In his final living act of courage, Malic left the world of the living for the next. A long struggle for survival had ended in one massive explosion. He had no regrets that would linger here. So, leaving the mortal world, his soul proceeded to the afterlife.

"Ha, I guess one could call this thing. I am going through a tunnel, which is light on the other side." [Malic]

Malic laughed to himself, floating towards the light at astonishing speed. At his current speed, he would get to his desired location quickly. However, something felt wrong. Wouldn't this whole experience happen almost instantly? If he had died, was there something possibly holding him back? Suddenly, he could hear a soft voice speaking to him clearly in his mind.

"Yes, you should work out nicely."

He could not see the one who spoke or even discern if there was any other present around him. Slowly, as he looked forward, he could see his surroundings beginning to change, as if he had been pulled into another tunnel altogether. He could feel the distance being covered was far greater than before. Almost nothing but darkness surrounded him.

Fear gripped him at that moment. Where was it he had ended up? The darkness was near abyssal. There was a void, nothing in this place he was inhabited. No sound or light was here, only his thoughts and memories.

All movement ceased. Could it be that a moment ago was only just a thought? Before that, he had been moving. But was Malic seeing some vision, a memory of some unknown thing not knowing continued to eat at Malic. He felt that he was suspended by some force holding him in place, not allowing him to move.

"Can you hear me, now mortal?"

A voice came to his mind, not the same as before, but a voice. He was not alone in this place. Malic felt great relief from even this tiny insight but a more significant question. Who was this person or persons that spoke to him, and what was their purpose?

"What madness is this language, Larinth? We should decide what to do with this mortal and be done. There is no need to bring beings from other dimensions to suit our needs."

An authoritative voice thundered in Malic's mind, and then another spoke as soon as it came.

"There is nothing that can be done now, Balieron. You know that Frera has the knack to grab strays."

'What stray?' {Malic}

Asks Malic to himself with great annoyance

"I was on my way to a much better location, just to end up in some otherworldly place.'{Malic}

Silence ensued after he thought this again; nothing was in the void.

'You have got to be kidding me. What are these people?' {Malic}

He could feel his emotions building towards a desire to escape the darkness around him.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

'What purpose is there in leaving me in this condition?' {Malic}

Slowly, a tiny sensation began to fill him, from the top of his head to the palms of his hands. This strange feeling continued down through his sides to his feet, then slowly returning to his abdomen. Once it got to this point, the sensation ceased to progress further. But began to grow and strengthen into something more significant. Whatever this thing in him was, Malic did not know, only that now he could start to feel, through it, the immediate area around him.

"Ah, for a first-time user of purified Mana, you are not all that bad."

The voices returned, sensing that the one who spoke now was female. From within the female's body, Malic could feel this power called Mana. It was far purer and more potent than he could handle.

"If you are wondering why all your other senses are cut off, it is simple. You do not need to know our faces. We six do not concern ourselves with the troubles of the lower realms, for there are others for that purpose."

A man spoke this time. His explanation of the situation was one of indifference.

"However, since Frera believes you will be of use to us, at this time, we find no reason to send you back from whence you came."

This was turning into some briefing session. Malic was initially pleased to pass away, but now it seemed things were going in another direction.

"Just because he has shown the potential to use some degree of Mana. Does not mean that he will be able to live freely on Ladrithon or live long enough to fight Calgian."

Another woman spoke. Malic could not sense her presence, as if she were just a voice. As time passed and he listened to more, Malic wondered what the contents of these personal conversations were. As far as he could tell, long ago, before the six ascended, he heard them refer to themselves as True Magi. They were originally seven, but as time passed, The seventh grew tired of maintaining the order they had created between themselves. Or something like that and rebelled against his fellows.

Eventually, this led to the Fourth Breaking of the World. His defeat resulted in the remaining six scattering his remains throughout the world, an eternal punishment.

"Calgian, as we know, will Reincarnate himself at some point and finish what he started generations ago. All that remains is to provide a being capable of substantial strength and power to destroy him. And we can be finally done with this mess."

Having only these voices to go on, Malic began to realize the extent of what they required of him to perform. However, some may not like that he could be helpful to these six entities.

Feeling the gravity of his present situation, Malic finally realized something. Not only was he listening to these persons, but they were all in some physical state aside from himself. This realization that he was present in spirit and that they could control him. That his mind was a very real captive to their power did nothing but increase his feeling of impending doom and destruction.

"Oldrin, Is there a place prepared that we can send this one quickly to the mortal realm? This thing must be done with all haste."

Things were wrapping up faster than Malic expected.

'Wait, what Mortal realm? What is that supposed to be? I have already died. I don't want to go back to that hell.' {Malic}

The thought of returning to his old world. Just to fight and die again in a thankless, thoughtless fight that was likely to kill everything living was not something that Malic wished to return to.

"Yes, there is a place, and it could provide all the needed time to prepare to fight Calgian."

There was sureness in the minds of these six great beings. A thing they needed had been delivered almost at their most desperate hour. Even now, as powerful as they were, if they were to fight Calgian in the moral realm or any realm. Below is what they currently inhabit. All things in creation would fall apart and turn into nothing.

So, to avoid that possible disaster, they would send one who could rise beyond all those above him. Making himself master over all 6 degrees of Mana manipulation. He could not only do what they had set him out to do. But become something even more significant than they were.