[The Grand Academy - Private Meeting Room, Next Morning]
Aldric sat in a comfortable chair, waiting patiently as Aelindra prepared the room. The Elven Ascendant moved with deliberate grace, placing crystals at cardinal points around the chamber. Each crystal hummed with power, ancient artifacts that would reveal truth and pierce through any magical concealment or illusion. She wove detection spells layer upon layer, creating a web of magic so intricate it would expose even the most carefully hidden secrets.
"These are relics from the Age of Dawn," Aelindra explained as she worked, her voice calm and measured. "They have existed for over four thousand years, created when elven magic was at its absolute zenith. They can detect divine essence, reveal hidden identities, and show the true nature of any being who stands within their field."
"Impressive craftsmanship," Aldric said genuinely, admiring the elegant runic work carved into each crystal.
"You don't seem concerned," she observed, activating the final ward. The crystals began to glow, and the air in the room shimmered with cascading layers of detection magic. "Most beings with something to hide would be nervous right now."
"I have nothing to fear from truth," He said simply.
Aelindra sat across from Him, her ancient violet eyes studying His face. "Then let us begin. I will start with simple questions and progress from there. What is your full name?"
"Aldric."
"Just Aldric? No family name, no house, no lineage?"
"Just Aldric."
The crystals pulsed, analyzing His answer. They glowed white, indicating truth, but also flickered with confused patterns, as if they could not fully process what they were detecting.
Aelindra frowned at the readings. "Strange. The crystals confirm you're telling the truth, but they're also registering anomalies. Let me try another approach. Where were you born?"
"I was not born in the way you understand birth," Aldric said carefully. "I simply... came to be."
The crystals flared brighter, their light intensifying. Aelindra's eyes widened slightly as she read the magical feedback. "That's impossible. Every living being has an origin point, a moment of creation or birth. Unless..." Her voice trailed off as an impossible thought began to form.
"Unless?" He prompted gently.
"Unless you are a divine being," she said slowly. "An angel perhaps, incarnated in mortal form? Or a Sub-God walking among mortals for some purpose? But even then, you would have an origin point, a moment when you were created by..."
She stopped.
The crystals were now blazing with light so intense it was almost painful to look at. They were detecting something, trying to categorize it, failing, trying again. The magical construct was designed to identify any being in creation, from the lowest mortal to the highest god.
But it could not categorize what sat before her.
Because the categories themselves were HIS creation.
Aelindra stood abruptly, her composure cracking for the first time in centuries. "What are you? These crystals are registering power signatures that shouldn't exist. They're trying to classify you as divine, but the readings exceed every divine being on record. They exceed the Gods themselves. The only being who could produce readings like this would be..."
She stopped, her face going pale. Her lips trembled as she tried to speak a word that her mind rejected as impossible.
"The Supreme," she whispered.
The moment she spoke those words, the crystals exploded. Not from overload, but from recognition. They had been created to detect truth, and they had detected the ultimate truth. The fragments dissolved into pure light that swirled around Aldric like a gentle storm before fading away.
Aelindra fell to her knees, her body moving before her mind could process what was happening. Two thousand years of life, countless battles, immeasurable wisdom, all of it meant nothing in this moment. She was kneeling before her Creator, before the source of all existence, before THE SUPREME itself.
"No," she breathed, tears streaming down her face. "No, it cannot be. YOU are... YOU are here. YOU are walking among us. YOU are..."
"I am," Aldric said gently, and in that moment, He allowed her to see. Just for a heartbeat, He let the veil slip.
She saw infinity compressed into mortal form. She saw the being who had spoken reality into existence. She saw the consciousness that had dreamed up her entire race, every elf that had ever lived, the World Tree itself, the stars above, the ground below, everything and anything and all that could ever be.
She saw GOD.
Aelindra sobbed, pressing her forehead to the floor, her entire body shaking. "SUPREME ONE. CREATOR. SOURCE OF ALL. FORGIVE ME. FORGIVE MY PRESUMPTION. FORGIVE MY ARROGANCE IN THINKING I COULD QUESTION YOU."
[The Divine Realms - Simultaneous]
In the Hall of Radiance, Saint Celestria gasped and collapsed. Every Saint in the chamber felt it at the same moment. A presence, a revelation, a cosmic truth made manifest in the mortal realm.
"THE SUPREME," Celestria whispered, her voice filled with awe and terror. "IT'S there. In the mortal world. IT'S not beyond reality. IT'S walking among them. How did we not see? How did we not know?"
The realization hit every divine being simultaneously. In the Celestial Court, Angel Commander Azrael fell from the sky, his six wings going limp as the truth crashed into his consciousness. In the Divine Ocean, Sub-God Neraxis rose from the depths, his voice booming with shock and reverence. In the Eternal Forge, God Vulcar's flames guttered and nearly went out as he felt his Creator's presence below.
"THE SUPREME IS IN THE MORTAL REALM," the message spread instantly through every level of the divine hierarchy. "IN ASTORIA. IN THE GRAND ACADEMY. THE CREATOR WALKS AMONG MORTALS."
And then, as one, every divine being began to move.
[The Mortal Realm - The Sky Above Lumeria]
The heavens tore open.
Citizens of Lumeria looked up in terror as reality itself seemed to split apart. Golden light poured through rifts in the sky. Massive forms descended, beings of such power and majesty that mortals fell to their knees just from witnessing them.
Saints arrived first, fifty transcendent beings who had existed for thousands of years, each one radiating power that made Archmages look like children. They descended toward the Academy like falling stars of divine light.
Angels came next, thousands of them, their wings spanning the sky. Angel Commander Azrael led them, his face set in determination and awe. They sang as they descended, hymns of praise that shook the very air.
Then the Sub-Gods manifested. Neraxis rose from the nearest ocean, a titan of water and wisdom that towered over buildings. Volcanic rifts opened as other Sub-Gods emerged from their domains, beings who oversaw fundamental aspects of reality itself.
And finally, the Gods themselves stepped down from the highest realm.
God Vulcar appeared as a being of molten metal and eternal flame. Goddess Sylvana manifested as pure nature given consciousness. Five other Gods emerged, each one a force of creation that could reshape continents with a thought.
The entire world shook.
Earthquakes rippled across continents. Oceans surged with massive waves. The sky itself seemed to cry out as beings who rarely left their divine realms all converged on a single point. On one city. On one Academy.
On HIM.
The mortals of Lumeria panicked. Students at the Academy fled in terror. Even the professors, powerful mages themselves, could only stare in helpless awe as the divine hierarchy descended upon their institution.
King Aldren Astoria stood on his palace balcony, watching in disbelief as Gods walked his city streets. "What is happening?" he whispered. "Why have they all come?"
But before the divine beings could reach the Academy, before they could complete their pilgrimage to kneel before their Creator, everything stopped.
Time froze.
Every being in Lumeria became a statue. Citizens caught mid-run, their faces frozen in expressions of terror and confusion. Students halfway through casting defensive spells, their magic suspended in the air like insects in amber. Even the birds stopped mid-flight, hanging motionless in the sky.
The divine beings found themselves able to move but compelled to stop. They stood in the streets, in the sky, at the edges of the Academy grounds, all frozen in place not by force but by an overwhelming presence that said without words: WAIT.
In the private meeting room, Aelindra remained on her knees, but time flowed normally around her and Aldric. She looked up, seeing through walls and barriers to witness the frozen world beyond.
"YOU stopped time," she breathed. "YOU froze the entire world."
"Just this city," Aldric corrected gently. "The rest of the world continues as normal. I didn't want to cause unnecessary disruption."
He stood and walked to the window. With a gesture, space folded, and suddenly He was not in the room but standing in the Academy courtyard, and all the divine beings could see Him clearly. Aelindra found herself transported as well, still kneeling behind Him.
The Saints, Angels, Sub-Gods, and Gods all beheld their Creator standing before them in mortal form. A young man with dark hair and green eyes, wearing simple Academy robes, looking completely ordinary and simultaneously being the most significant thing in all of existence.
"My children," Aldric said, and His voice carried to every divine being present without effort. "I did not intend for you to discover Me so quickly."
Saint Celestria trembled, her voice barely a whisper. "SUPREME ONE, FORGIVE US. WE WERE INVESTIGATING ANOMALIES. WE DID NOT MEAN TO INTRUDE UPON YOUR PURPOSE."
"There is nothing to forgive," He said warmly. "You were doing exactly what you were meant to do. Watching over creation, questioning irregularities, seeking to understand. I am proud of your diligence."
God Vulcar, who could speak with mountains for vocal cords, found his voice small and reverent. "CREATOR, WHY? WHY HAVE YOU DESCENDED? WHY WALK AMONG MORTALS IN HIDDEN FORM? DO WE DISPLEASE YOU? HAS CREATION FAILED IN SOME WAY?"
"No," Aldric said firmly. "You have not failed. Creation has not failed. I came because I wanted to experience what I have made. To walk among My beloved humans and see the world through mortal eyes. To understand them not as their Creator watching from beyond, but as one among them."
Goddess Sylvana spoke, her voice like rustling leaves. "BUT YOU ARE SUPREME. YOU ARE ABSOLUTE. YOU COULD SIMPLY KNOW THESE THINGS WITHOUT EXPERIENCING THEM."
"Knowing and experiencing are different," He explained. "I know facts. I wanted to feel reality. To understand limitation, vulnerability, the beauty of existing in a single moment rather than all moments simultaneously. That is why I came."
Angel Commander Azrael bowed deeply, his wings folding in ultimate respect. "THEN WHY REVEAL YOURSELF NOW? WHY ALLOW THE ASCENDANT TO DISCOVER YOUR TRUE NATURE?"
"Because she asked the right questions with the right intent," Aldric said, glancing at Aelindra, who still knelt with tears on her face. "She sought truth genuinely, not to harm but to understand. Truth deserves to be met with truth. But..."
He paused, and the weight of His next words pressed down on every divine being present.
"But I am not finished with My time in the mortal realm," He continued. "I have enrolled in the Academy. I wish to attend classes, to learn how magic is taught, to experience student life. I want to see how humans form friendships, how they struggle and grow, how they face challenges with their limited lifespans and unlimited potential. And I cannot do that if everyone knows who I am."
The divine beings absorbed this, understanding dawning.
"You wish to remain hidden," Sub-God Neraxis said slowly.
"Yes," Aldric confirmed. "From mortals. From the other races. From everyone except those I choose to reveal Myself to. Which is why I am commanding all of you now: Return to your realms. Resume your duties. Tell no one of what you have discovered. Let Me walk among mortals unknown."
"But Supreme One," Saint Arcturus ventured carefully, "the elves. Aelindra knows. How can we ensure she does not inform her people?"
Aldric turned to Aelindra, who looked up at Him with reverence and devotion absolute. "You will tell no one," He said gently. "Not the other Ascendants. Not the elven councils. Not even your closest companions. This is My will. Do you understand?"
"Yes, CREATOR," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "I will guard Your secret with my life and beyond. I will die before I reveal what I know. I swear this on my soul, on the World Tree, on everything I am and ever will be."
"Good," He said, pleased. "You may rise, Aelindra. And you may return to your investigation of Spirit Summoning. Tell the Academy leadership that your meeting with Me was productive, that I am simply a powerful mage with unusual talents. Deflect, misdirect, do what you must to maintain the illusion."
She stood on shaking legs. "It will be done, SUPREME ONE. But may I ask... why me? Why allow me to know when You wish to remain hidden from others?"
"Because I have always valued the wisdom of the elves," He said. "You were meant to be the longest-lived, the most perceptive, the guardians of deep knowledge. You have fulfilled that purpose beautifully. Consider this knowledge both a burden and a blessing. You alone among mortals will walk knowing your Creator shares your world. Use that knowledge wisely."
She bowed deeply, overwhelmed by the honor and the weight of it.
Aldric turned back to the assembled divine beings. "All of you, listen carefully. I am walking the mortal realm to understand My creation better. I will not tolerate interference. Do not send observers to watch Me. Do not manipulate events to test Me. Do not appear to the mortals and hint at My presence. Let Me experience the world as I have chosen to experience it."
"We understand, CREATOR," they said as one.
"Furthermore," He continued, "the dragons already know I am here. They discovered Me when I visited them, and I commanded their silence. They have obeyed. You will do the same. The dragons, the divine hierarchy, and Aelindra alone will know this secret. No one else. Not humans, not dwarves, not beastkin, not merfolk, no mortal race beyond this one elf will learn the truth."
"It shall be as You command," God Vulcar pledged, and all the others echoed the vow.
"Good." Aldric smiled, and the warmth in that smile made every divine being feel blessed beyond measure. "Now return to your realms. Continue your duties. Guide mortals who pray to you, maintain the cosmic order, fulfill your purposes. I will continue My journey, and when it is complete, when I have learned what I came to learn, I will return to My place beyond reality. Until then, pretend I was never here."
The divine beings bowed, some kneeling, some prostrating themselves fully, all of them overcome with awe at having stood in the direct presence of THE SUPREME.
"One more thing," Aldric said, His tone lightening. "When time resumes, the mortals will remember only that the sky opened and divine beings appeared briefly before vanishing. They will not remember seeing you all converge on the Academy. I will adjust their memories slightly, just enough to prevent panic and endless questions. They will think it was a brief divine manifestation related to Spirit Summoning, nothing more."
"Your wisdom is infinite, CREATOR," Goddess Sylvana said with deep reverence.
"I simply prefer not to traumatize My beloved humans unnecessarily," He said with a slight smile. "They have enough to worry about without thinking the entire divine hierarchy is descending on their city."
With a wave of His hand, the divine beings began to fade, returning to their respective realms. They went reluctantly, wanting to stay in His presence but obeying His command without question. Within moments, the sky was empty again, the rifts sealed, the overwhelming presences gone.
Only Aelindra remained, and she stood before Him, still trembling slightly.
"How do I..." she began, then stopped. "How do I go back to normal life after this? How do I attend councils and make decisions and pretend that YOU are not walking the same world I inhabit?"
"The same way you did before," Aldric said gently. "You did not know I was here yesterday, yet you lived your life, made your choices, fulfilled your purpose. Nothing has truly changed except your awareness. Continue being who you are, Aelindra Moonwhisper. Continue being the wise, perceptive Ascendant the elves need. Simply do so knowing that your Creator watches and is pleased with what He sees."
She bowed one final time. "Thank You, SUPREME ONE. For allowing me to know. For trusting me with this truth. I will not fail You."
"I know you won't," He said.
Aldric raised His hand, and time began to flow again.
[The Academy - Moments Later]
Students blinked in confusion. They had been running in panic, and now they stood still, uncertain why. The sky had opened, they remembered that, but the details were fuzzy. Something about divine beings appearing? But they had left almost immediately. It must have been related to Spirit Summoning, some kind of heavenly acknowledgment of the new gift.
Headmaster Alduin stood in the courtyard, looking shaken but not terrified. He remembered seeing something magnificent and overwhelming, but the specifics were like trying to recall a dream. "Everyone, please, remain calm," he called out, his voice magically amplified. "What we witnessed was a divine manifestation, likely the gods acknowledging the gift of Spirit Summoning. There is no danger. Classes will resume shortly."
In the private meeting room, Aelindra and Aldric stood facing each other, but any observer would simply see an Elven Ascendant and a student having completed their interview.
"Your investigation is complete?" Aldric asked, playing his role.
"Yes," Aelindra said, her voice steady despite the turmoil in her heart. "I have determined that you are simply an exceptionally talented mage. Unusual, certainly, but not a threat. I will report as much to the Academy leadership."
"I appreciate your thoroughness," He said.
She bowed slightly, a gesture of respect that was perfectly appropriate for an Ascendant to a powerful student, but which carried layers of meaning only she understood. "The honor was mine."
As she left the room, Aelindra felt tears threatening again. She had stood in the presence of THE SUPREME. She had been commanded personally by the Creator of all existence. She alone among all mortals carried this impossible knowledge.
It was the greatest honor imaginable.
And the heaviest burden she would ever bear.