A Magical Anomaly

Chapter 15 Part 1

----------------------------------------

Choice Made:

[X] Plan: Dimensional shenanigans.

-[X] Afternoon:

--[X] Practice with your cores. (NOTE: This is only available once per day)

---[X] Your Void Core, try and activate it for a more… active use (Unlocks Void Core Charges) (+1 to Void Core Mastery)

-[X] Night, After dinner:

--[X] Go out and hunt a rift (Can take up to two).

---[X] Tier 2 (2 Available)

----------------------------------------

Effects:

* Void Core Mastery F Achieved

* +1 Void Core mastery

* +1 Pending Reward (Unlocks at E Rank Void core mastery)

* - Rift clearing next chapter

*

- 2 days till the next Breach

----------------------------------------

----------------------------------------

Your sleep is once again dreamless.

Well, mostly dreamless.

There's… something, on the very edge of your perception.

It's only there for a briefest of moments… but you swear you saw a hand reaching out from the edge of your vision.

It's only there for an instant, and then gone.

Your eyes opening to daylight streaming in through your window.

Mum's near the button to your blinds, turning around as your sheets ruffle.

She pats your head, and tells you that breakfast will be ready soon before walking out.

She also mentions that she'll be back to help with your ribbon this morning.

Huh. That explains that idle thought, so mum was the one who tied your ribbon for you.

God, you can imagine the sheer torture that having to do that yourself would be.

That thought gets pushed to the side before it can ruin your first morning of normalness.

A quick shower wakes you up from the zombie like form you were in while Elly uses some eldritch magic stuff to help style your hair into a simple ponytail.

It's a school day, so you probably need your hair tied up or something.

Plus, you look cute with a ponytail.

Though you think you look better with your hair down.

Meh, life is not without sacrifice or some other saying along that line.

You get the sense that the school uniform's pretty standard fare, especially for winter.

Black shoes, white socks, white stockings, a monochrome… kilt? Is that what it's called? A thick skirt that goes down to your knees.

It's a little heavy, but it feels surprisingly warm at the same time. You kind of like it…

Long sleeve white top with an emblem of a star and a circle around it, both in black. Though the star fades to blue at the edges for a brief pop of colour.

The blazers made of a thick black material… wool maybe nylon? It's relatively simple you think, completely black except for the same star in a circle emblem, white this time though.

You see a tie too, but something whispers in your mind that it's optional, so you stuff it into a pocket inside your blazer just in case.

Not as many layers as you'd expected for a winter uniform. But somehow warmer then the layers would be at a glance.

You do feel a slight chill for a moment. But [Babr-e Bayan]'s barriers snap into place with barely a thought. You feel it settle into a pair of sleeves under your shirt, tight, but comfortably so.

It's probably not a good idea to have the barriers go off at school…

So you direct your will at it, the barriers fading after a moment.

The difference is weirdly noticeable.

Like walking out of a warm room into a slightly colder one.

You shake the metaphor…? Simile? The thought away.

Mum pops in at the perfect time, asking if you've chosen a ribbon to wear.

When you shake your head, she smiles and helps you pick out a simple white one. Small black patterns intricately scrolling its surface with a flash of blue that almost looks like a jewel with how she ties it around your neck.

You feel a flash of FEAR when she unties the ribbon at first. Eyes refusing to look at yourself in the mirror and instead looking at her business suit.

Office skirt, black stockings, the whole nine yards you'd expect.

When she's done, she gives you a hug, careful not to ruffle your uniform as she smiles at you.

Everpresent worry behind her smile is ever present as always.

You return the hug, and then the two of you are off for breakfast.

Ten or so minutes after you start eating, Lilla pops into view. Dressed in a similar uniform, though she has a tie on… and a pair of glasses.

Your scribbled question about the glasses has her roll her eyes.

And then she tells you it makes her look smarter.

You don't comment.

Even if a snarky comment does come to mind.

You shrug instead, biting into a piece of toast covered in butter and honey.

It might not be healthy.

But you apparently have a sweet tooth.

And it's so good it's almost divine~

Dads also at the table, nibbling on a piece of toast as he fiddles with a tablet, frowning for a minute before sighing and shaking his head.

His frown becomes a smile a moment later. More a grin really.

That bear metaphor gets more and more real everyday you swear.

Especially with how he starts to drench his toast in honey and devour it.

Mum's a lot more prim and proper you notice. Small bites as she looks over all of you.

She then glares at dad.

He promptly eats a little slower.

The others chat a little about what they've got planned. Mainly Lilla talking about school with you scribbling some responses based on what Alice said last night.

Apparently, mum knows your timetable better than you, not hard with amnesia, and she reminds you of a few classes you'd mentioned wrongly.

She doesn't pry or anything, so you assume she's assuming it's your hospital trip that's confused your schedule…

You make a note to memorize your timetable when you get home tonight… or do it during lunch…

A little while later, you're out the door with a small bag over your shoulder.

The joys of futuristic school. No books!

You don't know why thats a good thing, but it only means you need to carry what amounts to a small forearm length bar of plastic or so.

Holographic computers are so good~

You don't get more then a dozen steps from your house when Alice hugs you from behind.

You didn't notice her before… huh.

She spins you around, or tries to at least.

You be gracious and let her do so.

Shes in the same uniform as you.

And somehow makes it look better than you do…

She asks if you can hold still a moment, so you shrug.

And she adjusts a little bit of your collar, and then your blazer.

Her gaze is surprisingly intense as she smooth's out some ruffles you didn't even notice on your clothing. Nodding in satisfaction when shes done.

"And now you're prettier than me~"

You tell her that you doubt that as the two of you walk, a list of what looks better on her compared to you being scrawled into paper as you show it to her.

She giggles, waving off your very true praise with a pat on your head as she clings to your shoulder.

A little awkward given that you're shorter than her. But eh, you can let her be a little clingy today…. People do this right?

…Why the hell do you have a social butterfly as a friend when you have no social experience…

At least she doesn't drag you around with her longer stride, matching your pace with an ease you think comes from experience.

Alice chatters away as you cross streets full of people. Cars rushing down the street, a constant background noise to her conversation.

Lilla's behind you, head buried in her phone with a focus you think means she's reading something. Maybe a book?

The walk's rather peaceful. Kind of reminds you of your shopping trip.

Minus the teleporting circles and interdimensional breaches of course.

Elly lounges on your shoulder as you walk. Silently watching your surroundings with a lazy gaze.

Eventually though, you do reach school.

It's… a surprisingly old looking place.

Where most of the buildings seem to be made of metal or concrete, the school is made of brick and plaster. Two large metal gates in front of a large open courtyard. A path carved into the center from bricks of stone while grassy hills flank either side of it.

There's a large statue of two magical girls in the center of the courtyard, water gently swirling around their feet from a water feature.

Ones dressed in… nuns robes? It's a little more exposed then that, but nothing immodest, a large spear in one hand while the other holds a shorter sword of sorts.

The second's in more futuristic armor. All sharp but sleek edges with an intricately detailed rifle in her hands.

The plaque in front of it reads " In honor of Luminosa and Reaper. The first magicals to grace this world with magic's divine protection."

The dating on the plaque tells you it's been… maybe a century since they appeared. Assuming it's accurate and they weren't working in the shadows or something.

Hm, you let that thought stir as you split from Alice with a hug.

Apparently her class is on the other side of the school from yours…

More questions as to how she became friends with you…

Maybe she played the hero and saved you from some bullies or something equally dramatic. Hah.

You shake your head at the thought.

You hear Elly mutter something about someone called Slaanesh and... something ending in 're'?.. But the rest of her sentence is just paper shuffling.

You shrug, entering the room and slipping into a chair that feels right.

You're tempted to sit by the window… but it's a little too cold for that.

There's also a girl with bright… is that yellow hair? It's brighter then blonde for sure.

But she's sitting by it and staring out the window with a bored look. You'd rather not disturb her.

It's totally not because she gives you a weird feeling…

You ponder on the thought, trying to figure out why you're getting the feeling, but the teacher entering snaps you back to focus.

And so classes pass with the sluggish pace of something you don't enjoy.

Well… its not that you don't enjoy it.

The teachings probably pretty interesting…

But.

You know the answers to their questions.

All of them.

It's… a little disorienting…

Of course, they don't ask you to tell them, most asking you write it down on your computer and then flashing the answer up on the large screen on the wall.

But you're getting almost everything right.

Though… you seem to be losing points whenever you need to explain an answer…

This is probably past/future you's knowledge bleeding over or something… but… but why is it happening for school?

Why not any other time?!

Your frustration at the magical amnesia goes unnoticed other then Elly chuckling, occasionally correcting an answer that might have been wrong when she decides to be helpful.

But she never tells you how to solve a problem… or explain it.

A lesson she calls it.

Lunch is a quiet affair for you. At least for the first ten or so minutes.

Then Alice appears in the class and slams down across from you with her sheer presence.

Kind of blinding, but her chattering and complaining about her classes is fun to listen to.

Eventually lunch is over, and the second round of classes for the day pass much faster.

Before you know it, you're walking out the gates with Alice.

A brief mental conversation with Elly makes you nod slightly, and you wave goodbye to Alice.

Apparently Lilla's staying late to deal with some extracurricular club stuff.

You'd checked up on her at some point during lunch, but she'd been fine with her friend group.

Maybe your older sister senses were going off for no reason.

Or they're finally starting to tune themselves back in on something.

Are they even a thing?

You shake the musing from your head as you arrive at the park you'd spotted on your way to school.

A large open grassy field with plenty of trees around it.

Elly waves her hand, and the space ripples ever so slightly.

'While I cannot help in combat, training is something I can assist in. Somewhat. I've set up a ward so that no one enters this little area. They'll just feel like they shouldn't enter, and if they do, they'll be under an illusion as to what's actually going on.'

You nod at her.

And then you look for a place to sit down.

The grounds a little wet from some rain that happened during lunch, but there's a patch under some trees that looks fine.

When you sit, it's not wet in the least, and you let out a breath to focus.

Time to do some magic!

Or at least figure out your Void core just a little more.

What did Elly say about primitive casting again…

Uh…

Elly pops into view, sitting on your shoulder as she sighs slightly.

'Find what your core looks like to you, an image of what you want it to do, as much will as you can muster, and then focus on nothing but the idea as intricately as possible'

Right, that.

You're a little stumped on the very first point.

The word void doesn't really give you an idea of much.

A blackhole might work… or just the idea of nothingness… but neither of those click with you like the sundial did.

You spend what might have been half an hour trying to figure out what it means… but nothing really works with you.

Something in class about breaking a problem down into smaller ones comes to mind, and so you decide to follow that approach.

Elly said that the Void element was a composite of Space as a concept, and Energy…

The thought of Energy stirs something inside you… and it seems to click with the idea of lights glowing and dimming.

So thats part of it maybe…

But what is space…

Something whispers in your head… a quiet song like an angels chorus that shows you a stained glass window…

Something shifts inside you.

And you're no longer where you were…

Or… at least it doesn't feel like it.

You're still sitting down, in the same pose.

But in front of you is a large mirror.

Its tall, so tall you can't see the top of it… nor can you see the sides.

You can't see your reflection, the lights are too dark.

So you will some lights into existence.

Its… harder then you'd though to do so. A raw battle of will against something to force your image into existence.

You struggle to call some light into this… mindscape or whatever.

And then all of a sudden, just when it feels like you're going to break, the resistance snaps.

And light explodes into the room.

A blinding brilliance that's so bright it almost feels solid around you.

You wince, and the light dies down to a far more comfortable level.

When you blink, you're back where you were, sitting on the grass. A swirling core of purple in your hands as your body feels as though its freezing.

Now that you look at it… it definitely looks as though its made of glass. Like someone took the most perfect glass you could find, so perfect that the reflection on it is almost non-existent. And then shattered it.

The pieces were put back together, but something else was added.

You can kind of feel what Elly means by something being off about it. The green shard you'd acquired from the castle rift sits in its place like a square inside a circular hole.

It shouldn't fit.

But it does.

Almost flawlessly at that.

You try to focus more on your core. But its like static fills your head when you do. A dull roar that makes your thoughts fuzzy as something whisper to you.

You can't hear what they say, but it sounds like they're saying something for sure…

You blink… and notice that the sun has shifted.

What…?

'I would say that was four hours well spent.'

You blink in surprise.

That… can't have been four hours… that was maybe an hour of work at most… right?

You turn to Elly and she shrugs, pointing down at your phone.

A check reveals that its been four hours since you started... what?

Cores… are surprisingly time consuming to practice…

You can't say you know how to use your core actively… but you get the feeling that it'll be more responsive or so to something.

Maybe you just need to practice more to figure out what.

But for now, you're feeling like you should go chase a rift down. See if you can get some more shards for… something, you don't know what exactly, but having more shards in an emergency probably isn't a bad idea.

But first.

Dinner calls to you as your stomach grumbles.

So dinner, and then time to go rift hunting.

Currently there are two rifts available.

Elly will tell you about them in more detail.

But for voting sake (Their both Tier 2),

[x] We have one rift in the old industrial district, an area of abandoned buildings that have yet to be demolished due to being around since the city was first founded.

[x] There's also a rift in an alleyway near a corporate building. A skyscraper to be exact. Owned by one of the many corporations that have a base in this city.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.