"Then it's decided." Alexander took over after the majority agreed to the motion. "The newly admitted batch of students would be the final badge the academy will groom. This applies to all the academies in the Empire."
With the decision made, the rest of the meeting swiftly went by as they made preparations for the graduation ceremony for the final year students. Soon, the instructors dispersed to carry out their duties.
As students of Alexander Gray, most final-year students had already expressed their desire to join the Universal Accord Commission. Of course, some were already part of an organisation and could not make that choice.
They knew the requirements needed to be part of the UAC, and that made it challenging to be part of the UAC and their organisations at the same time.
An agent of the UAC could not show any form of bias towards one force over the other — it was either one or the other.
Even so, some chose to be part of the UAC rather than the forces their parents owned or were a part of. Alexander had left an indelible ink in their hearts.
Moreover, the kind of equipment and resources available to the UAC agents was not something one could find anywhere else.
Everything was above what had ever been created. From the spaceships, weapons, suits of armour, to knowledge, the Universal Accord Commission was unmatched. This was not going to change anytime soon, especially with Alexander in charge.
Once the graduation ceremony came around, the final year students showed the world how different they were from the older generations. The gifted students, Aaron included, had broken the record set by Ross and Julia when they graduated from the academy.
Aaron and several other students graduated at the peak of the D-Tier, while more than 10% graduated at the initial levels of the D-Tier.
As a comparison, Ross and Julia had graduated at the mid-levels of the D-Tier. Hope was born in the hearts of many proud parents as they foresaw a bright future for their children.
Whether their thoughts were warranted or not, the fact remained; the final year students were the strongest batch any academy had ever produced since their inception.
It was a new chapter in the lives of the freshly graduated students. With grand ambitions and goals, the students set out to change their world.
For Aaron, however, his was a different future as he was now eligible to follow his Big Brother around. This brought him so much joy that the young Gray did not know what to do with himself.
Moreover, a job was already waiting for him. His fortune was the envy of many of his colleagues. However, they knew his situation was not always like this. Alexander was proof that things could change in unexpected ways.
***
It was the dawn of a new day in the Gray estate, and most of the household was still asleep. However, one person in particular did not need sleep.
"Hah... Freedom!"
Aaron fell back into one of the sofas and cried in excitement, freely stretching out on the sofa. He had a morning grin on his face as he enjoyed his newfound fondness for lazing around.
"Ouch!"
The young Gray suddenly grabbed his head when he felt a knock on his head. Knowing where it came from, he turned his attention towards the source and glared at Alexander, who sat on a sofa nearby with the six-month-old Axel in his arms.
"You scared him."
Alexander replied flatly, continuing his conversation with his nephew. He didn't even bother to look over to Aaron, whose glare amounted to nothing.
The baby had been startled by Aaron's utterance, prompting Axel to look over with curious eyes. Of course, he expressed his displeasure to his favourite uncle, resulting in the knock Aaron felt not long ago.
At six months, baby Axel could do things most six-month-olds could not. Besides the usual baby babble and giggles to develop his vocal skills, recognise familiar faces and his name, show curiosity about the world around him, and roll over from his stomach to his back and vice versa, Axel could already walk.
"Baba!" Axel looked at his uncle and expressed his displeasure, his tiny arms flaring around wildly.
"Indeed... That was uncalled for." Alexander chuckled at his nephew's unwillingness to accept such behaviour. "Although you should also take it easy on mommy and daddy."
"Da...?" Understanding the people Alexander was referring to, Axel asked in shock.
"Mommy and Daddy are sleeping more and more now because you refuse to give them some peace of mind." Alex gently explained the situation, making the baby boy let out a soft oh. "Mmhmm. Even with their awakened status, they're pushed to their limits."
On the side, Aaron watched their interaction with his harmless glare. While he picked up what the two were discussing, he was displeased at being ignored.
"You're no longer a kid, Aaron. Put those thoughts aside." Alexander reprimanded the young Gray. "I even wonder what you're still doing here when you should already be at the UAC headquarters."
"Tsk. There's no rush." Aaron fell back into his sofa and closed his eyes. "I just graduated. The least I can do is spend some time with family. Unlike you, I can't be at several places at once."
Alexander listened as he continued to play with his nephew, who had a lot to say for his size. The baby boy almost always wanted to be engaged in conversation with his family.
He would ask any questions that came to mind, and would try to put anything grabbable into his mouth. Although intelligent for his age, he was still a baby with an insatiable curiosity, a curiosity Alexander was not afraid to nurture.
"Hehe, of course. I'll show you everything once you're big and strong, okay?" Alexander had no issues with his brother's plans, focusing more on his nephew. "The universe has a lot to offer."
As their conversation continued, Aaron's mind went back to what he had wondered himself before. "Brother, this question has been coming to mind more lately."
"Mm?"
Alexander glanced at Aaron, urging him to continue. While he had already seen the question in Aaron's surface thoughts, he chose to wait. It was no surprise that Axel also looked at Aaron, his interest piqued.
"Are we the only lifeforms in this universe?" The question itself was flawed, but Alexander knew what his brother was talking about. "I mean, there hasn't been any discovery of new humans anywhere in the universe, and you yourself have made no mention of anything as such."
"That's because this universe was designed for only our species," Alexander answered. "As for discovering other humans somewhere out there... The universe is young, very young compared to other universes out there."
The core in charge of creating life had just begun perfecting its creation and spreading it out when the Universal Calamity hit all universes. Of course, there were the two races Alexander added to this universe's records — the Hulmites and the Grevilles.
"I see..." Aaron nodded in understanding. "So had the universe had more time, there would have been humans out there."
"In a way, yes." Alex replied after a moment of consideration. "Before humans came together to form the Empire, we were spread out. The intention was to have us populate while the universe focused on expansion and strengthening its laws."
This was a process that would have taken millions of years, if not billions. It was why most of the universe was empty and devoid of any other human species. Naturally, there was one bit he never told anyone since he learned about it.
His reasoning was simple: there was no point bringing up something that happened a long time ago. It had no relation to the people.
'Not all humans came together to form the Empire at the beginning.' He thought to himself. 'They were not fortunate enough to have survived the brutal storms that hit them.'
"Now I can rest easy." Aaron once again relaxed on the sofa. "It's up to us to make this universe a grand one, huh. Were we created just to populate?"
"That is our biological function," Alexander replied, then turned his attention to his nephew, who smiled brightly once Alexander acknowledged him. "There is no grand plan for us, Aaron. We're free to do whatever we want."
"Hehe, as long as we make babies, that is." Aaron chuckled, unable to help himself making that comment. "Speaking of babies..." The young Gray smirked at Alex.
"Shut up." Alexander shut him down before he could make a sound.
Of course, Aaron took the opportunity to laugh his ass off. "I don't even have to bother. Mom and Sis are already pushing for you to pop the question. I must say broth-"
Before Aaron could finish his words, he was displaced out of the living space and back to his bedroom, bringing an end to his teasing. Alexander didn't need to be reminded of his duties as a long-time boyfriend.
"Hah..." Alexander looked at his nephew, shaking his head slightly. "I hate to say it, but your second uncle is right, Axel. I keep putting it off because of you-know-what. But it's about time I did my duties, don't you agree?"
"Ba!"
Axel expressed his agreement the best way he could, squealing with delight. With his nephew's agreement, Alexander nodded with a beaming smile. "Hehe, thanks for the vote of confidence, Axel."
Standing up, Alexander moved towards the floor-to-ceiling window that offered a view of the garden outside. He supported baby Axel in his left arm, holding him in an upright position as the baby's tiny hands grasped his shirt.
Uncle and nephew focused their gaze ahead, appreciating the slow rise of the morning sun. However, the serene atmosphere was ruined when Axel released the contents of his bowels in his diapers.
"There, there, Axel." Alexander chuckled slightly. "Let it all out..."