Zoe quickly got out of the hotspring and wrapped her towel around her body. She grabbed her dirty clothes and ran back to her room. After closing the door she quickly dressed in a pair of loose fitting white cotton shorts and a black oversized t-shirt. She pulled her black hair back into a tight ponytail and grabbed her track shoes and a pair of socks before walking out the door.

She made her way across the common room and out the front door. She sat down on the hard wood of the front porch to put on her socks and shoes. The full moon illuminated the ground allowing her to see the stone wall in the distance. With her shoes on she took a few steps out into the grass spying the barracks to the north-east. The barracks was exactly fifty meters away. While running it took twenty seconds to reach. Her time spent running between both patrol groups ingrained this knowledge into her head. If Double Time worked like it said it would she would make it there in half that time. She took a deep breath and cast the spell.

"Double Time."

Her mana collected in her chest before surging throughout her body. She took off at a dead run but stumbled on the first few strides. A yellow icon in the corner of her vision flashed as it counted down. She started running again and was shocked at how quickly she was covering the distance. Once the timer reached zero the surging energy left her body as quickly as it came. It was only then that she noticed she crossed the halfway mark.

It seems like you're enjoying yourself.

"I am! Thank you so much for your help."

Of course. I was glad to help.

As she stretched out her legs she thought of what other tests she could perform. She had seen Benji's friend Alex practicing a strange martial art. At least she could throw a few punches to test. She cast the spell a second time.

"Double Time!"

Again the surging energy ran through her body. Her first punch carried enough momentum to pull her body forward. As the timer counted down she threw punches and kicks while laughing to herself. Once the timer ran out she leaned forward with her hands on her knees to catch her breath.

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"Zoe knows magic now?"

She turned around to see Fitt's glowing yellow eyes staring at her from a few meters away.

"I do! I learned Time Magic."

"Could you show me your spell list the way Master did?"

Zoe brought up her spell list and shared it with the young boy.

"Would you like me to help you train like I helped Master?"

Zoe nodded and followed Fitt back towards the front porch. Fitt sat down on the hard wooden surface and patted at the spot in front of him. Zoe took off her shoes and sat down cross-legged not knowing what to expect.

"First you must learn that most magic is dangerous in the right circumstances. Spells that help allies can be used on your enemies. Could you give me an example of this?"

Zoe thought for a moment about her the only beneficial spell she knew. Increasing the speed of an enemy wouldn't be a good idea. Just then a thought occurred to her.

"I could use it on someone to make them stumble like I did."

"Correct. You stumbled because you didn't know how the spell would affect you. Magic is only as versatile as you are. Only through practice and testing will you know the limits of a particular spell."

Fitt reached forward and placed his tiny hands on her temples. "My mana will enter your mind and show you the next step. Please stay calm and don't resist."

Zoe held her breath as she felt something foreign enter her mind. Over the next hour Zoe learned as much as she could through the connection that Fitt maintained with his mana. Although she struggled at first she eventually learned to circulate her mana. Only once she was able to cast Double Time using half the mana did Fitt allow her to rest.

Zoe was sweating and breathing heavily once Fitt finally broke the connection. It was hard work but she was happy.

"Go rest now."

Zoe leaned forward and hugged Fitt. Fitt akwardly returned the hug and squirmed out of her grasp to float up into the air above the mansion. Zoe put on her shoes and walked back inside the house. She walked into the kitchen, filled a glass with cold water and leaned back against a counter to sip at it. She heard footsteps from her left and turned to see Isabel enter the kitchen.

"Good morning, dear. I didn't know anyone else was awake."

"Good morning, Isabel. I've been awake for a while."

Zoe told Isabel about her nightmare and the panic she felt when she woke up. She told her about how useless she felt when compared to everyone else. She talked about how her A.I. gave her a chance to trade in her powers for a new one. She explained how good she felt when she tested her spells and how grateful she felt to receive Fitt's help. Once she stopped talking Isabel pulled her into a tight hug.

"Zoe, I don't know you very well but I know without a doubt that you aren't useless. I'm glad you enjoy your new magic but you would have a home here if you had no powers at all."

"Thank you, Isabel."

"Now, how would you like a cup of tea?"