As we rose onto the crystalline dock, I got my first serious view of the academy.

  The floating citadel was even more unbelievable up close.

  It was made up of enormous structures of ice and crystal that hung in the air, connected by what looked like pure light bridges. The red sun's rays struck every surface and caused a display of crimson reflections that made the entire structure appear as though it was bleeding.

  "Are you impressed?" Vayara asked when she saw my expression.

  "It’s not what I expected," I admitted.

  I'd never seen anything like it.

  The architecture violated everything I knew about physics, even by cultivation world standards.

  "The founders built it to be closer to the power of the red sun," she explained as she led me towards what looked to be the main entrance - a tower of ice carved with countless runic symbols. "Although I suspect they also enjoyed reminding the masses below of their superiority."

  As we moved closer, I could see two robed figures floating on either side of the archway. Their hoods were down low, obscuring their faces.

  "Vayara," one of them called out, their voice carried the same aristocratic tone that I had come to associate with the Order. "Your patrol wasn't due to report back for another week. I did not anticipate you would be returning with a stray."

  "Circumstances have changed," she replied as she calmly waved her hand in my direction. "We have a natural awakening."

  Both of the guardians froze in place, then the second guardian laughed - a short, incredulous sound. "A natural? Here? The odds of that happening are—"

  "See for yourselves," Vayara cut in as she motioned in my direction.

  The two guardians floated closer to me, runic patterns shifting across their robes as they studied me. A subtle probe of power brushed against my core as they sought to confirm Vayara's claims.

  "By the Last Light," the first guardian exclaimed. "It's true. No runes and yet the power runs through him."

  "Fascinating," the second guardian agreed. "Though rather crude. The resonance is barely contained."

  I grew a bit annoyed at being underestimated - but kept my expression neutral as possible.

  As long as they did so; it would benefit me in the long run.

  "The elders will want to see this immediately," the first guardian decided as they parted to allow us to enter. "You may pass."

  "First Rule," Vayara said as we continued walking. "Never fly without permission. The temporary rune I gave you is a courtesy for new arrivals. From this day forward, flying without permission, outside of the training grounds, will result in immediate correction."

  The way she said "immediate correction" sounded like it would involve more than just a stern lecture. "I understand."

  "Second Rule - always refer to everyone with the correct title. Initiates are referred to as Brother or Sister. Anyone with a higher rank is referred to as Senior Brother or Senior Sister. Teachers are referred to as Master. And the elders are referred to as Venerable One."

  She turned her head to glance at me. "Mistakes in etiquette are punished severely here."

  "This seems like a lot of rules for an academy of killers," I noted.

  Vayara's laughter was like breaking ice. "Because of initiates' tendency to... lose control, we practice strict discipline. Every aspect of life here is regulated - including when you breathe during meditation."

  That’s when I realised that this was not merely a school; it was much worse than any maximum-security prison I had ever heard of on Earth. Prisoners at least received yard time and some basic rights. Here, the Order controlled everything, even the prisoners' breathing patterns.

  "What happens to those that break the rules?" I asked, although I suspected I did not want to know.

  "Mild offenses lead to physical corrections," she stated, her frost patterns shifting as if she were amused. "Serious ones... well, you've seen our garden of failures. Some of them were promising initiates before they decided that the rules didn't apply to them."

  Her casual discussion of transforming people into decorative crystalline structures made my skin crawl. No wonder she had assumed I was an escapee, who would not want to escape from such a place?

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  Though, unlike the others that were trapped here, I had options.

  I could feel that familiar pull to the cultivation world calling at the edges of my consciousness.

  It was a doorway I choose to take any time I wanted.

  If everything went badly, and I somehow ended up in their garden of failures, my soul would simply return to my body in the Wei family compound.

  "You find something amusing?" Vayara asked as she noticed my expression.

  "Just contemplating paths and destiny," I replied with caution. The irony of the situation was nearly too great; they believed they had captured an especially intriguing captive, when in reality they were providing their secrets to a person who could vanish at any time.

  Now I simply needed to find out as much information as possible before deciding when to get out of here.

  We walked through corridors carved from what looked like solid ice, yet the air remained pleasant and warm. Other initiates walked past us, dressed in identical runic robes. They bowed respectfully to Vayara, and curiously at me.

  "Will I need to complete an entrance exam?" I asked, thinking about how quickly I could gain access to the Order's cultivation techniques.

  "Usually," she replied, "new initiates must survive a resonance trial to demonstrate their value. However, since you can already manipulate the red sun's power without runes...”, she shook her head. “That would be unnecessary. The elders will want to personally assess you."

  "The elders themselves?"

  "Yes. Due to your unusual status as a natural awakening, you will attract a great deal of interest. In fact," her voice took on a contemplative tone, "I believe they will compete for the opportunity to claim you as their apprentice."

  "You make that sound like a bad thing?"

  "It paints a target on your back." Her voice lowered. "Regardless of which elder selects you as their apprentice, they will not shield you from the schemes of the other elders. In fact, their games can be... deadly."

  "Politics," I sighed. "Some things are universal."

  "True. Though here, politics-related mistakes typically become decorative crystals." She stopped before an enormous door composed of what looked like frozen lightning. "The elders are waiting. Do not forget your manners and try not to die."

  "Any final advice?"

  "Yes." She faced me completely. "No matter what you do, do not lie to them. They will know, and the consequences...,” she shivered slightly. “Just don’t do it."

  The doors opened quietly, revealing a round room that appeared to hang in the air. The walls were transparent crystal and offered a stunning view of the clouds miles below. Seven figures sat on thrones in a semicircular arrangement, each emitting a power signature that made my skin crawl.

  For the first time in my life, I realized what the term 'transcendent' truly meant.

  "Well, Master," Azure whispered into my mind. "Their power signatures are... frightening."

  I couldn't argue with that.

  Their presence was frankly overwhelming. Each of them felt like a force of nature - their power was so concentrated that it warped the surrounding air. The red sun's light bent toward them as if acknowledging their authority.

  "Approach, child," one of them ordered. His voice resonated with multiple harmonic frequencies, as if many voices spoke in unison.

  I walked toward the center of the room, trying my best not to show how them their pressure affected me. The Order didn’t respect weakness; it only respected strength. Fortunately for me, the Genesis Seed hummed reassuringly inside my inner world, its familiar presence helped me remain focused.

  "We've been told you can channel the red sun's power without runes," another elder stated. This one's runes crackled with electrically charged energy. "Demonstrate it to us."

  I reached for the crimson core nestled in the Genesis Seed, allowing the red sun's power to flow through my meridians. The familiar red lines etched themselves across my skin, following the pathways the seed had created.

  "How curious," a female elder murmured. Ice crystals generated and dissolved around her with each breath. "Your resonance is crude, but stable. For how long have you possessed this ability?"

  "A couple of weeks," I replied.

  "Impossible," one of the elders scoffed. His runes blazed with intensely burning fire. "With no stabilization, he should have transformed or perished in a matter of hours."

  "Or," another elder countered, her runes surrounded by swirling air currents, "he is a Natural."

  There it was, that word again, as if it were a specific classification.

  "There are records of other Natural awakenings," the ice elder agreed. "Although none in recent history."

  "The Headmaster should be notified," the flame elder stated.

  "The Headmaster is in solitude," the wind elder pointed out. "This cannot wait. He must receive proper training immediately before he loses control."

  "I will train him," the flame elder announced. "His ressoance with fire is clearly the highest.”

  "Nonsense," the lightning elder disagreed. "Look at his control - he needs precise training. Training his lightning resonance will serve him best."

  The other elders joined in, explaining why they were most suited to being my master.

  I almost laughed at the sight. It felt oddly nice getting treated as a protagonist for a while, but Vayara's warning about being targeted made me wary of getting too full of myself.

  "He should begin at the bottom, like everyone else," one of the elder's suggested. This one's runes seemed to have an earthy quality to them. "Natural or not, a proper foundation is necessary."

  The other elders dismissed his idea as soon as he proposed it. "That would be a waste of potential," the wind elder said. "He needs advanced training to stabilize his unique resonance."

  "The decision should be his," the ice elder said as all eyes turned to me. "Well, child? Who would you prefer to have as your Master?"

  I'd expected some type of testing - perhaps a loyalty oath, questioning about my past, or something else to ensure I wasn't an enemy spy.

  But as they waited for me to decide, I realized why they hadn’t bothered with any of that. To them, I was insignificant, less than an ant. Any potential schemes I had or secret loyalties meant absolutely nothing in comparison to their overwhelming powers.

  "They probably have other means of surveillance," Azure suggested. "As a Natural, you will be watched at all times."

  He was right, but that was a problem for another time.

  Right now, I needed to decide which elder I would pick to be my master.

  So, I paid closer attention to the elders themselves.

  Whether it be their power level or their elemental affinity, I took it all into consideration.

  "Master," Azure's voice carried a tinge of astonishment. "Do you sense what I am sensing?"

  I did.

  There, almost hidden beneath the crimson energy - one of them had a faint hint of something I recognized.

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