Graduation 

"He who has a why to live can bear almost any how." Friedrich Nietzsche

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And finally, to conclude this year's graduation, we have the winner of this year's Trailblazer Medal for being the most improved student at SMA. Raising their GPA from 2.1 to 3.37 with a 100% in every class, we have Skyler Solaris!

As my ears echo with applause from the audience, all I can think about is how hollow this award feels compared to where I am going in just two weeks.

If it weren't for the fact that I needed at least a 3.30 GPA to get accepted into the SIDI, there was no way I would have accomplished this massive task that, in hindsight, seems like a complete waste of time.

As I numbly walk down the podium stairs to the President of Silver Mist Academy, I am thinking, "What the hell am I going to do with this stupid plaque in the new galaxy I am going to in less than two weeks?"

I need to be training, learning about the environment I will be going to, practicing different languages, figuring out how to fix technical issues with my suit, and the list drags on until I come to my senses, realizing that I had accidentally walked past the president. I had to turn around and head back to the president to receive the plaque.

The president's frown quickly turned into a smile as I approached and received the plaque. I hear the president say, "It seems that our very special student who was selected to participate in the Strategic Interstellar Dominion Initiative has some other things on his mind tonight.

Luckily for him, I hear this plaque comes with a universal translator—just in case you need to explain your GPA to extraterrestrial beings!"

As the audience erupted into laughter, I couldn't help but chuckle. A small bit of pride came to me as I took the plaque from the president's hands, feeling very fulfilled that I had been able to accomplish my goal despite everyone telling me I couldn't do it.

Once I received the plaque, I was told to go sit down again. As I was on my way back, the president started saying, "Unfortunately, we don't have the venue booked for long enough for Skyler to share their secrets on how they managed to accomplish this feat to teach it to the next generation of students.

So, I will end tonight's graduation with some closing remarks." Then, with a quick swirl of his hands, he materialized an ethereal scroll that matched the gold and white colors of our school out of the air and began reading.

"Dear Graduates, Esteemed Faculty, Honored Guests, and Dedicated Families,

"As we close this uplifting ceremony, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you for making today's celebration a truly memorable event. To our graduates, you have reached this milestone through your resilience and hard work, and we are all incredibly proud of your accomplishments.

To our faculty and staff, your dedication and commitment to excellence have not gone unnoticed. And to the families and friends who have supported our students, your encouragement has been invaluable. Thank you all for being here to share in this special moment.

As we part ways tonight, let us carry the joy and pride of today into our futures. Congratulations once again to the Class of 999,999, and have a wonderful evening!"

And with the signature white mist of the cultivation type of this school, he summoned a gentle silver swirl that enveloped the graduates, symbolizing their transformation and readiness to go out into the world. It also signaled the end of the ceremony.

As the president finished, I, along with everyone around me, threw our caps into the air. As I looked around and saw all the smiling faces, laughing graduates, and others enjoying the moment, I realized that this was going to be the last time I saw any of their faces and the likelihood of my surviving and becoming a major player in the new galaxy was practically zero.

More likely than not, I was going to just die in the wilderness of some unnamed planet with maybe no one even on the same planet as me to witness.

Just then, a group of my classmates approached, their cheers piercing the celebratory uproar. "Skyler! That was amazing, dude!" their voices boomed, filled with genuine pride and excitement for me.

They clapped me on the back, their laughter and teasing a stark contrast to the gravity of my thoughts. "From 2.1 to Trailblazer, you've set a new record!" another chimed in. Their words, light and teasing, pulled me back from the edge of my somber reflections, anchoring me to the joyous reality of the moment.

As their congratulations continued, I felt a hand on my shoulder, turning to see a close friend's knowing smile. "You've done something extraordinary, Sky," he said, his voice sincere amid the chaos. "Wherever you end up, remember today. Remember that you turned the impossible into your reality."

His reminder resonated deeply, stirring a warmth within me, a spark of pride in my accomplishment that felt both grounding and uplifting as I faced the uncertain future.

As these emotions hit, my girlfriend suddenly embraced me, her voice filled with emotion. "Enjoy this moment," she urged, "don't dwell on the future. Revel in your achievements—this moment is fleeting and precious. Cherish it!" And she did her cute little giggle that I liked. Which caused all of my friends to back off and head over to their own families to get on with their own celebrations tonight.

Right behind her was my family, all cheering and wishing me a happy graduation. As my girlfriend clung to me, we walked towards them hand in hand.

My mom wiped tears from her eyes, her smile wide with pride. My dad clapped loudly, his voice booming congratulations.

My sister jumped up and down, her cheers piercing the crowd, which earned a short-lived scowl from our mother, while my brother walked forward and gave me a solid pat on the back, his grin showing his pride.

Each expressed their joy in their own heartfelt way, enveloping me in warmth and celebration.

Then, as the excitement settled, Mom's voice softened with a hint of urgency, 'We need to get going so we don't miss our dinner reservation.'

She sighed, a mix of frustration and relief in her her tone. 'I tried to get us into Trevers, but it's been booked solid for years. 'But I managed to secure a table at Misty Tiger, which, as you know, has been your favorite since you turned 12.

It seems fitting to celebrate there, right where we celebrated so many of your milestones.' Her eyes met mine, conveying both her joy at the evening's celebration and a silent acknowledgment of the adventures that awaited me beyond tonight and that this would likely be the last time we ever celebrated anything together as a full family. 

When she said this, I was very happy because even though it would have been amazing to go to the best restaurant in the solar system as a graduation gift, I knew it was unrealistic because my family was not even close to being rich enough to buy a single meal there.

A single meal cost more than my father would earn in 10 years working at the com-rune factory, and even if we did get a reservation, I would have refused. It is not worth it to put my family into massive debt to enjoy a single meal.

Waking from my thoughts, I noticed my mom asking, "…is that okay? I'm sorry it isn't a better gift, but it was the best we could do." With it looking like she was about to cry, I quickly reassured her by saying, "It's the meaning that counts, and yes, this is perfect. You know me too well.

This place has been my favorite for over a decade. What makes you think I wouldn't enjoy it?" as I did a little shake to get my girlfriend off of me and give my mom a giant hug.

I kept hugging her for a while until she said, "No, we really need to get going, or we will be late." And as she said that, we broke away and headed over to the public teleportation runes which luckily had mostly cleared out by now as almost everyone had their own Private Transportable Teleportation Runes, or PTTRs, at this school and those who didn't had already left, heading out to do their own things tonight in celebration.

As Mom set the location for the teleportation, I looked around at the massive ivory gold pillars with reward banners hanging up top and realized that this was going to be the last time I stepped in this building as well as the last time

I will probably even be in such an expensive and majestic building for a long long time. Which then led to me wondering how much of the years upon years of studying, tests, memorization of equations will actually help me in the future when I'm in an unknown galaxy separated by its own galactic separation barrier.

My thoughts were interrupted again when my girlfriend gave me a peck on the cheek, saying, "Starboy, you are sure thinking a lot tonight. I haven't seen you this lost in thought so many times since our first date. So, what are you thinking about, and don't you dare say nothing."

"Oh, nothing." Which earned me a glare, which then changed my answer to, "Honestly, I was caught up in a bit of nostalgia. This place has been a tough grind, but now that it's almost over, I'm just trying to soak it all in one last time. It's hard to believe that soon I'll be somewhere where these accomplishments might mean little to nothing."

To which she responded with an all-knowing smile. Finally, my mom got the correct coordinates, and we all pushed our mana into the runes and teleported directly to the restaurant.