When I reawoke, I felt like absolute hell. My mouth was dry, my back ached, and all of my limbs were cramped and tight, not to mention the stabbing pain coming from my half-healed wounds. The proctors warning about what she would do to me if I reinjured myself rang in my head, and I winced imagining her "care."

While I was unconscious, I had experienced horrific nightmares that sent a chill down my spine even now. If I had to guess, my mind disapproved of Fortuna's investigations and had a hostile reaction to his presence.

Speaking of the cat, I spotted him sitting a few feet away, staring with luminous golden eyes. He appeared thinner, with flat, dull fur and a hunched posture. A quick scan revealed his mana levels were noticeably lower than before, resulting from overexerting his mental powers if I had to guess.

Good morning

"There is nothing good about it. Did you find anything?" I murmured, before breaking into a series of coughs. Trying to stand, I found that my tired muscles protested, and I gave up after a moment. Spotting the bottle of wine Flynn had bribed me with sitting on one of my workbenches, I held out a hand, telekinetically pulling it to me and taking a long drink. Usually, I disliked alcohol of any kind, but I was willing to make an exception considering my condition.

Yes, but first, how are you feeling? I tried to proceed carefully, but it was a challenging prospect. My abilities are less...nuanced than your species, and I want to verify there is no damage.

Although my body might feel like hell, my mind felt clear and sharp, more than it had in weeks. Far more importantly, I could think and theorize on the mental alterations without my thoughts wandering or sharp, sudden onset of pain.

"Better. My mind feels more like my own once again. Now, please tell me what you found." I replied, shifting on the ground and crossing my legs. Injuries meant potential improvements, and I should take the opportunity to flood my damaged body with mana.

Very well. I found a network of intricate compulsions and mental alterations. Some include triggers to take specific actions, modifications to your personality, and suggestions to keep your thoughts away from particular subjects. I also found evidence of memory alterations.

"That would certainly explain why I have been having such difficulty keeping focused. Can you remove these compulsions and memory changes?" I asked, keeping my eyes closed and feeling my pain begin to subside with each breath. Already the rank, disgusting odor of impurities was starting to fill the air around me, but I pressed on.

I did what I could, but many of them are deeply rooted in your mind, embedded so firmly I doubt I could remove them without causing damage. Several were easy enough to find and eliminate, which I did, but for the others...

"Damn it all. Well, thank you for what you did already. After all, the less of those alterations floating around in my head, the better.

Indeed. However, although I could not remove all of them, I did find something interesting in your mind. Several mental triggers seemed to work opposite others, and there were minute differences present in their composition and execution. It is challenging to vocalize, but the critical point that there is not one but two mental influences at work inside your head.

"Of course there is," I remarked dryly, closing my eyes again.

One had to be Master Julian. He told me that he was just an empath, but who else would possess sufficient mental power to alter my mind and adequate time and access to me to plant such changes? He was an obvious answer to that question, but that still left a second, unknown mage.

They had to be a master of telepathy, who could alter my thoughts without my knowledge and directly or indirectly manipulate events around me to take full advantage of my altered thoughts. There were several possible candidates, but I should assume the worst and most obvious person was the culprit.

Giving a humorless smile, I remarked aloud, "It seems we have the attention of an Archmagus, Fortuna."

What an honor. Any ideas about what your next move should be?

Opening my eyes, I looked down to Fortuna and replied, "It seems my time in Ferris has come to a close."

He paused, looking up from cleaning one paw with a glint in his eyes.

Oh?

"If there are compulsions and mental alterations at work, then the simplest solution is to leave and not let them trigger. Those sorts of changes are limited by mental strength and time. Eventually, my mind will break them down, although it could take years in the case of an Archmagus."

Is that the wisest move? This place still has a massive library with thousands of tomes to consult and experienced teachers to guide your training. On your own, you could never learn as well as with their help.

I barked out a harsh laugh, replying, "Staying here opens me up to manipulations that I have neither the wealth nor the connections to counter. Besides that, there is not a chance in the world that I can train as freely as I would like if I remain here. That leaves me with one good choice left."

When do we leave?

His tone carried no judgment, only understanding, and I paused to think about it. I needed to make preparations for my trip, and that would take several days. Food, water, and equipment were all on the list, but there was something else I needed to worry about. If I disappeared, others would come looking for me. If I wanted to escape, I needed to ensure they would have no reason to find me.

Ignoring the pain in my body, I stood and walked over to the bench nearby, picking up an empty mana crystal and examining it.

"I wonder how durable the average dormitory room walls are, and if they can withstand an explosion?"

Are you planning to...?

"More or less," I answered his unspoken question, feeling his thoughts wandering in the right direction. "If I want to escape without a problem, my identity as Vayne will need to disappear, and there is one excellent way to ensure no one comes looking for me. There's no reason to go looking for a dead man, after all."

What about your friends? If you do this, they will never forgive you if, or when, they find the truth.

I turned to him, pausing before replying, "Maybe. But what else should I do? Invite them to run away with me?"

They might. Amelia and Simon both seem like they would jump off a building, hand in hand with you if you asked. The noble brats are less likely, but the promise of power is a strong allure and that Sophia girl is as desperate for strength as they come.

I considered his words for a minute, debating if it was a good idea before shaking my head.

"No. I have thought about something for a long time now, and the fact is I need contingencies if my plans to save Ferris fail. I have considered this for a few months now, and they might be the best option to carry out that plan. If I can somehow make them aware of the threat that approaches us, it might be possible to push Ferris into preparing. I still need to figure out how, but I have some ideas."

Straightening, I returned to my bedroom, retrieving a blanket and pillow before teleporting back to the sanctum. I needed to attend Leon's celebration to keep up appearances and avoid suspicions, but I had no plans to sleep in my room.

Now all that was left to do was find a way to get enough gold to fund my escape. Lucky for me, there was one noble in particular who I held leverage on that also happened to be quite wealthy.

It took several hours of waiting outside of his bedroom before Flynn returned, barely favoring one leg as he approached. His face morphed into a hate-filled glare for just a moment before it cleared, an easy grin taking its place.

"Good afternoon, Vayne. Always a pleasure to see you. How is your friend, Stephen, was it?"

"Now now, Flynn, no need to be insulting. I am here to be friends, as you once offered me." I replied with a smile.

His face carried clear suspicion as his eyes narrowed, but after a second, Flynn passed one hand over his door, opening it and inviting me inside. The moment we were inside, we approached the couches, and much like before, I sat down, crossing my legs at the ankles and placing them on his table. I scanned every foot of the room with the same move, checking for any possible spells or enchantments that might trap or injure me.

Luckily, my appearance was unexpected enough that Flynn had not prepared anything, likely due to his arrogance. Staring at me from across the room, he finally spoke, "What do you want?"

"Gold. Or rather, platinum, I suppose. That would be easier to carry, I think." I replied immediately, with an easy smile.

Coughing on his drink, Flynn stared at me with his eyebrows raised and his mouth open. After a few seconds, he burst into laughter, shaking his head.

"Who in the hell do you think you are coming in here asking for my money? You are just a commoner!"

"I am not asking, and it is your father's money, not yours. And I am a commoner who has you between a proverbial rock and a hard place. But I am not without my kindness. All I am asking for is fifty platinum. I am sure your family can spare that much with no problems. Besides, peace of mind is invaluable."

Sighing, he shook his head again, finally asking, "Why do you want that much money? And why are you asking for something now?"

"Not your concern, Flynn Sion. My reasons are my own, and you would be wise to keep your attention on your own life. You have three days to get fifty platinum, or every noble in Ferris will know of your treachery." I said, standing and smoothing out my shirt.

"I should have known commoner filth would have no concepts of honor or respect," he remarked with a sneer. If nothing else, his ego was unshakeable.

Smiling coldly, I replied, "That is ironic, coming from you. You are a man who exploits his power and position to dominate others, who intimidates and manipulates for their own gain and who has no problem maiming for petty revenge. And yet, I am the one without honor?"

"You are extorting me for gold!" he insisted, standing and shoving his chair to the ground.

"And you are a coward who wanted to force me into your service to save your own pathetic skin. If you want to survive so badly, gain the strength to do it yourself." I said, letting my voice drop to a low growl.

He and I stared at one another for several seconds, and I felt his mana surge and rise. I let my smile come back to my face, and I continued, "Do you think you can defeat me? I bested a full team of fifth-years in the tournament."

"You had help from your allies."

I pushed as much arrogance into my expression as I could manage, patterning the look after Flynn's own sneer.

"Would you like to test that theory?"

His eyes betrayed a hint of hesitation, and he backed down, letting his mana slip back into his core.

Walking back to the door, I half-turned, continuing, "Three days, Flynn. After that, your secrets, and mine, will be public for all the kingdom to judge."

Striding down the hallway, I checked off one task from my mental list. As long as Flynn did as I demanded, I would have enough gold to purchase everything I needed. Although I felt no real guilt at extorting such a person, I still disliked having to resort to such underhanded tactics.

For the rest of the week, I would have to focus on recovering, preparing, and tying up any loose ends. By this time next week, I should be ready to begin my journey.

The only real question left was where to go first?