"That's because he's not preparing for anything."
The words sliced through the tension like a blade.
Every head in the room snapped toward the source.
There, seated on an obsidian throne that seed to drink in the light, was a man who exuded an aura so vast, so unfathomable, that the very space around him felt heavier. His presence was absolute—like a force that had always existed, like sothing woven into the very fabric of the universe itself.
If Adam Dhark were here, he would recognize him instantly.
The Lord of Dominion.
The strongest being in existence.
His origin was a mystery, even to the most ancient of beings. So whispered that he had simply always been. Others believed he ca from beyond the known universe, from a place where even the laws of existence crumbled.
It was he who had built the Origin Academy. He who had stood at its peak since the very beginning. A being beyond comprehension, a ruler without equal.
He rarely made an appearance.
Yet, on the day the new batch of students arrived, he had greeted them himself. A mont that had left the entire Academy in stunned silence.
Why would soone like him do that?
Now, as realization dawned, a quiet horror settled over the room.
Because now, they knew.
It had never been about the Academy.
It had never been about the students.
It had always been about him.
Adam Dhark.
The Lord of Dominion leaned forward, his fingers tapping once against the armrest of his throne.
"You're all so caught up in theories. So desperate to understand him. But tell ..."
His eyes glead, dark and endless.
"Has it ever occurred to you that Adam Dhark doesn't need a plan?"
Silence.
A suffocating, dreadful silence.
The Lord of Dominion chuckled, low and knowing. "You think he's preparing for sothing? No. He's just existing." His voice was calm, almost amused. "And that, my dear council, is the real problem."
Cecelia's breath hitched. She felt it now. That creeping, gnawing fear clawing at the edges of her mind.
Because if Adam Dhark wasn't preparing for sothing…
Then that ant—
He didn't need to.
The Lord of Dominion exhaled, shaking his head.
"You still don't get it."
His voice was calm, but the weight behind it made the air feel thick.
"Adam Dhark isn't planning anything because there's nothing for him to plan. He's not scheming, not plotting, not playing so long ga like the rest of you. Out of everyone in this Academy, he's the only one who isn't trying to manipulate his way to the top. He's just here. Passing through. And one day, when he gets bored, he'll leave. That's all there is to it."
He leaned back against his throne, fingers drumming against the armrest.
"If, by then, he's slaughtered every last Child of the Universe in his way, then so be it. He'll be strong enough to stand on his own. That's the only thing that matters."
The council chamber was deathly silent.
So looked uneasy. Others looked furious. But none dared to speak.
The Lord of Dominion's gaze swept over them, cold and unmoved.
"As for your little 'no-killing' rule? I don't agree."
A few gasped. Others clenched their fists.
"The weak will always be preyed upon. That's how the world works. If they don't want to be hunted, they need to get stronger. This universe belongs to the strong. It always has. It always will."
And just like that—
He vanished.
A flicker of darkness. A pulse of raw, unrestrained power.
Gone.
The room stayed silent for a long ti.
Then, slowly, the murmurs began.
Cecelia's hands tightened into fists. "So that's it? We just let him do whatever he wants? We just sit back and watch?"
The vampire woman smirked, red eyes gleaming. "What else can we do?"
The obsidian-horned man exhaled, shaking his head. "You heard him. Adam Dhark isn't playing the ga. He's just existing."
The elf frowned, deep in thought. "And that's the real problem, isn't it?"
No sches. No plans. No ambitions.
Just a force moving through the Academy.
Unstoppable.
Unpredictable.
And completely untouchable.
The next day
"I heard we're finally going outside the Academy today! We'll finally get to see what's beyond the walls!" Joshua grinned, excitent buzzing in his voice.
Mael, walking beside him, gave him a sideways glance. "Walls? There are no walls."
Joshua blinked, confused. "Huh?"
"We're not stepping past so gate, Joshua." Mael smirked. "We're leaving the atmosphere. As in—outer space."
Joshua froze mid-step, his brain stalling for a second before he slowly turned to Mael. "…Wait. What?"
Mael chuckled, enjoying the look of realization dawning on his friend's face. "The Academy isn't just so massive fortress or a floating city. It's a world of its own. And it's huge—bigger than most planets."
Joshua's mouth opened. Then closed. Then opened again. "You're telling … this entire ti… we've been on a freaking planet?!"
Mael shrugged. "Not exactly a planet. But close enough."
Before Joshua could fully wrap his head around it, a deep hum vibrated through the air.
A low, rhythmic pulse—ancient, powerful.
The sky above them darkened, shimring with strange lights, and a crackling arc of energy stretched across the horizon.
The portal was opening.
Joshua swallowed hard. "I suddenly feel very, very small."
Mael patted him on the back. "Welco to reality."
As the students gathered, their eyes locked on the sky, the air buzzed with a mix of excitent and unease.
They weren't just stepping outside the Academy.
They were stepping into the unknown.
"Everyone, stay calm." The instructor's voice cut through the murmurs. "The Voidstrider will arrive any minute now. Once it lands, you'll board imdiately. We leave as soon as possible."
A hush fell over the students.
The Voidstrider—a massive transport forged from a fusion of advanced technology and ancient magic. It moved like a ghost through space, powered by runes older than civilization itself.
The ground trembled slightly. Then, a deep hum resonated through the air.
The sky above twisted, bending like a mirage, and in the next instant—it was there.
A sleek, obsidian vessel hovered just above the ground, shimring with ethereal blue veins pulsing along its fra. The air around it crackled with raw energy.
The ramp extended with a soft hiss, revealing a glowing entrance.
The instructor motioned forward. "Move. Now."
No one hesitated.
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