A few days past since Altear's suggestion, and with it, I found myself unable to shake it from my mind as the days training and cultivation sessions went on. And yet, I still didn't come up with a solution. I wasn't even sure how it could be possible for the Esoteric Restrictions to even do something like that.

Today was no different, Theitus and I were continuing our session in the courtyard while Isabelle and Altear did their own. I sat in front of Theitus on the silk cushions during a momentary break.

"Hey, Theitus?” I said while my amber glare observed Isabelle training under Altear. "... do you think my Esoteric Restrictions can help Isabelle advance to the next stage of Zenki Ryu?" I asked, to which Theitus raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"It is possible, but where did that come from?" Theitus said with his usual laughter waiting for my answer.

"Well, Altear mentioned it," I admitted, which brought another round of laughter from Theitus.

"Hmph, that women always has her own ideas in mind. It's funny, but in a way, I suppose she isn't wrong. After all I did tell her something along those lines before," Theitus said with a chuckle.

"Is that right," I mused, waiting for him to continue.

"To be honest, you would have no issue sharing a shred of the Esoteric Restrictions, and giving Isabelle the knowledge she needs to breakthrough the second stage of Zenki Ryu" he said with a grin, "The issue is me, as you know, during your cultivation you are within my Mana Art, and since you are under my Art, you are under my direct guidance while I control the stability of your mind and the Esoteric Restrictions. I’m uncertain if I could maintain both Isabelle’s and yours during the conjoined cultivation," he said with a slight sigh before continuing.

"… sharing the knowledge for her to breakthrough could potentially lead to a sudden rush of information that would cause a backlash in her being. I want her to advance but not when it could cost her in the end," Theitus said, his voice laced with a bit of concern.

"I see," I said, although I had to admit it was a bit disappointing. In a way I felt a strange sense of guilt, for all they been giving me, I couldn’t do anything for them, my Esoteric Restrictions, an ability that existed to bend to my very will, yet right now they seemed so powerless to help them.

“… What if I can do it by myself? without your Mana Art. could you maintain Isabelle's mind while my Esoteric Restrictions control her cultivation?" I asked with an idea in mind, and Theitus seemed to pause with a shift of eyes sharpening at me, surprised, as if he saw something within my gaze.

"That would be a big risk, the same risk of you being overwhelmed and losing your will in the process. The result doesn’t change,” Theitus quickly answered which left me to scoff at his response.

“It does, because I said so,” I remarked, knowing that this would work. I couldn't say why, but I knew it would. “I can do it if you only allow me to do it. My Esoteric Restrictions are my will, it has to or what does all this cultivating control have to show for?” I said flatly despite my clear frustration.

Theitus’s sharp glare remained on me as he gave me a thoughtful glance before the smile returned to his face almost as if he wanted a complete explanation of why I was so confident. "Hah, growth is an interesting thing Kazu,” he said with a short moment of laughter. "Alright, I’ll trust you and your Esoteric Restrictions in this, I am curious to see how this will turn out, but if anything goes wrong the connection over Isabelle within my mana art, I will sever it. Nor do I know what this would do to you. I need to be certain you understand this, a moment of hesitation for me could be catastrophic for you,” he said with a firm gaze that seemed to hold the weight of his own strength.

I didn’t pay much mind to his gaze and the seriousness that seemed to wash over him as if whatever my Esoteric Restrictions hid from me would cause some sort of backlash to my being. "… it’s crystal clear" I remarked, leaving Theitus to nod in agreement before standing to his feet to stop Isabelle’s physical training and explain what we had just discussed.

Theitus never did seemed to tell Isabelle what she could and couldn't do, he simply guided her and gave her the choice to refuse what I was going to do.

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I however, sat there watching them converse with each other. Wondering what exactly I was doing, all this work and energy for what? For the sake of the one person who hated my guts.

It wasn't that I felt some sort of obligation to her. Perhaps, I only saw her as a test for my Esoteric Restrictions but really, I wasn't sure how to feel about it, I felt myself wanting to help her, like a bond of friendship, and I didn't understand why.

Their conversation seemed to come to an end and Theitus, Altear and Isabelle approached me, each of them looking quite different in their own ways, yet it was Isabelle who had a clear glare on me, to which Altear giggled at.

And Theitus who grinned waiting for Isabelle to let him know what she had decided on.

A huff escaped her lips clearly annoyed. "Just so you know, I don’t owe you anything for this, and I don't care why you're doing it," Isabelle said bluntly before sitting down next to me and looking at Theitus as if she was waiting for his approval in her agreement.

Theitus and Altear snickered to each other in response to Isabelle's stubbornness, “Well then, shall we begin? Isabelle do as you are told and nothing more, you will be under my Mana Art for the next hour, Kazu. Are you ready?" Theitus said readying himself by sitting on his silk cushion.

"Yeah, I'm ready" I remarked, unsure of what exactly I was ready for.

"Then let us begin," Theitus said before he released his Mana Art over Isabelle. “… it’s your turn, sit behind Isabelle and enter your cultivation state, then I suspect your Esoteric Restrictions to amplify Isabelle’s understanding and increase her core density, that way, she can breakthrough into the second stage of Zenki Ryu. But remember don’t lose your focus or absolute control on what you are attempting to create,” Theitus explained.

I didn't hesitate to follow his orders. I closed my amber eyes and entered my cultivation state, sitting closely back-to-back with Isabelle. I knew exactly what I had to do as my mind and body felt as though it was being pulled towards her in this meditative state.

I focused on my Esoteric Restrictions. an invisible force I couldn’t comprehend but I knew they existed. They were a part of me, in a way that was inexplicable and all consuming but controlled by me.

Time felt to have passed slowly, or perhaps not at all as my mind focused on nothing but the Esoteric Restrictions and what I came here to achieve. But even so without Theitus's Mana Art, this state I was in felt as if I were trapped in a world of my own.

I could feel the connection to Isabelle and the Esoteric Restrictions creating something inside of her, but beyond that, I couldn't comprehend anything, only the will to continue despite the strange sensation that I felt.

I was in control, yet, not, my mind and body was a constant flux of emotions as I could hear, incomprehensible voices whispering in my mind.

“… Who are you?”

My thoughts seemed to be cut short as my gaze fell onto Isabelle within the vast void I was floating in and not entirely myself, unlike the moments before I was in a much different state of mind. Now this vast void seemed to consume me, I felt calm and collected, as if this place was my very home.

My Gaze lingered on the girl, I knew as Isabelle, but in a sense, I could feel my thoughts tell me, she didn’t belong here. A foreign entity that didn’t belong to me and yet she didn’t answer.

“Heh… how could she? She can't, some mere cultivator of Mythral couldn’t possibly understand this place,”

I felt my thoughts resonate with each passing second as I got closer to Isabelle, in this state.

"… if I help her… she will become one of mine, that is not entirely a bad thing"

Again, I found myself thinking as I looked upon the girl, who didn’t only lack in knowledge, but a core of mana that could barely be called impressive. And yet my sole reason for doing this was to thank them in someway I could.

For a moment I stood there, looking at her as if she wasn’t worth it, before I seemed to lift her effortlessly to my face, and that's when I felt myself pour into her.

“Fine… I'll give her what she wants, I'll give her a taste of the height, I stood upon. If she can’t even handle that, then it will be her own fault.”

It became clear that these were my words, that filled the void, and I knew she couldn't understand any of it. Not even I could explain or understand it.

But my thoughts were clear, in this state I was complete and in control of everything around me. I didn't have to explain, I simply knew it, magical energy was nothing compared to what welled within me. But why exactly did I feel this way? I wondered as I allowed her mind to accept the foreign essence within her body.

In an instant, I felt myself forget as I had completed my task and the connection I had to her vanished. The void that once consumed me left me in an empty haze as I was pulled back to reality.

Only the soft breaths of Isabelle filled my ears like a rhythm to my senses, but as I came to, my amber eyes adjusted to my surroundings.

And yet I felt heavy, exhausted, and drained of any sort of energy as a singular breath escaped my lips. I barely managed to raise my attention to Theitus who looked proud, while Altear seemed quite impressed by my achievement, but it did confirm that I successfully helped Isabelle breakthrough, despite the experience I went through to do it, if anything Theitus could help me understand it.

With hazy thoughts, I could hear Isabelle give a slight groan in response, awaking from her cultivation, and for a brief moment, she looked at me before I completely blacked out from the whole ordeal. Still, I was glad to see I was successful in helping her.

In that moment, I truly wondered what I was capable of, and what I had just experienced. I looked forward to discovering just what I could do with my Esoteric Restrictions