"Ardlan, it's past bedtime. As a growing human, you need quality sleep for proper development."
Oh Ada, sometimes I forget mum modeled parts of you after herself.
Ardlan craned his neck as he studied the textbook. Now, he could scan the textbooks content, and upload it into his archive to read through at his preferred time, but that hadn't worked for him all this time, and there was also the fact that it was a physical book, reading it with one's eyes slowly as time ticked was surely the way to doing it properly.
He skimmed through parts he was familiar with, which was a large portion of the book.
Cosmic Energy had been discovered by the humans of the earth even before the space age, and back then, its users/manipulators were called cultivators.
That's interesting.
He studied for hours until his eyelids began to fail him as they slid down repeatedly.
"Alright, one exercise before retiring to sleep."
He stood from his round metal seat, did a couple of stretches and then began the process.
His body gleamed a green aura as he sought to home the cosmic energy around him.
He could feel the surge of the energy in his veins, and he had gathered enough for what he needed to do. He held his hands by his flanks and upon doing so, the energy aura brightened greatly.
He then lunged both arms, moving his fingers stylishly as he worked with his delicate imagination. Threads of concentrated cosmic energy jutted from his fingers and swiftly began wrapping around themselves.
This was it, the last step to finishing the process of which he tended to fail. The energy threads swiftly wove in one another, forming shape and molding to an object. A smile surfaced on Ardlan's face as he was optimistic about the success of this.
Then, like a thread wove wrongly, the object in process crumpled and then shrank, ultimately disappearing to nothing and giving back to the air.
"Come on!"
Ada thought to butt in, "I know it is frustrating, but there are some that are late bloomers in cosmic energy and that's fine. You are just seven, you still have time. It took General Yugsolf eighteen years to become a rave so don't beat yourself down."
"If I don't get this working, I will not graduate with my peers."
And I won't reach the semifinals.
"Success comes to individuals at different times. Even planets do not receive equal amounts of light and even so, not at the same time."
"Oh shut it Ada, that's why there are valuable planets and worthless ones. Just stop. I'm going to sleep now."
[The Next Day, Celest Throne 1703]
"It's time for curveball!" A colleague yelled.
The class rushed to the academy's gym to practice the sport. The most alluring thing about curveball was that students got to display their athleticism and cosmic energy prowess without inflicting great damage on their peers. It was the perfect sport for students of the Tungfest Intergalactic academy.
"Yo," A colleague rubbed Ardlan's head as he sat.
"Mickvus," Ardlan blurted, his eyes widened and he recoiled back slightly, surprised to see him.
"I was not expecting you around today. How's your father?" He continued.
Mickvus was Ardlan's classmate, and more importantly, his only friend, and like Ardlan, he was a hybrid accounting for his blue skin, plain blue eyes and razor teeth.
Mickvus had been away since the start of the semester due to his father's deteriorating health, and he had been called to his dad's sickbed. Tradition beget that a noble picks his successor before death, and with Mickvus's father, things were that dire and he got exempted.
He was half Thelian and half human, his father a vicious powerful duke on planet Theli and his mum, a random woman who chose to donate her eggs.
Mickvus a giant hybrid of lean muscle, he was tall—the tallest in the class at eight feet—a trait he got from his father, and lanky. His face seemed like a symmetrical blend of human's beauty and the viciousness of sharks. He was scary looking but he had his charm.
"Father is recovering, and the good news is that none of us is getting his position anytime soon."
"That's epic. I'm glad your dad is alright." Ardlan punched him slightly on the shoulder.
"I am too, but the bad news; Someone had poisoned him and that was responsible for his ailment. I am light years away and busy with school so I am ruled out, but my brothers and sisters are not finding it easy. I think things are going to be chaotic soon."
"Is Theli fine?" Ardlan asked, recalling that their king had died recently, and a new prince was close to getting sworn in; it seemed a little far-fetched for an assassination attempt soon after the king's death to be a coincidence. Something was at play, and Ardlan could see it.
The two joined their colleagues at the gymnasium for curveball, and the teacher had already begun sharing students.
"Mickvus, join group three." The tentacles bearing teacher uttered.
"And you, Ardlan, pair with the twins."
Ardlan walked to his team that included two other classmates aside Domitia and Aelius.
The first match began. Students are to charge up a rubber ball with cosmic energy and hurl it to a person of the opposing team, if it came in contact with them, they would be out of the game, and this would go on until a team has no members left. The sport requires a great control of cosmic energy as too much could damage the rubber ball and disqualify the team.
The exchange began smoothly and at a relatively slow pace, later transitioning into a hectic ferocious battle between the final members. It was incredibly exciting to watch and some students thought to bet on individuals and teams.
It went on and on, and to Ardlan, it was fairly predictable. He knew the most athletic students in the class, and so far, the hierarchy had hardly changed.
Then it was Mickvus's team turn, one of the most athletic students in the class.
"He is going to destroy them." Ardlan said aloud.