Several days after striking my deal with Darius, I found myself neck-deep in training with Wallace. I could not say if it was his narrow defeat, a lack of other options, or an entirely unrelated burst of motivation, but the former noble had thrown himself into practice, seemingly determined to reach Haze before we set off. For my part, I wanted to get his looping trick down, at least enough to use it for a few minutes at a time.

Unfortunately, only one of those goals seemed within reach.

Wallace sat on the grass, eyes closed and legs folded beneath him. Mana swirled about his body, a thin and diffuse mixture of a dozen variants, and I could sense everything from hard, tough earth to flowing water and flighty wind to the deep, burning heat of fire. Only one, however, which gave a feeling of cold hardness like a knife against bare skin, would work for the man's needs.

Slowly, he inhaled, and I felt that last flavor of mana flow into his body. I could track it for a time, watching as it passed through his lungs and into his core, joining with the mass within and empowering him a little more. Interestingly, his signature was far easier to sense when he was not using his looping technique, and I made a mental note to teach Wallace passive shrouds.

I watched him for a long time, searching for flaws in his technique that might need correcting and finding none. A part of me wanted to claim credit, to delude myself into believing his successes came down to my tutelage, but that would be a lie. I might have pointed him in the right direction, but the truth was Wallace possessed the same gift as Sophia and Flynn Sion, a sort of innate sense for mana that I could not match without long, arduous practice.

A more bitter and short-sighted person would lose themselves in envy. They might ignore the possibilities before them, eager to feel sorry rather than take advantage of their opportunities. I would have done the same not so long ago, but I had started to realize just how little that would accomplish. Instead, I sought out any kernels of wisdom or hints within Wallace's training, either to further hone my abilities or advance my understanding of metal mana as a whole.

Of course, I still felt jealous of his progress, but Girem had long ago taught me the value of multi-tasking.

When I felt I had learned what I could, I turned my attention to the quarterstaff in my hands. I had already burned through five such weapons, trying to master Wallace's technique, and felt only a little closer now than when I started. It was an invaluable ability to master, one that would make Mana Edge a feasible weapon and help muffle my mana signature. In conjunction with passive shrouding techniques, I would be next to impossible to predict in combat.

The problem was looping my mana into anything physical would break it down. I had already come upon the idea of creating and using stable mana constructs, but even prodigal Forgers took years to reach that stage. Learning the technique with sub-standard materials would grant me a potent new weapon, which might keep me alive someday.

And if not, well, maybe mastering it through such adversity would grant me greater control than learning it the easy way.

As I considered the weapon, debating how best to control the rampaging mana, something else occurred to me. Wallace used steel weapons to loop his mana because it fit his mana, and I planned to use semi-permanent constructs for similar reasons, but there was one other thing almost as suited to my Aether. It was not quite up to the task of containing the energy, as it would break down given time, but it was a damn sight better than wood or steel.

I set aside the quarterstaff and reached into my core, pulling a thin stream of Aether down my right arm and towards my fingertips. The power flowed through the channels, empowering my body just a fraction with its passage. If I pulled it all the way, the energy would escape outward as uncontrolled magic, more a waste of power than anything else.

Instead, I turned it around and dragged the same energy back towards my core. Again, I felt it strengthen my physical form, making my body a little stronger and tougher than usual, and I pushed aside that pleasant distraction, drawing my Aether through the ascending channels of my arm.

When it rejoined the mass within my core, I measured my reserves again. There was some loss, which I had expected. No technique was perfect, and this was my first attempt at it. But the difference felt smaller than it should be, as though I had not used up quite as much mana as I should have.

I tried again, moving faster and pulling a larger stream of Aether through my arm. Once more, I felt it empower my body with its passing, though the change was less stark than when I used my strengthening spell. Still, it was a notable change, and one I observed grow with each test.

With each repetition, I pulled more mana. The increase was enough to strain my control and focus, necessitating several stops, but after my seventh attempt, the results spoke for themselves. And I could not help but kick myself for not considering such an obvious application.

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I had fixated on using Wallace's technique for my Mana Edge because that was how he used it. Wallace pushed metal mana into his sword, which seemed a wise choice for his style, but it was unsuited to my skill set and Aether. What I should have done and failed to consider was altering and adapting the technique for another, more direct application.

In this case, my strengthening spell.

If I was right, learning to use Wallace's looping technique would make the spell far more efficient and dampen my mana signature enough to hide the magic almost perfectly. I could move and strike with little warning, retaining enough energy to throw other spells or fight for much longer periods.

With a goal in mind and the first faltering steps taken, I reached inward and drew from my core once more.

Two weeks later, Wallace reached the boundary between Vapor and Haze. I could not deny some measure of jealousy as his speed, though I pushed it down in favor of congratulations. If I wanted to work with him, I would need to set aside more petty emotions, and if I was honest, I was impressed by his growth.

However, what impressed me even more than his growth was his focus. Whatever fire had lit in him had not abated, and the moment Wallace ran out of space in his core, he demanded that I show him how to advance to Haze. It took me fifteen minutes to convince him to wait until the following day, and even then, the only thing that truly broke through to him was a stern warning. A rushed advancement could injure him, and that might limit his potential even more.

I could not dissuade him any longer than a day, though, so the following morning, we met in my room, the only place with any degree of privacy. Wallace sat cross-legged on the floor, a blanket folded up to provide some cushioning while I reclined in a nearby chair. Cat watched from the bed with unblinking green eyes, seemingly intrigued.

"The first step," I explained to the metal mage, "Is called coalescence. It involves gathering up and smoothing out your mana, drawing it into a more consistent mass to work the energy with less trouble."

"Great. How do I do that?"

I gestured with my hand as I spoke, "I imagine it like I am dragging my hands around a sphere of mist, trying to pull the thin, trailing wisps into the whole. But ultimately, this is a personal process. Whatever you visualize when you control your mana should work."

"Got it. Ah, and how will I know when I'm done?"

"When your mana is as smooth as possible, and any further work yields no results."

Wallace looked unconvinced but shrugged and closed his eyes. I felt his mana shift and twist but could only detect the faintest changes. After a minute or two, I pulled out my notebook and flipped to a blank page. An idea had come to me after re-examining Vivienne's puzzle cube, and I wanted to get something down on paper now while it was still fresh in my thoughts.

Just as I started sketching my idea on the page, Wallace shifted on the floor. I glanced up to find the metal mage staring at me, poorly hidden and unfamiliar uncertainty in his eyes.

"Is there a problem?" I asked, reaching out to sense any abnormalities within his core and finding none.

"I think I'm finished?" Wallace replied.

"You...finished?"

"Yeah," Wallace nodded, "I did what you told me to do. Got my mana as smooth as glass, or at least close to it."

I stared for another second, then shook my head with a snort, "I will take your word for it. Okay, the next step is condensation. If the first step smooths your mana, the second pushes it into a smaller orb. This helps get the mass small enough to 'hold' onto and compress into the next density. However, you have to take care not to push too far, or you might accidentally trigger the third stage. Do you understand?"

"Push, but not too hard. Right?"

I nodded, and Wallace closed his eyes. This time, I could sense a little more about the process. I could feel the touch of his mana control and noted that it was more of a guiding hand than the firm, steady grip I favored. That might come down to our personalities, the way in which metal mana differed from Aether, Wallace's innate talent, or some combination of the three.

Once more, I stopped watching after a few minutes and turned my attention back to my work. Wallace had the decency to take a full half-hour with the second step but soon enough drew my focus with a cough.

"You finished with the second stage, then?" I asked, looking up from my work. Sweat beaded on the man's forehead, and his breathing sounded a little heavier, but I could see the first signs of satisfaction in his eyes.

"Yeah," Wallace nodded, "What's next."

I drew mana from my core and projected it over my left palm. Then, I placed my other hand over the mass and pushed both hands together.

"The third and final stage is compression. It is the simplest of the three, in my opinion. All you have to do is reach inward, grab ahold of your mana, and crush it. Do not push. Do not coax. Do not let even a single wisp escape. And do not relax for a moment. Force your energy into the next stage, using every bit of willpower you have and then some."

"Wait, but how will I know when I reach Haze?"

"For me, it came with a kind of...reverberation. I felt my mana shiver and pulse inside my body and sensed my Aether grow stronger. But I will be honest. I have no idea how the experience might differ for you. I am no expert, and the only other metal mage I have met was a Master, not a Vapor. Hardly applicable in this case."

"So, I'm going in half-blind? Great," Wallace muttered as he closed his eyes.

I debated on trying to make a joke, if only to try and break the tension, but settled on honesty, "I managed to reach Haze with less guidance and less natural talent than you. Stay focused, and you will be fine."

Wallace opened his mouth, possibly to reply, then closed it and nodded once. A moment later, he started.

I felt his mana twist and turn within his body as he squeezed. His signature rippled, not quite unstable to the point of dangerous, but clearly in flux, and I saw his face turn red as sweat trickled down the side of his face.

Cat meowed beside me, and I glanced at the feline with a shrug. There was little we could do but wait and watch. And, of course, take notes. Once Wallace reached Haze, I planned to ask him some questions, but it would have done more harm than good prying. Better not to distract him too much in the moment.

Minutes passed slowly, and eventually, I tried to return to my work. But Wallace's twisting mana, grunting, and clipped, harsh breathing made such a task almost impossible. I did my best to push aside those distractions before finally giving up and setting aside my notebook to watch him in full.

Then, all at once, I felt his mana give. The signature shrunk and deepened, becoming stronger yet smaller in a strange, almost contradictory sensation. And just like that, my first new ally became a Haze, and with it became both more valuable an asset and more dangerous a threat.