The classroom door creaks open, cutting through the murmur of students.
"Temporal Anchor V2: Deactivate."
Archivist Orlan Dain strides in, his robes dragging against the floor like pages turning in an ancient tome. His demeanor hasn't softened since orientation—no pleasantries, no wasted time. Just the sharp, unflinching focus of a scholar who measures life in facts, not feelings.
He stops before the lectern, fingers steepled.
"Good afternoon." His voice is dry, precise. "History of the Elenos Kingdom and Mages."
A beat of silence. Then, without ceremony:
"Question." His gaze sweeps the room like a scribe's quill, ready to ink judgment. "Who knows how the universe was created?"
For a moment, only the rustle of parchment answers him. Then—
Lady Celeste Von Ventus raises a single, gloved hand. A slow, deliberate motion, as if she's already decided to give a lengthy speech. She clears her throat.
"Ahem. The 26 dimensions in Closed Unoriented Bosonic String Theory can be reinterpreted through the mathematical framework of the traceless Jordan algebra J₃(O)O, which consists of 3 x 3 matrices over the octonions. Each of the three octonionic components of this algebra corresponds to distinct physical aspects: one encodes our 4-dimensional spacetime alongside a 4-dimensional internal symmetry space; another represents the eight fermions of the first generation; and the last accounts for their eight corresponding anti-fermions which would align this model well with viewing strings as worldlines across parallel universes in the Many-Worlds Interpretation of quantum mechanics, where the 26 dimensions reflect the full range of degrees of freedom distributed among those alternate quantum worlds."
"However for us, and more realistically, it is theorized that the "Pre-Universe" State per say had an initial condition of only 11-dimensional quantum foam supported by M-Theory's framework in a false vacuum state."
"However, a topological defect called a cosmic string in that bulk space collided with a Dirichlet membrane, releasing enough energy for a spontaneous symmetry breaking event to occur which separated the four fundamental forces. Gravity, electromagnetism, strong and weak nuclear forces that govern our 4D spacetime."
"Therefore, step one. Particle Genesis, 0 to 10⁻¹² seconds after the big bang, hereinafter referred to as BB. Quark-Gluon Plasma & Baryogenesis. The four fundamental forces, except gravity, were unified at 10²⁹ K where the Higgs field gave particles mass when the electroweak force splitted at about 10⁻¹² seconds. Quarks, gluons, and leptons formed a superfluid plasma and CP violation, via The Sakharov conditions, allowed a 1-in-a-billion matter-antimatter imbalance, preventing total annihilation of the universe."
"The resultant universe emerged with precisely tuned fundamental constants permitting the eventual emergence of complexity, life, consciousness and us."
"In addition, this is the time where hypothetical micro-black holes may have formed from density fluctuations, possibly seeding dark matter. But we do know that particles underwent Bose-Einstein condensation in high-curvature regions, forming a macroscopic quantum field, what we call ancient mana today."
"Second, planetary Abiogenesis, post-Nucleosynthesis begins. Neutral Atom Formation happens around 380,000 years after the BB, electrons bonded with nuclei, creating the 75% hydrogen and 25% helium needed for star formation. As such starting the release of CMB, Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation.
"For 200 million years, the universe was opaque until Population III stars of 30–300 solar masses ignited, ionizing hydrogen via UV radiation. Approximately 4.3 Billion years after, signs of first life began.
"Most likely, Silicon-Based Life thrived in high-pressure mantles, metabolizing liquid metals. Ammonia-Based Life exists in cryogenic hydrocarbon lakes and Boron-Based Life in deserts planets who leverage borophane superconductivity for neural analogs. But, Carbon-Based Lifeforms only began existing 10.1 Billion years after the BB. But we do know that Yithra was formed approximately 4.54 Billion years ago as well."
The class bobs their heads in unison, a sea of understanding—as if these facts were casual dinner talk rather than the foundation of reality itself.
Archivist Dain's lips twitch, not quite a smile, but the closest thing to approval his stone-carved face allows. His voice, dry as parchment, cuts through the silence:
"Well done, Lady Celeste." A pause—deliberate, weighted—before adding, "You've done your research."
Celeste's chin lifts, her smirk sharp enough to draw blood. Around her, the other students shift—some in awe, others in quiet resentment. Of course she knew.
Internal Monologue Rant Mode: Activated
Hold up.
What the flip?
I'm studying History of the Kingdom and Mages right? Not Advanced Cosmological Theory 401. Since WHEN do high schoolers casually discuss physics at a MSc or PhD Level?
I scan the room. Nodding heads. Thoughtful hums. Bro… Celeste is over here dropping knowledge like she's Stephen Hawking reincarnated and your NODDING? Bosonic String Theory, M-Theory?
That suggest that these kids know of the other basic fundamentals of quantum mechanics like Kaluza–Klein, Quantum Field and Maxwell's EM theories WITH some basics of The Minkowski space.
What fucking hell is this?
Nah.
Fuck that.
This is some bullshit.
Either:
A) I got isekai'd into an EAA where teenagers casually debate multiverse theory, or;
B) The EIMA curriculum was designed by a mad god who snorted too much philosopher cocaine.
"Any other theories?" the Archivist asks.
A random fucking NPC raises his hand:
"We observe 4 dimensions in the universe—3 spatial and 1 temporal. This is supported by physical laws like Newtonian gravity and electromagnetism, which behave correctly only in 3D space via the inverse-square law, and by General Relativity and Quantum Field Theory, which rely on a 4D spacetime framework."
Supported by the girl sitting next to him:
"While theories like Kaluza–Klein, String Theory, which exist at only the 10th and 11th Dimension, and the Bosonic String Theory Lady Celeste mentioned mathematically allow extra dimensions, no experimental evidence supports their existence. These theories are intriguing, but until they make testable, correct predictions, they remain speculative."
And Archivist concludes:
"In short. Extra dimensions are mathematically elegant but not empirically confirmed. Very impressive to my students!"
SEE? I KNEW IT. THEY KNOW.
I sink lower in my seat. My fucking theory for you Archivist? I'm in the wrong fucking game.
I look towards Xuě Xīlián
"You understood all that Xue'er?"
"Mhm, do you want me to explain anything to you?"
You know what? Why am I even surprised anymore? Let me just test her to be safe.
"Could you explain what she meant by M-Theory's framework in a false vacuum state?"
"Sure! But my English will limit the explanation a little."
"No problem."
"Okay, imagine all science like a giant puzzle, and M-Theory is the biggest piece that might connect everything—gravity, quantum physics, all. It says our universe isn't just the 3D space we see, but actually has 11 dimensions, with the extra ones so tiny we can't see them. Think of it like a garden hose from far away, it looks like a line, but up close, it's a cylinder. M-Theory's like that, but with branes vibrating in higher dimensions instead of strings."
"So… it's like string theory's upgrade?"
"Mhm! It's string theory that ties all string theories together. Math suggests parallel universes on other branes, gravity leaking from higher dimensions. But we can't test it yet because we'd need to accelerate particles at the size of a galaxy to probe those tiny extra dimensions. So, it's the ultimate 'trust the math' theory."
"I see. Thanks."
… I-I won't even… Nevermind. Conclusion: Every EIMA student is a genius. Final.
Archivist Orlans voice booms again:
"Now, let's fast forward to 6 Million years ago, early Homo sapiens emerged in modern day Elenos during the late Scalithic Era, Before the separation of ancient supercontinents like Ondratha, these hunter-gatherers survived by, developing tools, fire, and language while migrating across land bridges."
"Now interestingly, this is the approximate time we think Ondratha was a single, unbroken landmass—lush jungles where Aurelthane now stands in the East, glacial tundras in future Wǔlín up North, and volcanic badlands venting residual heat that fuel Valmont in the West."
"But…"
"One most interesting detail is that… Yithra is a planet primarily composed of water. At that time, Ondratha would have no means of attachment to the crust—no mantle plumes, no structural roots. Tectonic plates alone"
He snapped the chalk in half.
"It should've shattered under its weight. So why are we here today?"
Silence.
First-years exchanged glances. A Nereza noble tentatively raised her hand. "Magical buoyancy? Perhaps an ancient—"
"Wrong." Orlan smirked. "Next."
I bit my tongue. The answer thrummed in my skull like a drumbeat:
The Titan.
EAA's lore was clear. Ondratha didn't float. It was held. Somewhere beneath Elenos's foundations. No. The Three Kingdoms, the World-Bearer knelt—its spine the continent's keystone, its limbs the chains that kept the land from drowning. Act VII's cataclysm wasn't just an earthquake; it was Atlas waking up.
The Archivist's eyes flicked to me. For a heartbeat, I swore he knew. Then—
"The correct answer? We lack sufficient data." He shrugged, tossing the chalk fragments into the air. They dissolved into equations mid-fall. "But if you're curious… study the seismic patterns beneath the academy's oldest buildings. The stones remember."
A Goran student snorted. "Sounds like earth-mage superstition."
I clenched my fists under the desk. They'd learn. When the Titan stirred, they'd all learn.
"Moving on, this is when we think different Element-Based lifeforms started to emerge as well. Fossils we have collected and done radiocarbon back dating show that this is the relative time period where Carbon met its matches."
How very interesting indeed Archivist. Yithra is clearly this world's counterpart to Earth一where Homo sapiens evolved in Africa, here they first emerged in Elenos during the Scalithic Era, the Paleolithic era's equivalent. Just as Earth once had Pangaea, this world was united as Ondratha. The parallels are undeniable; this world mirrors our own universe's design, though filtered through some strange, deliberate lens.
In addition to this, it makes perfect sense why the top north of Elenos is called the 'Permafrost'. It is because primordial 'Wǔlín' was the continent that separated off that part of Elenos, Leaving a piece of it behind. And that means as well, the murim of EAA, the home nation of Xuě Xīlián, is a cold frigid kingdom of cultivators.
Wonderful deduction.
"By 12,000 BCE, the last Ice Age retreated, sea levels rose, and continents neared their modern positions. This Neolithic Revolution saw humans transition from nomadic life to farming in fertile river valleys—the cradle of civilization."
"The earliest known civilization, Serin, arose in Elenar, olden Elenos, around 3500 BCE. The Serinians invented cuneiform, built massive ziggurats, and developed laws and trade networks. Other river valley civilizations soon followed—each contributing advancements like bronze tools, organized governments, and monumental architecture."
"These early societies thrived because of agriculture, which created food surpluses and allowed labor specialization. Trade, defense, and governance became necessary, laying the foundation for kingdoms, written language, and the complex societies we know today."
Yes. Down to the details. Everything that Archivist Orlan said is correct if we were to base their Earthly counterparts. But I'm not too interested in all of this. What I'm interested in is…
"Archivist!" A student raises his hand. "What about magic?"
Orlan glances at the clock. 30 minutes till the lecture ends. He gave a smirk.
"Good question, young one. Let's discuss it now. The Origins of Magic."