Alex and Professor Mangal stepped into the Cell, locking the door behind them. The room was empty, clean and spacious.

It wouldn’t stay empty for long.

“This is the very cell where you demonstrated your mastery of fifth and sixth- tier summoning spells to me,” the professor smiled at the memory. “To think that was only a little over three months ago.”

“A lot’s changed,” Alex said. “A whole lot has changed. I don’t have to use summoning circles for my powerful summons anymore since I’m so comfortable with them now.” The young archwizard rubbed his hands together. He could hardly hide his excitement. “Would you mind summoning Then-Arus for me?”

“Of course,” Professor Mangal said.

“Oh, but before you do, did Professor Jules tell you which summoning spells I learned?” he asked.

“No, she did not,” said Professor Mangal. “Why do you ask?”

“No reason.” Alex fought the urge to start giggling like a child ready to pull a prank on his teacher.

Raising an eyebrow at him, she turned and began conjuring.

Power flowed from her words, connecting to the planes.

Soon, the magical energies of a war-spirit tinged the air. The screams. The smell of blood.

Silver-coloured liquid boiled from the ground before the professor, the shape of the familiar humanoid war-spirit known as, Then-Arus appeared. He bowed before his summoner.

“Greetings, my summoner,” Then-Arus’ voice grated on Alex’s mind. “What task do you have for me?”

She gestured toward Alex. “It is he who wished for me to call you, your question should be asked of him.”

The war-spirit turned, eyes falling on the archwizard. Alex watched him steadily. There was a time when he found the war-spirit terrifying, the very embodiment of oppressive violence. But, after bargaining with Asmaldestre, he felt no fear.

“You…I know you,” the war-spirit cocked his head to one side. “Something has changed within you. Your soul once reeked of something that was antithetical to violence. It is gone now.”

“Yes, it has, hasn’t it?” Alex said confidently. “Things change, as I have, and I have no doubt that there are more changes to come.”

“Perhaps in many of your mortal millenia, you may be ready to conjure an entity of power beyond that of a lesser water elemental.” Then-Arus’ metallic voice scraped Alex’s eardrums like nails on granite.

“Hold that thought for a few of my mortal seconds.” The archwizard cracked his knuckles. “You might want to stand back Professor Mangal.”

He raised his hands, speaking the incantation for Conjure Ultimate Ally. His power surged through the room, reaching out across the planes and touching a distant battlefield.

He felt a presence like a great ship cutting through the sea.

Professor Mangal’s jaw had dropped. “That is…Conjure Ultimate Ally!”

“This presence…it cannot be!” Then-Arus cried.

Asmaldestre hit the material world like a catapult stone.

She loomed above them all, filling the room with the tingle of unspent violence. In her hands, she held Uldar’s weapons along with the strange projectile weapons she was so fond of.

“Have you conjured me for more battle?” she asked Alex.

He turned to Professor Mangal. “Shall we have them spar?”

The lesser war-spirit trembled in the Unmaker’s presence, though whether from fear or excitement, only he knew. “This would be the fight of ten thousand lifetimes,” Then-Arus whispered. “My destruction would be legend.”

His voice shook, its metallic ring sounding hollow.

Professor Mangal shook her head quickly. “No, no. That will not be necessary!” her eyes were fixed on Asmaldestre in astonishment.

“Alright,” Alex said, looking at the Unmaker. “Do you mind if I send you back to the battle you were engaged in?”

“No more than you would mind continuing to draw breath, archwizard.” Her voice struck the other two occupants of the Cell. “The battles in your land are growing more worthy of my attention. Opponents appear more frequently and are stronger now. There is a buildup, and my desire is to be present when the rain of blood pours down.”

“Well, that's ominous,” Alex whispered. “Right, let's get you back into battle.”

He took a few seconds to teleport Asmaldestre back to Thameland, near the Heroes’ encampment. When he returned, Professor Mangal had dismissed Then-Arus.

“Oh, he’s gone?” Alex asked her.

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“He was shaken,” the professor said. “He did not show it, but he was shaken all the same. I am shaken! You can cast Conjure Ultimate Ally! Very few summoners in all of history have been able to do that!”

“I know,” Alex smiled. “At this point, learning that spell’s been a real advantage. I remember conjuring my first water elemental, and now look what I can conjure.”

“You exhibit an incredible mastery over the summoning arts.” She shook her head. “It was an honour to have you as my student. And it would be even more of an honour to have you as my colleague, Alex. Together, I think we will be able to research new spells and uncover new ways of summoning. With my experience, your natural talent, and the amount of power that lies within you, we can bring the discipline forward by any number of years. With that said, it would be an honour to allow you to challenge the Exams for Credit for any number of summoning courses you desire!”

“Fantastic!” He beamed, reaching out to shake her hand. “I’m looking forward to working with you, professor.”

She shook his hand enthusiastically. “And I, you. Perhaps—in working together—I might find insights that could help me break through to eighth-tier.”

“I don’t doubt you will,” Alex smiled. “And I'll help you in any way I can, just like you helped me when I could hardly cast a single first-tier summoning spell.”

She laughed then. “By the planes I am so glad that your talents are yours.”

“What do you mean by that?” he asked.

“You understand the nature of reciprocal relations, intricately,” she said. “I gave to you, and now you give back to me.”

“It's just the way I am,” Alex said.

“And that is my point!” She smiled brilliantly. “Far too many summoners have given themselves over to power-lust over the centuries. I'm glad that you are not…if you’ll forgive my language…an ass.”

“Hah!” Alex chuckled. “I think a lot of people would disagree with you on that one. Probably Professor Ram, as one example.”

“Perhaps. Perhaps not,” her smile faded slightly.

“In any case, let us return to my office so I can give you the paperwork you need to Challenge the Exam for Credit forthird and fourth year summoning courses. I look forward to working with you. Though…I suspect we can only really begin our work after the Thameish war has been won.”

“After the war’s been won?” Alex said. “You sound so sure that we're going to win.”

“Of course. I have faith in people, and I have faith in you and those that fight for people. You’ve overcome so many barriers, and I would be surprised if you did not overcome this one. I am very confident.”

“Thanks, professor.” He blushed. “Say…actually, can I ask you a question?”

“By all means, my soon-to-be colleague.”

“How did you know that you wanted to be a summoner?” he asked. “What made you look at that particular discipline in wizardry and go: ‘This. This is what I want for the rest of my life’.”

“A fine question,” Professor Mangal said. “I take it you are considering your own future? Students often ask such questions of others as they near their graduation.”

“Yeah, you got it in one try,” Alex said. “So, what was it?”

Professor Mangal smiled. “People. It was people. I have always been a sociable person, Alex. I had many friends before coming to Generasi to study, and made many more afterward. I was no stranger to parties, no stranger to speaking competitions, to socials, to friendships. I enjoy being in relation with others: so the thought of simply cooping myself up in a tower, looking over scrolls, potions, or muttering incantations to myself while I tried to construct the next great spell…seemed quite lonely to me. So, I decided to go into an art where I could be in relation with others, and let my social side be a strength.”

“So you turned your natural personality into a strength, and that became your life path,” Alex said.

“In a manner of speaking, yes,” she said. “I went toward what I was good at, and never hesitated because I enjoyed doing what I was good at, then I made it into my life’s work.”

“You sound so confident,” Alex said. “So sure. I keep wondering what I should do afterward. After the war. The dreams I wanted to fulfil when I first became a wizard…I've achieved them.”

“Both a blessing and a curse,” she said gravely. “Those who truly come into their own from a young age, are blessed because they are able to live their dreams early in their lives. But they are also cursed, because their older selves will have to stand in the shadow of the incredible achievements of their youth. Some give up, others go into crisis and make poor decisions in middle-age, while others go on mad journeys to try and top themselves in each passing decade.”

“And what do you think?” Alex asked. “What should someone do if they’ve hit all their goals early in life?”

“Continue to live,” she said. “Life is not entirely about goals, and if it must be, then you are in control of that. You can conjure any goal at any time you wish as easily as you might summon a small water elemental. You may find your own way in life, and that is a privilege: few can say the same.”

“So I know I can create my own new goals…” Alex said. “It just seems so hard to choose which ones. To figure out what I'll be content doing for the rest of my life.”

“Your life has meaning that only you can define,” she said. “And you are still young, do not assume that you have achieved so much so quickly that you must decide right at this moment. Take your time and think, and then think again, and then think again. Only in that way, will you come up with the right answer for yourself.”

He smiled. “Thanks. You really are one of my favourite professors: I wish I’d met you in first year, instead of Professor Ram.”

She smiled sadly. “Professor Ram is a difficult man. He cares for his students in ways that many who study under him misinterpret. He is a hard taskmaster, much like Chancellor Baelin. But, I do believe it is a tragedy, what happened between the two of you. He meant to give you the best tools to master force magic, just as he does for all of his students. You meant to try and succeed with a hidden barrier holding you back. I believe you two deserve closure.”

“Well, we did have that fight at the Games,” Alex said.

She shook her head. “Some fights can give closure. Other times, closure can only be achieved through words that must be exchanged.”

He thought about the First Apostle. Had the ancient Chosen found closure in his death or in his final fight? The opposite, probably. Had Alex found closure with Ram from their fight?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

It was too much to think about now.

“In any case, let us return to my office,” the professor said. “I will provide you with your papers. Then we can look forward to your graduation, and to you studying with me. We will do great things together.”

“Thanks, Professor,” Alex said. “It's been an honour being in relation with you.”

“And I, you, Alex.” She gave him a broad smile before walking to the door. “Let us continue to work together in the future.”

“Yes, let’s,” he agreed.

###

The General of Thameland left Professor Mangal’s office, holding the signed documents giving him credit for his summoning courses. They would allow him to Challenge the Exam for Credit, bringing him closer to his goal of graduating early.

Yet, his mind wasn’t settled.

Thoughts about closure kept playing through it.

He was training his friends. The Ravener was escalating.

Did he really want to leave anything undone in case the worst happened?

‘No,’ he thought. ‘I don’t. But there's a lot to do, I probably don’t have time to see—’

He looked up spotting, a familiar figure in the hallway.

There, in his severe robes—with his neat beard and jet black arm construct—was Professor Harsha Ram, walking to his office.

The two men's eyes met.

Alex saw a wave of tension go through the older man’s body. An awkwardness was suddenly in his stance.

He knew what he wanted to do.