The sermon was going like Sirius remembered it. Thanking Gods, wishing for peace, praising each of the Twins for their benevolence. This time Sirius wanted to try something different. Usually he would observe all the people around him, noting their mood. If someone was praying for health, Sirius could often help out a little, either by finding a cure or by at least alleviating symptoms. Now he wanted to use this opportunity of seeing so much people in one place to experiment a little bit. He clamped his palms in front of him and pretended to pray. In reality he relaxed his mind, entering a meditative state.

In this trans he felt the mana around him, touching thin strands emanating from people. He felt some happiness, bliss, anger, sorrow mixed into these energies, barely discerning them in the veil. Then he felt fear, like a prey felt in front of a predator, like he was being stalked from the shadows around him.He jolted awake, barely managing to look calm on the outside. Sirius somehow knew that had he stay just a moment longer, he would be killed, his soul devoured by some extremely powerful entity. He decided to make this near-death mark extra thick, maybe even put it in a frame and hang on a wall.

The rest of the sermon he spent calming down and making sure everything is fine with him. As he was walking out of the church, he tried making some small talk and check on everyone who felt uneasy during the rite. After gathering all the requests, he walked up to the Gregor and asked for a private conversation.

"Uncle, I can't be like this no longer."

"What are you talking about?"

"I can no longer progress in my state."

"Do you understand what you are saying?" Gregor whispered.

"I do." Nodded Sirius. "Ever since I met master's remnant near the tree, I slip out of this world from time to time. And there I feel like a prey."

"I understand. How long do you think you can manage without it?"

"For as long as my soul will not be eaten."

They thought for a minute in silence.

"Shall we tell the Inquisitor?" Asked Sirius.

"No."

Sirius nodded. Then they began talking about their lives, about the new additions to the village, and shared some ideas regarding Sirius' research. Sirius spent the rest of the day tending to the ill, treating minor and not so much wounds and common colds. Surprisingly for him, those, who branded him a sinner last year, were the most welcoming. Maybe the fear went away after they talked to him, and realised their mistakes. Sirius could not know that, nor did he really care. His mind was on the future. Living as a null, despite being able to feel and manipulate mana was choking him alive. He wanted to achieve so much more, but couldn't. At least, he got the intuitive understanding of diagrams, since he used them daily for more than a year, upgrading and simplifying with each use.

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Exhausted, he plopped down on his old bed in the attic of Gregor's house. Despite the walls being upgraded, it was still as messy as Sirius remembered, with all his old items stored in boxes and chests. Living a couple of weeks in seclusion was an experience, of course, but coming back here brought some nostalgia. With his mind at peace, Sirius fallen asleep.

In the night he woke up. The whole world was shaking, mana and matter alike. Throwing away the dizziness, Sirius understood that the world was still, it was he who was shaking. Gregor ran upstairs, nearly falling back down. Sirius saw his face. Scared, worried, illuminated by bright light, that flashed and pulsed in tact with Sirius' heart. Sirius should have been scared right now, but he was incredibly calm. It felt like it should be happening, that Sirius floating above his bed was normal, that the burning ache coursing through his limbs was mundane, that bright shine from inside his torso that outlined his ribs was common. He made a deep breath. The dense mana that gathered around him rushed inside, spreading across his body. And then Sirius saw.

He saw everything in this room, all at once. He could feel his abdomen full of energy, that was only his. He could count the floorboards with one glance. He felt so... powerful. He exhaled, took another breath, even deeper than before, and closed his eyes, slowly gliding back on the bed, the light dimming into darkness.

"Sirius! are you alright?" Scared voice of Gregor made Sirius open his eyes.

"I am more than alright..." He muttered in bliss.

"Oh no..." Gregor said the moment he touched Sirius' abdomen. "No, you did not..."

"What I did not?" The reality was coming back to him.

"You condensed your body..."

"Wait, really? Like, the Mana Pool?"

"I don't know." Said Gregor, touching different parts of Sirius' body and pulsing some mana. When he probed his head, he stopped. "Dear Gods..."

"What is there?"

"You need to run. Now!" Gregor pulled Sirius from the bed, making him stand.

"I don't know haw you did it, nor must anyone know. You must run west, past the borders of Kingdom. There you won't be bound by the stupid rules of the Order. Now gather your stuff."

"Wait, wait, what did I do?"

"You now have Mana Pool, but very small and incomplete."

"Isn't it bad?" Asked Sirius, while holding his hand near his stomach and probing a bit.

"It wouldn't be that bad. But if you did not have the Constellation and the Eye as well." Seriously added Gregor. "You will be killed. Right away."

Someone knocked on the door.

"Give me away. Sell me out. Don't be an accomplice. Act as if I betrayed you." Sirius calmly said, looking directly in Gregor's eyes. Sirius hugged him and whispered. "I'll manage. Thank you for everything."