Omniphage of Apathy

Do you know the feeling that when you wake up, your body feels so sluggish that it takes you more than five minutes to set your mind straight?

That was the same feeling Vastarael was experiencing.

Honed by years of training, his mind adapted to waking up in the mornings and using essence to rejuvenate his body. However... this time, he decided not to.

His physical body wasn't tired but his mental state was. He has gone into the past, stayed for four days, barely slept when he was there and all of it hit him like a wave the second he went to bed.

And then there was the feeling of unfamiliarity when he woke up. It took him six minutes for him to collect all his thoughts about where he was and what he was doing before sleeping. His thought process was very low. Even Phaenora was asleep.

As it turns out, the Omniscient takes rest too. She always wakes up right after him but today she was... silent.

"Okay... time to make breakfast—huh?"

He immediately found himself staring at a girl his age sitting on the couch in the living room. She was dressed in a white hoodie and black leggings. Her long silver hair was tied in a messy bun as she watched the holographic television.

On the screen, a news anchor and a panel of commentators discussed the Seventh Enlightenment students.

"The Seventh Enlightenment Students this year are all children of Nexuses or descendants of one. No one expected the Prince of Anqerise or the Elven Princess to join in."

"Especially the only daughter of House Viaca. And who would have thought that the Starisnovas would take the number one mantle. To be honest, I wanted the Prince of Anqerise to be first. Or even Eldrigan Hanabas."

"Yes. And they all hid their Tethers in the test. No one in their right mind would go all out on an academy test. We might see the changing of ranks soon."

The commentary barely registered in Vastarael's mind as he blinked, trying to process the presence of Elyonari Mintheris in his dorm.

She turned her head toward him and her golden eyes widened slightly. A faint blush crept across her cheeks as she took in his disheveled state: his bedhead, his half-lidded eyes, his rumpled T-shirt and the way his yawns somehow carried a divine air.

"Good morning," he said, his voice still thick with sleep. "How... did you get in here?"

Elyonari snapped out of her trance, sitting up a bit straighter. She cleared her throat, her voice carrying a note of guilt.

"Oh, uh... There's a curfew, you know, for boys and girls entering each other's rooms. But I... respected it."

His brow arched. "Respected it? Looks to me like you didn't."

"Well... barely," she admitted, looking away sheepishly. "All maids are being instructed on how to handle themselves in the academy, so they're not around to serve you. I figured you wouldn't have anything to eat, so I came to check. But I didn't bring anything either, so... yeah."

Vastarael sighed, though there was a hint of amusement in his expression.

"You do realize there are better ways to do this than breaking into my room first thing in the morning."

"Breaking in is a strong term," she said, crossing her arms defensively. "I'm just... looking out for you."

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. His gaze shifted briefly to her attire. It was strange, seeing her dressed in something so casual and modern. The white hoodie and leggings suited her, but it was a stark departure from the elegant gowns and robes he was accustomed to seeing her wear.

"You look different," he remarked, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

She tilted her head.

"Different good or different bad?"

"Just different."

Turning toward the kitchen, he stretched lazily.

"Well, since you're here, I might as well make breakfast. Give me a few minutes and then we'll head out to explore. Admissions are still ongoing, so we have at least two weeks before classes start."

Elyonari nodded, though her attention lingered on him for a moment longer. There was something about Vastarael that made her feel drawn to him. She wasn't sure whether it was admiration, curiosity, or something else entirely, but she pushed the thought aside as he disappeared into the kitchen.

For now, there were two weeks to kill and an academy to explore.

Well, a city to explore.

°°°°°°°

In Minafallen, status doesn't matter. The only thing that does is your academy ranking. If a prince reached the Fifth Enlightenment and a commoner, mortal or immortal reached the Sixth, it doesn't matter. Status only applies to the Seventh Enlightenment Students.

All of them are students, not nobles and commoners. Anyone who would use their noble privileges would be expelled from the academy. It followed the same meritocracy system as the Rise Borough.

Rise is the largest city in Anqerise, and its capital too, is separated into Upper and Lower Rise. Upper Rise is where the beings with the highest contribution to society are placed and Lower Rise is for those who are on the process of rising above.

Upper Rise is upwards and Lower Rise is underground. However, despite being underground, it is still better than most cities in the world. Lower Rise is bigger than Upper Rise which is on the surface.

That's why inhabitants of Upper Rise moved to Lower Rise for a few days for the upper city to restore itself when Vastarael was thirteen. And it did, after a few days.

The fact that the Prince of Anqerise was walking around the academy city with the Elven Princess was sure to cause rumors. If they were in other cities except Minafallen, they would be surrounded by paparazzi. They are royalty without bodyguards after all.

But... all they could do was stare at the sight of two divine royals walking on the street with no care in the world.

Minafallen was just like any other city. Its technology was being sponsored by Rise itself, making it the second largest city in Anqerise. It was extremely similar to it; tall spires instead of skyscrapers, moving Praesits, a few spaceships here and there from other kingdoms...

The only difference was the white asphalt, the occasional use of holograms by passerby and shops and...

No reporters to interview them. However, there were fans though.

Seeing an elf wearing a white hoodie with black leggings and sneakers walking alongside a tall man with a white T-shirt, black sweatpants, sneakers...

Yes, sneakers. This was the first thing Vastarael bought when he occasionally went shopping with his siblings in Upper Rise. He was now convinced that someone from his home world must have brought the concept of clothes to Spheraphase.

Vastarael's mask was an enigma of design and craftsmanship. It was a sleek, obsidian-black surface that appeared almost fluid in its contours. The material was neither metal nor fabric, more like a shadow given form.

The effect was striking. Combined with his flawless physique and towering height, Vastarael commanded attention without saying a word.

People along the streets of Minafallen stopped in their tracks. Whispers broke out among the crowd as heads turned to follow him. Some muttered his name, while others debated if it was truly the Prince of Anqerise they were seeing.

Vastarael wasn't wearing the ornate attire of royalty, yet even in his casual T-shirt, black sweatpants, and sleek sneakers, he radiated a commanding elegance that no crown or cape could replicate.

"Look at him," someone murmured, unable to take their eyes off him. "Even with a mask, he's... perfect."

"His eyes are hidden, but it's like he's looking right at you."

Vastarael, however, remained unfazed by the attention. Though he could feel the weight of their stares, hear the gasps and whispers that followed his every move, he kept his focus forward.

"It's kind of strange not to see people crowding around us," Elyonari spoke up, watching the people staring at them. "They're not scared but... embarrassed to see us? Either way, I'm liking it. And you?"

He sighed as he turned around to face her.

"To be honest, I'm glad too. Every single time I come to Rise, people would flock around me, especially women. They would ask for my autograph, a holophoto or even an interview. If it wasn't for my mother, it would have been... depressing."

He internally thanked Opera for her quick thinking. Since they once decided not to wear disguises and station bodyguards next time they went to the city, it caused... a bit of attention. Opera always dealt with it by buying a spire and teleporting them there whenever they wanted to go go the city.

"So, where should we go? Shopping? Have fun? Or explore?"

"Shopping!"

Vastarael couldn't help but chuckle slightly when he saw her sudden expression.

"Alright. Let's go shopping. I do need to look for more outfits. Even though mine are custom made, they're too... precious to be worn in public."

In short, they screamed royalty, power and money.

"Sphere, can you check on the most popular boutique store in Minafallen?"

Vastarael noticed a green hologram right in front of Elyonari.

"Is that the academy system?"

"Yup," she replied. "We all got it after we went to our rooms. You also got one, right?"

He didn't.

'Maybe Natas didn't need to do so since I have Phaenora. Wait. Did he... of course he did.'

He understood why Phaenora wasn't awake yet. He was sharing memories of Minafallen with her so that it can act as his assistant in everything about the academy.

Elyonari's holographic interface flickered with vibrant green light, displaying the coordinates to Minafallen's most popular boutique store.

"Got it! It's called Lumeris Atelie and, it's across the district. But we'll need to take a Praesit to get there."

"You've never ridden one before, have you?" Vastarael asked, noticing Elyonari's lingering glance at a stationary Praesit docking nearby.

She shook her head.

"Nope. Never needed to. Back in Mintheris, we just traveled by teleportation gates or walked. Or use vines and air canoes."

A soft chuckle escaped Vastarael's lips. "Figures. Alright, follow me."

He walked toward the nearest Praesit station, drawng the occasional glance from passersby. Elyonari however, hesitated for just a moment before trailing behind him.

The station was a semi-circular platform lined with docking points where the Praesits hovered in place. A translucent screen projected instructions on how to board and input destinations but Vastarael barely glanced at it.

He approached one of the floating subways. The vehicle opened its doors automatically with a soft hum as it recognized the docking request.

Elyonari leaned forward, peering cautiously into the Praesit's interior. The inside was long and massive, with smooth seating for hundreds and glowing panels that seemed to adjust to the occupants' presence.

"Looks... cozy," she remarked, stepping in hesitantly.

Vastarael smirked as he followed her inside, the door sealing behind them with a faint hiss. The cabin immediately adjusted its atmosphere to a comfortable temperature and a soft female voice emanated from where they sat, a hologram appearing right in front of them.

"Please input your destination."

Elyonari quickly leaned forward to input the coordinates for Lumeris Atelie. The holographic interface from her system synced effortlessly with the Praesit, the green light connecting with the vehicle's navigation.

"Destination confirmed. Estimated travel time, ten minutes."

As the Praesit began to glide smoothly along its designated path, Elyonari couldn't help but press her hands against the transparent front panel, her face lit with wonder as she took in the city from the moving capsule.

"This is amazing," she said, her emerald pupilless eyes tracing the spires, bustling crowds and hovering holographic advertisements that dotted the skyline. "Still, it's not every day you get to see the Prince of Anqerise and the Elven Princess casually taking a Praesit like everyone else."

He gave her a sidelong glance, the faintest hint of a smirk playing on his lips.

"Let them stare. This isn't Rise. Status doesn't matter here, remember?"

Elyonari laughed softly, turning back to the view. "Right. No status. Just... students."