"Now, let's begin."

The idle murmurs of absent-minded students faded as all eyes turned toward the front of the room. The life-like hologram of a Prismari woman appeared before a vast, floating, blank holoscreen.

She was dressed in layered robes of white and deep blue, and her bright green hair was braided neatly, giving a clear view of her soft features. With a gentle but confident smile, she introduced herself.

"I am Professor Ryel Valen. Today, I will introduce you to the rudimentary principles of what both the Prismari and Beastkin races understand as Science."

A silence fell over the class. Not the silence of boredom, but one born of intent. Every student present had either clawed their way through countless trials or been born to carry the weight of expectations. They knew what this place was: One World Academy. And they knew why they were here—to grow, to break through, and to survive.

The teacher began to pace slowly as she continued, her tone measured.

"Science is a very broad term, but in essence, it describes the pursuit of acquiring knowledge through systematic research and experimentation. It's the art of asking questions and the discipline of not turning away from the answers, no matter how absurd they may seem."

She paused here to scan the room. Most students seemed engaged as they hung by her every word. She continued,

"Science, as we've come to understand it, can be divided into two overarching branches: Natural Sciences and Technological Sciences. These two are often treated as separate disciplines, but in truth, they are deeply intertwined, and the distinction is for ease of study."

She turned, tapping the holoscreen. Its blank surface spawned a simple Venn diagram composed of two intersecting circles. One circle was labeled 'Natural Sciences,' the other 'Technological Sciences,' with 'Runes' pulsing gently in the intersection.

She placed a finger on the 'Natural Sciences' circle.

"Natural Sciences concern themselves with the external world as it is—unbending, uncaring. Physics, chemistry, biology, geography, and so much more. These all fall under Natural Sciences. They help us understand how matter, energy, and life behave without interference."

She gestured to the other side.

"Technological Sciences, by contrast, are about our actions. They deal with altering the world, shaping it, and redirecting natural processes through tools, methods, and systems. Rune-smithing, Healing Arts, Physique-modification, Mental Construction and Linkage—all of these are 'Technological'."

A hand rose near the front. It was Virallan, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the teacher directly.

"Yes, Miss Sparkk?"

"Where do Runic studies fall in this setup?"

The Professor smiled.

"Excellent question. Anyone care to answer?"

The room remained silent. Lucas's eyes flicked toward the others. One of the Beastkin—a tiger-striped boy—looked like he might speak, then seemed to think better of it.

Shaking her head with an amused smile, she answered the question.

"As you can see on the diagram, Runes have properties of both and don't fit neatly into any single category. As I said before, the two fields are not independent. In many ways, Runes represent both an understanding of how the world functions and the wielding of that understanding to act upon it."

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She tapped her finger against the glowing word in the center of the diagram.

"A Rune is only as powerful as your understanding of what it represents. A child can craft a [Flame Rune] that produces sparks, but a master who understands thermodynamics, air currents, and combustion theory can craft a [Flame Rune] that produces flames which burn hotter than plasma."

Looking around, she could see a few students were troubled. She waved her hand, and the holoscreen displayed a simple Rune: three complex sigils forming a geometric pattern. The image then warped and split, one side showing the rune's composition in terms of symbolic meaning and natural energy resonance, the other showing its effect as a power source for a floating weapon.

"Let's break down this Rune, shall we? On the left, you see the natural components. Runes are made up of sigils, each one derived from geometric harmonics found in nature."

She turned to the other side.

"On the right, we see the same Rune used to power a levitating blade. This is engineering. Application. The Rune was understood and utilized. To bridge that gap from its natural state to application takes mastery and understanding."

At this explanation, the class seemed to achieve comprehension. Someone toward the back raised a hand—a Beastkin girl with ash-gray fur and a pierced ear.

"Yes?"

"Wouldn't that mean Runic study is its own field?"

"A fair point," the professor nodded. "And indeed, in many institutions it is treated as one. But for the purpose of understanding the foundation, it is more useful to see Runes as a bridge between the two primary Sciences."

She let that hang for a moment.

"To really create new Runes, you must understand both the laws of the World and the tools with which we shape them. Then, not only will you have mastery over the World, but you can also have mastery over yourself."

Lucas found himself more engaged than he expected. Runes as bridges? He had seen them as symbols with fixed meanings for quite some time now, like math or, more accurately, a language. But this… it made them seem like much more. From the teacher's implication, Runes didn't just convey meaning to the world, but if used properly, they could be used to express meaning onto the self. Even though he didn't fully comprehend what that truly entailed, he had all the time to figure it out.

The professor's expression became stern.

"This is why you're here. Not just to memorize symbols, but to understand the logic behind them. Memorization won't get you anywhere. In fact, memorization will get you killed in an uncharted domain. Always remember that."

Some students shifted in their seats. A violet-haired male Prismari in the back folded his arms and nodded to himself but said nothing.

"I will not burden you with random trivia or require you to complete assignments that have no bearing on your development. What I will do is give you frameworks that allow you to think clearly when faced with the unknown."

Looking across the class, she continued,

"Before the founding of One World Academy, both the Beastkin and Prismari had different views on Science. The Prismari focused on order, laws, structure, and repeatability. The Beastkin favored intuition, experimentation, adaptation, and improvisation. Neither view is wrong, per se."

On the screen, a timeline appeared, splitting into two distinct visual styles. One side showed clean diagrams and crystalline machinery. The other showed tangled vines supporting pulsing bio-machinery and unique fauna and flora.

"But here at the Academy, we aim to combine these approaches to forge something greater. You are not here to become a Prismari or a Beastkin scholar. You are here to become something new."

A few students stirred, as though they hadn't considered that before.

"This class will prepare you to question, to test, to synthesize. To understand how and why Domains have such different landscapes within them. To know the limits of every single Attribute you hold. To understand the nature of life and Vitality. To truly ask yourself and the World for answers..."

She took a nonexistent deep breath, then softened her tone.

"But science is not just power. It is also a responsibility. If you use knowledge without understanding the context, the consequences can be disastrous."

"In the next lesson, we will begin looking at Energy Systems, both natural and artificial. We'll also briefly touch on the early Unified Science treatises that led to the modern Rune framework. If you're curious, I recommend reviewing the concept known as the 'Trinity of Flow.' It is the basis for most kinetic and thermal feedback loops."

She turned to the board again, and the diagrams faded into the Academy's crest.

"Class dismissed. Think about how you want to live. Because when your power fails, only your understanding remains."

The students rose in near-unison. Some were thoughtful, others energized. Lucas lingered for a moment, glancing at the fading professor.

'Understanding, huh…'

Lucas nodded to himself, his path forward just a bit clearer.

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