[Epochal Ascendance Academy - Main Grounds]
The dinsional portal opened directly onto the academy’s central plaza—a space that could comfortably accommodate thousands of students, currently occupied by maybe three hundred cultivators who’d been going about their normal routines.
All of whom imdiately stopped what they were doing when Elias Vance stepped through, followed by his family and five slightly disheveled-looking students.
The whispers started instantly.
"Is that—"
"Elias Vance. The anomaly."
"Why is he here? I thought he left to explore the realm."
"Look at those students with him. Aren’t they first-years from Aria’s trial group?"
"They look like they’ve been through a war."
"Did you feel that dinsional disturbance earlier? The one that made the entire realm shake?"
"You don’t think—"
The speculation rippled through the crowd like wildfire, but no one dared approach. Elias’s aura, even at rest, radiated a presence that made most Master-level students instinctively give him wide berth.
Aria’s teammates looked around nervously, suddenly very aware that they were covered in spatial dust, their robes torn in places, and standing in the middle of the academy’s most public area with literally the most famous cultivator in the current realm.
"Should we... report to the Mission Hall?" Torin asked uncertainly. "We did technically complete our assignnt before everything went sideways."
"I’ll handle the Mission Hall," Sarah said. "You five should rest. Your bodies are restored, but your minds have been through trauma. Take the next few days off. I’ll ensure your mission completion is properly recorded."
"You don’t have to—" Marcus started.
"I insist," Kaelen interrupted gently. "You protected my daughter. The least we can do is handle so paperwork."
Before any of them could argue further, a spatial distortion appeared directly in front of the group—not aggressive, but unmistakably powerful. A figure materialized from the fold with the casual authority of soone who could appear anywhere in the academy at will.
Vice Dean Yara Starweaver stood before them, her Peak Sovereign aura radiating controlled power. Her expression was carefully neutral, but her eyes swept across the group with sharp assessnt.
"Master Elias," she said formally. "How unexpected to see you return so soon. I trust your exploration of the realm was... productive?"
"Productive enough," Elias replied, matching her formal tone. "Though I had to cut it short. Family ergency."
Yara’s gaze shifted to Aria, taking in the girl’s depleted but stable condition. Then to the five other students, noting their recently-restored cultivation bases and the lingering traces of severe injury that had sohow been completely healed.
"I see," Yara said slowly. "And this ergency required your intervention?"
"Soone threatened my daughter," Elias said simply. "I dealt with it."
The casual way he said ’dealt with it’ made several nearby students take another step back. Because everyone had felt that realm-shaking disturbance. If Elias was acknowledging he’d been involved...
"The Hierarchy?" Yara asked, lowering her voice slightly.
"Was involved, yes," Elias confird. "Past tense. They won’t be a problem anymore."
Yara’s eyes widened fractionally—the most emotion she’d shown so far. "You... dealt with The Hierarchy? The entire organization?"
"Most of it. With their three leaders death, so sovereigns escaped, but without infrastructure or resources, they’re effectively neutralized." Elias shrugged as if dismantling a billions-year-old secret organization was routine. "They won’t target academy students again."
Yara stared at him for a long mont, clearly trying to process the implications. Then she heard a voice transmission and relayed the ssage.
"The Dean would like to speak with you," she said. "At your earliest convenience."
"Of course. I’ll visit him within the hour."
"And these students?" Yara gestured to the five.
"Completed their C-rank mission successfully," Sarah said. "Killed a Sovereign-level Void Devourer in Sector Eleven. I recomnd upgrading the mission’s difficulty classification—it was significantly more dangerous than initial assessnt suggested. They should receive appropriate contribution point bonuses."
Yara’s expression suggested she suspected there was far more to that story, but she simply nodded. "I’ll review the mission report. Students, you’re dismissed to your dormitories. Rest. We’ll conduct formal debriefing tomorrow."
The five students bowed respectfully—to Yara, then to Elias and his family—and fled toward their respective dormitories with obvious relief.
As they left, Aria heard Mira whisper to the others: "Did that really just happen? Did we really fight alongside Aria against a thousand Sovereigns?"
"And an Infinite cultivator," Jin added quietly.
"And survived because her father killed three Infinite cultivators in four seconds," Torin finished.
"I’m never complaining about difficult training again," Marcus said. "We don’t know what ’difficult’ even ans."
Their voices faded as they moved out of earshot.
Yara watched them go, then turned back to Elias. "I assu you’ll want to ensure your daughter is properly settled?"
"Actually," Kaelen interjected, "I’d like to take Aria for a proper al and so rest. She’s been through enough for one day."
"Sarah’s already planning the nu in her head," Elias added with slight amusent, glancing at Sarah, who was indeed ntally cataloging ingredients.
"Soone needs to make sure this family eats properly," Sarah said defensively. "Left to their own devices, they’d optimize nutrition into pill form and forget that food is supposed to be enjoyed."
"I resent that," Elias said without heat. "I enjoy food."
"You enjoy efficiency," Kaelen corrected. "Food is secondary."
"Can we argue about father’s dietary habits later?" Aria interjected. "Preferably after I’ve had a bath and changed into clothes that aren’t shredded?"
"Fair point," Kaelen conceded.
Yara observed the family’s banter with sothing that might have been amusent. "Very well. Aria, you’re excused from classes for the next three days. Use the ti to recover and process today’s events. Master Elias, the Dean expects you in his office—" she gestured toward the central administrative tower "—within the hour, as you said. Don’t keep him waiting."
"Wouldn’t dream of it," Elias replied.
Yara nodded once more and vanished through another spatial fold, likely returning to whatever administrative nightmare this incident had created for the academy’s leadership.
The crowd of students that had gathered—now numbering several hundred—continued staring at them with varying expressions of awe, curiosity, and fear.
"We’re attracting attention," Sarah observed.
"Let them look," Elias said. "We haven’t done anything wrong."
"You dismantled an ancient organization and killed three Infinite cultivators," Kaelen pointed out.
"They attacked my daughter first. Self-defense by proxy."
"I don’t think that’s how jurisdiction works."
"Whoever has the strongest fist wins, its the law of the jungle."
Aria listened to her parents’ familiar back-and-forth and felt tension she hadn’t realized she’d been carrying finally drain away. This was normal. This was safe. This was family.
She’d been fighting for her life less than an hour ago. Had pushed herself to breakthrough mid-combat. Had watched her friends nearly die protecting her. Had faced an Infinite cultivator in desperate battle.
And now her parents were arguing about legal jurisdiction while Sarah planned dinner.
Sohow, that jarring contrast was exactly what she needed.
"Can we go?" Aria asked quietly. "I really would like that bath."
"Of course," Kaelen said imdiately, her maternal instincts overriding everything else. "Sarah, you have our quarters prepared?"
"Already sent a ssage ahead," Sarah confird. "Hot bath, comfortable clothes, and a al that will help restore spiritual energy while actually tasting good."
"Then let’s go," Elias said, beginning to create another dinsional fold.
"You could just walk," Kaelen hit his outstretched hand and said. "The exercise might be good for you."
"Walking is inefficient when spatial folding is available."
"Elias."
"...Fine. We’ll walk."
He closed the half-ford portal with obvious reluctance.
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