Zoe found herself atop a crumbling cliffside tower. Far below, black waves raged against the rocky cliffs, splashing up and raining back down as they failed to overtake the earth even despite their unfathomable power.

The moon and stars shone down from above. Leaning over the crumbling parapets of the ruined stones, Zoe looked down, and then up. The endless black void of the heavens was reflected back in the inky depths of the waters below. It was a beautiful scene. The stars were brighter and more numerous than she had ever seen before, whether on Earth or here.

Zoe climbed up over the side without hesitating.

Perching on the slippery edge of the salt kissed stones, she crossed her arms and legs, closed her eyes, and stared up at the heavens above. And then she activated {Manasight}.

Zoe didn’t know how long she remained there. The sun and moon wheeled overhead, the oceans raged below, and far off winds washed over her, bringing promises of far away lands. And through all of it, Zoe remained as motionless and firm as the sea-worn rocks far below.

The seasons passed as well. From cold to hot, from hot to cold, from one side of the sun to the other, Zoe reflected on the world above and beyond her. Part of her focused deeper within, searching for wisdom buried deep within her. But most of her subconscious attention was still directed outwards.

Zoe didn’t study the sky in the way one might study a textbook. She studied it in the way one studied dappled leaves rustling overhead, or the lapping of waves on a gentle shore, or a particular work of art. In the last case, it wasn’t as if she were studying the artist’s technique, or the symbolism — no, she was studying it on a more primal, deeply emotional level. Studying it in a way that needed no words.

Wisdom came all the same.

As the seasons passed, and the tower sunk inch by inch deeper and deeper into the sea, Zoe came to know the heavens better than she knew herself. And now, after so long — the precise amount of time being irrelevant — Zoe could begin to devote a more conscious, academic study to the vast tapestry of reality.

Eyes still close but mind and spirit still open, Zoe scanned the skies, finally piecing together the way in which vast ribbons of mana wove together to create… everything. As the mysteries of the heavens became mysteries no longer, Zoe realized that it wasn’t really all that complicated.

It was just big.

Difficult to fit entirely into the scope of one’s mind — but once one did so, the rest became almost obvious.

Zoe opened her eyes.

And then she realized they had already been open. Flipping the book closed, she slowly returned it to the shelf before her. Zoe didn’t know how long she had been reading — it was a fairly small book, really, but how could she have experienced so much in so little time? Perhaps the answer was that it wasn’t actually ‘so much’ at all.

Grinning, Zoe checked her system notifications.

{Meditation has gained multiple levels! Meditation is now level 20.}

{Manasight has gained multiple levels! Manasight is now level 20.}

{Mana Manipulation has gained multiple levels! Mana Manipulation is now level 20.}

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

{Breath Control has gained multiple levels! Breath Control is now level 20.}

{Spirit Enhancement has gained multiple levels! Spirit Enhancement is now level 20.}

{…}

{Meditation has reached Tier 1. New ability options are available.}

{Manasight has reached Tier 1. New ability options are available.}

{Mana Manipulation has reached Tier 1. New ability options are available.}

{Breath Control has reached Tier 1. New ability options are available.}

{Spirit Enhancement has reached Tier 1. New ability options are available.}

Zoe’s eyes widened. That’s a lot of ability levels. She tilted her head. And I can gain levels in this place? That’s so broken…

{Warning: all ability levels gained during ascendancy are temporary and will revert immediately upon attempted ascension.}

Ah shit. Well that was a bummer.

Deciding to look on the positive side, Zoe held up one of her scaly, clawed hands. And then she began to cast a spell.

Using both her knowledge of the art of life and of the nature of the heavens and that which was below, Zoe sculpted flesh and blood, scales and bone. It was painful, at first, but Zoe didn’t bother shutting off the signals firing from her nerves. {Pain Resistance} was more than enough to handle it — and besides, she actually wanted to experience everything.

Finally, after just a few seconds, Zoe flexed her now-human hand. Pale, soft and delicate flesh moved under her command.

Zoe grinned. To be fair, it looked really incongruent against the rest of her body, but it was an exceptional start.

Unfortunately, as soon as she released control of her spell, her skin began to bubble and boil, her fingers distending, flesh peeling and hardening, all of it darkening back to an inky black.

Fucking true form bullshit.

It seemed that while her now highly-advanced biological magic could undo her transformation, the corruption would in turn undo any attempts at a cure. And despite effectively navel-gazing for who knew how many centuries, Zoe still didn’t know what the corruption was — let alone how to cure it.

Sighing, Zoe reached for another book.

Another clawed hand reached over and clamped down over her own. “I think you’ve been here long enough.”

Glancing over to her mirror, Zoe licked her fangs. “Why? Is there a time limit or something? I mean, the more of these I read, the stronger I’ll be when I go back to reality, right?”

Hell, even just the two she had consumed so far would each give her an insane advantage even on their own, let alone when combined together.

But her mirror only laughed, a depressingly disgusting sound. “Ah, but only if this is what you choose. Come.”

Zoe resisted.

Her mirror glared. “Do you really want to make your choice without seeing your other two options?”

At that, Zoe relented.

Pulling her along, her copy dragged her away from the shelves and back to…

“Your tea is definitely cold.”

Blinking for real this time, Zoe looked down and then back up. They were right back in the cafe.

“That was insane.” Catching her breath, she expected her copy to respond, but she didn’t. So Zoe continued after a moment. “I really can’t imagine how the other two could possibly top that. I mean, just the knowledge I have now alone…”

Her mirror tittered. “What knowledge?”

That’s when Zoe realized that she couldn’t remember. She could remember reading, she could remember the kinds of things she had come to understand — but while she knew that she had known how to cure cancer, or how to create a spell from scratch, she knew them no longer.

A pit formed in her stomach. “That feels fucking awful.”

Nodding, her mirror shrugged. “But you remember what it was like to learn, yes?”

Zoe nodded.

“Then you know what you need to come to a decision — at least, once you experience your other options.” She paused. “So are you ready?”

Zoe didn’t have to think. “Yes.”

Her mirror snapped once more, and then Zoe was falling.

She fell for a long time.

So long that it was almost relaxing.

The impact was anything but.

As it turned out, you didn’t exactly fall into lava — you fell onto it.

Like concrete.

Except it also engulfed you in flames almost instantly.

Zoe shrieked. Her {Pain Resistance} felt like it had suddenly become dormant.

Fucking hell, this is definitely way, way worse than the library. No way am I choosing whatever the fuck this is.

It was at that point that Zoe decided to kill her mirror.

I’m going to get that bitch.

Rolling over, Zoe began to crawl.