The actual magical classes were sensibly set outside to practice on the muddy and wet field. There were seven teachers, the only ones Neo recognised were Alec, Jane, and Elfin, and, after taking a seat in the stands, Neo guessed that they were the ones teaching the classes.

One of the teachers stepped forward and called for students, who went and lined up behind Alec, Jane and the another teacher.

Once all the other students had been called up, the last one on the stand was Neo. He was looking around to find where he was supposed to go as the other groups left to go to their classes.

However, the organiser took the stairs, joining Neo. "Hello Mr. Neo, I am Dagles, and I'll be your practical magic tutor. I am a practitioner of white mana, and as you should know we White Mages have the power of time and space. Before you get too excited, it's the hardest ability to learn and practice in battle, it also consumes a huge amount of white mana.

There are large monetary advantages, too. Even though it's an advantage mainly to your wallet from healing people it's also why you won't see many or any, other white mana users in our classes since it's isn't easy to learn, however, to heal and produce metals, equipment and jewellery are a lot easier to learn. So most clans or kingdoms won't even bother sending them to train even if they can become the strongest warriors with a large area of effect attacks. That could take a lot of work,where as a red mana user can be trained in one fifth the time. So, are you still interested in learning how to use your mana in battle?"

Neo listened with interest, not really understanding why a little difficulty would actually prevent people from training the possibility of space and time magic. Neo wondered whether, as Death, he had an advantage in magic . Even if he could get more power, if he didn't train with it then he wouldn't be able to use it. And who better to teach him?

"I'd love to learn," Neo said in the sweetest voice he could.

Dagles nodded with a smile forming on his face as he stood up, "Well then you'd better follow me. We’ll go somewhere no one will see us practice."

As Neo followed Dagles, they entered the forest where they started to jog. After a while, he heard the sound of splashing water over the singing of birds and rustling of trees.

The woods opened up into a clearing where there was a waterfall with lily pads and rocks in the small pool that the water collected into. The tool then fed into a slow, meandering river. What caught Neo's eye was how the water fell. It didn't have a uniform velocity or impact. The water was slow moving, and it gave the area a feeling of being in another world as each droplet could be seen falling.

"What is it with this place Master Dagles?"

Dagles smiled, and with a reply, he looked up, "Within the libraries, there is a history book on the first people who built this academy. It was said to be written in them that the first time they saw this dome in its darkness that they believed that the rock above was an anti-gravity rock that pulled everything toward it, much like everyone else who sees it their first time. But that was quickly debunked when they found that it didn't affect them, but only the water itself. The water was found to be infused with a water spell telling it how it should act. The are not pulling the water it's pushing it, so the water here was designed to fall like that."

'Wow,' Neo thought, ‘that was amazing.’ How powerful would you have to be in order the change to the law of the universe? "How? Isn't it dangerous if someone dispelled it or something wouldn't it all come crashing down?"

“We figured that it was a group effort lead by a golden mana user as the magic is a part of the bubble. It gets fed by the bubble system itself so that the mana usage that would be needed is … " he stretched his arms out into the universe,"far too much that it is almost impossible."

"But not impossible?"

"Well, theoretically, it's possible, but there is a huge difference between theory and practice. You would need an outside force as great as the bubble system as the bubbles will fight back when someone tries to force a change that it has accepted."

Neo thought of something exciting, "So the bubbles have conscious, free thought?"

Dagles eyebrow rose. "It is the general consensus that it isn't a free-thinking being, but instead acts as a living being would to a virus. We're able to change the layout of the bubble interior but if we change something that the bubble has recognised as important, such as the floating water, then touching them to change their nature will cause the bubble to react to you."

"Hmm, so don't touch the bubbles property, got it."

"Right then, no more questions, Neo. We are going to teach you how to form a single space bubble. So, find a comfortable position because we're going to be here a while."

Once Neo had taken a seat beside the waterfall, watching the peaceful sight, he got comfortable looking out into the forest. When Neo relaxed, his headache slowly faded away, and Neo’s eyes were watering. 'What the hell has been going on in my life? It's so overwhelming.' The amount of information was giving him headaches, and he was trying to escape it, or avoid it. Until just now he didn't realise how tense he was.

Coming back to himself after his few moments of rest, he saw Dagles staring at him with an empathetic smile. "Actually, come to sit over here," he said while taking his socks off and rolling up his trousers. Walking over while wiping the tears away, Neo sat beside Dagles. "To start learning magic you need to be relaxed and comfortable, so just relax and watch this." Dagles kicked the water sending it up in slow motion, causing the light to shine by forming many mini-rainbows as the water slowly fell.

Neo was mesmerised, relaxing as he watched. Once the rainbows stopped forming Dagles started talking, "I am a good listener, why don't you tell me about your adventure?"

Neo looked at Dagles, seeing the smiling face Neo could barely get a coherent word out as he blurted out almost everything. He indeed had held back about Death, however, having no idea what Dagles would think of that….

'Damn … that felt good." As Neo got everything off his chest, from nearly dying twice, learning magic, and being confronted with beasts out of fantasy, to getting a fiancé and just generally having everything out of his control.

While Dagles sat listening contently nodding. "I couldn't imagine what you're going through since I grew up in this world. It has its own rules which do change between kingdoms much like your own does. I believe even in your own world if you went to another country to stay for a long time you would feel similarly. I believe it's called culture shock. People go through different stages until they feel that they have become accepted and understand the new environment that they find themselves in, and you're just in one of the stages of rejection or regression. In the case of your freedom, it is for the safety of others so yes, you haven't got much for now, but I am sure once you have some control and Jane passes you on the health checks in the future you'll have your freedom back."

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

While Dagles was talking, Neo took some deep breaths before asking himself 'What was that all about? I don't tend to be that overly emotional, even when I was sad. I haven't cried in ages, yet travel to a new world broke me into a blubbering mess.' Neo couldn't think of , yes it was stressful, but that was no reason to break down. 'Arr,' he thought now angry at himself for spewing his guts to some stranger.

'Arr, what is going on this doesn't feel right, arr.' He pulled his hair in frustration. It wasn't until he felt a light slap on the back of his head, "Neo, to control your magic you need a calm mind, so put your frustrations behind you and focus on the now."

Neo felt a rush of anger when Dagles slapped him, and a thought flashed through his head that Neo wanted to crush his head between his hands. Neo blinked, 'Where did that thought come from? Why would I imagine such horrible things to do to people?' He took a deep breath, 'Ok, I have new problems to deal with now. From shyness and flakiness to gorily aggressive, anger issues and overconfidence. I don't think I like either too much.'

Taking some calming breaths, Neo stood up from beside the pond and walked back over to the scenic waterfall and sat down, squishing his emotions.

Once Neo was seated he stared at Dagles who nodded his head in understanding and spoke in a soothing voice, "Neo, look into your chest, surrounding your heart you should see a white bundle of strings and pearls. Pinch a small amount of it and pull it out of your chest, using your hands to direct if it helps you."

“Really, Dagles, that’s all your giving me? ‘Reach into yourself and find the power.’”

Dagles smiled and gave a laugh before explaining, “The power isn’t that hard to grab with a little practice with the average talent that you have. It is however very dangerous to use. With one wrong Misstep, like doing it inside out, and dying when you have all your mana taken within seconds is a common rookie mistake.”

"So, what do I have to do once I have grabbed said magic?"

"Simple, form it into a sphere with the tangled particles on the inside and keep the outside to be clear and smooth."

Doing as Dagles instructed, Neo withdrew into himself where he focused in on his chest and found with surprising natural ease the orb of magical threads and pearls, but there was something else behind it, a vast shadow.

Ignoring the shadow, assuming that it was the sealing ring, he reached an imaginary hand to grasp the magic. He tugged on it only to see it flow out of his grasp.

Neo tried again, this time using both hands, like the way you would drink water. After cupping a portion of magic, he managed to pull it away. The orb started spiralling, and a new thread and pearls slowly appeared in its stead.

Neo, returning his focus to the magic in his hands, pulled the mana out of his chest as he imagined a sphere that contained the threads.

He heard a whisper, "Okay, now open your eyes. Keep the image of the sphere in place."

Neo opened his eyes to find an opaque sphere in front of him, "Well, Neo you've completed the first stage without killing yourself. Now that you have your space you can do almost anything you like with it from creating diamonds to oxygen. As long as you have the knowledge and mana to make it."

Neo was sweating from the exertion of the simple spell. With what Dagles had said, he got excited again and with a weird understanding moved the threads and pearls to create something within it. But before he could see the finished product, the dark edges crept in on him, and he blacked out.

Dagles was sitting across the from Neo with a shocked look as he saw that Neo was making something even before being taught how to do so. He saw something fall from the sphere before it faded along with Neo's conscious.

Standing up from where he had been sitting, Dagles picked up the item and examining it found what he thought was a gold flake-diamond. It was a mind-boggling creation. That hadn't ever been made by anyone, or at least he'd never heard of anyone creating one. Since it was so prized by kingdoms the only place, you'll see them are on dragon riders and legendary equipment.

Dagles licked his lips as he considered taking it while lieing to the lad that he'd failed in creating anything and hadn't finished making it before blacking out.

But here considered as he saw how quickly Neo had learnt and the power he had. His potential without his void ring on was tremendous. Dagles heisted too long as he heard trees crashing and footsteps exiting into the clearing. Seeing a dragon slayer and knight in shining armour blazing a trail toward him he swallowed his lies and thoughts while hoping they wouldn’t cut his head off.

While Dagles imagined what might happen, Bethany saw the greed and lust in the teacher's heart was quickly replaced with fear and comprehension. "What happened? We felt a huge spike of magic from this area." Bethany asked as she went past Dagles after seeing Neo lying on the grass. She glanced at what the teacher was lusting over and almost tripped with recognition, then wave of understanding overcame her.

Stopping in her tracks, she held her hand out to Dagles, "I'll be taking that for Neo."

Dagles looked at the gold diamond then at Bethany, hesitating before hanging his head and placing the diamond into her hand. She stared into his eyes and spoke. "Don't mention this to anyone, understood?"

Dagles nodded before backing away, almost bumping into Gie. Getting around Gie, he headed into the forest with a relieved breath.

Bethany studied the object in her hand and marvelled at it, "How did you make this Neo? It couldn't be you could it?" A tint of worry overcame Bethany, "let's get him back to his room."

Placing the gold diamonds into her suit, she checked if Neo was okay and found him asleep from mana exhaustion. Once his health was assured she flung Neo over her shoulder and headed back towards the dorms to his room, where she would have to think of what he could do with the diamond.

A little while later Neo found himself in the comfortable embrace of the cotton sheets of his bed, with another headache while he also had an achiness throughout his body. Looking away from his ceiling he saw Bethany sitting at his desk with a worried look on her face, and gold flaked diamond in her hand.

Neo cautiously spoke, "Hey, Bethany is everything ok?"

She looked up from her hands with a sweet smile but still had a prevailing look of worry, "Yeh, your fine. However, what you made maybe a problem for us. It's a gold diamond, it gives a magical boosting effect to the person it's connected to and creates a living weapon since it has intelligence with a part of a soul that's been put into it. One of the few beings that can make these are dragons. I don't know why, but they gift them to people they trust before they die."

"Ok, so what's with the worried look?"

"Well,f it has a part of your soul, you won't be able to use it, and it could be used against you as it would be connected to you."

"Okay then, well, the quickest way to find out?"

Bethany shrugged, "I've heard all it requires is a drop of blood to make the connection but whether it's right or not..."

"Well, Bethany if you have a pointed object we will find out if it's me or not."

Neo had hope that it might be a part of the dragon he’d consumed, but there was only one way to find out… Neo saw Bethany draw a giant knife from somewhere, he didn't see where. "Blimey that's knife, I’m sure that'll take my arm off."

Neo sat up crossing his legs holding out his hand for Bethany. She placed the knife and without allowing Neo to prepare she dragged the blade across his finger, "Ahhh, bloody hell, damn it, man, that bloody hurt!"

"Stop being a wuss." She said with a determined stare and slapped the diamond into his hand, curling his hand up and pressing his bloody finger into it, which caused another round of curses from Neo, but she was soon distracted by a golden glow from the diamond before it faded away.

Neo looked at Bethany, "Well, what does that mean?"

Bethany shrugged but had a look of relief, "Take it as a good sign. Now we need some way to hide it and use it. I recommend implanting it into a giant, impractical sword and seeing what happens."

"You said earlier that it could be a living being if we put it into a simple sword would it be able to communicate?" This comment seemed to stop Bethany from spewing any other idea, and she replied to Neo.

"That's a good point, I didn't think of it. So there are a few things we can do, one we could build it around a pen, or screen of some kind that was inlaid with ink or colour that can be used to create wor… "

Neo saw a light bulb go off in Bethany's mind. "Or we can place it into living metal. It’s a costly metal, which is why I wouldn't usually think of it, but with you having something far more valuable, let's go to the workshop."

As she got up, jumping on her stilts, she was pretty much hopping out of the room. Looking down at the perfectly fine finger and dimly lit stone, Neo shivered, 'Why is everything so dangerous or weird?' Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he got up to follow Bethany.