Alturus Lorian Turtledove
2510.01.01
He sat with his back resting against a concrete surface; around him, the large crowd of new students sat in an amphitheater. They faced the large expansive body of water they had seen upon their arrival at the Stellar Stratum. The audience of several thousand faced an amber sunset. The view served as a backdrop to an endless horizon of water. Beautiful, gleaming water of orange and red, Alturua could smell its scent as a refreshing atmosphere carried on the breeze.
Elaine sat to his right. Her face shimmered in an orange hue. Within her eyes, he could see a yellow glow shown from them. To his left, Titanus sat, his put off a brilliant white gleam. It was strange to Alturus.
Looking further than the trio, he saw eyes of varying shades of yellow, orange, and gold emitting from the eyes of his peers. Rarely, he saw one or two of cyan blue, and even more rarely, eyes of purple or white. Alturus wondered if his eyes, too, had a gleam to them.
"Um, Elaine," Alturus asked. Turning to his right. "Are my eyes yellow?"
"What?" Elaine replied. "What do you mean by yellow? Your eyes are brown like they always have been."
"Are you s-" He began; however, he was cut off before he could finish his thought.
"Children of Sol!" A loud voice echoed over the theater. The words cascaded over the crowd. "Welcome, Mages, to the Stellarium Academy, and by extension, the Stellar Stratum! I, Georgian Albertus et Augustus et al Sol, humbly welcome each and everyone of you. You all represent our future prosperity. Now, I know this next piece of news may come as a shock to you; however, we need to get this out of the way before you begin your academic life."
Out above the ocean, just offshore, a spray of water erupted from the surface. The water flowed in patterned swoops and arches. It radiated a subtle light, allowing it to glow in the now pitch-black starry sky. The sun had set, and in its place, large white vibrant letters of this water read a single date. With it, chaos broke out across the theater.
"January first." A girl behind Alturus let out a small murmur.
"This can't be." A boy in front of them cried out. "2510?!"
"They never mentioned this." Another voice chimed in from down the row. "It was just my birthday."
There was an air of panic building; some students began to stand up. While they tried, none seemed to have the strength to leave their seat. From Alturus's perspective, brilliant auras of gold and yellow erupted once more throughout the crowds. Instead of their eyes, each teenager radiated their respective color as a visible aura.
The intensity of light increased as students panicked. Beside him, Elaine and Titanus remained seated. Their faces, like a few in the cluster around him, were calm. Titanus's reaction wasn't necessarily the definition of said state; however, compared to other outbursts happening around him, he was taking this relatively well.
A world of chaos and cries elapsed their perception of time. At some point, a bright light streaked from out in the dark. A loud, stringy squeal was followed by a bright flash and echoing boom across the water. The ground shook beneath them.
It was followed by another flash and resultant boom, and then another and another. Fireworks of various colors erupted in the sky, illuminating the water once again. In the dark emptiness that lay between the crowd and the stars above, there was a lightshow. The cacophony of cries died down from the large crowd of students, replaced only by occasional booms.
"Do you see that?" Alturus asked, nudging both Titanus and Elaine. Both of which looked out over the waters where he indicated.
"See what?" Titanus replied. The duo's eyes focused out over the water.
If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
"It's just black aside except for the fireworks," Elaine said.
"You don’t see the red glow way out there?" Alturus continued. He pointed directly to a brilliant red glow that seemed to pierce the black. "It's getting brighter."
"Glow?" Elaine said. The fireworks no longer illuminated the world around them. She looked around. "Also, was it this dark before?"
With the fireworks now over, Alturus could make out the subtle glows from those around him. In each color, he never saw red. It was the same ratios as before. The majority was a goldish yellow, with only a few having a cyan or purple tone. Still, in the distance, the red light was drawing closer.
"In everyone’s eyes," Alturus said. "Every person here. I can see a subtle glow."
"What kind of glow?" Titanus asked.
"Different ones. For you, it’s white. It's very faint." He replied. "Elaine, you have a bright yellow flare to yours."
"What other colors?" Elaine said. Her voice perked up.
"For the most part, everyone here is a yellowish golden. It varies from person to person." Alturus explained. "There are very few like Titanus, who have a white, and even fewer who have a purple hue. Do you know what this means?"
"My boy," The same voice that had greeted them once again echoed around the amphitheater. "It is your gift."
The crowd around let out a sharp exhale as a bright red light drowned out the pitch black. The light grew brighter and brighter until everything was cast in a red hue. Standing at a large stage at the edge of the water, Alturus now saw a man. This man looked ageless, an adult whose apparent age Alturus couldn't place. He didn’t look much older than James, and yet he felt far, far older.
"Alturus." Titanus whispered. His words were barely audible.
It was then that Alturus noted everyone’s eyes were staring at him. The world wasn’t red because the light he had seen in the distance had simply come closer to them. The world was red because around Alturus, a large, pluming aura of a vibrant pure red bathed the world around him. Titanus gave off a vibrant pink gleam now, his entire body glowing the color. In contrast, Elaine was a steady pure orange. It was as if their clothes, skin, eyes, and hair were all made of a single colored material.
"Alturus Lorian et Turtledove et al Sol." The man at the stage began to speak. His words sliced through the air. "Heir of Veronica Mercury et al Sol, Child of God. You are but the only one besides me who stands with the true colors of power washing through you. This crowd, your peers, are but the foundation of our society. The foundation of magical law. You are that law."
The man gestured to the crowd around Alturus as he continued. "He is a once-in-a-century student. You are all graced to be in his presence. However, please note that with his status, he will not be receiving special treatment. He will be subject to scrutiny far beyond that of your average peer.
"Now. Back to the matter at hand. Yes, it is true. For some of you, it has been a decade of stasis. For others, it was mere hours. Your families have not died out. But for the rest of the world, time has not paused. For all in society, it had been a decade or less since you existed among them. One day, you will once again walk among the populations you came from, whether it's a decade or several decades from now. In your journey of mastering your abilities, you must be separated and broken from the rest of the chaff."
He paused to look around the amphitheater, to see into the gazes of each and every student before him. He made eye contact with Alturus before moving on. He continued his speech.
"Over the next ten Sol cycles, you will grow. You will learn, train, and be given every opportunity to hone and control your skills. You can't see them, but around you are faint traces of power you will one day wield."
With this, the man stretched his arm to his side and appeared to grasp the air. As if lifting a veil, a red bar of solid material was plucked into existence. Silence prevailed as the man turned about face towards the body of water before them.
He reached out, slicing the space before the crowd in an instant. A perfectly straight red line sliced across reality. A wall of water erupted from the ocean, pushing to the far end of the horizon. In mere seconds, the water was gone. In its place stood tens of thousands of people. Men and women of various ages stood in even square sections; a massive army.
Each of them held a perfect salute, arms crossed, hands touching elbows. Behind the even rows of people, giant machines and creatures stood matching as close an approximation of the massive group before them. There was a resonance in the air.
"Before you all stand the legacy of this academy. These are your fellow classmates, your professors, and adjunct staff." Augustus continued from before. “These are those who have come before you. Those who have preceded you through the ranks of modern magium.
"Before you get worried about your success or failure. Understand this one point here. It is impossible to flunk out of this academy; you will progress whether you like it or not. You will become a part of our group. And you will serve the future of humanity as we reach out across this system and guide our fellow man.
"All of us here make up but one percent of all residents who inhabit even this station. And an even more minuscule portion of the entire fifteen trillion that is humanity. Be aware that you are the guiding light that will shine over all under Sol. The guiding light, never dulls, fades, or falters; This is the motto you will take to heart."
He paused, and everyone in the army behind him recited his words. An echo that carried over the waters. A sound that resonated with all of the Stella Stratum. The structure around them glowed in an iridescent shimmer, and for each planet across the system, whether it was day or night, a new star briefly lit in the sky.
