"All Mage Tiers are embodiments of their methods, the way you advance through them and ascend. Each Tier therefore has an associated 'maxim' to guide the Mage through them. For Magelings, that is the 'Sight to See'; for Aspirants, the 'Touch of Grace'. For Apprentice? It is the 'Mind to Wield'. Do you see how this relates to ascension, then?"

"To ascend to Mageling, I had to... infuse my eyes with mana, to 'See'," Amy muttered.

"So, for Apprentice?"

"I must do the same... for my mind."

"Correct... somewhat," Felin acquiesced. "Unlike the unrefined infusion of Mageling, far more precision is required for the ascension to Apprentice. These maxims extend far beyond mere advancement too, but for progress through the Tier itself. Each time you live up to this maxim, follow it in your own way, as a part of your own path, your mana becomes more in tune with your self. In turn, your mana is more readily controlled. And, once fully 'attuned' to you, so to speak, you can finally take on more."

"What if you're not fully attuned and take on more? You... die?"

"No, nothing so harsh. You're simply weaker. You can make up for that weakness, but it is slow, far slower than if you were doing it in the Tier it was supposed to be done. That's why I waited until you were ready to tell you the advancement."

"I'm ready now? I wasn't before, right?"

"No, you weren't. Think about it. What was it, in the time between then and now, that your path resonated with the maxim of the Mageling?"

"I don't..." Amy almost said, before something unbidden came to her. Clarity. She had felt... clearer. When she was confronting those children. When she went to the Mayor's office. When she saw Henry's reluctance. When she saw their spite. It had all become so clear. As if, for once in all of her years of living here, she could finally see. Oh. "I...

"I could See the truth. That it was all pointless. That I couldn't rely on them commanding me around anymore. That I had to... do something."

"Indeed, my young Mageling. Your handling of that made me very proud, Amy," Felin grinned, Amy averting her gaze in embarrassment. "Be proud of your accomplishment! You're finally ready to ascend and become a proper Mage. That's the point of Mageling. To realise your path. Only then can you be considered a Mage. And in order to have that realisation, you must first be able to See the path ahead. And, at long last, the fog has cleared, and you, Amy, can See."

"Yes," Amy smiled, a shaky thing after her energy was exhausted from her crying, "Yes, I can See."

"For the next step, the next Tier, you must expand the horizons of your path. You can See it, yes? But it's not ready. You must develop it, and for that, you need your mind. To establish your path, and to set the foundations for Journeyman, where it all comes together."

"Can... can I ascend now?"

"Yes," Felin said, surprising her greatly. "In fact, I would advise you to ascend as soon as you can. This inspiration you have, that allowed you to See, won't last forever. While the effects of it cannot be reversed, if you stay in this mindset while you advance, the effects of it will carry over somewhat, and give you a head start on your Apprentice journey. Now, I don't mean to rush you at all. This is merely advice. If you do not feel ready, then do not ascend. Don't let my encouragement change your path. A master is supposed to help you build your path, not find one. That's why you take on apprentices at, well, Apprentice. To interfere with your path, when it's so young, and fragile, would be wrong. Correcting flaws is allowed, of course, but anything else is simply... it's wrong, let's leave it at that."

"Alright. Should I do it here, or the cellar...?" Amy asked, excitement making its way through her veins, building to a crescendo.

"Anywhere is fine. This isn't a high Tier advancement."

"Okay, I'll... I think I'll do it outside." Amy nodded to herself, wondering if higher Tier advancement caused actual damage or something similar.

"If you wish," Felin said, raising an eyebrow. "You are aware it looks like it's going to rain, right?"

"Of course," Amy grinned, a flash of lightning and rumble of thunder in the distance highlighting her point. "That's the point."

"Alright, alright. I won't judge. I'll just have to fashion a rain shield for myself then," Felin grumbled.

"Oh, right. Sorry, Felin."

* * *

The storm had arrived fast. Rain pelted at her house relentlessly, thunder booming like trumpets announcing the arrival of a king, only the sparse candlelight in the distance allowing her to see that there was still a village at all. Angry black clouds blanketed the sky, the setting sun completely hidden. Amy stood straight under the overhang of the house's roof, Felin besides her in a translucent bubble of mana. Amy was still in her dress and jacket. It was one of her nicer ones too but she couldn't be bothered to change. It felt important too, to have such an important moment be done in this dress. In the rain. Where nothing could judge her. Nothing but the clouds; the rain; and the lightning.

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"The first step of the ascension is similar to splitting," Felin instructed, raising his voice to be audible over the rain. "You direct two motes of mana towards your brain, connecting them to opposite sides. Then, connect a stream or two - your preference - to the motes, forming a loop of sorts with your brain as a medium for the mana to conduct through. When you're ready, you form a 'stream' of sorts through your brain connecting the two motes, continuously pumping mana through it using Magecraft. The rest you will find out. It is instinctual. The Magecraft through? That is important. Do not stop your Magecraft. I won't allow you to stunt your future progress, okay?"

"Understood, Felin."

"Good," Felin finished, the sound of rain no longer interrupted by his explanation. The silence between them wasn't awkward, rather it was comforting. They both knew what was to come next. Felin understood what had to be done, his experience guiding him. Amy instead knew what must be done, her clarity and her confidence supporting her. She couldn't fail. This was her. She was a Mage. And what sort of Mage would she be if she stopped here? On the precipice between the magical and the mundane. Between aimlessness, and her path.

Nothing. That was her answer. She would be nothing.

"Thank you, Felin. I've only known you for... what, two weeks? Not even that. But your guidance... it's meant everything to me. As a part of our contract," Amy considered, Felin's gaze darting to her intensely, "I want to make it up to you. I know you said you'd teach me. This, though? This wasn't really teaching me anything about magic. This was helping me when I needed it the most. I can never thank you enough for that. So, I only hope that when you're just as desperate as I was, as I still am, you can rely on me. That I can help you, as you helped me."

"That's... touching, Amy," Felin smiled softly. "If you really want to, then yes, this can be included in the contract. It's really not needed though..."

"Because I'm not powerful enough?" Amy guessed, her Familiar's eyes widening in response. "I know I'm not. When I am though, when I can do something about it, I want to help."

"...Very well."

With that, Amy was satisfied. Placing one foot carefully in front of the other, she made her way to the beginning of the path to the village. She saw the tree she hid behind when the tsunami of Fae mana happened. She saw the lights of the village, so far away. She saw the lightning, the clouds, and the rain. She saw it all. And, she let it go. Her surroundings fell away. The clinginess of her wet clothes vanished. The sounds of the storm drifting away. All was gone. Only Amy remained. Her body, the mana inside, and her Magecraft. With almost practised motions, even though she had never even tried to in her life, Amy began to dance.

Her dance was rough and amateur, with her even stumbling and tripping several times. Each time though she caught herself and continued. She danced, and danced, and danced. Unaware of the world around her. Her entire self focused on her dancing. Both in reality, and in her Magecraft. For she was not just dancing. Amy was imitating the grace of the dance of life within, on the stage of the world. The stage she couldn't see. Still, she Saw. Mana guided her, showing where she tripped, where she almost went into a bush, or where she was. Even if she could no longer see in life, the mana was still there. And the mana Saw all.

Motes unconsciously floated up, both connected to a single channel of mana, her splitting practised enough that it was as easy as willing it. They attached to either side of her brain, and immediately the gap between them was felt. Tangible, a bridge of possibility built in her mind, the mana willing itself to join and connect. Her Magecraft as active as ever, her dancing as perfect as it could ever be, Amy connected the motes.

Instantly, everything slowed. Mana coursed through her neurons like electricity, dancing through the barrier of her consciousness to meet the other end of possibility, the end of infinity. Overwhelming her psyche, the mana was everywhere, reaching to every crevasse of Amy's mind and brain, infusing it with energy in a desperate attempt at connection. When the two streams finally met, the mana wasn't satisfied. Its reach had expanded. It demanded more connection. Every single point in her mind reached out to the opposite, filling it all, connecting. All that remained of her ruined consciousness was the need for connection, the only other thought of more. More mana. More connection. And that was where the Magecraft came in.

Demanding connection, mana swarmed in faster than ever, except not all made it's way to her mind. Part of it went directly to her mana pool, and, oddly enough, connected. This wasn't temporary, where mana lingered and attuned. No, it was permanent. The need for connection fed an ever-growing cycle of want and greed, her pool vibrating within her as more mana poured in and connected. Her mind strained to constrain it all, her grip on her sanity hanging on by not even a fingernail. The only thing that mattered was her Magecraft. It had to continue. Amy didn't know why. Only that it must.

It soon reached a plateau, however, the ecstasy of connection and mana dying off. Amy could only fit so much mana inside her, and grow so quickly, and the mana soon ran out of more to connect to. Rather, instead of pleading for more connection, in tantrum, the mana was satisfied. It settled deep, cementing its connection, becoming one with her. As it settled, it somehow connected more. Not with mana, though. With Amy. In that connection, something felt lost to her, as more and more mana connected to her, attuned to her, Amy's regathering consciousness struggling to comprehend what. The rumbling of a bell heralded the connection's completeness, a feeling of utter peace ringing through her self, her soul. Somehow, though, in that peace, the mana connected more. It wasn't to itself. It wasn't to Amy's self. It was to something else. Something she couldn't figure out.

With every mote of mana finishing its connection, the streams that had started it all fell from her mind. Surprisingly, or not so, the mana within her mind remained, lingering, enhancing. It dug deeper than the rest of the mana that had connected, and became one with her mind. Just like it had done so many years before with her eyes when she had become a Mageling. Only this time, grander. Refined. Better.

Reality returned with a clash of lightning and thunder, the terrible feeling of cold wet seeping in. It was horrible, yes, but it was comforting. For Amy felt alive. Even if the mana was entrancing, it didn't feel her. Only when she had let go of the mana did she feel herself once more. Connection was wonderful, yes. But what was life, if not connection to the world? And Amy desperately needed some life right now.

Drained, her mind spent, consciousness fled, Amy's dance finally interrupted, as she fell to the muddy ground surrounded by a cloud of mana. She hadn't noticed the mana before, had she? The last thoughts drifting from her mind, she could barely see Felin's feline form leaping across to her, weaving a working of magic, a manic smirk plastered on his face. Then, everything went dark.