He walked toward the Institute of Thaumaturgy, Rhea on one arm, Theon on her other. Even with Erai and Ceiro nearby, the High Priestess's aesthetics class had left him oddly at peace. As the Hyphant had told him, he would now meet a young magic protégé.

Magister Charos Noctales Ultima was an Archmage of Verimancy and Noomancy—an analyst not dissimilar to Bark. That he was also an expert of Nucleaomancy, Condesomancy, and Pathomancy—three of the most difficult disciplines and dabble-in-name-only for many—had made Theon bounce up and down in a very unaristocratic manner.

Aaron felt drained but calm. At least I won't be walking into any surprises this time. That's a niche feeling.

The calm of the forest faded behind them, replaced by the stark presence of stone domes that looked more like war bunkers than temples of knowledge. Aaron's heartbeat picked up again. This was magic. Real, experimental, dangerous magic. Looks like an ammunition depot. They even have chimes to funnel explosions up.

He looked around like a kid in a candy store. "This is where the cutting-edge material research happens. You know, it can sometimes be dangerous. That's why the domes are off-limits. We'll be there." He pointed toward an earth-reinforced ringwall that protected several ampitheaters.

Aaron grinned, feeling tinges of excitement as he grew close to his first class on magic. Well, magic theory. But still.

The squad filed into classroom as the guards secured the surroundings. Bug stayed with Aaron as Blade disappeared into the nearby forest.

Aaron stepped into the amphitheater. Meditation cushions lined the floor—but behind them, a gun range. Guess this isn't all theory.

A man with the pale skin of the Dorian natives but the platinum hair that Theon's slave for the Eternal Kingdom had, sat in meditation. Several fist-sized magic orbs rolled around him in a circle. Aaron exchanged a look with Theon. One orb was shimmering pink and another a bright bluish-white. As they approached, they saw that dust on the ground was sticking to the orbs.

The other two were even stranger. One contained a fluid like translucent mercury, endlessly flowing in staged ways that defied gravity. The other warped light, containing a liquid, barely visible fog.

Lyra looked at Theon and whispered, "Plasmas and exotic phases of matter, right?"

Theo tipped his chin. "Two are charged. Pink might be hydrogen. The fluid is superfluid helium. The others…" He shrugged.

The man remained silent as the group stood at the edge of the entrance.

"Let's sit down," Aaron said, pointing at the semicircle of pillows before the man.

Rhea hesitated for a second, but when Ceiro sniffed disdainfully and advanced, she took a few long steps to outpace him. Oh yeah, I'm not the only one who has enemies in his study group.

With Lyra getting in between Theon and Rhea, Aaron sat at the side next to Theon. His eyes fell on Erai, who had been ignoring him this whole morning. Maybe the Elephant—no, Hyphant—priestess finally gave her something to think about. That'd be a first. A man can hope.

The man still failed to react in any way. The orbs rolling around him were the only sign of activity. Aaron exchanged looks with the others. Everyone but Ceiro and Erai gave subtle shrugs. After an awkward while, Lyra tilted her head thoughtfully. She studied the man before them, then closed her eyes and began meditating.

Theon nodded and Aaron followed their example. His attention went to his breath. Flowing from the world into him and out again in an eternal cycle. Do I just meditate or go into the dreamgarden? It's more of a void right now. But hey—magic class. Let's do magic.

He exhaled and let himself sink deeper. Into the cold oblivion road. Cold water rushed past, waking every nerve. Somehow it isn't unpleasant. I ought to stay in this place for a while sometime soon.

Sinking deeper, he reflected on how the mindmage had introduced this place. Falling into the void toward the glass pillar with the magnetic orb, he recalled that those were just temporary constructs. How do I make them permanent?

A voice reached him from a great distance. "Stay in your dreamgardens. Or enter them if you haven't yet."

The deafening silence of the void returned. The words had felt like a quick summer shower, ephemeral and forgotten in an instant. Aaron tilted his head as he caressed the mind-shed orb. Normally I don't notice the outside world in here. How is he doing it?

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

He checked the shield. No mindmagic is at work. Weird.

"You should now be floating in the void. You are initiates, so I will trust that your machines are solid? Speak up if that is not the case."

Aaron's heartbeat began to beat faster. What if he inspects the shield? Theon was already shocked when he heard what I use.

But after an agonizing while, the voice dispelled his worries. "As apprentices, you built with pure mental abstractions."

Aaron looked at the structures around him. The mindmage had said he had given him temporary materials. He smiled. I might be a bit ahead of the curve.

"As apprentices you will rebuild everything in your dreamgarden with absorbed materials. But for now, you will have to work with ever more structured abstractions." The voice grew richer with each sentence. In the beginning it had been a distant echo; now there was tone and texture to it.

Quietly, air flowed through the void as Aaron was sitting on the edge of the pillar and listening to the stage lecturer. It is a bit like a podcast. He petted the dragon-squirrel that had curled up in his lap.

"As Initiates, you will build the foundation." The voice had taken on a serious texture. "This foundation will influence your further progress. Be diligent and careful. Not everything can be undone later."

Aaron frowned. Has the mindmage done something irreversible?

Quetzy purred but did not raise its head. 'YesAndNo. FoundationIsDiamonoid. InfusedWithIdeaOfInfinity. InfinityCanNotBeRemoved.'

Quetzy rearranged the spiral of its body as Aaron pressed his lips together. So, he made a decision for me?

'YesButGoodOne. FewBetterFoundations.'

Aaron nodded, but the tight unease did not leave his stomach. The instructor continued.

"We will begin by trying to imagine the feeling of a floor under your feet. Sense its texture. Feel its temperature. Test how it reacts to weight."

Aaron began getting up, but Quetzy's growl made him freeze. 'NoDoPointlessStuff. EitherPetOrJournal.'

Aaron shook his head, but relented, complying with the furry terror's first demand. It purred and twisted about to expose its belly. The fur was soft as silk.

Quetzy looked behind him. 'JournalFellApart. NeedToFix.'

Aaron nodded and guided Quetzy off his lap a while later. He picked up the book. Each page seemed as if it had decayed for centuries. The text was barely legible. Aaron placed his hand on the first page and felt the decayed paper. It was fragile as dry skin. Poor book. A flash of his intention made it pristine again. Then the voice interrupted.

"Now that you feel the ground, take a step with one foot. Slow, carefully. Expect that you will meet the ground. If you just hit the void, try again."

The void was melodious and kind now. Aaron stopped retracing the text on the page and looked at his companion. Should I not at least try the exercises?

Quetzy frowned and Aaron chuckled. A frowning, big-eyed squirrel was just too cute. Quetzy snarled and showed him its teeth.

Aaron sat up straighter and remade his face into a stoic mask. "Please accept my humble apologies, oh mighty and not at all cute squirrel."

It tilted its head and relented. 'WhereYouThinkPencilCameFrom?' It motioned with its tail to the biro Aaron was holding in one hand. Aaron looked at the implement and creased his brow.I don't remember that thing being here. How—and when? Aaron calmed himself with a long exhale. Is someone manipulating me again?

Something slammed into the back of his head. Aaron yelped—and the platform vanished. He tumbled into the void, Quetzy cackling above. He screamed as he plummeted. Quetzy kept pulling his hair as the journal tumbled away into infinity.

Fuck, I can't lose it. The mindmage gave it to me. How can I—

Then Quetzy screamed in his ear. 'Magic. Is. Metaphor. Intention. Is. All.'

The furry snake wrapped itself around Aaron's head like a gag. Aaron tried to bite it, but the body felt like solid steel.

His breath caught. Cold clamped his chest. Quetzy's grip twisted like wire. "Fuck fuck fuck. Quetzy, stop pulling me! What have I done?!"

He flailed, grasping for something—anything—but the void swallowed him whole. 'YouActLikeIdiot! StopFalling!'

Anger rose up in Aaron's stomach, but then he recalled the lesson and its complementary incantations. His fall stopped instantly. He began floating up. He held his two hands out into the void as if grasping something. The journal and pen fell upward into his waiting hands. Aaron sighed.

I had a biro because it is my metaphor for writing. I think I could just make the text appear, but that would lose the embodied aspect of magic.

Quetzy, now a scarf again—or noose—gave a snort. 'Yes. SoDoStupidWalkingExercise. OrJustWrite.'

With a sniff, the dragon-squirrel took off. Aaron floated above the platform. With a fraction of the will his body needed, he imagined two feet on the metal step of a spiral staircase. Step by step, he descended. The stairs appeared mid-air.

Halfway down, Aaron frowned. Magic works better if it goes with the laws of physics. Right now I am defying gravity.

He waved his hand and the ghostly outline of a steel pillar joined the staircase. The next step was just there. Aaron grinned. Go with nature and you don't need effort. So a spell that makes physical sense will be way more efficient then?

He sat down, quill humming between his fingers, already scribbling ideas as the spiral staircase dissolved in his wake.

Let the Magister teach. Aaron was already rewriting the rules.

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