Romann carefully placed Al's C-stone into the machine. For a moment, the room transformed into a scene reminiscent of a craps table in a seedy casino. The rings spun and rotated while planets twirled around the Sun and Moon. Yusuf and Jin watched with wide eyes, unable to fathom that they might be the only ones possessing a common Will.

As the moon ascended to its zenith, the sun gradually slowed and halted on the outer left side. Exhaled sighs of relief mixed with disappointed groans filled the air.

"I see now. So, that's probably what my teacher intended when he sent me here. It's truly incredible how he can discern the backbone of our Supreme Leaf from such an early stage," Romann mentally noted.

This time, he didn't approach the book. Instead, he smiled, shook his head, and turned to face Al. "There's no need for me to consult the book. I recognize that formation instantly. It's the very foundation of my Supreme Leaf. "

Romann placed his hand on Al's shoulder and pointed at the formation. "Stubborn Will is the fifth most prevalent Will in the material plane. Our Supreme Leafs' Supreme God himself was born with such a Will. Like any Will that manifests in the material plane, you want to cultivate it in the darkness, in the dead of night." Al nodded, his helmet bobbing in acknowledgment, before joining the rest of the group.

They all stood patiently, awaiting their teacher's following instructions. Romann could feel the weight of their gazes and their hearts filling with anticipation.

He let out a yawn and stretched out briefly before speaking again. "There's still one final thing before we can conclude your preparatory training. The next step is what most God Leafs call harvesting your Etheric Shell. I hope you've all memorized the information about your respective Wills."

Romann reached into a bag he had brought and pulled out six dreamcatchers, each adorned with two distinct patterns. He separated them into two sets of three. "Those of you whose Wills reside in the material plane gather on the left. And those whose Wills reside in the energy plane assemble on the right," He instructed, waiting for the young group to organize themselves.

Romann couldn't help but smile and think, "It's incredibly beneficial to have such a harmonious balance of Wills, just like their ratios. We might witness a legendary generation emerge in the next hundred years!"

Romann observed the two rows of three individuals lined up, focusing on Louise. "I've made my decision, Louise. You will be second in command, with Yusuf, Al, and Jin reporting directly to you. Cesar will be the Captain, and you, Louise, will report to him. Cesar and Ellie, you two will report directly to me."

Yusuf clenched his teeth, feeling a pang of disappointment. His old teacher had emphasized the importance of gaining favor over his peers, and in his eyes, this felt like a significantly missed opportunity.

Unable to hold his tongue, Yusuf shouted, "Why must I report to Louise? My performance was better than hers. I'm older than her. I worked as a carpenter in my village for four years. I..." Yusuf abruptly stopped himself.

Normally patient and humble, his ambitions were recently challenged by the harsh reality that he lacked the talent to fulfill his dreams.

He calmed down and earnestly asked, "Forgive me for questioning you, Senior Romann. I am ignorant. Please enlighten this unrecognized disciple as to why Louise was chosen as second in command over me."

Romann stared intently at Yusuf before turning to Louise, who appeared composed on the outside but seethed with anger inside.

"Listen, this applies to everyone!" Romann declared. "The leadership positions are always up for grabs. They will be replaced if Cesar or Louise fail to keep this Phantom Seed from advancing."

After settling Yuf's outburst, Romann began distributing the dreamcatchers, but Louise couldn't shake off a sense of foreboding. She glanced at Cesar to gauge his reaction, but he seemed unfazed by it all.

Romann took a black pen from his bag and wrote a symbol on everyone's hand. "The next step typically takes 16-19 hours," he explained. "Depending on your Will, you will find yourself in a place devoid of light or immersed in blinding brightness. You will draw a small amount of blood without causing harm and trace the formation I've drawn on your hand onto the ground in front of you. The formation must be at least 12x12 in size. Hold the dreamcatcher I just gave you close to your chest. As you fall asleep, you will feel like you are descending into pure darkness or ascending into pure light. You will encounter what appears to be an infinite expanse of swaying vegetation. Journey as deep as you can until you can go no further; you will hear a voice calling out to you. That is what we call your Etheric Shell. You will immediately wake up once you find and harvest it, ending the dream. When you awaken, you should possess the physical instrument that allows you to manifest your Will with ease freely."

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Al examined the symbol on his hand, recognizing it as the same formation as his Will on the machine.

"That's all for now. We'll reconvene in the training fields next time, hopefully with everyone's Etheric shell harvested. You all have 24 hours. Everyone except Cesar is dismissed!" Romann announced.

The group wasted no time leaving, eager to harvest their Etheric Shell. However, Cesar abruptly called out unexpectedly, "Wait! Everyone, wait for me outside." His sudden change in tone surprised the others, but Cesar quickly flashed a shy smile. "I just need to learn your unit numbers, that's all. Please and thank you," he requested politely. They stared at him, but no one responded.

Romann swiftly intervened. "No, all of you can go. Harvesting your Etheric Shell should be your primary focus," he clarified. Upon hearing this, the group exited, leaving Cesar and Romann alone in the room.

Romann calmly walked toward the door, but before opening it, he turned to Cesar. "I needed you to stay behind and clean this room. There's a broom and mop in the corner. Don't leave until you're done," he instructed.

Then, as an afterthought, he added, "Oh, I forgot to mention to them that to move within the energy plane smoothly, the mind must be open. To descend the material plane, it needs to be closed. Please inform them so they don't spend the entire week stuck in the Ethereal realm?"

With that, Romann opened the door and left, leaving Cesar alone in the room.

Cesar stood there, feeling frustrated and bewildered. "Ah, shit! Of course, this has to be a pain in the ass," he muttered to himself.

Outside the Alchemical labs, everyone had already left except for Al, who was patiently waiting for Cesar. Al was uncertain about Cesar's newfound leadership role and the dynamics of having to answer Louise.

Lost in his thoughts, Al noticed Romann exiting the building. Their eyes briefly met, and Romann smiled before walking over to Al.

"The river of fate pushes everyone toward their destiny," Romann explained, conveying wisdom. "Your friend Cesar has a long journey ahead of him. The same current that brought him to this point will propel him even further. Focus on finding your path with the hand you've been dealt."

As Romann departed, Al remained by the building, waiting for Cesar, contemplating the significance of Romann's words. "His Will makes him remarkably confident in his ability to read people and their intentions," Al pondered.

Another 40 minutes passed before Cesar hurriedly emerged from the building. His previous excitement and happiness had given way to a serious and anxious expression. However, a bewildered smile appeared on Cesar's face upon seeing Al waiting alone for him.

"Al? What the hell are you still doing here?" Cesar exclaimed.

Al's helmet concealed his annoyance at the question, but his voice conveyed his emotion. "You told us to wait outside, remember? Although you already know my number, I wanted to talk to you about our housing unit change, so I figured I'd wait for you."

Cesar closed his eyes and let out a soft smile before speaking. "Al, do you consider us friends?" Al took a deep breath, uncertain where Cesar was going with his question, but he responded honestly. "I trust you with my life, so yeah, I say we're friends. Why?"

Cesar agreed with Al's answer, his gaze filled with warmth as he looked at him. "In the short time I've known you, you've been fixated on one thing. But what if your determination to change the unchangeable causes you to miss opportunities? Remember, you and I understand what it's like to have those close to us think we're insane."

Al's frustration boiled over as he grabbed his helmet and forcefully hurled it at Cesar, who smacked it away. The helmet clattered onto the floor, but Al's smile remained as he calmly addressed Cesar. "See, the helmet was bound to hit your face, yet you managed to 'Change' that. Funny how that works, right? Anyways, I'm not stupid. I know my mom can't live forever. I just... I want to ensure she's happy for the rest of her life. That's all. After that, who knows? I might join the circus, for all I care."

Cesar smiled back, grateful to have Al by his side. He could never fully trust someone like himself, someone without a selfless objective or a home to yearn for. But Al was different.

Cesar gently picked up the helmet from the ground and returned it to Al. They began walking back to the Housing Units, with Cesar recounting how Romann had made him stay behind to clean the lecture room alone.

He also shared what Romann had explained about emptying the mind into darkness for those with a material plane will or drowning the mind in light for those rooted in the energy plane.

"It seems like you'll be the last one to start harvesting your Etheric Shell," Al remarked, perceptive to Romann's instruction methods. "Romann is firm and meticulous in the way he teaches. I believe he's giving you his first test and lesson in leadership."

A familiar expression of determination and excitement appeared on Cesar's face. He responded with amusement, "I think you might be right. Anyway, what did you want to talk to me about?"

They were nearing the Housing Units' grounds, and Al continued, "I switched rooms with you because I felt it was haunted. But after moving to your room, nothing changed. I'm starting to think I'm the haunted one."

Cesar couldn't quite grasp the whole meaning behind Al's words.