[Lumeria - Dawn Breaking]
The first rays of sunlight touched the eastern horizon.
Aldric stood by the window, watching. "Now," HE said softly.
Reality shifted.
[The Grand Academy - Student Dormitories]
Sera Ashford woke with a gasp.
Something was different. She could sense... presences. Thousands of them, in a space that overlapped with reality but wasn't quite there.
"What is this?!" her roommate Lyra shrieked, sitting bolt upright. "There's—there's things everywhere! I can feel them!"
All across the dormitories, students were waking up, confused and frightened.
[The Royal Palace]
King Aldren Astoria gripped his balcony railing, his magical senses overwhelmed.
His court wizard burst through the doors. "Your Majesty! The Weave has restructured! There's an entire realm accessible now! Spirits—millions of them!"
"I felt it too," the King said quietly. He had received a vision in his sleep—golden light, divine presence, a gift being bestowed—but the source had been unclear. "This feels like... divine intervention. The gods have blessed us with something new."
The old wizard nodded, trembling. "A miracle from the heavens themselves."
Neither of them knew the truth. Neither could comprehend that THE SUPREME—the being above all gods—had personally enacted this change. To them, it was simply "the divine" at work, as it sometimes was.
[Meanwhile - In the Divine Realms]
Saint Celestria stood with other Saints in the Hall of Radiance, all of them still reeling from the dream.
"The Supreme spoke to us directly," she whispered, awed. "I've existed for two thousand years and never... never felt ITS presence so clearly."
"IT has given mortals a gift," Saint Arcturus said. "Spirit Summoning. But we are commanded not to interfere. Only to guide if asked."
In the Celestial Court, Angel Commander Azrael gathered his legions. "The Supreme has spoken. This is ITS will made manifest. No angel is to manipulate the system. We watch. We protect. We do not control."
Ten thousand angels knelt. "By the Creator's will."
In his endless ocean, Sub-God Neraxis marveled at the elegant system. "To think THE SUPREME personally crafted this... IT continues to surprise even us."
And in the highest realm, God Vulcar spoke to his fellow deities. "This is why IT is above us all. We shape elements and concepts. IT reshapes reality itself."
Goddess Sylvana nodded. "And IT forbids our interference. The mortals must discover this on their own."
None of them suspected that THE SUPREME was currently walking the mortal realm in human form.
That thought would never occur to them.
IT was beyond such things.
...Wasn't IT?
[Lumeria Streets - Morning]
Aldric walked through chaos.
"Did everyone feel that?!"
"My daughter says she can hear voices from another world!"
"The priests are saying it's a blessing from the gods!"
"No, the Academy says it's a natural evolution of magic!"
"Maybe it's connected to the dragon sightings!"
Aldric paused by a crowded news board where a crier was shouting.
"UNPRECEDENTED EVENT! Over TWENTY dragons spotted flying toward the Ashen Wastes yesterday! Largest dragon gathering in recorded history! Multiple kingdoms report sightings! Purpose unknown!"
The crowd murmured nervously.
"Why would so many dragons gather?"
"First this new magic appears, now dragons are flying around? Something big is happening!"
"Maybe the gods are preparing for something..."
"Don't be ridiculous. Dragons don't answer to gods."
Aldric smiled slightly. If only you knew. They came to see ME.
HE continued walking, listening to theories and speculation. No one suspected the truth. To them, this was just another mysterious event in a world filled with magic and divine mysteries.
Perfect.
[The Grand Academy - Central Plaza]
Thousands of students gathered as Headmaster Alduin Shadowmere took the platform.
"Students and faculty," he began, his voice magically amplified. "I know you're confused about this morning's phenomenon. Many of you have asked if this is divine intervention. The truth is... we don't know exactly."
He paused.
"What we do know is this: a new form of magic has become possible. Spirit Summoning—the ability to form contracts with beings from the Spirit Realm and manifest them as familiars."
The plaza erupted with excited chatter.
"Some of our most powerful mages received visions last night," Alduin continued. "Vague images of this new possibility. Whether this is a gift from the gods, a natural evolution of the Weave, or something else entirely, we cannot say. But it is real, and it is powerful."
He gestured, and a wolf made of crackling lightning materialized beside him.
"This is Stormfang, a lightning spirit. I formed a contract with him one hour ago. Through our bond, my power has increased considerably."
Gasps and excited murmurs.
"To form a contract, you must be at least Third Circle," Alduin explained. "The mechanics are still being discovered. We're all learning together. Now—entrance examinations will proceed. Applicants, to Examination Hall Three."
[Examination Hall Three]
Professor Meredith Stonebrook stood before two hundred nervous applicants, explaining the Measurement Orb.
"White light—First Circle. Blue—Second Circle. Green—Third Circle. Yellow—Fourth Circle. Red—Fifth Circle. Purple—Sixth Circle. Gold—Seventh Circle, which has never been recorded in an applicant."
Names were called. Most glowed white or blue.
"Marcus von Haltren!"
The golden-haired noble stepped forward confidently.
Green light.
The room erupted in applause.
"Third Circle at eighteen! Incredible!"
Marcus bowed, soaking in the attention. "My family spares no expense for quality training."
More names. None matched Marcus.
Then: "Aldric... no family name?"
HE stepped forward.
The room quieted. Something about him made people hold their breath.
Sera watched from the side, her heart racing. That's him. The one from yesterday.
Aldric placed HIS hands on the orb.
White. Blue. Green. Yellow.
People stood from their seats.
Red.
Professor Stonebrook dropped her clipboard.
Purple.
"Six Circles?! That's Grand Archmage level!"
Gold.
The orb blazed so bright people shielded their eyes. Then something beyond gold—a color that shouldn't exist.
CRACK.
The orb split down the middle, unable to contain what it was measuring.
Every mage in the room felt their own magic become insignificant in comparison to the weight of power radiating from that young man.
Professor Stonebrook fell to her knees, tears streaming without understanding why.
Marcus's pride shattered into terror.
An elderly Fifth Circle professor rushed in, having felt the surge from across campus. He looked at the destroyed orb, looked at Aldric, and slowly bowed deeply.
"Forgive us, young master. We lack the means to measure such power."
Aldric smiled apologetically. "Sorry about the equipment. Should I try another Academy?"
"NO!" Professor Stonebrook found her voice. "Please stay! You honor us! We'll inform Headmaster Alduin immediately!"
[Across Lumeria]
A young girl in a courtyard held out her hands. "Spirits? Can you hear me?"
A tiny fire spirit, no bigger than her palm, appeared with a cheerful chirp.
She laughed with pure joy. "Hello, little one!"
In the merchant district, a veteran adventurer concentrated. A massive earth spirit shaped like a stone bear materialized beside him.
"By the gods..." he breathed. "It actually works."
In a temple, a priestess wept as her grandmother's spirit appeared, able to manifest fully for the first time.
All across the world, Spirit Contracts were forming.
A new age had begun.
But only the divine beings truly understood what had happened.
The mortals just knew that magic had changed, and they were adapting as they always did.
[Headmaster's Office]
Alduin stared at the reports, then at the young man sitting across from him.
"I'll be direct. Your power is... unprecedented. Who are you? What are you?"
"I'm nineteen," Aldric said simply. "And I want to attend the Academy. To learn. To understand how magic is taught."
"With your power, you could rule kingdoms—"
"I'm not interested in ruling," HE said gently. "I'm interested in understanding. In experiencing. Is that so strange?"
Alduin studied him for a long moment, then sighed.
"You're admitted. Obviously. But I'm placing you in advanced classes. And please... try not to break any more equipment."
Aldric smiled. "I'll do my best, Headmaster."
As HE left, Alduin slumped in his chair, feeling like he'd just had a conversation with something far beyond his comprehension.
But what?
[The Divine Realms - Unease]
Saint Celestria paused mid-flight. "Did anyone else feel that? A surge from the mortal realm?"
Angel Commander Azrael frowned. "I felt it. Unusual power. But mortals sometimes achieve surprising things."
"It felt... familiar," she said slowly. "Like the presence from the dream. But that's impossible. THE SUPREME doesn't walk among mortals."
"Of course not," Azrael agreed.
But doubt lingered.
In his ocean domain, Sub-God Neraxis felt the same unease. That surge of power... it had reminded him of something.
Something he couldn't quite name.
[The Ashen Wastes - Dragon Council]
Ignatius spoke through the dragon network. "The Supreme has enrolled in a mortal academy. IT walks among them completely hidden. Not even the gods suspect."
"Should we warn them?" a younger dragon asked.
"NO," Ignatius commanded. "IT wishes to remain hidden. That is ITS will. We do not question the Supreme. We simply watch."
The dragons fell silent, continuing their vigil.
God walked the earth.
And only they knew.