The shimmering powder flew through the air, orbiting around Ishrin’s body like a trail of stars. All around him, gleaming in the morning light like dew on thin blades of grass, precious jewels and magical items had been carefully placed on the ground and in the air. Each in their own spot, following arcane rules that Ishrin decoded a long lifetime ago, in his travels. Suspended above the ground by unseen forces, tendrils of mana and willpower.

They were back in the field outside the city, Lisette and Melina careful observers. Ishrin seemed lost in his own head, unaware of what was happening around him, utterly concentrated and focused. Much more so than he had been previously. This was a ritual that could change the way he approached his magic progression.

The rules of magic were elusive and complex, not always consistent, or logical, and they thus escaped the grasp of most people who attempted to study them. Even the Technocrat, his old acquaintance from the other universe, master of his portion of the universe through technology, only used magic as a power source. His science had failed to penetrate the veil, to uncover what hid beneath.

Ishrin had gone deeper, but not deep enough yet to know the real forces that made magic possible. The Technocrat had told him of physical forces and fields, particles and quanta, but that was not enough to account for magic. It only described the natural, not the supernatural.

Mana was something else. Something more.

Suddenly Ishrin’s eyes shot open. A faint light shone from deep inside them, so weak as to be confused with the gleam of soft sunlight hitting his retina. Around him, the carefully drawn structure of reagents, powders and catalysts was organized in three-dimensional shapes. Cliques of higher entropy, the most complex ritual he had ever performed ever since coming to the world of Prima Luce.

Then, a word of power. This time, Ishrin got to choose what to say, for the ritual had never been performed by anyone before him. He was charting a new course in the field of magic itself.

Around him, the voice of reality sanctioned his first step into new waters.

Ritual successful: Touch from Afar. You attune yourself to the forces of reality.

Ishrin grinned. Melina gasped. Lisette did not move an inch.

He did not know whether they had heard the voice this time, or if the message had been more private and personal. But they could tell that something momentous had just happened, that Ishrin had moved beyond a mere Tier 1 mage and had become something more. They could see it with their magical sight, the quanta of magic settling upon him and within him. Moments later, they were gone, their passing just a memory in the mind of whoever had been witness to the change, with no outwardly visible changes.

Inside, Ishrin felt reborn. He could see. Forces. Fields. Energy. Magic.

They made their way back to the guild in silence. Ishrin had explained what little he had been willing to share about this ritual to them, and no more. This was experimental magic, not to be taken lightly, and he could see how the allure of the power it promised was affecting them. Strangely, it had been Lisette who had shown restraint the most, not even asking her usual questions about magic.

Even though Ishrin was getting to know her better the more time he spent with her, he actually felt more and more confused. Melina, at least, was rather easy to read. She had goals he did not know, but the way she acted was clear. She didn’t feel comfortable where she was in life, and she felt like the path out was personal power. He was the key to more personal power. Therefore, she followed him and hung on to his every word. Pretty easy.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Lisette, though? Ishrin had thought her story to be quite similar. She had a laser-like focus he had rarely seen elsewhere. Until he realized where he had seen such behaviors. Trauma victims.

He never asked, of course. Even he knew it was an inappropriate thing to do.

“I’ve seen Goddard around,” Melina said as they got closer to the guild to have a quick bite. “How is he?”

“He’s fine. The ritual was a success.”

“That’s good. That’s… very good.” She said.

“You seem distracted.”

Lisette butted in. “She has been like this since this morning.”

Ishrin smiled at the annoyed girl’s tone. One of the few emotions she ever displayed.

“This whole situation is stretching me thin… give me a break.” She sighed. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap. I’ll manage, okay?”

A small tremor shook the ground. “What did you two find at the volcano by the way?”

“It’s awakening.” The guild master said quickly, looking into the distance. “I have to go.”

And off she went, leaving Ishrin and Lisette alone with their thoughts. They still had breakfast together, but the silence was a bit awkward. Ishrin felt, for all his vast knowledge and presumed aloofness, rather out of his depth.

“I know why I was attacked in the forest. Back when you saved me.” Lisette said without warning, locking eyes with Ishrin. “The volcano has been displacing a lot of monsters from their normal zones. It might trigger a Tide.”

“Sounds bad. Is that why Melina’s all worked up?”

Lisette nodded. “I think so. I did not ask her.”

Ishrin waited.

“A Tide is neither good nor bad. It is an opportunity.”

“I see…”

Another pause. Then she spoke again.

“Why did you revive him?”

“Goddard?”

“Yes.”

“You killed him.” He said.

“And?” She asked.

Ishrin looked at her. Not a speck of emotion on her face. Surely not remorse or guilt.

“And? He didn’t deserve to die, Lisette.”

She shook her head. “If somebody threatens you, they die.” She said, voice even. “I hope that this fact is very clear to everyone now. If not… it will be.”

She got up, and left.

Right at that moment, Goddard appeared out of the woodwork and sat where she had been. He picked up her glass, which had been untouched along with the rest of her breakfast, and drank. He made a face.

In that moment, Ishrin looked at the man and a word came to his mind: slimy. At least, after what happened, he was not being a nuisance anymore. At least, Goddard was now a slimy man trying to redeem himself. Trying to look good when Ishrin was around. Who knew if he still did that when Ishrin was not around?

“I don’t know what you did but you got yourself quite the protector. I almost envy you. Almost.” He said, then took a deep breath. “You know, a faceless clerk came to me. Told me that what she did wasn’t right. That they scolded her, told her never to act like that again. That what happened to me ‘wasn’t right’, they said. You saving me? Not enough, officially at least. They gave me gold to make it right, a lot of gold. But the truth man, the truth is that I was going to kill you. I was swinging at you to kill. I don’t know. Perhaps I don’t deserve this.” He shook his head. “What did you do to make her act like that towards you? She hates men.”

Ishrin studied the man. There was no malice in his voice, but there were hidden layers and meanings. He was talking like they were friends. Slimy.

“She doesn’t hate men. She just acts according to… you know what? Nevermind. I saved her life from a pack of monsters. Then healed her, enchanted some of her gear and taught her some magic.” Ishrin said with a shrug.

“Ah well, that might explain it. Seeing what you did to me…”

“Plus, I think she likes my Liù.”

At the mention of her name, the small pixie showed up. She saw Goddard, flipped him off, stuck out her tongue and vanished into Ishrin’s front pocket. He had gotten a shirt with a silly pocket like that just so she could sit there nice and cozy and look around.

“She hates me.” Goddard drooped.

“You did a number on her, dude.” Ishrin said. “She holds grudges.”

“I guess so. I’m sorry, Liù.”

The little pixie poked her head out of the pocket and made a face. It was going to take time before she forgave him, but apologizing was a good first move.

“Well, that was a good one. I guess near death really changed your perspective on things, didn’t it?” Ishrin said. “However nice it was of you, can I ask you what you want from me? I have things to do, and I don’t really want to chat you up yet. I’m still a bit pissed myself.”

“It’s fair.” Goddard said, sounding a bit sad. Perhaps he really was. “I wanted to tell you about a rumor I’ve heard. It seems that they have dispatched a new Guild Master. He’s coming to Noctis, and he’s said to be a much higher tier than your friend Melina. Watch out.”