The news of the encounter in the Training Spire traveled through the Dragon Estate faster than the frost now coating its obsidian floors. By the time Caelum reached the heavy, iron-studded doors of the Patriarch's study, the air was vibrating with a suffocating pressure. It was the weight of a Great Dragon's presence—the aura of a man who stood as a bulwark against the apocalypse.
Caelum didn't knock. He pushed the doors open, the hinges screaming as thin layers of ice, formed from his mere presence, cracked under the force.
Duke Alaric Dragon did not look up from his desk. He was a monolithic figure, his silver hair caught in the flicker of enchanted braziers that struggled to maintain their heat. The room was caught in a violent tug-of-war: the Duke's natural radiance was being actively pushed back by the creeping chill following his youngest son.
"I am told," Alaric began, his voice a low rumble, "that my youngest son has returned. And that he has laid hands on the prodigy of this house."
"I simply provided Lyra with a perspective she was lacking," Caelum replied, walking to the center of the room. He didn't bow. "She forgot that everything eventually freezes."
Alaric finally looked up. His golden eyes, pupils slitted like a reptile's, narrowed. As a Master of the Dragon line, Alaric's perception was absolute. He didn't just see Caelum; he saw the boy's **Mana Circuit**. A week ago, it had been a cluttered, C-Rank mess. Now, it was a blinding, crystalline structure of such complexity and density that Alaric felt a primal shiver.
*SSS-Rank...* the Duke thought, his heart hammering against his ribs. It was a talent level that shouldn't exist in a mortal vessel. It was the rank of the World Will's chosen.
"Show me," Alaric commanded, his voice tight. "Show me the fire of your soul."
Caelum raised his hand. He didn't struggle; he simply willed it. A flame erupted in his palm, but it was a terrifying, brilliant **white**. It didn't cast heat; it drank it. The air in the study turned to visible mist as the white flame roared silently, a paradox of burning ice.
Alaric stared at the flame, his reflection caught in the white glare. He saw the way the light refused to flicker, steady as a dying star. "Enough," he whispered.
Caelum extinguished the flame and turned to leave. "I'll be in the library. I have three months to prepare for the Academy."
As the door closed, Alaric remained motionless. He looked at the frost-covered stone where his son had stood. His mind raced back to the ancient, forbidden scrolls of the Dragon Race—texts from the era when True Dragons ruled the skies.
*The Anomaly,* Alaric thought, his hand trembling slightly. *A dragon that does not breathe fire, but the Absolute Zero. The legend said a single Frost Dragon once dominated the entire race, bringing a winter that lasted a century.* He looked toward the door Caelum had exited. For the first time, Alaric didn't see a disappointment. He saw a king.
The Hierarchy of Aetheria
In the world of Aetheria, power is measured by the quality of one's mana circuits and the capacity of their soul. This ranking applies to both talent (potential) and current combat power.
Rank
Description
**F to E**
**Commoner / Foot Soldier.** Minimal mana. Enough to light a candle or enhance a physical strike slightly.
**D to C**
**Squire / Knight.** The standard for noble houses. Caelum's former rank. Capable of basic elemental manipulation.
**B to A**
**Elite / Commander.** The rank of Academy geniuses. Can devastate small battalions and manipulate large-scale elements.
**S**
**Hero / Master.** Those who have surpassed human limits. Most High Nobles and Generals reside here.
**SS**
**Grandmaster / Apostle.** Those touched by the gods. They can alter the weather of a city and face Void Rifts alone.
**SSS**
**Mythical / The Anomaly.** A rank of legend. It represents absolute mastery over a concept. Caelum's current talent rank.
## The Void Hierarchy
The creatures that emerged from the rifts 1,000 years ago are classified by the "color" of their core and the scale of destruction they bring.
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**Black Iron Rank:** The foot soldiers of the Void. Pack hunters like Void Hounds. Dangerous to commoners, but manageable by D-Rank knights.
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**Silver Rank:** These creatures possess basic intelligence and can use "Void Arts." They require an organized squad of B-Rank warriors to take down.
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**Gold Rank:** Large-scale threats, often the size of buildings. A single Gold-Rank can wipe out a fortified village in a night.
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**Platinum Rank:** The "Generals" of the Void. They possess human-like intelligence and can command armies of lower ranks. Only S-Rank Masters can stand against them.
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**Ruby Rank (Calamity Threat):** The apex of horror. When a Ruby-Rank appears, it is a continental disaster. They are capable of collapsing the mana barriers of entire kingdoms. To face a Ruby-Rank is to almost face extinction.