I let out a breath in relief as I exited my meditation, I could instantly tell, using the method of loci had relieved almost all the pain I had felt coming from my head. Letting out a groan as I stood up, stretching my stiff body. I noticed five hours had passed since I first entered meditation. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, it felt like an eternity, but time is experienced differently in your own head.

The glow of a small blue dome with a note on it caught my eye. Going over to the desk, reading the note from Daphnia, it read.

I know you wanted to be alone to process everything that happened today, but you should still eat something. So I had Mancin send this over, I hope you like and have a good night. The stasis field will break when you reach for the plate, so don't let it sit too long afterward or it will get cold.

P.S just so you know, Madison will most likely be coming to bother you tomorrow morning.

Steam wafted off the plate of food, as my hand went through the blue dome. Deciding to listen to Daphnia advice, I took a seat at the desk. Plus the food looked and smelled amazing, I thought. As I stared at the diced potatoes, green squash and chunks of what looked like pork. I felt the saliva start to collect in my mouth, undoing the third seal, and doing mental work. Must be more physically taxing than I thought.

Digging in, It didn't take me long to polish that off, I thought, leaning back in the chair Letting out a content sigh. Feeling more energized than I expected, I decided to try my hand at forming my first spell matrix. I just can't resist the thought of truly casting a spell for the first time. I admit I'm a little giddy, ever since I saw Daphnia do magic

I've wanted to do it too. Could be the feeling of actually being able to see mana but something about it just calls to me.

Heading back towards my bed, taking a more classic meditation pose. Resting the back of my hands on my knees, beginning to breathe. Following the same breathing mantra that I used before, after a few minutes, I felt myself fall into my body. Taking some time to stabilize my awareness. I decided to try out a hunch I had, instead of looking for a calm spot where the mana flowing inside me wasn't so volatile. Like I did when I was condensing the three-pronged runes. I would start the process of building my first spell matrix, wherever my awareness first landed.

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Taking in the view of the mana surrounding my awareness, as it flowed everywhere. I began to condense runes, Using the method of loci. It was easy to picture, all the runes I needed for the levitate spell matrix. The runic images appeared one after another until I had almost a hundred floating around my awareness. Once again using the method of loci, it was to easy to recall. The exact positions I needed to place the runes at.

Watching the runes float around, as I willed them to their correct positions. When the final rune came to a stop, using my awareness. I when over the outlined spell matrix just to make sure everything was in the right spot. I began to fold in the mana much like I did with the three-pronged rune and it was just as easy. Smiling in satisfaction as the spell matrix began to glow as mana filled it up. The blue glow of the runes kept getting bright as more and more mana pooled into them.

I had only a few seconds of warning that something was wrong. Before the spell matrix collapsed, releasing a bright flash as it disappeared. Letting out a muffled shout in shock, as I came out of my meditation. Gently rubbing my watering eyes, what could have gone wrong. I know I pictured the runic images correctly, I'd even say perfectly, I thought. Deciding to hold off on making another attempt at forming another spell matrix.

Looking at the time, it had only been twenty minutes since I started to meditate, twenty minutes wasted. But at least I tried my hunch, and I'm pretty sure my talent makes it easier for me to make spell matrixes. Clearing my mind, I began to center my breathing, I felt an airy feeling tingle along my skin. As my awareness entered my projection, in my mind palace.

Diving back into the upside-down pyramid, I began to search for answers. On what I could have done wrong. Or at least what could have caused my spell matrix to collapse, so close to completion. I'm not actually sure how I found it, I think mostly by luck, I mean it's so minuscule. That the fact that you have to fill each runic image up separately and then connect them into the form of the spell matrix. Exiting my mind palace, I noticed I'd spent two hours in there trying to find an answer. Should I get some sleep and try again tomorrow or should I just give it another shot tonight? Choices, choices I thought.