Miss Seo-Yeon Park stood before the class, her sharp gaze scanning the room as she began her lecture on the universe's origins.
"Some of you may already be familiar with this, but for the sake of culture and knowledge, let's go over it again," she said, her voice calm yet commanding.
She took a deep breath before continuing. "In the beginning, there was nothing—not even light, concepts, or foundations. Just emptiness. However, within that emptiness, an eternal entity existed—known simply as Origin. And with a single thought, it created everything."
The room remained silent, the students hanging onto her words.
"Through this act of creation, a force was born—one that holds the fabric of reality together, even beyond the influence of dark matter or energy." She paused for effect. "This force, a mere fraction of Origin's power, is known as the Ethereal Energy. Or, as the ancients called it—the Essence."
Miss Seo-Yeon paced in front of the blackboard, her heels clicking against the floor. "All living things, from the smallest insects to the mightiest beasts, possess this force. It is preserved within each being through the Ethereal Core—a boundless sphere of energy crafted by Origin itself."
Some students nodded in understanding, while others scribbled notes.
"However, possessing an Ethereal Core does not mean one can wield its energy," she continued. "Only a select few have the ability to tap into its power, and these individuals are known as the Gifted."
A smirk crossed her lips as she added, "Funny enough, there are some Gifteds among you."
Whispers immediately broke out in the room as students speculated among themselves. Who among them could wield such power?
Their excitement was short-lived. With a loud slam, Miss Seo-Yeon brought her book down onto her desk, her expression darkening. "No talking during my lessons." Her voice carried a quiet menace, and in an instant, the students fell silent, stiff as statues.
Satisfied, she continued, "Now that introductions are out of the way, let's move on. Today, we'll be discussing the four great races created by Origin and their ruling families."
The class listened intently.
"First, we have the Elves, residing on the planet Eqirene. Their ruling house is the Royal Valandor Family, which holds supreme authority over their kind."
She moved to the next. "Then, there are the Vampires of Van Helsing, governed by the Great House of Dracula."
"The Dragons, on the other hand, are unique creatures," she said, her tone shifting slightly. "They do not follow rulers. Instead, they acknowledge only those who are superior to them. However, even among them, there is one bloodline that all dragons fear and obey—the Great Regaliath Family."
Miss Seo-Yeon's gaze then settled on her students. "And finally, there is us. Humans. Unlike the other races, we do not have a single ruling family. Instead, multiple kingdoms and empires govern our kind. But among them, four imperial families stand above the rest."
She listed them out with precision. "The Imperial House of Yamato from the Great Empire of Japan. The Royal Yi (Lee) Family from the Empire of Korea. The Great Ivanovich Family from the Imperial Kingdom of Russia. And finally, the Imperial House of Flashstride from the Grand Kingdom of Normay."
She gestured toward the board, where she had written the names of these families. "Each of these lineages is distinct. The House of Yamato is known for their crimson cherry blossom-colored hair. The House of Yi (Lee) is famed for their pure white locks, like untouched snow. The Ivanovich Family can be identified by their metallic silver hair, while the Flashstride Family bears a unique emblem—a lightning crest upon their hands."
A student raised a hand. "Miss Seo-Yeon, what makes these families so special?"
"Good question." She nodded. "All four of these imperial families are among the few to possess Ethereal Instruments—artifacts of immense power. Additionally, the heads of these families bear Prime Indigo Ethereal Cores and hold the esteemed title of Grand Monarch."
Another student chimed in, "What's an Ethereal Instrument? And what exactly is a Grand Monarch?"
More hands shot up. "Yeah! And why does the color of an Ethereal Core matter?"
Miss Seo-Yeon chuckled, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "Hold your excitement. That's a lesson for another day."
Just as she finished speaking, the school bell rang, signaling the end of the period. Students groaned in disappointment but began gathering their things for their next lesson—combat training.
Before they could leave, Miss Seo-Yeon smirked. "If you're that eager to learn more, why don't you ask Mr. Joshua Akintola, your next instructor?" There was an unmistakable glint of mischief in her eyes.
The students brightened at the idea. "Alright! We will!" they responded enthusiastically before rushing out of the classroom.
Left alone, Miss Seo-Yeon let out a small laugh, shaking her head. "I can't wait to see the annoyed look on that lazy freak's face when they bombard him with questions about the Ethereal Core," she muttered to herself, clearly amused.
And with that, she gathered her materials, already preparing for the next lesson.