Chapter 46 – Venarae
The dormitory wing of Null Spire Military Academy towered like a cathedral of glass and steel, its arched corridors lined with veins of pulsing azure light. Holographic banners rippled faintly in the air, projecting the academy's insignia — a twin spiral burning within a ring of stars. Gravity panels shimmered beneath the transparent floors, holding floating staircases in perfect suspension.
It felt like walking inside a living circuit — half futuristic campus, half fortress meant to challenge the gods themselves.
The moment the trio stepped in, whispers spread like wildfire.
Girls leaned against railing edges, eyes flicking toward Vaibhav, whose calm stride and unreadable expression carried the weight of quiet confidence. Beside him, Shin's easy grin and careless swagger drew laughter and side-glances alike.
Meanwhile, boys nudged each other, murmuring about Alicia's poised beauty — her silver hair gleaming under the blue light, her gaze so cold and self-assured it seemed carved from marble.
None dared step closer. The air around them held an unspoken boundary — the difference between spectators and those destined to stand beyond reach.
"Turning heads again," Shin murmured, elbowing Vaibhav lightly.
Vaibhav didn't even turn. "It's your noise they're turning away from."
Alicia's lips curved, barely. "This guy is predictable everywhere," she thought, brushing her hair back as if ending the conversation entirely.
The murmurs quieted as two figures entered the corridor — a presence too sharp to ignore.
Zhao Tanjiro, son of Zhao Kenjiro, walked with a confidence that cut the air. His eyes gleamed with mischief wrapped around precision — like someone who smiled just to measure reactions.
Beside him strode Nakamura Aria, daughter of Arun Nakamura. Her steps were silent, her aura calm, but beneath that stillness coiled a razor's edge. The kind of presence that could end a fight before it began.
When a few upper-year students dared to step toward Alicia, Tanjiro's smirk didn't falter — but his aura did. It burst outward like compressed heat, sharp and suffocating. A split-second later, Aria's spiritual pressure layered over his — silent, focused, like a blade resting on the back of the neck.
The crowd froze. Breath caught. Those closest stumbled backward, gasping.
"Careful," Tanjiro said lightly, his gaze never moving from the trio. "You three cause a scene before even unpacking."
Shin tilted his head. "We like making entrances."
Tanjiro's smirk deepened. "So I've heard."
Alicia crossed her arms, unimpressed. Vaibhav stayed quiet, studying both of them — the sharp rhythm of Tanjiro's pulse, the steady void of Aria's.
When the silence stretched, Aria finally spoke. Her tone was soft, but it left no space for doubt.
"Our fathers asked us to watch over you during your stay here."
"Watch over?" Shin asked, half teasing. "So we get bodyguards now?"
Tanjiro chuckled, leaning slightly closer. "More like cleanup crew. In case you get reckless."
That earned a grin from Shin — the kind that promised trouble. Alicia and Aria's gazes met briefly — no hostility, just the recognition between equals who understood strength.
Vaibhav said nothing. His thoughts moved like still water: Even allies can become tests.
The Nexus Courtyard
The glass bridge to the courtyard stretched ahead — a transparent spine connecting towers that vanished into low-lying clouds. Beneath it, countless spires rose like frozen lightning, and far below, gravity-field arenas shimmered with combat tests in progress.
Drones glided past silently, scanning IDs and carrying luminous datapads. The academy's systems pulsed like a heartbeat — orderly, alive.
Tanjiro and Aria stopped halfway across the bridge.
"This is where we part," Tanjiro said. "The Nexus Gate isn't a playground. Only those cleared by the Prime Authority are allowed through."
Shin mock-saluted. "Guess we're the lucky ones."
Tanjiro grinned. "Or the cursed ones."
Aria nodded once. "Remember — the Gate tests intent, not strength. Keep your mind clear."
Vaibhav's eyes met hers for a fraction of a second, silent acknowledgment passing between them. Then he turned away without a word.
The group continued toward the light ahead, the academy's hum fading behind them. The noise of the crowd softened — replaced by a sense of distant, humming anticipation.
The courtyard opened before them like the heart of another world.
At its center stood the Nexus Gate — a golden colossus of spiraling light and rune-etched metal, towering beyond the academy walls. Two vast pillars connected by a rotating arc of radiant data-rings. Energy flowed through the air like molten sunlight, bending gravity itself in rippling waves.
The wind buzzed with a magnetic rhythm, every breath thick with luminous particles. Students filled the balconies above, whispering among themselves — voices low but restless.
"Look, it's them again."
"Those are the new entrants."
"Damn, that silver-haired girl's is so beautiful."
"Who's the quiet one with her? His energy's… different."
Their words washed over the trio like background noise.
Vaibhav's eyes reflected the gate's golden glow — warped and distant. The light twisted across his face, outlining something unreadable in his calm expression. Every path forward feels less like destiny… more like design.
Shin broke the silence. "I swear, if this thing teleports us upside-down again, I'm suing physics."
Alicia didn't look at him. "You'd have to find physics first."
A small laugh escaped Shin before the hum of the Gate deepened into a low, resonant thrum. Energy spiraled, dragging air inward.
"Ready?" Vaibhav asked quietly.
Shin grinned. "As I'll ever be."
Alicia gave a short nod. "Let's move."
Light swallowed them whole.
The world twisted.
Gravity tore sideways, colors shattered into ribbons of molten gold and blue, and the air itself became liquid light. Their senses blurred — weight, time, and direction vanished.
Then, silence.
They emerged on solid ground again — standing beneath a sky of molten amber, where floating continents drifted lazily through the horizon. Each landmass pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat.
The air shimmered with heat and an intoxicating floral scent. In the distance, waterfalls flowed upward — breaking into motes of glowing dust that scattered into the wind. Forests of translucent, glass-like trees bent with slow grace, leaves glowing in patterns of silver and cyan.
Shin let out a low whistle. "Okay… yeah. This wins. Ignis Prime can retire."
Alicia's eyes flickered with calculation as she studied the shifting energy patterns around them. "Resonance density is far higher here. Even the air feels alive."
Vaibhav stood still, eyes scanning the expanse ahead.
Behind them, the Nexus Gate shimmered faintly — a last, flickering link to the world they left behind.
A low rumble echoed across the horizon — deep, resonant, almost alive. The sky rippled in answer, veins of crimson lightning crawling across the amber clouds.
Shin exhaled slowly. "So… what's the plan?"
Vaibhav's gaze didn't waver from the horizon. "Same as always."
"Which is?"
He started walking forward. "Adapt. Or die trying."
Alicia followed without a word. The sound of their boots against the glowing soil echoed faintly as the light of the Nexus Gate dimmed behind them — until it vanished completely.
Only the wind remained.