When he awoke at dawn the next day, his body was still weary, but a fire of new purpose burned within him. He prepared quickly and, before anyone else stirred, set off toward the chamber housing the Bending Machine.
When he entered, Kefius was not expecting him; the room was empty and silent, and the machine stood in the dim light like a colossal, slumbering beast. In that exact moment, Robert realized he needed to be alone with this machine, to commune with it.
Shortly after, Kefius glided into the room, finding Robert standing pensively before the machine.
"You are early," Kefius whispered.
"I cannot lose time, sir," Robert replied. "I must present a project to the Council, and to achieve my goals, I need this machine. I ask for your permission to work here during my free time, outside of lesson hours."
Kefius looked at him for a moment, seeing that new, determined fire in his eyes. "A creator's inspiration does not wait for lesson hours," he said. "Permission is granted. But remember, this machine is not merely a tool, it is also a source of power; do not let it consume you."
Robert bowed his head in gratitude, and from that day on, his life entered a new routine. He was a team leader in the mornings, a Dream Bender student in the afternoons, and an inventor at night. In Kefius's lessons, he learned to control the Bending Machine's finest adjustments, the mental frequencies of different materials, and the flow speed of Protoplasm; but the real work began at night, when he was left alone in the room.
The creation he would present to the Council, the Mind Matrix, had to be flawless. It could not merely be a theoretical concept; it had to be a working, tangible prototype, and for this, he required technical knowledge and theoretical research.
Using his Tu device in a manner he had never attempted before, he dove into the Academy's colossal information network, the YGK-Network. This was an ocean of data comprising trillions of terabytes collected from all corners of the universe, containing thousands of years of research on psychic energy theories, Malken neural interface technology, and the brainwave patterns of different races. He read and analyzed them all, synthesizing them to form the foundation of his own project. He was researching how to project multiple consciousnesses into the same virtual space without harming one another by using a Bender's mind like a server—a problem that was as much about psychic engineering as it was a quantum-level network protocol issue.
Though he lost himself in these theoretical researches for days and weeks, at one point, he hit a wall. Some fundamental data he needed—specifically detailed data on how the human brain reacts to psychic energy under emotional trauma—was missing or censored within the Academy's network. As he had to ensure the simulation would not leave permanent damage on the users' minds, this missing data was one of the most critical parts of his project.
In desperation, he rummaged through an encrypted, ancient directory in the deepest layers of the network that he had never noticed before. Most were corrupt, unused files remaining from the Academy's early years. But inside one file, he found a secret gateway opening to another network. It was not protected by standard protocols; rather, it was like a living, organic encryption—a constantly shapeshifting mental labyrinth.
Robert attempted to enter this labyrinth using his Dream Bender ability, not by trying to break the code, but by trying to think like it, to flow with it. At the end of a mental struggle lasting hours, the walls of the labyrinth parted for a moment, and Robert found himself at the entrance of an entirely different network.
This nameless network had only a symbol: Infinite, nested rings placed within an eye. And a single sentence on the entry screen:
OMNIA CODEX: ALL KNOWLEDGE IS ONE. ALL WORLDS ARE A LIBRARY.
Robert instantly sensed that this was not merely a database. It was a digital reflection of that Ancient Realm Iksas had spoken of. A universal archive where information leaking from all realities and all times was gathered.
He began to examine the directory structure with curiosity. Trillions of folders were named with incomprehensible, cosmic codes. But then, he saw a familiar classification system: Galactic coordinates. He performed a search by mentally entering the coordinates of his own universe, his own galaxy, and his own system.
The result came instantly. A single folder.
[REALITY PLANE: 7-XYLO-DELTA. SYSTEM: SOL. PLANET: 3 (TERRA / EARTH). DATA STATUS: ACTIVE REFLECTION.]
Robert's heart felt as if it would stop. Earth. Not just a memory. Not just a lost home. Its data, history, internet, books, everything... somehow copied, living within this network. Perhaps... perhaps even the people were here as digital echoes.
But when he attempted to click on the folder, a wall appeared before him.
[ACCESS DENIED. REQUIRED AUTHORITY LEVEL: COUNCIL OR ABOVE. PERMISSION REQUIRED TO ENTER THIS NETWORK.]
Robert stared at the screen. In that moment, his project, his workshop, his plans to modify his team... all fell into the background. He now had a new purpose, more important than anything else. Impressing the Council was no longer just about winning a workshop. That workshop, that authority, was the key to opening this door. It was the only way, not necessarily to return home, but at least to learn what his home was, and what he had left behind. The Omnia Codex would become both his greatest hope and his most dangerous obsession.
In the silence of his room, Robert did not take his eyes off the holographic screen of his Tu device. Before his eyes, there was no longer Amara's seductive smile or the Council's cold, judgmental gaze. There was only that single word, cast like an anchor into the depths of his mind: OMNIA CODEX.
This was more than just a database. It was a locked door opening to his lost world, to "Earth." What lay behind that door? Was his family alive? Had the storm taken only him, or had it swallowed the entire planet? What was the state of his project? Had years passed, or merely days? These questions, sharper even than Amara's most powerful mental attack, were gnawing at his soul, seizing his logic.
But the door was locked. And the key was in the hands of the Council.
He spent the entire night on the Academy's standard YGK-Network, researching how to contact the Council. Everything he found was merely a pile of bureaucratic walls that dragged him into even greater despair. Requests for access to restricted archives had to pass through the approval of dozens of subcommittees. To even make a request, one had to be classified as at least a "Level 5 Strategic Asset." Robert, despite being a Dream Bender, was currently listed only as a "Level 3 Asset Under Surveillance."
A request for a direct interview was instantly rejected. Every path, every form, every protocol led to one single truth: An ordinary student, or even an ordinary leader, could not knock on the Council's door. The Council knocked on yours.
Robert, looking at the screen in frustration, understood once again the weight of Kefius's words. Winning that workshop was not merely a luxury or a need for privacy. It was the only way to change his status, to transform him in the Council's eyes from a "student" into a "value." That revolutionary Mind Matrix project was no longer just an invention to be presented to the Academy; it was the key to his personal Crusade, the key to the road home.
He did not notice when the first rays of the sun filtered in. When the growling of his stomach tore him away from this obsessive work, he felt tired, but equally determined; he needed to eat.
When he entered the hall, he encountered the quiet hum of the common area in the early morning hours. But in one corner, there was a scene different from the usual disorganized seating arrangement. Karnah, Uhura, and Sinf had their heads together, examining a three-dimensional map projected from the holographic unit in the center. Robert immediately recognized it as an arena map; it was the deadly area known as "Garnet Canyon," filled with complex passages, raised platforms, and trap points.
He approached them silently. The three women were so focused that they only noticed his arrival when he stood right beside them.
"Leader," said Karnah, immediately straightening up. "We didn't want to wake you."
"No problem," said Robert, his eyes locked on the map. "What are you working on?"
Uhura answered in her calm, analytical voice. "On the 'Chaos Arena' that is likely to take place in the next cycle. A match where five randomly selected teams are dropped into the arena simultaneously. Without the brute force of Normah and Tersan, and with two new and unpredictable members like Syla and Amara, none of our old strategies will work."
Karnah pointed to a passage on the map. "Our problem is this: Syla's crystal walls provide perfect defense, but they are too static. If the opponent circles around us, we get trapped. If we set Amara loose, we can't protect her. If we try to protect her, we lose her greatest weapon, the element of 'surprise'."
Sinf chimed in. "My healing powders, when combined with Vingyu's speed, can create an effective concealment curtain, but that only hides a single person. Not the whole team."
As he listened to their plans, the gears of the Bending Machine began to turn in Robert's mind. They were looking at the pieces in hand. Robert, however, saw the new machine that could be built from those pieces.
"Why," he said slowly, "are you building the defense in a single spot?"
All three women looked at him and asked, "What do you mean?"
Robert reached out to the map and resized the image with his fingers. "Syla's walls are static, yes. But what if we ask her to create not a static wall, but a constantly moving labyrinth? Instead of stopping the enemy in one place, what if we have constantly changing, growing crystal corridors that guide them into the arena, towards a death trap of our choosing?"
Uhura's purple eyes flashed for a moment at this idea. "That requires too much energy. And incredible focus."
"If I craft a crystal staff in the Bending Machine to focus her energy, she can achieve it," Robert said confidently. "And as for Amara... Why are you trying to protect her? She is a sword. Swords do not stay in the sheath. Uhura, your primary task shouldn't be to protect Amara, but to clear a path for her. Enter the mind of the opposing team's leader. But don't try to put him to sleep or control him. Just... place a simple illusion. Show him that Amara is at the other end of the arena, weak and alone. Let him chase that ghost with all his might. Meanwhile, let the real Amara, along with you, Sinf, and Tina, hunt the other teams one by one from the shadows. We will not defend; we will be the arena itself. We will be the rule-makers."
The silence in the hall at that moment was as deep as a library's. Karnah, Uhura, and Sinf looked at Robert with admiration and a hint of fear. This was not just a tactic. This was the strategic manifestation of a Dream Bender's way of manipulating reality. Robert had not only given them a new plan; he had shown them a new way of thinking, and the vision of their leader.
"Detail these plans," Robert said, his voice returning to that weary but determined tone. "I need to sleep after eating. Then... I will speak with Kefius."
When he entered the room of the Bending Machine later that day, Robert felt more focused. His team's strategy was a small reflection of the grand project in his mind. Kefius found him in a state of deep meditation before the machine.
Robert was more successful in that day's lesson than he had ever been before. He created a complex energy matrix Kefius requested almost flawlessly on the first attempt. The machine obeyed his will instantly, like a horse responding to a master rider.
When the lesson ended, Robert did not leave. "Sir," he said, his voice serious. "I need to speak with you about my project and the Omnia Codex."
Kefius's deep, starry eyes showed not even a flicker of surprise. "I knew you had found that forbidden archive. A Dream Bender's curiosity knows no bounds."
Robert explained his plan, the Mind Matrix, and why this project required Earth's data—specifically the internet and neurological server architectures—in detail. "There must be a way to access those data," he said.
Kefius stroked the cold metal surface of the Bending Machine and thought for a while. "You have two paths, Leader Robert," he said finally, his whispering voice echoing in the room. "And both are like opening the door to a nightmare."
The old Malken pointed out the first path. "The first path is the 'Key in the Cage.' The official way. You create your project, that Mind Matrix prototype you mentioned, perfectly and present it to the Council. You convince them that this invention will change the Academy's education system forever and provide them with an absolute strategic advantage."
"If I succeed, I get my workshop and my authority," said Robert.
"You will," Kefius confirmed. "And with that new status, you will file a 'Special Research Request' for access to the Omnia Codex. Given the importance of the project, they will most likely... grant permission."
"That's great!"
"Great?" Kefius's voice took on a sarcastic timbre for a moment. "They will grant you access, Robert. But that does not mean freedom. Every piece of data you access will be monitored. Your Mind Matrix project will cease to be your invention and become the property of the Council. They will give you the key to that forbidden library, yes. But you will never be able to leave that library alone. You will become the most valuable, brightest bird in their golden cage. They will grant you your creativity, but they will take your soul."
Robert's face paled at this possibility. "What is the other path?"
Kefius gazed into the distance, at an invisible point in the room, as if looking at the stars. "The other path... The 'Void Journey.' Leaving the Academy."
Robert's breath caught. "Is such a thing possible? Isn't this place in another dimension?"
"The Academy is a dimensional anchor, but in Sector 12, there is a Space Port used by 'Traveler' class entities," Kefius explained. "There are 'Predator' class ships there that can travel through inter-reality layers. If you can organize a ship and a crew without the Council's knowledge..."
Shaken by the audacity of the idea, Robert asked, "What kind of crew?"
"An impossible crew," said Kefius. "You don't just need a pilot who knows how to fly a ship. You need a navigator who can find their way in that chaotic void outside this Academy, in the 'currents of the Ancient Realm,' who can read beyond the stars. And most importantly... upon arriving in the Milky Way system, at that primitive world of yours, you need someone who can connect to that network you call the 'internet' and its 'servers' to steal that data."
"Steal?"
"Yes. That data is stored on that planet, on physical machines. You must land secretly, and connect to those servers physically... or psychically. And you must copy that massive amount of information not onto an ordinary hard drive, but onto a special 'Data Crystal,' perhaps using Magic and special Dream Bending techniques. This is not a research mission. It is a theft mission. If you are caught, the Council will not lift a finger to protect you. And your old home... the people there... might welcome you not as a savior, but as an alien invader."
Turning to Robert with thousands of years of weariness in his deep, starry eyes, Kefius said, "Think, Leader Robert. Would you prefer to display your creativity in the Council's golden cage, or in that cold, unforgiving void among the stars? Both paths lead you to the information you seek. But one risks your soul, the other your life."
When Robert left the room, he carried the weight of not just a team, but two impossible futures on his shoulders.
When he left the room of the Bending Machine, Robert's mind was crushed under the weight of two impossible paths. The options Kefius presented were not escape routes, but like two different death warrants. The idea of the "Void Journey" caressed the soul of an adventurer, an explorer; a secret journey towards home among the stars with an unknown crew... This was exactly the path the old Robert, who dreamed of the impossible in his basement in Oakhaven, would have chosen.
But that Robert was gone.
He was a leader now. He had responsibilities. He was the anchor of a fragile family consisting of six souls. Stealing a ship from the Academy, gathering a crew, and disappearing into the infinity of space was a gamble that endangered not only his own life but the lives of everyone who trusted him. Vingyu was a fast pilot, yes, but he was an angel gliding within an atmosphere; not a 'Traveler' who could find his way through those chaotic inter-reality currents. Uhura could read minds, but was she a navigator capable of hearing the echoes of the 'Ancient Realm' beyond a star map? And stealing those data... that was an act that could trigger an intergalactic war, far beyond mere theft.
In the silence of his room, Robert faced a cold truth: He did not have a crew he knew well enough or could trust enough to choose the second path, nor did he have such a long history in this Academy.
Only one path remained: The Council's path. That ruthless, bureaucratic labyrinth Kefius called the "golden cage." This path, equivalent to selling his soul, meant submitting his creativity and his project to the Council's control and supervision. Yet, inside that cage lay the key to the locked door, the data of the Omnia Codex. Sometimes, to reach the greatest freedom, one had to pass through the narrowest gate.
The decision he made transformed the fire inside Robert from a rage into a cold, focused plasma flame. His goal was no longer just to win a workshop or impress the Council. His goal was to use the Council's system against them. He would create an invention so valuable, so indispensable, that they would be forced to offer him the key to the cage with their own hands, begging him to take it.