brilliance, its essential role in this immense universe. Together, we form the constellations that illuminate eternity.

Today, as an honor student, I would like to ask all my peers: never forget that greatness lies not only in our individual abilities but in how we use our gifts to elevate others.

In this academic journey, and in the life that follows, let us remember that true strength lies in unity. Let rivalries motivate us, not divide us. Let knowledge bring us closer, and let coexistence at Aeternal be proof that differences are not barriers but opportunities.

And finally, may our ancestors, who fought so hard for this day to come, look upon us with pride, seeing us as the bearers of their hope, the generation that finally transcended the darkness of discord.

Aeternal offers us the stage to be not only great but just. Let us commit to living up to this purpose.

Thank you. May our collective light shine for all eternity." Said Aurëalis, as a round of warm applause began.

I, who had only heard half of that speech because I had fallen asleep during the other half, couldn't think of anything other than the most obvious and what anyone else there would think... Why an honor student? She wasn't older, nor a veteran, and hadn't achieved any position by her own merit, at least as far as I knew, so it was unnecessary, only serving to disturb my sleep.

In the following hours, the director, professors, and a few students gave speeches, presented school rules, explained how the four school years would work, and also discussed dormitories and how sharing would work. At least two different species, of the same gender, would stay in the same dormitory. This was an attempt to make the races overcome the differences between them. I, who at that moment was listening attentively because it concerned the dormitory, had no problem with it, as long as my roommate wasn't a scoundrel who kept waking me up all the time. Additionally, the classes were distributed, and unsurprisingly, I ended up in a class called Class D, one of the worst first-year classes. However, once again, I didn't care about that, as long as I could sleep in peace, everything would be fine.

After all that, I went back to sleep and stayed in the hall until, at some point, I was woken up by someone shaking me.

…shake…

- "..ughh.. is it Theronir again?" I thought.

…more intense shake…

- "...Tsk… this time I'll open my eyes and peek… if it's him again, I'll kill him," I thought, as I opened my eyes and peeked.

However, it wasn't him, but someone much more important…

- "AAAUUGHH… M-miss Aurëalis? … What is it, do you need something?" I said, after screaming in surprise upon seeing who was calling me.

- "H-hello, is everything okay? Everyone was already leaving and you were still here, so I thought it was best to check if you were alright and if you needed help…" She said, while some of the people she was talking to looked at me and whispered.

- "..w-what? Everyone has left already…" I asked, looking around.

- "Tsk… that scoundrel Theronir… he was supposed to wake me up… arghh… I'll kill him next time, I swear I will," I murmured.

- ".Errmm.. so? Is everything alright?" She asked, looking at me strangely.

- "..Yes, everything is fine… I had some commitments yesterday and didn't sleep well, so I ended up dozing off here haha… thank you for waking me up… well, now I'll be on my way, see you later!" I said, leaving the hall quickly, embarrassed.

- "..S-see you?" She said, watching me leave the hall.