Silver sat in a small classroom, paying no attention to the black-clothed great elder lectures. His mind lingered to the eventful dream he dreamt this morning. His heart yearned to see the downcasted young woman again, including his parents and friends. Preoccupied with in his own world, the great elder stop speaking when he noticed Silver's lost and dejected expression.

Shaking his head, the great elder walked over and knocked on Silver's head with his knuckles, shocking the boy awake.

"I understand I'm monotone, boring and a bit strict but please pay attention. Our clan leader, your Master, wanted us to drill every bit of knowledge we have into your head. Please respect our clan leader's wishes," the great elder stressed after shaking his head in disappointment.

As if the great elder words dawn onto him, Silver quickly dropped his idle thoughts and expressed a face of filled with determination.

"Thank you," spoke the great elder nodding his head in approval.

"The most important topic in the history of our Nihility Clan is our great creator, only a secret known to our clan, Xyen. Although, it is not known to what appearance Xyen had, we believe it should be something of a humanoid being based on our theory. Even within the textbooks, our clan's history still remains vague on its founding.

As far as I can remember, a few billion years ago, Aeon took reign after the last clan leader decided to let go of his duty and head onto a more exciting journey. Our old clan leader was a quiet but a very lively man. Back then, he always caused some mischief around the clan by pulling small pranks here and there. Not much has changed since he left because Aeon is a prankster too. However, ever since the incident many years ago, Aeon mischievous personality had become quite... solemn.

Remember this, once you leave the clan, you can never come back unless you become the Nihility Clan leader or obtain approval once you inherit the clan's legacy."

"How do I inherit this legacy?" inquired Silver. Although he enjoyed being his master's disciple, he truly did not want to stay in this place forever but also have the right to come back. He inquired about visiting his parents and friends to Aeon but his master only showed a pained expression. It seems there were complications when he set foot into this world.

"Well, that's for later. You need to obtain approval but it is not from us, but the place of the inheritance. That area itself is restricted, no one can enter unless they are fated to."

"Fate?"

"Yes, everything is based on a person's fate. Nearly a high percentage of everyone's fate have already been set into motion, but rarely does one not have a fate but are born with the ability to alter it. Those who can alter their own fate are truly extraordinary existences, actually, your master is of such person.

Because of him, our first clan leader gotten excited, immediately dum---making him our new clan leader and disappeared, leaving a simple note. That note is actually somewhere in the main hall altars . . . continuing the history, our clan was created to guide those who are fated to be guided. This was how you were able to set foot into the Nihility Clan."

"How do you know I am fated and allowed to be here?"

"How do we know? The valley that holds the inheritance will teleport the clan leader to the person that he is to guide, which is why you are naturally here. Of how he felt, I believe you should ask him. Our history is extremely vague especially what would happen if the inheritor finally obtain what's within the Valley Of Dusk.

Everything in this clan, the knowledge, is the accumulation of billions of years from our clan leaders going out to obtain the texts for us to learn. Everything you have learned for the past years is from multitude of worlds within our universe. Surprisingly you've learned, memorized and utilized everything we taught you from our whole library, which of course, given us something to talk about for the next nth years."

"I don't want to disrupt but how about those that left? What happen to them?"

"Good question. Those that leave are usually the ones who want to experience the world, cutting ties with the clan. Some extremely rare cases, are banished due to their inner desire possessing them. We are birthed from the void, born without emotions, a lack of empathy but due to our clan leaders giving us a sense of life, knowledge and recorded arrays of the worlds, we began gimmicking those emotions.

Millions of years later, bearing our own personality and style of how we want to enjoy our lives in the clan. Just like those who journeyed out of the clan, but those who are possessed by their inner desire . . . they've come disdain our way of living, conceited and poisoned on their skewed views of the outside world. We are powerful, undying and knowledgeable of nearly everything in this universe but they wanted to wreak havoc.

They claim to have obtained a sense of godhood, which allowed them to be haughty to those that are below them like ants. Nine of them, one which was close to becoming your master's wife first disciple. They are a stain of our clan, sadly we cannot kill our own clan members due to a mysterious restriction. We can harm each other yet cannot kill each other either but those who are not of void cannot even make a mark on us.

It truly gave many of us elders a terrible headache, including your master but his wife, sadden that the disciple she finally wanted to accept turned on her. Despicable, but we cannot do much about it than prattle for very long time."

"What happened to those nine individuals?"

"They were banished from this universe, supposedly stuck in a dimension rift, but I doubt they're in it now. It's been a few million years, they must of found a world to either rule or cause some form of havoc to. Even I'm not to sure how possessed they've become but I rather not deal with such hooligans like them again. In our case, they were exiled from our clan, caused mayhem in your birthworld, Ethereal Expanse and basically your continent gave a strong complaint. Hence, your master banished them into the dimensional rift.

Numerous things aren't as simple as they seem in this universe, which can be quite complex if you don't have the accumulated knowledge and comprehension. Various life forms fill different planet, while others cant be occupied due to their uninhabitable state. Some world are even layered by realms, like your Ethereal Expanse. Above that continent is the Divine Horizon, basically like a heavenly world filled with strong beings at birth.

We do know of the other universes, albeit the laws are identical but the way they function is different from us which you've already learned. The universe is vast, expanding at an infinite rate and full of infinite possibilities. Our Nihility Clan members wish to travel out of the clan without fear and able to return to our home anytime we want. Someday our wish will be finally granted . . ."

The great elder stood there, staring at the starry sky through the window, pondering over the thoughts deep within his heart. A solemn expression plastered onto his face, as a crestfallen mood filled the atmosphere around him.

Silver sat there, taking everything the great elder spoke of. He felt stinging yet swelling sadness when 'home' was mentioned. Wishing to see his parents, the love, care and warmth they gave him yet he also enjoyed the warmth the clan gave him too. There was a difference when it came to being alone and being lonely.

His master, Aeon, and his wife, Lian, allowed him to stay vibrant, supporting him, silently guiding him in unusual ways and gave him a sense of belonging. Thus, Silver never felt truly alone nor lonely. He was a man who always repaid gratitude and kindness towards him, while repaying the enmity that cause harm to his family and friends.

"Right, Silver, tell me what is your thoughts on our clan?" asked the great elder, snapping back to reality.

"I love it, but I also enjoy having my own freedom and to experience this vast universe. I want to become unfettered from these chains and shackles that limits my freedom. My mind is broad, unhindered by the narrow ideas of the society that we live in. I want to travel to new destinations, advancing to the unknown, whether I'm by myself or with someone" answered Silver in a profound manner.

"The universe is meant to be explored, not feared."

**Hong long long

As if something mysterious door had opened in the path of his soul and mind, a flash of inspiration shone upon him. Closing his eyes, a purple line form in the middle of his forehead, a violet eye surrounded by a starry black, gradually opening itself in front of the stunned great elder.

The sound of wings flapping grew closer to the small classroom, a three-eyed crow, cawing across the sky, leisurely flew past, heading to the Valley of Dusk.

"The inheritor is. . ." muttered the great elder baffled, turning his head at the enlightened Silver. Soon a column of light shone within the Valley of Dusk, pulsating void energy while the caws of the crow, that passed by, reverberated across the whole clan.

"Silver . . ." murmured Lian, staring at the light of column in the sky.

"It's beginning."

"It's time for him to inherit the clan's legacy," observed Aeon, gazing at the column of black-purplish light shooting into the sky. Taking a step forward, Lian staying behind, Aeon faded into the subtle ripple of space.