Yesh Academy
Luna Gaea Solar System
Milky Way Galaxy, Charlie Sector
Neutral Free Zone
January 30th 2019
The headquarters of Golden Dawn did not rest upon the moon—it was carved into it, a hidden dominion stitched together by advanced technology and arcane science. Layers of infrastructure tunneled deep beneath the lunar crust, concealed beneath the ever-shifting veil of the Grey, a distortion field that bent light, signal, and perception until the entire complex became a myth to anyone who searched for it.
Within that hollowed world, an artificial sun burned at the core—its radiance carefully tempered, casting a perpetual dawn across the inner horizon. It fed the ecosystem that had no right to exist in such a place: breathable air, flowing water, living soil. The illusion of a world was not merely maintained—it was perfected.
The scale of it all was staggering.
The central structures alone dwarfed the Yesh Institute—not by a margin, but by a statement. Entire districts of sleek, obsidian-and-gold architecture clung to the inner mountainside, their spires and terraces cascading downward as though gravity itself had been negotiated rather than obeyed. From their heights, one could look out over a vast ocean that shimmered beneath the artificial sun, its tides controlled, its depths seeded with engineered life.
Behind the structures, the terrain shifted abruptly.
A forest stretched into the distance—dense, untamed, and wrong. Its trees twisted toward the light in unnatural patterns, their bark etched with faint, glowing sigils. Within its depths, Mystic Beasts roamed freely, their presence felt more than seen—a constant pressure at the edge of awareness, as if something were watching, waiting, learning.
This was not a headquarters.
It was a world disguised as one.
For Sam, it was familiar—and yet not.
This was only her second time setting foot within Golden Dawn. The first had been brief, overwhelming, a blur of revelations and quiet shocks. Her master had brought her then for credentials, for acknowledgment… and for something far more personal.
To meet her mother.
Phoebe Yesh—a name that had once meant nothing to her, and now carried a weight she still didn't fully understand.
Now she had returned, not as a visitor, but as someone being shaped. The air felt different this time. Heavier. Expectant. The world around her no longer felt like something to marvel at—but something she would have to survive.
After changing her outfit into the tracksuit, Emani took Sam out of the tower. Emani led Sam towards the forest that was behind the buildings. She said nothing, leaving them in silence and Sam to look around. The air felt fresh and cold, and the sky was painted purple as the pale orb in the sky was still there. It was weird being inside the moon, and yet there was another moon up in the sky.
The trees around them swayed to the winds, the leaves whistling as their bodies emitted faint lights. The faint lights began to move in sync with the whistling leaves, and melodies and rhythms flowed inside Sam's mind, transmitting the emotions of the trees. And it wasn't just the trees; every living thing within five km of Sam was transmitting melodies that became emotions within her mind. Normally, Sam would have been bombarded by so many foreign emotions, but her mind was stronger than it was before. She was able to process the emotions of the living creatures around her and not suffocate in them.
"We're here," Emani said. Emani pulled a branch of leaves aside to show a clearing with a circle of menhirs rooted to the green grass. And in the middle of the circle was a huge slab of rock. Lying on the rocks, in a pink linen suit with a white shirt underneath the blazer, was the most beautiful girl Sam had seen. Her dark skin was extremely smooth, and her reddish-orange hair was braided in an unknown style to Sam.
Sam could tell that this girl was no ordinary person. Emani didn't seem surprised to see Emily here, of all places. The girl was reading a book, and when Sam and Emani appeared, she turned her head to them. Emily's eyes raised when she saw Sam. She had heard about the girl from Leon, and seeing it for herself was something else.
A human who had been blessed with Ascendancy. It wasn't a rare thing to see humans reach such a state. There were many ways for one to break into Ascendanthood, but it was a harder process for humans to achieve such a feat. But looking at the girl, Emily was seeing an Ascendant human for the first time. Emani entered the circle, turning to Sam to gesture to her to enter. Sam took a deep breath, then she followed Emani inside the circle.
"Emily," Emani said. "Sam, this is Emily Legens. A guest from the Divine Federation and Leon's friend."
So she's a Pleiadian. An Offworlder like her Dad and Leon. Sam thought.
"What are you doing here, Emily?" Emani said.
"Not much," Emily said. She got up from the rock, putting her book away. Sam noticed how flat and stiff her tone was. "I should give you guys your space. It was nice to meet you, Samantha." The girl left the clearing, leaving Emani and Sam alone. Sam was still looking at the space the girl had gone through. Something about the girl had seemed eerie to Sam.
Emani chuckled, bringing Sam back to the location they had ended up in. There were nine Menhirs spread around, and each of them had engravings with strange symbols. She recognized one of them as the Celestial seal on her arm. It was also the symbol for Asha, the old goddess of war. As soon as Sam entered the circle, the symbols belonging to the goddess glowed, and then a vibration came forth from within the earth. Sam could hear something similar to music coming from the Menhirs. It was low, its rhythm slow and steady.
"What is this?" Sam said.
"It's a convergence point for the Odyllic," Emani said. "There are Ley Lines set within the earth that direct the flow of Odic energy into these points. The Menhirs act as a container keeping a lid on the excess energy so it won't disrupt the core of the moon. In the ancient past, a time when the old gods were worshipped, it served as a mouthpiece in which worshippers could commune with them."
"So it's a holy site," Sam said. Emani nodded.
"So why are we here then? Are we going to pray to the gods?" Sam felt weird speaking about gods and prayers. She had never been religious and had always had a negative view of whether a god or higher being existed. No amount of prayer had helped make her life better. So she gave up on it. To Sam, if a god existed and allowed things such as pain and sorrow to exist, then they were a cruel god, and Sam wanted nothing to do with him or her. She would rather rely on her own strength if she could.
"Not really. So, remind me again, what is the Odyllic?" Emani said.
"Uh...it's the energy of the universe." Sam stammered, wondering why she was asking sucha basic question.
"Yes, the Odyllic is the collective energy of the universe, which permeates and connects all things in the universe together. Without the Odyllic, the universe itself would not exist." Emani said. "Life would not exist, and so on. And so would Mana, the energy we utilize for combat and various purposes like healing and destruction. And then, we have our Odic force. Or Mental force, whichever way you want to call it. This is the soul's Internal strength-"
"Internal strength," Sam said.
"Yes, the spiritual power that allows one to convert Odic energy into Mana. The strength of one's Odic force determines how much mana one can channel within their body and the capacity to store Mana in one's mana core.
"And like all things in the Universe, the level of one's core is ranked according to its strength." Emani continued. "Regular Mystics don't have an Odic force due to the lack of a soul core in their soul. Well, they have a core, but it's only dormant. The dormant soul core produces a Mana flow without them being aware of their core. They can only sense their mana flow."
"So, Ascendants are aware of their cores, and with their Odic force, they can grow the strength of their cores," Sam asked.
"Yes, you're correct. The path of Ascendance has four realms. The Awakening realm is the beginning of being an Ascendant. Then there is the Harmonization realm, which is the second level, the sovereign realm, and then there is the Apotheosis realm, the final realm." Emani said. "Each realm has stages to it; the stages are divided by tiers."
"Lots of levels," Sam said.
"Climbing the ladder of Ascendanthood is not an easy process," Emani said. "It takes a long time, and it's brutal and dangerous. To grow means risking your very life."
"So what are the stages?" Sam said.
"The first stage in the Awakening realm is the Novice stage, then there is the Acolyte stage, the Adept stage, the Superior stage, and then the Master stage. Each stage is divided into nine tiers. You, Sam, are in the beginning phase of the Adept stage."
"How is that possible?" Sam said. "I should be at the Novice stage,"
"Hmm! It's interesting, but it seems that the seal that kept your power dormant for all these years played a part in pushing your core beyond the Novice stage." Emanu said. "Your core was oversaturated to the point that your body was brimming with too much power. When the seal wore off, all that excess power made you skip two realms."
"Seal," Sam said. "What seal?"
"I guess father didn't tell you," Emani said with a frown. " It seems there was a seal placed on your soul core that made it dormant for so long. Naturally, there are cases of such a thing happening to those who are able to awaken naturally. But it is a very dangerous process that can lead to your core breaking apart. I can only guess that your father must have done it to prevent you from awakening at a young age."
Sam didn't know what to think about the things her master had told her. It was just more questions about herself that she had no answer to.
"Now let's go over the previous trainings we've covered," Emani said. "Thanks to the previous trainings, you've learned the basics of mana control."
"Yeah," Sam said. There were four methods of mana control. Flow control, Counterflow control, Release control, and Output control. These aspects of Mana control were the basis behind every Mana technique that existed within the Universe. One couldn't use Mana without mastering them.
"For a Dormant Mystic, your mana flow was good, but now that you've awakened, your mana flow is going to be different, meaning your control over it will have to improve drastically if you want to use any form of mana application."
"Mana application," Sam said.
"Yes. There are two ways to use Mana. The Mystical art or the Arcane art. Those who use the mystical arts are known as Mystical artists, like I am, and those who practice the arcane arts are known as Mages, Warlocks, Witches, or Sorcerers. Mystical artists are more common than Mages, which is why we will begin the Mana application for the Mystical arts. There are nine steps in the Mana application. You've already mastered the two steps of Mana applications."
"Awakening and Infusions," Sam said. Awakening was basically activating the mana circuits of one's body. As a Dormant Mystic, Sam had learnt to do just that, so she could sense her mana flow. It had taken her a long time to get the hang of it. This was followed by infusion. Embedding mana onto objects to empower them. It was done through the weapons they use in battles.
"And then the third step. Reinforcement." Emani said.
"It's a technique that allows you to boost the physical condition of your body," Sam said. This was her current progress with the Mana application. She had yet to fully master reinforcing her body with her mana.
"With the way your body is now, your mana flow is drastically different from when you were a Dormant Mystic. Which means performing Mana reinforcement is going to be a lot harder than before. Which is why you need to brush up on your Mana control once again."
"Wait, I have to start over from scratch," Sam asked.
"If you want to get stronger, it's the only way," Emani said. "Though we don't have time for you to go through it the smooth way. So..."
Emanu took a deep breath, and she sent a jab right at Sam's sternum. She was faster than Sam could react. Her fingers scraped against her chest, and she felt a force of energy pierce through it. Sam's body revolted, an intense pain making her puke out on the grass. What the Hell? What the hell? Her body convulsed again as the pain lessened.
"Wh..at did you do to me?" Sam gasped for air.
"When you started as a Dormant Mystic, I had you meditate for you to learn how to open your mana nodes to control your mana flow," Emanu said. Mana nodes were tiny spiritual organs within a body that filter and limit the Mana that flowed within it. It was like a regulator for the mana circuit.
"I get that by opening and closing these nodes, one can control the release and output of their Mana," Sam said. "But what does that have to do with hitting me,"
"Most Ascendants learn to subconsciously close sixty percent of their nodes." Emani said
"So they won't waste the Mana within themselves," Sam gathered.
"Right now, the Mana you managed to convert from your Od within your soul core is just static within your mana core. With Flow control, you can store the mana that you siphon within your soul core. This acts as a reserve of energy for one to use. That way, one doesn't have to constantly channel mana with your Odic force. Trust me, you don't want to exert your Odic force too much."
"So how do I open my nodes?" Sam said. "I suspect the attack on my chest had something to do with it,"
"Very perceptive, Sam," Emani said. "Yes, you're right. Normally, one learns to open and close their nodes through meditation, as you did before. It's the formal and standard way to do it. But it takes a lot of time. That's why I said wielding Mana is not an easy thing to learn. It takes almost a decade to be able to learn to open and close one's node. And for you, we simply do not have the time for you to learn through meditation alone. Which is why there is another way to open and close one's node. Brute force."
"Brute force," Sam repeated. "The jab at my chest. That was to-"
"Yes," Emani said with a smile. "When I attacked you, I sent an amount of my Mana into your body through brute force. This action forcefully made your nodes open up. Tell me, how does your body feel right now?" Sam sent her hand to her chest, only just realizing that the pain was gone and her body felt lighter than it did before.
"I...I feel good," Sam said, astonished.
"As I said, Mana can be used for destruction or healing, depending on the user's will and desire," Emanu said. "What I did was open about ten percent of your nodes, which should be enough for your Mana to run a little smoother. It's a lot more than you managed to accomplish as a Dormant Mystic."
"Now, while your nodes are open, Mana is going to constantly leak out of your body. But we don't want that. Instead, you're going to direct the flow of Mana to remain within your body. And then you're going to infuse the rest of the Mana throughout your body. This is where Flow control comes into place. It's a skill that allows you to stop your Mana from leaking out of your body. Instead, you contain the flow of Mana within the body itself. Observe," The atmosphere in the room changed again, as a red hue of color flowed out of Emanu's body, the presence of her power froze Sam on the spot. But just as the aura appeared, Sam noticed the way her Mana flowed back inside her body, like she was sucking the energy back. The flow of Mana then formed like a coat around her body. It was like an extra layer of thin skin acting as a buffer against any external force.
"With your Internal sense, you were able to perceive the flow of my Mana," Emani said. "I used Flow control to center my Mana only within my body. This way, I won't be wasting any of my Mana. Most wielders learn to even maintain it while sleeping." And just like that, Emani's Mana vanished, cutting off her presence from the Odyllic. Sam couldn't see her aura anymore. "For you to be able to infuse Mana within your body and use reinforcement, you have to master Flow control."
"So are you ready to begin Flow control?" Emani said. Sam was about to focus when she felt the presence of someone from behind her.
"Didn't you say that there wasn't enough time to take it slow?" Leon Haravok walked into the circle of the menhirs, his gaze settling on Sam.
"You're back, Leon," Emani said.
"Yes. If I'm not mistaken, the girl is already familiar with Flow control," Leon said.
"I have a name, you know," Sam said. Leon only smiled at her. A smile that threw her off balance.
"Yes, Sam is familiar with Flow control, but in her current state, her mastery of it is not sufficient enough to handle the amount of mana she has," Emani said.
"Well, there is a simple solution to that," Leon said.
"Leon..." Emani said.
"What solution?" Sam asked. Leon raised his two fingers up, a yellow wave of light washed over the space around Sam, tightening around her. She felt immobilized, like she couldn't move.
"Battle to the death," Leon said. With a wave of his hand, Sam felt her body move towards him as a silver sword appeared in his hand. A seriphium blade.
"Leon!" Emani called out, raising her hand to cancel the technique he placed on Sam. Meanwhile, Sam struggled to move, her body out of her control, making her feel so helpless. She fought against the tightened space, the hold that Leon seemed to have gotten over her, and yet, with all her new strength, she was nothing against the power that Leon had just displayed.
Sam hated that feeling. She hated it from the bottom of her guts...
Enlightened has already been initiated with Mystical arts, more suitable to her constitution. Enlightened has been granted the right to unlock Battle Arts. The runes were back again, flashing in front of her as she was immobilized.
Enlightened must decide if they want to unlock the Battle skills ingrained in them.
At that moment, Sam had no choice but to choose. And she chose to trust in whatever this damn Gaea system was. And then a huge green door with Sam's Celestial Mark appeared. Sam was perplexed as to what was going on. But she decided that asking questions could be done later, as a black vortex of energy spun out of the door as it opened.