After about 30 seconds, the lights flickered back on and the glowing figure appeared next to the panel once more. "Thank you Aleera, what can you tell me about what's happening?" Aleera's glowing figure dimmed slightly. "My sensors are limited above ground so I cannot provide much information on the state of events there. However, readings of the local magnetic field are chaotic. If that continues, this will be a tectonic disaster beyond any of my calculations. Was there a change to the ritual? Or, did it function incorrectly?" Sita hesitated. "As far as I could tell when I left, it had proceeded smoothly. Hopefully this is just a small shift until the sun stabilises." Aleera's lack of response was not reassuring.

Suddenly, Mico's hand was knocked aside and he lost his grip on the shard. "Hey, what are you doing?" He opened his eyes to see Cutter's face, looking supremely unimpressed. "What did I..." Belatedly noticing the light blistering on his palm, Mico's eyes widened. "Ouch, is that meant to happen?" Mico could almost see Cutter's eyes rolling, even though he maintained eye contact. "The more pertinent question is why you kept channelling when it started to burn you?" Mico unconsciously scratched at the side of his face. "Uhhh, I didn't actually notice. Besides, you didn't tell me that could happen."

Cutter snorted. "It shouldn't matter if I warned you boy. Any fool should know to stop doing something when it burns them." His mouth twisted a bit, "I... will concede however, your channelling rate is significantly higher than I expected." Having taken the small shard from the ground, where it had landed after being knocked out of Mico's hand, he instead handed him a larger piece. "It's far from a hard and fast rule but, in general, larger shards can both hold more and be charged faster." Mico looked at the lump of crystal in his hand. "So, I just fill this up? Then what?" Cutter just rolled his hand.

Once more finding that perfect zone, Mico tried to push his will into the crystal. He spent a few minutes futilely straining his mind before realising that he was about to lose focus. Instead of forcing it, he settled into the familiar feeling of drawing. He stayed that way for a while, though his sense of time in this state was loose. As his focus drew deeper and deeper, that vision of his core grew closer and closer in his mind's eye. He could no longer see two distinct spheres of light. He had no reference point in this space but, despite that, he was certain the sphere was larger than before. Light streamed into the space around him, just at the edge of his perception. He tried to turn and look at the influx of energy but no matter how he tried to change his focus it remained indistinct.

While his focus continued to shift outwards, he retained that perfect state of mind. Just beyond the edges of his... senses? He wasn't sure. Just beyond where he could easily visualise, a faint trail of energy led outward. He followed it, finding something resembling a smaller version of his lifelight. As his will drew closer, the thread thickened. Once again he could vaguely sense heat. Though, this time, it was not enough to burn. He continued channelling into the crystal, fascinated by the blooming twists and flickers of energy that spun around the small core of light.

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Felix and Cutter sat watching Mico. "I'm pretty sure his draw rate has got even more ridiculous." Commented Felix. Cutter was silent, intent on the crystal in Mico's hand. Felix's gaze kept flicking to him, watching his brows gradually drawing closer and lower as time passed. After about 20 minutes of awkward staring, the crystal began to flicker. At first it was weak, barely visible. But, quite quickly, it began to shine. As the intensity increased, Felix looked once more at Cutter. "Are you not going to warn him? He'll just about burn out at this rate?" Cutter shook his head, "It's an important lesson. I've known many an overconfident young fool to overdraw mid battle, thinking they can push through the fatigue. Experience is the best teacher." Felix's mouth twisted, and she looked away.

All of Mico's other senses seemed to fade away. Nothing remained but light, and the darkness that was not yet claimed by the light. More and more, the distinction in his mind between his lifelight and the smaller core dwindled. The thread between them thickened until it was more of a rope. As Mico's focus blended with the light, a tiny filament stretched out from his core. The filament, finer than anything, moved like liquid. The light in it pulsed with a deeper, fuller glow. It flicked once, gracefully, and the thread between Mico's lifelight and the crystal was severed. His mind, completely tangled in the flow of energy, snapped back into his core with a visceral lurch.

Mico's eyes opened to find himself in a small hut. He was sitting on the edge of a bed, hands clasped in his lap. He looked around and his mind stuttered. Each piece of the room around felt simultaneously extremely familiar and yet, totally new. The result was that the room itself was an unpleasant blend of relaxing and disconcerting. Just as he was starting to wonder where exactly he was, the door opened. In walked a young man. The shock of blonde hair drew Mico's eye straight away, followed immediately by the bright amethyst eyes. Mico stood up, quickly realising they were the same height. The young man's shoulders were just starting to broaden, though he'd be best described as slim.

"Where am I? What is this?" Mico demanded. His clone looked at him. "Oh no, you haven't gone anywhere." Mico took a half step back. "What? That makes no sense. Am I dreaming? Why are you... me?" Clone Mico paused, tapping his chin. "Dreaming? No, that's not quite accurate. I would say this is closer to a vision." Gesturing around him at the hut. "This is a visualisation. Our minds constructed this space to represent safety and rest. It appears to be a mix of various places that hold that meaning for you." Mico was waving his hands, "Wait wait, what? My imagination is not this good!" Thinking carefully, Mico said. "Do you mean to say I'm still just sitting there charging the crystal? Wait... no. Something cut off my connection to the crystal."

Clone Mico looked at him sternly. "Yes, that was me. You were very close to draining your core. That wouldn't have been fun for anyone." Mico stared at him, taking another half step back. "That was you, you say. Are you not just part of my visualisation? Or..." Clone Mico cut him off. "We're almost out of time. Suffice to say I am a part of you. Do try not to overextend like that again." Mico tried to speak again, questions filling his mind, but his mouth wouldn't open. The hut around him flickered and then disappeared into twisting ribbons of light." Mico's eyes opened once again to see Cutter staring at him, brows furrowed, amber eyes intense. "What in the light just happened."