Cyrus Solaris
After my house pin of a telescope was placed on my jacket, I ripped my hand away from the eccentric professor.
I didn't understand how being an astronomer would benefit me as a Rift Runner. I got the short end of the stick, and the decision to come to Xhatal Academy started to feel like the wrong one.
As I stepped down from the stage and headed toward my seat. An array of dings came from our watches.
"Now that every house has presented its members, your schedules for the first semester have been delivered. You will also see your current living arrangements." The Head Master said, taking a pause.
"Living arrangements at your house are determined based on performance at the academy. Students who perform well will get better dorms compared to those who perform poorly.
This arrangement is shifting one. After each assessment, your living quarters at your house are subject to change. But to start the year, your living arrangements are based on the results of the Totem Game." The crowd moaned.
I didn't. I couldn't contain my excitement. I was going to end up with one of the best dorms.
"Xhatal Academy has an accelerated curriculum. Every minute of your day is accounted for. Off you go," the Head Master commanded.
In seconds, the auditorium turned into a frenzy, students hurrying toward their first class like ants pouring from a hill.
I glanced at my watch. I saw two messages. The first was a breakdown of the school's grading rubric:
Nexus progression had the lowest impact on my grades.
Classroom grades were next, followed by team performance.
Rift performance has the most impact on my final grade.
The second message I received was my class schedule.
My first class was Star Patterns and Movement. The class was located on the southeast island and taught by none other than Professor Rhondall.
I traveled through the sea of three hundred students and arrived at the southeast edge of the main floating isle of Xhatal Academy.
At the edge, the cold gust of wind smacked me in the face, making me understand why everyone opted to wear their jackets. But the ethereal cosmic chains connecting the isles are what my eyes were drawn to.
The cosmic energy radiating from them felt potent and ancient, suggesting they would never break.
A moment passed. The chains' glow intensified, and a surface made of pure cosmic energy manifested between the semi-taut chains.
Students began walking across the cosmic bridge as if it were a common occurrence. I waited until I watched several groups of students make it to the other side, despite how much the cold wind nipped at my skin.
"What are you waiting for?" a soft voice said. Looking to my right, a boy with grey skin and a hoodie that barely covered his black eyes strolled past me. I didn't notice his presence; it was as if he emerged from the shadows.
"Hypocrite much? You waited just as long." I said, taking my first step onto the bridge.
He turned his head over his shoulder, "Royalty always allows the common folk to proceed first," the brooding boy said, gesturing for me to go ahead.
"I don't see royalty. Just a kid who lost to me."
I turned my head away from the boy and focused on the bridge. A small gulp left my throat as I looked underneath the cosmic bridge. Imbuing my legs with cosmic energy, I dashed across, my eyes locked on the large spire in the middle of the isle before me.
When I made it to the other side, the isle came into focus. There was a faint tree line encircling the isle, and in the center, several modern buildings.
But there was a singular building that commanded attention. It was the pointed spire, and at the very top, an object protruded. It was cylindrical, and its diameter increased the farther it was from the building.
Squinting, I noticed a glare reflecting off the edge, almost as if it were… glass.
I couldn't believe it…. This building was a telescope.
A man walked out of the large spire shouting with glee.
"I see you all made it safely across the bridge. Thank the pantheon. It's never good to present parents with bone fragments. I already like this class. Now follow me," Professor Rhondall said as he gestured for us to follow him to a large domed building to his right.
Inside the building, a platform sat in the center of the room. Chairs circled the stage like rings around a gas giant. The room was dim, drawing our attention to the ceiling, which mimicked the night sky with minimal light pollution.
Our classroom was a planetarium.
A place I loved growing up.
"Take a seat, everyone." Professor Rhondall politely asked.
The Professor stood on the center platform waiting until we all got situated.
"Now, before we start this class. I would like to ask you all, what do you first think of when you think of an Astronomer?"
A period of silence encompassed the room before the first student answered.
"A star gazer."
"Not bad. We definitely do gaze upon them from time to time. Anyone else?"
I raised my hand. "Go ahead, Cyrus."
"An explorer."
"A useless one at that." A kid chipped in on my answer. Looking at where the voice came from, I noticed that it was the same kid I met on the bridge.
"Didn't we send astronauts deeper into space ten years ago, and we have yet to find anything worthwhile. I don't know, Explorer sounds like a reach."
My fists balled up underneath my desk.
"What do you think then?" I chirped back.
The grey-skinned kid paused, stroking his chin as he thought of an answer.
"Conmen. I think they are conmen."
Professor Rhondall's eyes perked up at the statement. "Now, Kuru, who has filled your head with lies."
"My Father, Lord Shademaul," Kuru said, as he sat up, chest puffed out.
"Well, it sounds like your father has some trauma. Astronomers are far from conmen. They are an important position in a cluster."
"More important than a Concordant and an Arbiter." A student asked.
"I don't subscribe to the ideas of hierarchy in teams, every position is important."
Professor Rhondall said as he clicked a button on his remote, causing the projection on the ceiling to change.
"You all should know by now that Rifts are caused when stars go supernova, tearing the fabric of space, creating a separate space-time where the physical realm and astral realm leak into it. But what many of you do not know is that every celestial object in space affects the others, depending on their life cycles and positions in the universe. So, understanding the position where the star exploded, we can understand how the rift will be affected based on the other celestial objects near it."
"So are you saying we can predict the future of a rift?" A kid asked.
"As a scientist, I can not say with a hundred percent accuracy, but we can get pretty close." The energy in the class started to lighten up, now that their perception of the position had changed. I couldn't help but feel a sense of joy trickle out as well.
Professor Rhondall was a little weird, but he was passionate and engaging. That was something I could admire.
"But can a team function well without one?" Kuru asked.
Professor Rhondall glanced toward me.
"Can they function? Yes. Will it be exponentially harder to navigate? Most definitely."