Just as the opening closed, it opened again, and Alvis came out seeming a bit disoriented for a moment. The way he stood was different somehow, and he gave off an air closer to Alvis’s than the headmaster now.

“What was it like?” I asked.

“Cassandra?” he asked, “That’s right, we are still back there, in Beraud. How should I put this, even though you know it is a test or a simulation, as far as your memories are concerned two years have passed. Those two years are enough to change you, but there is a constant option to give up early and leave if it gets too hard. That would be a failure, though, right?” 

“It would,” Alvis confirmed then turned to me. “Are you ready, Cassandra?”

I took a deep breath. “No, but if I waited until I was ready that would make the whole thing pointless.”

Alvis smiled with pride as I entered the Pavilion. 

At first, there was the usual serene sight of the Pavilion with the sky and the water touching and nothing else in the world. Then, everything rippled and Cassandra was standing in the castle in the coronation room of the queen.

“Congratulations,” queen, or not in the scenario, Levina told me with a proud smile.

Everything was so real and I fell into the pace of the simulation almost immediately. Two years passed in the blink of an eye, and suddenly the simulation ended. At first, I was incredibly disoriented. I had just been talking to the king of Beraud about an international celebration he had invited me to and then it was back to this place.

For a moment I thought I had died. The Pavilion was breathtaking enough to be mistaken for the afterlife. Then I remembered what I was doing and that this was just a simulation and a test.

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It was all fake… All that work I did to stabilize my position! How was I supposed to remember all of the deal I had arranged and the amazing talent I had found? I felt like it was already slipping away, and there was no guarantee any of it was real anyway.

By the time I made my way to the door of the pavilion I was coming back to terms with reality, and my time in the simulation started to feel like a vivid dream.

Alois whistled. “And I thought I changed,” he said.

“WHat do you mean?” I asked.

“The way you walk and stand… You had perfect poise before, but now I feel like I am in the presence of royalty,” Alois answered.

“But your aura grew more subtle,” I told him with a smile. 

“Subtle, but still powerful,” he replied with a confident smile of his own, “The headmaster was never meant to stand out too much. The headmaster is someone with incredible skill who stands in the shadows. Respected, but never throws his weight around.”

“I see the simulation-me taught you well,” Alvis said, “But if either of you want what you experienced there to come true there is something we must take care of first. There are only two ways to claim all of the magic in Tethia. The first is to destroy magic at its source and hoard what little remains, but I doubt he is aiming for something so temporary. The second is to take the artifact that creates magic and alter it so that it only creates magic for him.”

“Creates magic?” I asked.

“Magic has always existed, and exists everywhere,” Alois explained, “However, Tethia became a kingdom of magic because of that artifact. It takes the magic that exists everywhere and converts it into a form of magic almost everyone can use.”

“That is why powerful mages sometimes appear in other countries,” I realized, “That must also be why they are so rare, if the natural magic is so hard to use.”

“Who has that artifact?” Alois asked, though both of us probably knew the answer by now. 

“The head magician,” Alvis replied, “I plan to send you two to the capital. You will have three days, since the headmaster won’t be returning before he makes his mistake in my Pavilion. I will be sure of it. Once he reappears he will be desperate and everyone will have to move quickly.”

“What if we fail to convince them?” Cassandra asked, “Time travel is incredibly difficult and I doubt anyone will believe we accomplished it.”

“You didn’t,” Alvis said, “Use my name if you have to. They may think you are liars, but the head magician should at least listen.”

“No pressure,” Alois muttered sarcastically under his breath, “Let’s get this over with.”

I nodded as Alvis opened another one of his strange gateways that took us right into the castle itself. Normally I would recommend splitting up but this kind of story needed at least two witnesses to work together.

“Who should we talk to first?” I asked Alois.

“The head magician. He is in the most danger,” Alois replied. 

“In the most danger of what?” Queen Levina asked, stopping us from moving forward, “You may be in a hurry but I think you have a story that I need to hear.”

“We will tell you everything,” I promised, “but we need to use that room.”