If Vael struggled to understand the weaving of complex lines within his own Spatial Pocket, then here—inside this room—he was like an ant faced with a god.
The strands of mana began everywhere and nowhere, intertwining so chaotically that he would often lose the one he was following after only a few moments.
To put it bluntly, Vael was lost. He had thought that analyzing the training room might serve as an eye-opener—an answer to at least some of the questions he'd been building up.
But that wasn't the case. Not at all.
If anything, it only reminded him of how little he knew, and how far he still had to go.
With that in mind, Vael stopped. He opened his eyes, the faint hum of the simulated forest fading back into focus. After a long breath, he stood and began pacing through the clearing the room impersonated.
From his Spatial Pocket, he retrieved a piece of paper and a pen, then crouched down and began to write.
Both Oculor and Kiera watched him, puzzled.
Rather than aim blindly, Vael needed a plan—not about what to study, but about what to understand, and in what order.
First, he had to figure out what a strand of mana truly represented. His current guess was that each one carried information—but what kind of information, exactly?
Second, he needed to understand how the strands interacted. Did their position affect their function? Did proximity or alignment alter the flow of mana?
These were questions he'd stopped running from. If he wanted to master space, he couldn't just see it. He had to decipher it.
Then, Vael had to determine whether any laws—natural or magical—needed to be applied when creating a dimension like this one. Depending on the answers he uncovered, his next steps would follow naturally.
For now, though, rest was in order. There was no need to overthink, no need to force his mind past exhaustion. Sleep—that was the answer. School, training, research… all of it could wait.
He was seconds away from passing out where he stood. So, without another word, Vael returned to his room and collapsed onto his bed, the afternoon light still filtering through the window. Within moments, he was out cold.
That left Kiera alone.
She stretched her arms above her head, letting the soft hum of the room fade away as she exited. The halls were quieter now—most students were out enjoying the start of the weekend. Her footsteps echoed faintly across the stone floors.
For the first time in a while, she allowed herself to simply walk. No battles. No classes. No plans. Just her and her thoughts.
She passed by the academy courtyard, where the golden rays of the setting sun brushed the treetops. The air smelled faintly of mana and pine—a scent she'd come to associate with safety.
Her mind wandered back to the past. The cell. The cold walls. The sound of metal boots on tile floors. The faint hum of machines that had once decided her fate.
And now… she was here. A student. A free one, technically.
She smiled faintly to herself, though it didn't reach her eyes. How far I've come, she thought. From a test subject to someone with a future. A name that mattered. A friend who understood.
Still, even with all that progress, the ghosts of the past lingered. Freedom didn't erase scars—it just gave her more room to breathe.
Kiera looked up at the sky—beautiful. "Guess this is the closest thing to peace I'll get," she murmured.
And for now, that was enough.