Caelum’s fingers hovered over the broken shifting ring, the weight of the moment pressing down on him like a boulder. The fire crackled softly in the background, a flicker of warmth against the cold reality of their situation. He had expected something—anything—to happen when he touched the ring. He had expected a spark of insight, some hidden knowledge that would flood his mind like it had the first time. But the moment his fingertips brushed against the cool surface of the artifact, nothing happened.
The ring sat lifeless in his palm, inert and empty. No sparks. No revelations.
He frowned, turning it over in his hand, as if expecting the touch of his fingers to suddenly activate something hidden deep inside. But still—nothing. It was as though the ring was nothing more than a simple trinket now, its power drained completely.
He glanced over at Seraphine, her face calm yet unreadable as she sat across the campfire, her violet eyes flickering with the light of the flames. She watched him carefully, but there was no surprise in her gaze—only resignation.
“It’s dead, isn’t it?” Caelum muttered, his voice heavy with disappointment.
Seraphine nodded, the slightest hint of frustration creeping into her expression. “The ring’s broken, Caelum. There’s nothing left in it. No mana, no power. It’s completely drained.”
Caelum clenched his fist around the ring, the cold metal pressing into his palm. “So... we’re stuck here.”
Seraphine sighed, brushing a strand of dark hair behind her ear as she glanced down at her grimoire. “Without the ring, yes. We can’t Shift without it, and neither of us has the skill to create an array powerful enough to move us between dimensions.”
Caelum’s brow furrowed. “An array? Can’t you just... make one?”
Her gaze shot back to him, one eyebrow raised in a mix of incredulity and mild amusement. “An array? Caelum, creating an array capable of Shifting isn’t some beginner-level magic. It’s Intermediate Array Master work, maybe higher. I don’t know the first thing about creating arrays that complex, and even if I did, we don’t have the materials. I’m just as new to this as you are.”
“But—” Caelum started, but Seraphine cut him off.
“You’re not listening,” she said firmly, leaning forward slightly. “Like you, this will be my first semester at the university. I don’t have that kind of knowledge or experience. Even if we somehow managed to make an array, there’s no guarantee we wouldn’t end up scattered across a hundred different plains. You barely survived the shifts we did yesterday. I’m not risking something worse.”
Caelum felt a pit form in his stomach. The broken ring sat in his hand like a dead weight, a reminder of how trapped they truly were. “So... what now?” he asked, his voice quieter, almost defeated.
Seraphine sighed again, leaning back as she turned her attention back to her grimoire. “We wait. Hopefully, the university will realize something’s gone wrong and send someone to find us.”
Caelum’s frustration bubbled up, his mind racing for some other solution. There had to be a way out—something they could do to escape this endless dimension. But Seraphine’s calm, matter-of-fact demeanor only deepened his sense of helplessness.
They fell into silence, the campfire crackling softly as the weight of the situation pressed down on them both. Seraphine, ever composed, resumed her writing in the grimoire, her face a mask of concentration. Caelum sat there, turning the broken ring over in his hand, lost in thought.
Then his gaze drifted to the storage ring on his finger—the one that had caused so much confusion earlier. The mana crystal fragment inside it had been a mystery since it appeared, and despite Seraphine’s explanation, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it meant something important.
He turned the ring on his finger, feeling the cool metal against his skin. “What about the fragment?” he asked suddenly, breaking the silence. “The mana crystal in my ring. Couldn’t we use it somehow?”
Seraphine’s pen paused in mid-air, her eyes flicking up to meet his. “The fragment...”
She put her grimoire aside and looked at him thoughtfully. “That’s the strangest part of all this, really. Mana crystals don’t just form like that, especially not in a low-grade, level 1 ring. It has almost a repulsive effect to mana stones compared to higher-level rings. For a fragment to form, you’d need a high concentration of mana, and an array to direct it...”
“But there was no array,” Caelum said, his voice filled with curiosity.
“Exactly,” Seraphine said, her tone tinged with concern. “It shouldn’t be possible. Not in a ring like that.”
She stood up and walked over to where Caelum sat, her gaze fixed on the storage ring on his finger. “The only explanation I can think of is that you’re absorbing so much ambient mana from the dimension that it’s crystallizing in the ring. But even then, that should take years. Yet here you are, with a fragment after just a day.”
Caelum felt his heart quicken. “So what does that mean?”
Seraphine frowned, her eyes narrowing as she examined the ring closely. “It means you’re absorbing mana at an alarming rate, and that could be dangerous. If you’re pulling in more mana than you can control, it could overwhelm you. It could...”
She trailed off, her expression unreadable as she took a step back, clearly unsettled by the implications.
Caelum swallowed hard, the weight of her words sinking in. “Could what?”
“I don’t know,” Seraphine admitted, her voice quieter now. “I’ve never seen anything like this before. And with the ring broken, I don’t have the answers.”
She sat back down, her face clouded with concern. “I’m already in trouble for breaking the artifact,” she muttered under her breath. “Now, I’m dealing with a mage who can somehow crystallize mana in a low-grade ring...”
Caelum could feel the tension in the air between them. They were stuck, with no answers and no way out—unless someone from the university came looking for them. But who knew how long that would take?
They both retreated into their thoughts, the campfire casting long shadows as the hours passed in silence. Seraphine wrote quietly in her grimoire, her face a mask of concentration, while Caelum turned the events of the past day over and over in his mind, trying to make sense of the strange new knowledge swirling in his head.
Time passed slowly in the pocket dimension, though Seraphine seemed to have a better sense of it. By the time dinner rolled around, the campfire had burned down to embers, and Seraphine handed Caelum a bowl of hearty soup.
He took a few bites, savoring the rich flavors, but his mind was elsewhere. His thoughts kept drifting back to the broken ring, to the mana fragment in his storage ring, to the strange power that had awakened inside him.
Finally, he set the bowl down, meeting Seraphine’s gaze across the fire.
“I think I can get us out of here,” he said quietly.
Seraphine blinked, taken aback by his sudden declaration. “What?”
Caelum nodded, his voice more certain this time. “I think I can get us out of here.”
Seraphine stared at him, her violet eyes narrowing. “Caelum, you don’t even know how shifting works. We barely made it through yesterday, and now you think you can get us both out safely?”
He shrugged, a strange sense of calm settling over him. “I don’t know how I know... but I do. I can use you to guide the shift. You need to focus on where we’re going—visualize it. I’ll use that image to anchor us. I think I can do it.”
Seraphine didn’t respond immediately. She just stared at Caelum, her brow furrowed, as if trying to decide whether he was serious or if he’d finally cracked under the pressure. The flickering light of the fire made her violet eyes look even more intense, sharp and almost calculating as they bored into him.
“You think you can get us out of here?” she repeated, her tone cautious, as if testing the weight of his words.
Caelum nodded, feeling the strange certainty settle over him again. It wasn’t that he knew how to do it, not exactly. He just felt it, deep down, like something hovering just beyond the edge of his consciousness. It was as though his body and mind already understood the mechanics of Shifting, even if he hadn’t fully caught up yet.
“Yes,” he said firmly. “I can. But I’ll need you to focus. I can’t do it on my own.”
Seraphine remained silent for a long moment, her fingers drumming absently against her thigh. She glanced down at the campfire, then back at Caelum, the skepticism still etched in her features.
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“You barely survived yesterday’s shifts,” she pointed out. “Your body was breaking apart with every jump. You think you can hold both of us together through a shift and get us out safely?”
Caelum swallowed, acknowledging the truth of her words. Yesterday’s experience had been brutal, his body and mind stretched to their limits. But something had changed since then. He felt... more in control now. The world around him didn’t feel as chaotic or foreign as it had before.
“I know it’s risky,” he admitted, his gaze steady on hers. “But we can’t just sit here and wait for someone to find us. What if they never come? I’m not saying I fully understand what’s happening to me, but... I think I can do this.”
Seraphine stood up, pacing in front of the fire. Her braid swung back and forth as she moved, and her violet eyes were dark with concentration. “This isn’t a decision we can take lightly. You don’t know what you’re risking. Shifting without the ring isn’t just about moving from place to place—it’s about holding yourself together, keeping your essence intact. You make one wrong move, and we’ll be scattered across a thousand different plains.”
“I know,” Caelum said, his voice calm despite the gravity of her words. “But you don’t know what’s going to happen either. If we stay here, we’re just as trapped. And what if I’m right? What if we can make the shift?”
Seraphine stopped pacing, her eyes flicking up to meet his. She was silent for a moment, weighing his words. There was a tension in her stance, a conflict between her natural caution and the growing realization that Caelum might be their only way out.
“What makes you think you can do it?” she asked finally, her tone softer but still sharp with skepticism. “You don’t even know how to shift properly. How can you be sure you won’t just tear us both apart?”
Caelum paused, unsure how to explain it. The confidence he felt was unnerving even to him. It wasn’t logical—it was more like a gut feeling, something deep and instinctual. Maybe it was the result of absorbing the ring’s power or the ambient mana from the pocket dimension. Or maybe it was something else entirely.
“I don’t know why,” he said slowly, “but I just... know. I can use your knowledge, your image of the destination, to anchor the shift. You can visualize where we need to go, and I’ll focus on forcing the shift itself. I’ll use your mental image as a guide.”
Seraphine crossed her arms, still eyeing him with suspicion. “And where exactly are we going? You need a clear destination to shift. It’s not enough to just want to go somewhere. You have to know where.”
Caelum’s heart pounded in his chest as he nodded. “The university. You’ve been there before, right? You know what it looks like.”
Seraphine’s lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes narrowing. “Of course I know the university. But knowing a place and being able to shift there are two very different things. Even if I can visualize it perfectly, it doesn’t guarantee you’ll be able to use that to guide us.”
“I don’t need to be perfect,” Caelum said, the words leaving his mouth before he could think them through. “I just need enough to work with. You said it yourself—you’re the one who can visualize the destination. I can’t do it alone, but with your help, I think I can manage.”
For a long time, Seraphine didn’t speak. She paced again, running her hands over her braid in frustration, deep in thought. The fire crackled quietly between them, casting long shadows on the ground.
Then, with a sharp intake of breath, she stopped and faced him, her eyes hard and focused.
“I don’t like this,” she said, her voice low. “I don’t like it one bit. But you’re right about one thing—if we stay here, we’re stuck. I don’t want to wait for someone to rescue us. I’d rather take action.”
Caelum’s heart leapt with a mix of fear and excitement. “So... you’re in?”
Seraphine held his gaze for a moment longer before nodding slowly. “I’m in. But don’t get cocky. You’re not as in control of this as you think you are. The moment we do this, we could end up in a worse situation than we’re in now.”
“I understand,” Caelum said, the weight of her words sinking in.
Seraphine let out a sigh, her fingers tugging at the ends of her braid. “You’re going to need more than instinct to pull this off, Caelum. Shifting isn’t just about forcing your will on the world around you. It’s about control—holding yourself together, staying grounded, and keeping the destination clear in your mind.”
“I know,” Caelum said, his voice softer now. “But I can’t explain it. I just... feel like I can do it.”
Seraphine crossed her arms again, studying him for a long moment. “There’s no guarantee you can pull this off.”
“Then why agree?” he asked.
Her violet eyes flickered, and a wry smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “Because I’d rather die trying than sit here waiting for something that might never come. If we fail, at least we won’t have to spend eternity trapped in this void.”
Caelum felt a surge of adrenaline rush through him. This was happening. They were going to try. He wasn’t sure where this confidence was coming from—whether it was born from desperation or something deeper. But Seraphine’s decision had tipped the scales, and now there was no turning back.
Seraphine stepped closer, her expression growing serious again. “You’ll need a lot of mana to pull this off. You can’t rely on just the ambient mana from the pocket dimension. If we’re doing this, you’re going to need more power.”
Caelum nodded, reaching for the full mana stone he had stored in his ring. He pulled it out, holding it up for Seraphine to see. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of it.
“This should be enough,” Caelum said quietly.
Seraphine stared at the stone for a moment before nodding, though her gaze was filled with both surprise and concern. “That’s... a lot of mana. Where did you even get that?”
“It was in my ring,” Caelum explained, his tone casual. “I found it earlier when I was playing around with the ring.”
Seraphine frowned, her eyes narrowing. “Mana stones don’t just appear out of nowhere, especially not full stones. But if that’s the kind of power you’ve been absorbing, then maybe you really can pull this off.”
Caelum swallowed, his nerves catching up with him again. “You think it’s enough?”
Seraphine nodded. “It’s enough. But it also means this is the only shot we’ve got.”
Seraphine’s eyes flickered with sudden realization as she stared at the full mana stone in Caelum’s hand. Her breath caught for a moment, and the calm mask she’d been wearing since they began their conversation cracked, revealing a flash of worry beneath.
“Wait...” she muttered, more to herself than to Caelum. “That can’t be right.”
Caelum frowned, confused. “What’s wrong?”
Seraphine’s gaze darted from the stone to the ring on Caelum’s finger, and back again. “That stone... Caelum, that was just a fragment a few hours ago.”
Caelum blinked, glancing down at the stone, then back up at her. “What do you mean?”
“You pulled that from your ring earlier, remember?” Seraphine’s voice was tense now. “It was just a tiny fragment before lunch. Now, it’s a full mana stone—fully crystallized.”
Caelum’s pulse quickened. “So... I did that?”
Seraphine nodded, her face clouding with concern. “Yes. And it happened fast. Faster than I’ve ever seen. You’re absorbing mana at an unnatural rate. You’ve been pulling so much ambient mana from this pocket dimension, it’s no wonder the shifting ring hasn’t recharged. You’ve been hogging all the available mana without even realizing it.”
Caelum stared at the stone in his hand, his mind reeling. He had no idea how much power he was drawing in—or that he had the ability to create a full mana stone so quickly. And if that was possible here, in this pocket dimension, then...
Seraphine must have been thinking the same thing, because her eyes suddenly darkened with worry. “What’s going to happen when we get to the magic plain?” she murmured, her voice barely audible. “The mana density there is a hundred times greater than it is here. Will you always be like this?”
Caelum’s throat tightened. “What do you mean?”
She turned to him, her expression grim. “If you keep absorbing mana at this rate, what’s going to happen when we reach the university? Will you disrupt the mana around you? Will it be dangerous for the people there? Or...” She hesitated, glancing down at the stone again. “Will it slow down once your body adjusts to the higher density? Maybe you’re like a starved man at a feast—your body is just trying to quench its thirst for mana.”
Caelum didn’t know how to respond. He wasn’t sure what to make of his abilities, or how they would develop once they left this strange, timeless dimension. Would he always be a threat to the mana around him, or would he stabilize once he acclimated to the new world?
Seraphine shook her head, brushing the thoughts away with a wave of her hand. “We don’t have time to worry about that now. Right now, we need to focus on getting out of here.”
Caelum nodded, his heart still racing as he pocketed the mana stone. They could figure the rest out once they reached the university—assuming they made it that far. For now, their priority was getting out of the pocket dimension before they were truly stranded.
Seraphine stepped closer, her expression serious but steady once again. “Alright. You’re sure you can do this?”
Caelum took a deep breath, nodding slowly. “I’m sure.”
She held out her hand to him, her violet eyes locking onto his. “Then let’s go.”
But instead of simply taking her hand, Caelum felt a surge of emotion flood through him—an odd mix of gratitude, fear, and something else he couldn’t quite identify. Before he knew what he was doing, he pulled Seraphine into a tight hug, wrapping both arms around her as he held her close.
Seraphine let out a surprised squeak, her body stiffening in his arms for a brief moment. But she didn’t pull away. Instead, she relaxed slightly, allowing herself to lean into him. For a moment, neither of them moved, the firelight casting soft, flickering shadows across their forms.
Caelum hadn’t realized until now just how small she was compared to him. Had he always been taller? And her body—slight but strong—felt so solid against his own. He hadn’t noticed before how grounded she seemed, even when the world around them was in chaos. His heart pounded in his chest as he held her, and for a moment, all the fear and uncertainty melted away, replaced by a strange sense of calm.
Seraphine, on the other hand, was struggling to keep her composure. Her face was flushed with a deep blush, her mind racing. Has he always been this tall? And when did he get so... solid? She had thought of him as the naive boy she met yesterday, but now, wrapped in his arms, he felt different. More... substantial. Her heart fluttered, and she cursed herself silently for letting her guard down.
She cleared her throat, stepping back slightly but not quite breaking the contact between them. “I... uh... I think we should get going,” she stammered, her usual calm demeanor momentarily shaken.
Caelum nodded, releasing her from the hug but still feeling the warmth of her presence lingering in the air between them. He gave her a reassuring smile, his voice steady. “I’m ready. Do you have our destination in your mind?”
Seraphine nodded, her blush fading as she regained her composure. “Yes. I can visualize the university. Just... be careful, alright?”
Caelum took a deep breath, centering himself as he reached out with his mana, feeling the faint pulse of power deep within him. The ambient mana in the pocket dimension felt thicker now, more tangible, as if it was responding to his presence. He could sense the flow of energy around them, the way it ebbed and shifted, and he knew—somehow—that he could control it.
He met Seraphine’s gaze, his voice calm but filled with determination. “Let’s do this.”
Seraphine closed her eyes, focusing on the image of the university in her mind. The towering spires, the grand halls, the vast magical arrays that powered the city. She could see it clearly, as if she were standing there now. She held the image in her mind, steady and clear, as Caelum began to draw on the ambient mana around them.
The air seemed to hum with energy, the fire flickering and dimming as the mana began to gather around them. Caelum’s hands tightened into fists, the power surging through him as he concentrated on the shift.
And then, just as the tension in the air reached its peak, there was an audible ripping sound, followed by a sharp CRACK.