The floating city of Aetheris hung above the barren wasteland like a shimmering jewel, its gleaming towers piercing the pale sky. Beneath it, the harsh surface of the planet stretched endlessly a vast expanse of cracked earth and abandoned cities, remnants of a once-thriving civilization. 

Above, however, life flourished in suspended perfection, a stark contrast to the desolate world below. Aetheris was home to the most prestigious flying academy in the galaxy, where cadets trained to become the elite pilots who would one day navigate the stars.