“How is it? Can you maintain it on your own?”

“A little bit. It’s…hard to understand this.”

Shaden, during his time at his grandfather’s house, didn’t do much but explore and try to find people for the first three days. On his fourth day—after failing to find anyone else besides the servants, even when using detection magic—he decided to go to his grandfather to actually begin learning about the art of stealth. According to the old man, it was the only way of interacting with the others.

Naturally, it blew Shaden’s mind. His grandfather quickly led him through the bases of advanced mana control. First, enveloping your whole body with mana. It was something he was going to learn at the Academy later on, after the end of summer. The first half was spent on putting mana in objects; the second half was to be spent putting mana around and into yourself.

Enveloping his own body with mana had been simple enough. Through his skin, just like through his hand, he emitted mana out of himself and formed a thin layer around his body. It took two days of intense concentration to get it right—which was considered extremely fast for a boy his age. His grandfather never ceased his compliments on his growth. But unlike circulating mana through his body, he didn’t feel energized, or protected. It just felt like a thin layer of air, not a shield that formed when he cast protection magic.

“But of course,” his grandfather had told him. “Mana in itself is energy. In your body, it is naturally converted for your muscles. But outside, it exists in its pure form.”

Which had Shaden thinking; where was mana stored? It flowed through the body, but as his grandfather had said, it would become tainted. Where was the source of the mana?

“For monsters, their mana core. For sentient races, it flows freely. Perhaps due to the power of having an established identity…”

When Shaden thought about it, it made sense. His mana was only being consumed during circulation, so without it, it wouldn’t become tainted. If he rested, his body would be replenished with new mana. Besides, not all of his mana would be converted.

He also discovered that his mana-hands weren’t necessarily mana; through his imagination, he had transformed his mana into some kind of force. That was why when he covered his sword and body with the mana-hands, nothing had happened.

The next step after covering his body with mana was adding magical properties to it.

To do so, Shaden apparently had to learn an ancient language passed down in the family. There were these books which, to preserve the sercrets that were passed down through the generations, were written in a different language from the one most of humanity spoke. To understand these books and follow the techniques within, he'd have to learn the language first.

However.

Shaden begged his grandfather to show him the book that contained the invisibility spell. His grandfather eventually agreed. To his surprise, Shaden began reading it.

“Did your father teach you?” he had asked with furrowed brows.

“Yes,” Shaden had replied. Things would be less complicated that way.

So now, after a week of reading, Shaden had begun to understand the exquisite flow of the stealth skill. It..was weird. The skill was…very weird. The first time he had read through the book without stuttering and surrounding his body with mana, his body had been gently enveloped in the grey mist that he had seen on his grandfather. And...it was weird. He felt like he had become the mist.

So far, he wasn’t very good at activating the skill without reading the book. It was only his second week practicing, after all. And just like magic, he could only perfectly use the spell if he understood its properties. With basic elemental spells, understanding had been easy. With the more complicated mana-involved specialized skills, it was…difficult.

This thing called mana was a strange thing. He realized that it had so much more than altering nature’s laws. So in conclusion, just understanding nature wouldn’t be enough now. He had to understand mana.

“Grandpa…I need more material,” Shaden stated while holding up the black, old book in his hand. It was a beautiful piece of work, the book was. But Shaden felt like in order to progress faster, he had to start from the roots. “Do you have any books on advanced mana control and the laws of mana?”

“Hmm…I shall prepare them for you.” He patted Shaden’s head. “You are doing splendidly.”

Shaden smiled sheepishly at his grandfather’s compliment. He liked being complimented. It had grown on him. Others complimented him too. But compared to his growth, it had felt lacking. His grandfather provided it all. His grandfather was a great person.

The place was great too. Great meals (a little simple, but still very good), a fantastic bed, comfortable clothes, a nice training area all to himself, and the breathtaking scenery. Sometimes, when the mist was blown away, Shaden caught glimpses of the expanse of forest, stretching endlessly as far as the eye could see. It was like being in a dream.

But at the corner of his mind, there was a slight worry.

“The summer camp is almost going to be over,” said Shaden. “Can I return home? To check on my mom and sister? And my father and brother too.”

“Of course, my boy. Anything you’d like.”

Then all was good.

〄 〄 〄

“Finally!” cried Rhyne while stretching his arms.

With the sound of the bell, the students rushed out of the school with their bags tightly in their hands. Chattering and cheering all the way, they exited the gates and went on to enjoy their summer break. Demund and Rhyne awaited Riley’s arrival as they looked out of the windows of the room.

“I think I failed the last exam,” commented Rhyne. Though Demund could see his evident satisfaction on his friend’s expression. Something that read, ‘not too shabby’.

“You always say that,” said Demund. While his friend wasn’t as diligent as him in studying, his grades were definitely in the high range, above average. While he lacked in hard work, he made it up with his cramming. The reason why Rhyne didn’t feel like he had to try harder was because of this: cramming gave him good results, so he didn’t feel the necessity to try harder.

Well, compared to Demund’s grades, it was still failing.

“You need to try harder next year,” said Demund. “We’re going to enter the special class, and you saw the things the Enariss was studying. It’s more material than what we learn currently.”

Riley waved his hand dismissively. “Eh, no worries. It’ll work out somehow.”

Just then, Riley entered the room with his bag hanging on his shoulder. His face was calm and relaxed like usual, barely showing any signs of stress, discomfort, joy, etc.

“Hey, how was the last test?”

“Just like you said. Mr. Prandey really loves his fill-in-the-blanks,” said Demund. Well, not like it mattered anyway. Everything the teacher had taught was perfectly stored inside of his mind.

“Anyways, let’s go,” said Rhyne.

〄 〄 〄

The trio went to the MMA club to go greet Enariss. Naturally, they were dragged into the cleaning up that was going on. Thanks to the automated system, there wasn’t a lot to put away, so they left the place within twenty minutes. After arriving at the parking lot while chatting about the finals, Demund said his last goodbyes for the summer.

“See you, Riley. When you come back, let me know.”

“Sure.”

“You too, Rhyne. Seriously, it’s unfair that you guys get to go on trips.”

“Hey, you got your dream, right? You get a vacation every day.”

“Well…I guess.”

“Rhyne, you said something stupid again.”

Demund shrugged. “It’s fine. He’s right. But when I’m awake, I think I’ll be really bored.”

They shared short glances, and Demund reached out his hand and pat his friends on their shoulders.

“See you after the break.”

“Yeah. I’ll let you know when I return.”

“Me too! I’ll buy you a souvenir.

Demund smiled. He watched his friends get into their car and drive away. From behind the window, he saw the silhouettes of his friends waving at him, so he raised his hand and waved back. Though not as bad, it still felt sad sending his friends away again. The car disappeared behind the school gate, and Demund went into Enariss’s car.

“You’re going to meet them again, it’s no big deal,” said Enariss. “Why do you look so down?”

Demund cleared his throat and rubbed his face. “Sorry. It was a habit of mine. Sending friends away always feels bad. Especially when they’re going to a different Zone.”

Demund leaned on the back of his seat and blankly stared at the car’s ceiling. “So when you leave, I’ll be alone again.”

“Hey.” Enariss fist bumped Demund’s shoulder, and Demund recovered from his melancholy mood. “We’re going to see each other again.”

Lately, these kinds of comments from Demund had increased. Sentences that suggested something more than just being a friend. But because Demund voiced it so casually like it was no big deal, Enariss didn’t know how to properly react to it. Even she was confused. He wasn’t pushy, but he wasn’t passive either. So, clueless of what to do, she decided to mirror Demund for the time being.

“It’ll be a long time.”

“It’s only two months.”

Demund’s eyes looked slightly distant, but he looked back at Enariss and smiled. “We’ll be in the same class now.”

“Mmhm.”

“I’m going to be first.”

“In your dreams!”

〄 〄 〄

Demund saw off Enariss at her house during that night. She was leaving on a plane to Zone 9 where apparently, she would take care of some orphans. Her father had begun some orphanages at his wife’s suggestion, and it had become a custom for the family to visit the one at Zone 9 every Summer. Many things had changed, but that remained the same.

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“See you, Dem-dem.”

“Goodbye, Ena. Bring me souvenirs, okay?”

With a smile, they separated, and Demund biked back home on the cold, empty night.

It was summer and its beginning.

〄 〄 〄

“Now Shaden, I must warn you,” began his grandfather, “The knife is the only tool that will allow you to see and cut the tree. It is a very special knife; you must absolutely not lose it.”

Shaden nodded. “Won’t you come with me?”

His grandfather shook his head, his grey-silver hair and beard barely moving from the motion.

“Sadly, no. This is something you must do alone. I am a busy man, my child.”

“How will I remember the way back?”

“You are my grandson who managed to grasp the essence of one of our most prized skills—in less than a month. And you’re telling me you cannot remember the way?”

Shaden smiled. “I know, Grandad. You should be more worried about me.”

“Hah! You have no idea how much I’ve worried for you. Now, hurry on. Remember to give your father the letter I am sending with you. I will come to visit you on your birthday.”

“Yep!”

His grandfather smiled sweetly. “Now, hurry along. Or I really won’t send you.”

“Alright, okay.”

Shaden nodded and raised his dagger to the bark of the black tree, the same one he had come out of. The other ones led to other places. With one swift motion, he added his mana into the dark blade and made a clean cut on the middle of the tree. With a growl, the tree swayed as the slit stretched out in both directions, finally forming a dark pool that led to Danark. Its inky surface consumed all light.

“See you later, Grandfather.”

“Goodbye, my boy.”

Shaden smiled, sheathed his dagger into its sheath below his new, dark coat, and walked face-first into the dark surface. A sensation of a thin membrane broke onto his face, and his vision turned black for a slight second. Suddenly, with a feeling of walking through nothingness, his eyes met the light as he emerged into the daylight.

The vacant roads at the edge of the city greeted him with some old buildings. The scenery was something he was used to. The same colors and smell. He was back at Danark.

“I’m back!” Shaden proclaimed, particularly at no one. Sure, his grandfather’s place was great, but it was a little dull. Being back at the brighter city felt refreshing. While the air felt a little tackier than before, he enjoyed it nonetheless. He was currently at the west side of the city, so if he headed towards the middle, he was bound to find some familiar roads.

Suddenly, he heard something unexpected. The meow of a cat.

“Shidey?” He knew that feeling. His time at his grandfather’s had only improved his senses, so he recognized the cat’s presence instantly.

“Meow,” said the cat, suddenly emerging from behind the black tree. The cat was clearly something more than a pet. Shaden guessed that it had tracked his mana since he had been away for so long, which was cute.

Shaden picked up the cat, who started to rub its head against Shaden’s chest.

“Let’s go home,” said Shaden.

After making sure that the portal closed properly, Shaden, with the cat in his arms, jumped on top of a building. Or rather, propelled himself on top of the building with his telekinesis. The summer camp had ended yesterday, so Shaden was sure he would surprise his parents. He would sneak in from the window and act like he hadn’t gone anywhere. His parents, who believed he was away at his grandfather’s house, would be astonished to suddenly find him sitting inside of his room.

A small prank, that would be all.

After sending a surge of mana into his legs, Shaden jumped from building to building, heading towards the center of the city judging by the construction of the walls. Just a little traveling would get him near his house within…thirty minutes, he guessed.

Shidey was surprisingly calm. It seemed fine, so Shaden continued to jump.

Now that he thought of it, Shidey could camouflage too. While it couldn’t erase its presence, it could turn invisible somehow.

“You’re an interesting cat, aren’t you?” Shaden asked.

“Meow,” replied the cat.

He continued to jump, and the people below him steadily increased too. The buildings became newer, the roads cleaner, and the smell thicker with food and human influence. They’d be surprised to find a child jumping from roof to roof, but Shaden didn’t particularly care. He was sad he wasn’t able to use the stealth skill completely—he would have to master it once he got back. Along with all the other skills his grandfather was preparing for him.

It would become very fun soon.

Soon, he recognized the roads he was jumping over. After changing his direction to face his house, he jumped down from the roofs and began to run. Of course, while circulating. He rarely felt tired anymore.

He was using mana excessively. But no one would sense him. While he had failed to master the stealth skill, he had managed to master the flow of his mana. He could prevent it from leaking now, keeping it flowing inside or around his body. Something his grandfather had absolutely deemed necessary for Shaden if he wanted to return to the city.

After a while, he was at the streets near his house, so he began to walk. The time was around four, around when students would return home from school. Perhaps he would visit Mistilia later on. Maybe ask the Headmistress about the details of the weird situation he had been put in. If she was involved, which she probably was, he could use it somehow. Like a strategy game. Staying at his grandfather’s castle had cleared his head. The world was something he could use to enjoy himself.

A dream that subbed in for a vacation.

He paused his footsteps at the front of his home. The time he had been away hadn’t felt that long, to be honest. A month went by very quickly when he was having fun. Silently, he let Shidey down on the ground and sneaked up the stairs. He decided it wouldn’t be mature to sneak in from the window—going through the door was his final choice.

He walked up, and soon, his face faced the front door. He placed his hand on the doorknob and turned it slowly. The door creaked as it opened, and Shidey quickly headed inside.

“Mama. Cat. Shidey!” He heard Melany say behind the door. Babies learned faster than he thought.

“Hmm? Oh! The cat!” his mother said in surprise. It felt great to hear her voice again. Perhaps he had been away for some time. The familiar voices made him nostalgic.

He fully opened the door and stepped inside.

“Sha-den!” his sister called. “Shad-den! Mommy, brotha.”

Suddenly, he heard something clang against the floor. Then his mother appeared from the side and stared at Shaden with shock and something he didn’t quite understand.

“Sha…den?” she breathed.

“Hey, mom. I’m back,” replied Shaden. He was confused. Had he shocked her that much?

Before he could think, his mother ran to him with lightning speed and enveloped him in her arms. Shaden felt her slightly tremble, and he stood there with little clue as to what was going on.

“…Mom? Are you okay?”

“You can’t just leave like that without saying goodbye. I’m so glad you’re back home…”

?

Oh.

Right. He hadn’t said goodbye. But why? Why was she trembling?

“Mom, it’s not like I was gone forever. It was only for a month.”

“No, no…”

“Mom…”

She didn’t seem like she was listening. She simply held onto Shaden as tightly as her slender arms could, squeezing him like a little girl hugging her favorite teddy bear that had once been lost.

Shaden stood there without a word, his sister blinking at them with curious eyes.

〄 〄 〄

“Shaden!?” his father exclaimed, his eyes wide like saucers.

“Hey dad,” Shaden replied casually. Seriously, what was up with these overreactions? First his mother, then his brother (a little), and finally, his father. Their faces had lit up as if they’d seen a ghost, and the expression was most clearly displayed on his father’s shocked face.

“Weren’t you…with your…grandfather?”

“Yes, but he let me go for the time being.”

“That man…to think that…”

“Honey! The food will become cold.”

“Ah, yes. Sorry. Son, tell me about this.”

Shaden nodded.

After a quick dinner and some explaining (and mainly Rother blabbering about his experiences at the school he went to), Shaden retrieved the letter from his pocket and gave it to his father. His father skillfully sliced it open with his finger, unfolded the letter, and went over its contents with furrowed brows.

After a few seconds, the expression on his face loosened a little, and he let out a deep sigh.

“How was your trip?” he asked.

“It was great. Grandpa was a cool person. He taught me lots of things.”

“I see. Were you uncomfortable?”

“Not at all. But Dad, what did the letter say?”

His father grunted. “Some reassuring words for my sake. Promising me that your experience at Skotos will be a fun and splendid one.”

“Why so?”

“Because…”

His father trailed off. And briefly shook his head. “Nothing that you should know. But that man never breaks a promise.”

Instantly, the letter in his hands went up in a small flare of white flame and vanished.

“He is kind to you?”

“Yes.”

“I see.”

His father sighed and placed a steady hand on Shaden’s shoulder.

“I’m truly happy that you are back and healthy. And…I’m sorry for what happened to you. I couldn’t protect you.”

“It wasn’t that bad. Did the Headmistress tell you anything?”

“She—owes you a favor. Perhaps more than one. She sends you her sincerest apologies. The people who have been involved with the incident have been…relocated."

Hmm. Not that Shaden cared. He didn’t care about any of them that much anymore. They were side-characters within his exciting story. But hearing that they were gone brought a smile to his face.

It didn’t really matter since he would return to Skotos, but it was still satisfying.

“Maybe I’ll visit the Academy one more time. To say goodbye.”

“Yes. That will be good. And Shaden…”

“Yes?”

Garthan paused for a second, recollecting his thoughts.

“The Headmistress has made a mistake, but she is not a bad person. I hope you won’t hate her for what she did—and didn’t do. She…has helped this family greatly since before you were born.”

“I see. I understand.”

“You won’t hold a grudge?”

Shaden shrugged. “Not really.”

Garthan ruffled Shaden’s head with his large hands and smiled. “That’s my boy.”

Shaden had missed this. This nice, caring family who worried for him. Who were desperate to see him safe, who listened to his every problem. Who talked to him about their worries and gave him advice on numerous areas. Siblings who he could play with, parents who were loving.

“I’m back,” he said.

〄 〄 〄

“Your results are out,” stated the nurse. “Please follow me to the doctor’s office.”

Now that break had begun, Demund had come to the hospital to do a checkup on his whole body. While the doctors had found nothing wrong in the first three weeks after the accident, they had wanted to make sure after some months had passed. Demund’s case was something very special to them.

He got up from his seat with his mother and followed the nurse. They entered a small room with various medical apparatuses stowed away behind shelves and glass and faced a man in a white coat.

“Welcome! Please have a seat,” greeted the doctor.

Demund took a seat, and his mother sat next to him, silent like usual.

“How has your leg been doing?”

“Very well. I can run normally.”

“Excellent. And your head? Does anything hurt? Do you have any notable symptoms?”

“No. Not really.”

They continued to exchange brief pieces of information until the doctor placed a thin stack of paper in front of Demund.

“We have found something very remarkable about your ability, stated the doctor. Its effects on your brain. The latest scan has made it very clear, so we determined it was time to disclose the information to you.”

“Why not before?”

“We weren’t very sure. But thankfully, we have a specialist over at the moment, so things became much clearer. In fact, he should be examining other ability-users at the moment. Now, for the actual information.”

The doctor selected a sheet within the stack and displayed it to Shaden. It was the scans of what looked like brains. The doctor placed another sheet next to the previous one, which held similar scans.

“This is the scan of your brain during Christmas when you first came here,” stated the doctor, pointing at the first picture. “And this,” he said while pointing at the sheet next to it, “Is the scan of your brain today.”

Demund cocked his head. “Why do they look so different?”

“That is exactly why it is very important that you should know. Your ability, Mr. Blanner, doesn’t seem to be just dreaming. It seems like—”

The doctor cleared his throat. “You have another brain that is linked with your current one.”

“What?”

“Very unusual indeed. But your recovery led us towards this conclusion. If your ability really was just dreaming, then once your brain was damaged, your ability would have ceased too. Mind-related abilities are very susceptible to damage to the brain.”

Demund looked at the doctor with disbelief, but his face seemed dead serious.

“However, you made a miraculous recovery. Let’s say that your ability itself enhanced the power of your brain recovery. There are a few documented cases of self-healing ability users, and all of them reverted their brain back into its normal state after recovery. Every single one of them. But yours, as you can see, completely changed the structure of your brain.”

Demund’s uneasiness grew as his worst fear started to surface from the depths of his heart.

“And not any type of brain. It isn’t the kind of ‘certain parts of the brain’ becoming more enhanced. No, your brain currently resembles something that isn’t human. Simply, your brain isn’t that of a human’s.”

The doctor pointed towards the second sheet’s pictures. “There are still some parts that resemble that of a human’s. The scan let us determine the parts. They were in different locations, but they still exist. After all, you are acting completely human. But—”

He pointed towards the center of Shaden’s brain. “There is something called the hippocampus that stores memories. Yours is still there. It’s just that…it is unusually large. And contains a section that does not exist in normal humans.”

“What do you mean?”

“We do not know. But we conclude that when you recovered, your brain took on the shape of your self within the dream, one with a different brain structure. Your power isn’t recovery at all; it was the anexide and medicine that allowed you to recover. No, your power is something very unique. When the specialist saw you, he described it as ‘otherworldly.’

What?

“It is truly an amazing discovery for us as well. There are so many things we are unaware of. Perhaps you should try to make an appointment at one of the research facilities if you are interested. I can even write a letter for you. Of course, only if you want to explore your ability more.”

No. Demund already knew the answer by now.

“So…my brain. I have two brains?”

“Yes. Their memories are linked as you described. It was the best explanation we can provide you with.”

Demund felt his heart sink.

Because…if the other world was real.

He had dismissed it for so long. He had refused to believe it. It was too convenient, too good for him.

If Shaden was a real person.

He had told himself over and over, ‘it is a dream.’ So he wouldn’t care. So he could enjoy it without worries.

If his other family was really a real family.

He had kept it inside of him, away from his mind. But now, reality had told him its thoughts.

If his perfect life was really his real life.

If his other self was as real as the one he called ‘Demund.’

Then.

Then.

He could give one up.