Chapter 1
Epilogue
The world was quiet, too quiet.
Magnetara remembered the births of her children as fire and starlight, as if it were just yesterday. Elariana Astralis Vardel, silver-haired, molten-silver eyes bending time itself, made Arestillo, her father's eyes fill with tears as he saw his daughter manifest his space-time magic, and Magnetara’s celestial glow shone through her pure silver hair, radiant and soft.
Lucivar Ignis Karnstein Vardel, fire and shadow fused in a mortal form, also emerged with a gust of cold, deathly energy that swept across the sanctuary like his father Valen; the shadows themselves seemed to recoil, and tiny whorls of crimson mist curled around him. His small body was crowned with tousled, red hair; his eyes opened to reveal deep, glowing red irises.
Kaelor Lunaris Gosthias Vardal, golden-eyed, a Lycan heir whose first cry felt like a ripple of wild lunar energy. His eyes flashed between dark silver and bright yellow-gold, a perfect mirror of the intertwined power of Anastasios and Magnetara.
Each child’s power had manifested instantly, wild and untamed, as the gods themselves came to bless them.
The gods had granted them gifts. Artemis lent lunar protection to Kaelor. Hecate whispered secrets of hidden paths into Elariana’s soul. Dionysus gifted Lucivar charm and allure. And Ares, the God of War, pressed courage and strength into them all
Yet when the goddess of fate, Moirar, approached Elariana, their gaze lingered, hesitant. Even divine eyes could not fully see her fate. Threads of her future shimmered, veiled and uncertain. Magnetara knew then: her daughter’s path would be extraordinary and dangerous.
Magnetara watched them, heart full and wary, knowing the dawn of her daughter’s era was coming and that some destinies were not given; they were seized.
The legacy begins anew.
In the realm where the old gods once walked, beneath skies painted with shifting colors and stars that whispered secrets, a new light was born.
Her name is Elariana.
Daughter of legends, daughter of Magnetara and her triad mates, she carries the weight and wonder of an ancient prophecy that no one knows of or has heard of, not even the gods. A soul forged in fire and shadow, destined to bind together powers never before united.
Elariana stood on the edge of dawn, heart pounding with the promise of all that was to come.
The world was waiting.
And this time, the story would be hers.
Chapter 1 ------ Orientation & First-Day
Elariana
One week after our eighteenth birthdays, seven days into officially being named as the crown princes and a princess of three of the most powerful species in existence, my brothers and I were arguing about backpacks.
Not about strategy, diplomacy, or how to rule nations, but Backpacks.
“I’m not wearing that,” Lucivar said, eyeing Kaelor’s bag like it had personally offended him. “It makes me look like I’m trying too hard to be approachable.”
Kaelor slung his own over one shoulder, unfazed. “You literally glow in the dark when you’re annoyed. Nothing about you says approachable.”
“That’s different,” Lucivar replied. “This is my first day trying to pass as a student. I refuse to look like I’m about to give a speech or seduce half the campus.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “You’re going to do that anyway.”
Kaelor smirked. “Accidentally.”
Lucivar shot him a look. “I just don’t want to be stared at for five minutes straight before we even make it to orientation.”
I glanced between them, two impossibly handsome, newly crowned princes trying and failing to look inconspicuous, and sighed.
“Congratulations,” I said. “You’re both doomed. Pick a bag and let’s go.”
I sighed. As the Astral successor or Grand successor to my mother, the reigning High Grand Witch. Keeper of Magic. Future of the covens. And here I was, mediating sibling drama.
The truth was, the Alliance University had never been optional for us.
It was the final piece of our upbringing, designed for heirs who would one day shoulder the same impossible weight our parents carried now. Rulers trained in isolation fail. Guardians trained together survive. That philosophy had shaped this place from its foundation.
My mother, Magnetara, the High Grand Witch who rewrote destiny itself, had built it alongside her mates. Arestillo, God of Time and Space. Valen, ancient Vampire King and eternal protector of the night. Anastasios, Alpha King, Protector of Blood and Pack.
They didn’t just rule; they balanced the world as guardians. The Elders Council ran the Alliance University. The Elder Council consists of three Elders of each Species serving on the Elder Council, with a total of 18 high Elders and multiple lower Elders who deal directly with each territory. When I say Species I mean vampires, werewolves / Lycans, Faes, Dragons, Tigers, Lions and Witches.
Although attending Alliance University was meant to help us build bonds, our parents remained hesitant to let us go alone. That is precisely why they insisted on escorting us.
All four of them.
“No,” I said flatly, tightening the strap of my bag like it might anchor my sanity. “Absolutely not.”
Our mother lifted a single brow, the same one that had made entire councils reconsider their life choices. Arestillo crossed his arms, time itself humming faintly around him. Valen’s smile said he was enjoying this far too much. Valen is the nonchalant of them. Anastasios looked torn between pride and the overwhelming urge to threaten anyone who dared look at us the wrong way.
“People will stare,” I said for what had to be the fifteenth time. “Do you know what happens when the Guardians and gods walk into a university?”
“People kneel,” Kaelor offered helpfully, completely serious.
“They faint,” Lucivar added, already grinning like he was picturing it.
“They gossip for centuries,” I finished. “We’re supposed to blend in.”
Eventually, after relentless pleading, dramatic sighs, and a solemn promise that we’d teleport home at the first sign of danger, they relented.
Victory.
Temporary, fragile victory, but I’d take it.
The Alliance University
The gates appeared as we approached massive, rune-etched stone woven with living vines, dragon-forged steel, and celestial sigils that shimmered when they recognized us. The campus stretched impossibly wide beyond them: floating towers for witches and fae, obsidian halls for vampires, forested courtyards for Lycans, crystalline spires for dragons, and sun-drenched arenas for lions and tigers.
This place wasn’t just elite. It was unimaginable.
Admission was restricted to:
Alpha, Beta, and Gamma-ranked Lycans and Werewolves.
High Witches and Grandwitch heirs of all covens.
Vampire royalty and elite bloodlines of all vampires.
Fae heirs and covenant leaders.
Dragon princes, apex warriors. and high authority Dragons.
Lion and Tiger clan royalty and champions.
Finally, the best talents from across species are especially recommended by their various leaders after rigorous selection.
In short, if you were here, it meant you were either formidable or astonishingly talented. We entered together, attracting glances since three newly crowned princes and a princess masquerading as "normal students” were hard to miss.
We walked and did not teleport because magic and powers were banned on the first day of school, for everyone's safety. Better to be cautious, as things could quickly go wrong.
Lucivar leaned close. “They’re staring.”
Kaelor cracked his knuckles. “Should I growl?”
“No,” I hissed. As the firstborn of the triplets, you can say I am like the leader. “Absolutely not. We are students. Blend.”
“I am blending,” Kaelor said, “as you can see.”
We walked toward the registration tables with one guard and an audience we hadn’t asked for.
Lance Castiel moved a half-step behind us, silent as ever, his presence a quiet weight in the air. Most people didn’t know who, or what, he was. They just knew his magic tingled uncomfortably when he passed, like the universe itself had straightened its spine.
Good.
Lucivar and Kaelor flanked me, the three of us moving in perfect, unconscious sync. We’d been doing that since birth. Even without crowns, titles, or ceremonial armor, we drew attention like gravity.
Whispers followed. It wasn't loud or rude, just… inevitable.
“They’re the heirs.” “No, they’re the rulers.” “Why are they standing in line like everyone else?”
Because responsibility, apparently, came with orientation.
Our parents hadn’t come. That alone had taken negotiation worthy of a peace treaty. The lycan, vampire, and healer guards were waiting by the transport gates close enough to intervene, far enough to let us pretend we were normal for five minutes.
Lance, however, was non-negotiable. He has been my father Arestillo’s shield for centuries. Forged by divine will. Blessed by Artemis herself. A being who could end a war before most people finished blinking.
And he was escorting us to a registration desk.
Subtle.
We joined the queue like everyone else. No shortcuts. No bowed heads, though a few students did it anyway, catching themselves and flushing in embarrassment. Lucivar, always the ladies' man, gave them an easy grin that only made things worse. Kaelor kept his expression neutral, which somehow made him look even more dangerous.
At the front of the hall, the air shimmered.
The moment we stepped onto the marble inlay before the registration dais, magic recognized magic.
Enchanted scrolls detached from the vaulted ceiling, floating down into our waiting hands, glowing softly as they synchronized with our auras.
"Welcome, heirs of the Alliance."
The letters pulsed once, then shifted, listing our names and student designations, thankfully omitting the longer titles that tended to make rooms uncomfortable.
Lucivar glanced at his scroll. “They spelled mine right. I’m impressed.”
Kaelor leaned over my shoulder. “Mine too. Low standards, but still.”
We followed protocol like everyone else: blood signature, magic imprint, oath of conduct. Lance watched without comment, though I felt the subtle tightening of wards every time someone lingered too long.
Once registered, our scrolls updated themselves.
Hall assignment: We all got the same Halls with separate rooms. I guess that is the perk of being heirs.
The boys were placed in the male wing, near the combat halls and training grounds. I was assigned to the female section, closer to the coven towers and arcane libraries. Triplets or not, none of us had survived eighteen years without learning the value of space.
Before the first official assembly, we were handed orientation schedules, access seals, familiar registration tokens, and a checklist that included robe fittings, uniforms by race for extreme practices, ward synchronization, combat assessments, and something called Foundations of Interspecies Cooperation.
Attendance mandatory.
I sighed. I have a feeling this is going to be an absolutely crazy ride. One week into adulthood. Seven days into being Astral's successor, and it's already becoming daunting.
And this... this...was how our university life began. Lance left us, his duty ending as we all entered the gigantic hall. The Grand Hall stretched farther than my peripheral vision could see.
Which was impressive, considering my peripheral vision was enhanced by magic, celestial blood, and a mild habit of cheating when I wanted something.
I let a thin thread of time-math unwind in my head, nothing flashy. Just quiet calculation, magic humming beneath my skin as I counted heartbeats, auras, and power signatures.
Rough estimate? Around a thousand new students. Give or take. Old students were not mandated to attend the orientations, but the hall prefects and heads were present.
The Hall itself could seat nearly five thousand, which explained the generous spacing between tables designed for comfort and survival. Dragons in humanoid forms radiated heat.
Lycans bled dominance even when seated. Fae wings needed room, but not today; they are seated in human forms. Vampires preferred shadows, but they are sitting here because of the special magic on campus. The royal vampire clans are all immune to sunlight anyway.
The Hall accommodated all of it seamlessly. It was stated in the pamphlet with the rules and regulations that all students, regardless of who they are, were supposed to attend functions, events, or occasions in human form unless stated otherwise.
Mother would be proud, I thought. She always believed space was a form of diplomacy.
Lucivar leaned toward me. “You’re doing it, aren't you? Using magic to count.”
“I’m estimating,” I murmured back. “Big difference.”
Kaelor glanced around, golden eyes bright with interest. “So?”
“Elite only. Invitation-based. Roughly two hundred witches. Maybe three hundred Lycans. Fewer dragons, under a hundred. Vampires sit around one-fifty. Fae are politically dense but magically light. Great cats and Lions somewhere in the middle.”
Lucivar hummed. “Comforting.”
The faculty dais shimmered, wards settling as the last students took their seats. Professors, some of whom I recognized as Elders, stood in a relaxed formation.
A bell chimed deep, resonant, ancient. The Headmistress stepped forward, her voice carrying without effort.
“Welcome to The Alliance University.” Magic rippled through the Hall as the words locked into place.
“You have already been assigned your Halls.”
I felt it then, a subtle tug in my chest, answering the enchantment woven into the registration process. Efficient. Elegant. My mother had insisted on it. A magical sorting that read not just power, but temperament, leadership style, and future potential.
The scrolls had known where we belonged the moment we touched them.
The Headmistress continued, “Halls are mixed-race by design. No Hall is dominated by one race. No Hall is allowed to become an echo chamber.”
Good. I thought.
“Your Halls are families,” she said with calm assurance, “and they are also crucibles—spaces meant to challenge you, support you, and help you discover your full potential. Also, because today is the first day, you are all expected here exactly at 1 pm for lunch, so do not be late.
After today, you can find your own lunch across campus at any of the food courts and canteens on campus with your student identification.
You can also purchase any special things you need at specialized sections. If you need more information, contact your hall masters.
Lastly, your welcome party will commence at 8pm till midnight. You have the weekend to familiarise yourselves with the campus.
Monday's full schedule of classes will start. Tardiness is not tolerated. Once again, welcome to the Alliance University.”
Lucivar smiled faintly at that. Kaelor cracked his knuckles, clearly pleased.
I glanced at the banners unfurling above us, each Hall sigil blazing into existence, ancient symbols bound in modern magic. Power, balance, strategy, unity. The values my parents had nearly gone to war to protect.
Rules followed. Strict ones. No territorial dominance inside the Hall. No blood magic without oversight. No divine interference. No assassination attempts.
That last one was delivered dryly. Experience, I suspected.
As applause rolled through the room, I leaned back slightly, letting the moment settle.
Fourteen hundred future leaders. Six species. One university. And three crowned rulers and future guardians sitting in the middle of it all, pretending we weren’t calculating threats, alliances, and destiny paths with every breath.
I smiled to myself. Let them watch, I thought. Let them whisper. The Alliance University wasn’t just a school. It was a proving ground. And for the first time since my coronation, I felt it clearly...This was where the next war would be prevented.
Or begun.
