Half an hour later, I found myself on the opposite side of the rotund the old man had made his home. We had moved deeper into the walls, away from the view onto the caverns. All I could see were the ever-present earthen walls and the old mystic, in a lotus seat on an elevated strip of earth.

This felt like a raw deal. While I had to spend my time here, exposed to the lunatic's ramblings, Sophie had been left to her own devices. By now, I was sure she would enjoy her time in that little pool we had seen on our tour of the place, fed water from the stalactites above and heated via magecraft from below. After an entire day at work, followed by constant fights all the way here, the water had looked even more inviting. Maybe the magic would be enough to soothe my tensed muscles and nerves.

However, it wasn't time to ease up just yet. I still couldn't read the crazy old man before me. Any wrong action could set off another attack, like the one on the two guardians. When I thought back to the Mystic's strength, I wasn't confident I could handle him out of control. So I just sat there, muscles cramped and body ready to jump, focused on the smallest movements from the danger before me.

“Child, please listen.”

As if he spoke right next me, the old man's voice sounded in my head. Rather than weigh my chances in a fight, I shot up into a straight posture and focused on the lecture. Since the old man seemed much sharper than I had first thought, I would have to give up some of my caution and play along, at least for the moment. I straightened my spine and leaned forward to prove my eagerness. Like a recording, the old man repeated his explanation in a flat voice that had returned to his side.

“The power of magic induces awe, yet is hard to fathom. Ordinary men will never learn its secrets, for they have been born without a reservoir of mana within their bodies. It is from this great reservoir that the mages draw their power. However, left unshaped it is only pure force, with no finesse. This pure outburst is the first form of magic, a shapeless push or pull, pure application of force. A trick you should be well familiar with, young child.”

As I nodded, the punch that had knocked out Lester's buddy re-entered my mind. If nothing else, at least I could learn from this old man how to make use of my abilities.

“For more advanced forms, the force of magic can be used and shaped in many ways. It can be molded into more stable forms, something which can bend to one's will. However, attempts to shape will prove impossible without the skill to sense the movements of mana around you.”

“Like what you did to my phone and ID?” My body leaned forward.

“Indeed. Though beware: The mana shaped then was made visible to observe and learn. Ordinary shapes are far harder to sense. Thus, you will have to sharpen your mind first before you can attempt advanced forms.”

Only just did I manage to prevent a frown on my face. To calm my head, I exhaled, and deflated my body in the process. My shoulders twitched up straight, as I realized how much my body had betrayed my thoughts.

“Though there is one form which should be learned early, even before observation,” the Mystic continued. “One shape entails the stabilization of one's body, the shell-shape. A shell of force around the corporeal body will strengthen and support it. Indispensable in combat, for a large blast of magic force will turn double edged sword without protection from its effects.”

“I've done that. I know how that one works!” Right away my tension returned. I thought back to the day of my assessment, when I had outrun Lester and his henchmen. Now I finally knew how I had done that. I thought Lester had been out of shape, but it turned out I had already been a mage at that point. In a moment of danger, my powers had materialized by themselves.

“Good, good. The work will be sped up. There will be more days left for our important duty.” The Mystic's facial muscles spasmed up in an unnatural manner to reveal his frightening, skeletal grin. A hand of frost gripped my heart, and my eyes raced to the ground. For my own sanity's sake, I was determined to not let the Mystic laugh too hard in the future. While I glanced ahead and tried to control my fear, the man's teeth retreated back behind his skin and he continued his lecture, unperturbed.

“After the fundamental skills shall come the basic shapes. The most important will be to hide in plain sight. It is the first shaping of structure that is to be learned, and the most crucial. With the help of magic force, one can influence all around oneself, to simulate all manner of natural phenomena. Your two most important shapes shall be light and sound. Light shall always come first. Out of all the shapes, it will be the most crucial to master and perfect on your journey, for its use will change the world.

“You will have to shape a cloak of magic, one which will bend the light to hide from the eyes of the mortals. Just the same, another to shield all speech and sound made within the bubble from another man's ear. Until these most fundamental skills are mastered, good child, you will not be allowed to leave these halls, for the beasts are on the hunt; and they have smelled your blood.”

“Wait, I'm a prisoner!?” My tensed body shot up.

“If you wish to see things in this manner, I will have to concur, child. However, it shall be to your, to the world's, great benefit to follow my instructions.”

“I can't stay here!” I shouted at my seated instructor, another pointless attempt to control my own fate. My hands waved around the room as cold sweat mixed with the dirt from my journey. “I'm not a proper mage anyways! I need to look after my sister. And Nate too. Those guys will be worried sick about me!”

“Child, it may be time to forget the responsibilities of mortal life. After the happenings of this night, after the loss of your shackles, how could you return to the numbing lights of Astralis?”

“Old man, I'm serious. I have to go. I can't stay here.”

“Then what about the other sister? The one trapped inside the Towers of Knowledge? The one turned lamb?”

My eyes narrowed, as my mind chilled.

“My big sis is a lot of things, but she's no lamb.”

Despite my continued outburst, the old man only stared at me. Of course I was aware that I hadn't given a clear answer to his question yet. It seemed like the Mystic wouldn't care about my attitude so long as I followed his instructions and he didn't mind playing dirty to achieve his goals.

We continued our staring contest for a bit, but of course I was the first to break down. There was no way I could pass up the chance to see Eileen, even more so if there was a chance she was in danger. In truth, I just needed to vent my frustration somewhere. Far too much had been out of my control.

“Right. I'll stay here for now,” I grumbled.

Satisfied by my answer, the old man nodded.

“But can't I even go into the caverns? You're the guy who built this, right? And I'm sure you're the strongest guy in the entire outer city, at least if you ignore the guardians. So why are we hiding like this? Wouldn't the Squalor people consider you their leader?”

“Impossible. All has been built in secret. Attempts at control and confrontation are far too costly. My time has run low. There is not enough force to finish the work.” For once, the old man moved. Only his eyes flitted past me, towards the outside, though what outside he saw I couldn't know. “A great waste. A giant pit of tar, and yet not enough is left to light the matches.”

While the old lunatic was telling me his life story, my attention had been caught on something else.

“Wait, what are you saying? You're running out of 'force'? That's mana, right? Why are you running out of mana? Isn't there an easy way to restore it, like the Grand Mages do? Like meditate or sleep or something. I've played games. I know stuff.”

Once more the Mystic's eyes focused on me, cold as ever.

“Impossible. All shapes of force have been self-taught. No one has imparted any knowledge of meditation. I have never been a member of the towers. I have never uncovered the great mysteries of mana and never found the methods of replenishment. Though my pool of force is bound, I will offer all I can still. Use the wisdom imparted, as advised. Go, lift the veil and see inside the towers. There, you will find the truth behind the world. The horrible, horrible truth.”

Both of us were too uncomfortable to continue, the old man from his memories of the past and me from my worries about the future. Thus, we just stayed there, each one busied by his own thoughts. After a while, the mystic stood up as well. Maybe he had been aware of my own discomfort and decided to distract me. Though I thought it was more likely he had no idea how I felt and just went through the mental checklist in his head.

“Follow, child. The training begins.”

Once again, I went after the old man. To be honest, I was a bit giddy. When I had become aware of my talents as a mage, a fire had reignited in my heart, one which had been snuffed out after that fateful day of the assessment when I had failed the magic test.

Now I could learn how to make use of my talents! I would be a real and proper mage, like I had always hoped. At the end of it, if I did well enough, I would even be able to enter the towers and see Eileen. That was the most important. Be it the fate of the world or the truth of the towers, none of it mattered to me.

As I imagined my future as a powerful Grand Mage, flying over the rooftops of Astralis, my little sister Amy watching on in wonder and admiration, I couldn't help but have a dumb grin steal its way onto my face. In my glee, I didn't even notice where it was the old man had lead us. Only the vapor-filled air and the scream from within brought me back to my senses.

Before us stood Sophie, half-dressed and crouched over to cover the gifts her parents had given her. From what I could see, the gifts weren't all that much. She really was way too thin. Lucky for her and unlucky for me, she was already half-dressed after a relaxing bath and covered all the necessary bits to be declared beach-ready.

“What the hell are you doing in here! Ever heard of privacy?”

Her face made her look like a terrier ready to attack an intruder. Meanwhile, her free hand had slid under her clothes besides her. Although the movement seemed natural, my stomach tightened. I never found out whether or not Sophie had held onto her stun gun during our escape.

Better safe than sorry, I thought. So I decided to say sorry.

“Ah, I really didn't want to-”

Not even halfway through my sentence, with half my brain occupied with excuses and the other working hard to save all the images onto hard drive, a sudden pull yanked me off my feet. Shaped from his invisible mana, the Mystic's attack had hit me out of nowhere. The world turned sideways and Sophie's alabaster skin left my line of sight. A short moment of weightlessness and I found my own senses dulled, the world around me darkened and the noises dimmed. Confused, I tried to orient myself towards salvation. Where was salvation? In panic, I didn't understand anything. At last my hands, with a life of their own, got hold of a smooth surface.

A foothold!

My hopes renewed, I pushed myself off, away from the chaos around me.

Finally, I emerged from the water of the pool, before a desperate breath relieved my lungs. I looked around to see the serene surface sway like the stormy sea from my flailing. Across the room, Sophie was frozen in her crouched posture, her eyes and mouth large in shock. Meanwhile, the old man simply stood there, his arms crossed as he looked at me with cold eyes.

“What the hell, you lunatic!?” The surface splashed under my fist. “You trying to drown me!?”

I brushed the water out of my eyes and got up on my feet. Only now did I realize that I had almost drowned in a waist-deep puddle. At least the old man wasn't interested in my embarrassment.

“There is little time, child. Only the most expedient training can be chosen.”

“What sort of training is this supposed to be!?” I shouted, as I could feel my cheeks getting hot. At this rate, the water might just evaporate.

“You are well familiar with the shell-shape, are you not?”

I was getting a bad feeling about this. Me admitting to that strange phenomenon during my two sprints might have been a bad idea, but now it was too late. With a frown, I nodded the smallest nod and braced myself for what would come next.

“You may freely create your shell to protect and strengthen your mortal body. The shell shall contain all the air your body will need. Simply... shape and breathe.”

Before I could even utter a word of complaint, an invisible force grabbed my head and forced me under water again.

When I escaped the bath, relieved that it had not turned into my grave, several hours had passed. Head to toe, I was drenched and exhausted. I forced my beaten body up onto the dry land and just lay there for a few seconds, only focused on my breath.

With a pained groan, I tried to sit up, but fell back down. The first day of work is always the worst, that was something Nate had told me way back when. Things could only go up from here. I forced my tired muscles to respond and braced myself up. While I had suffered, the Mystic still stood there like a statue, his face chiseled from earth. Meanwhile, Sophie had forgotten all about her shame and stood in the corner to watch my struggle.

“Hey... you okay?” she asked with a worried frown. Maybe I had underestimated the nihilist's compassion. At least she had stayed here and made sure nothing would happen to me, no matter how empty a gesture it was in the face of the Mystic's powers.

“Yeah, I'm okay,” I answered.

“That was amazing, you know? Never seen a person flail around like that.” Her torso began to spasm as she barely managed to suppress a laughter. Always trust your instincts. Nate told me that as well. Maybe I hadn't underestimated her after all.

“It is time for sleep, child. Follow.” Always with his own rhythm, the old man once again went off by himself. I had no more interest in being dragged along by some invisible hand, and so I decided to try and keep up.

“Night,” Sophie's voice came from behind me, the tiniest shiver hidden within.

“I'll make sure to get you out of here and back home. Just... give me some time,” was my answer. Despite my earlier pettiness, I still remembered who had gotten us into this mess, and who I was responsible for.

After a short walk, I was brought to my room and most importantly: My bed. As soon as the old man had left my sight, my body tumbled towards the rough sheets spread over raw earth, my exhausted nerves and numbed muscles relaxed at last. I fell asleep before my body hit the bed.

By the time I woke up, my neck was stiff and my muscles felt like fire. Disoriented by the darkness and unknown surroundings, I got up in a panic, before memories of the previous days flooded my head.

After we had entered the Caverns, I had slept maybe a dozen times. Whenever my body wasn't tired, my mind was. Every day we 'trained' in magic, as the old lunatic called it. To me, it was akin to physical torture, just to make my 'instincts' awaken. If my progress so far was anything to go by, my instincts weren't worth much.

Had the day started already, the Mystic would already wait for me with another form of torment. However, all I found were the darkness around me and the smell of wet earth in the air. Somehow, the Caverns always smelled like life. The city never smelled of anything. Even though I had the time to return to sleep, the dull pain of my overworked muscles made any more sleep feel impossible. Thus, I left my room, towards the smell of life.

When I reached the balustrade of the main circle, I could see the many fires of human activity down below. Since not many of them were active, I guessed that it must have been the middle of the night.

Below, the people of the Squalor had settled into their new lives, as best as they could. I tried to do the same. Maybe I had improved after all. When I started my training, I would have slept through the pain, too exhausted to even notice. Now however, my mind was fit enough to awaken from the agony. As I arched my back and stretched my arms, a pained groan escaped me.

“Evening.” Although the voice surprised me, I wasn't shocked. My stiff neck turned to find Sophie a few meters along the balustrade, her upper body leaned out and into the Cavern, the two of us only separated by a single earthen wall.

“So, you can't sleep either, huh?” I asked, rather than reply to her greeting.

“Nah. Somehow, I'm not tired. Too much stuff went down these days.”

“Tell me about it. Whenever I'm not getting tortured from the training, I'm asked to study magic sensing.”

“How is that, by the way? Seeing magic?”

For the first time in our conversation, I was surprised. So far, she hadn't asked questions about my talents.

“What?” She raised a brow in response to my curious look. “No matter what you’re thinking, I’m not that petty.”

My head returned to a more comfortable position while my mind was filled with the new senses I had experienced these days.

“It's difficult. Like you're trying to read one of those old 3D-images all day. But you're doing it with your tongue. You know, with a sense you've never really used before.”

“And what does magic look like?”

“...familiar. Feels like it's a part of me. Maybe people were built for magic.”

“Or you're just special.”

“No real reason to assume you wouldn't feel the same if you had a mana reservoir.”

“So you'll lead the revolution then?”

“Revolution?” Confused, this time my entire upper body turned to face the girl. “What Revolution?” My face must have looked a special kind of dumb, since Sophie showed the hint of a grin, before she turned her face back into the Caverns.

“No, nothing,” she pressed out between her narrowed lips.

“Tell me or I'm coming over there.”

“Come over and do what exactly?”

“Tell me or I'll lecture you about your societal responsibilities.”

“Urgh, fine,” she pretended defeat. “I was just surprised you didn't know yet. I mean, maybe the old man didn't want you distracted, but you really should be informed I think. So here goes:” Sophie pushed a long streak of hair out of her face. “Whenever you're busy with training, the old man lets off some weird lectures about... the city, and the future.”

“Why have I never heard anything about that?”

Somehow, my stomach pulled in, as if to retreat from the answer. However, my mind pressed on.

“You're too busy drowning. Whenever you do your training, the old man stands to the side and drones on. I'm not surprised you've never realized, with how busy you always look.”

There it was again, Sophie's disrespectful grin. However, I was too busy to consider her rudeness. My mind returned to some of the Mystic's stranger, more dangerous words during the theory lessons. ‘A fire to burn away the rot of the world.’ While my mind raced, desperate to uncover the old man's intentions, Sophie continued.

“Anyways, I sometimes stick around during training, as moral support, and I overheard his talks. I asked some questions and gave some answers, so we ended up in a conversation somehow.”

“Not something dangerous, was it? I'd rather you didn't get pulled into this any more.”

Again, Sophie's eyes returned to the fires below.

“...did you know that the Squalor has its own economy? There is no fundamental difference between their system and ours. Except in Astralis, you have to play by the rules of the City Council. Like how a display at a gallery increases your monthly allowance, or how you need to get approval to move. Every day we play by the invisible rules of an untouchable god.

“In the Squalor, the judges of your worth are not the Grand Mages, it's people. Whatever you do, if someone likes it and wants more of it, they'll pay you for it. This place isn't half as bad as the council makes it out to be. At least the rules make sense to us mortals. No wonder the council wants it burned down.”

“What are you talking about? This place is filled with criminals, in the hands of ruthless gangs! Did you forget what happened before we came here? Les would have killed you!”

Although Sophie's head retreated between her shoulders, she bit her lips, her eyes firm.

“In the end, they play an important role too. And I never said this place was perfect, by the way. If I can do that, you have to admit though that the city isn't paradise either, not the one we've been promised at least. To me, Astralis still looks like an insidious way to sloth the people up.”

“Bullshit. If this here is the alternative, then yes, we do live in a paradise. It's not like the art exhibitions are random either. If someone is willing to display someone else's work in a gallery, that makes it worthwhile art. Art, philosophy, music... those are ways to shine beyond magic, ways to give us the most precious good: Purpose. Since we can't contribute to society in terms of magic, this is our way to create progress.”

“Progress to where exactly? Where are we going?” A bitter sneer had snuck onto Sophie's face. “To me it looks like we're going nowhere.”

“At least we're not headed for certain doom! Do you wanna be here when that 'revolution' starts?”

At last I had managed to silence Sophie's delusions. Her eyes turned large and looked over the masses below. Maybe only now had she realized that she was part of this, not just some curious observer. No matter how bad she spoke of the city's intellectuals, Sophie was one herself. After a look over the shoulder, I continued in a quiet voice.

“...we could leave, you know? Right now, the Mystic's asleep, no one guards the door. No one can stop us.” In fact, I had been making plans to leave the Caverns for a while now.

“You really think so?” Sophie's sarcastic tone had returned. “I don't think the old man would be that careless. You seem pretty important to him. Plus, your grabby friend is still looking for us, isn't he, out there somewhere? Even if we get past the old man and the gangs, we still don't know how the red guards will react when they meet someone from the Squalor.”

All this time, Sophie's voice had remained dry, matter-of-factly. Again, she had created a strange distance from the events around her.

“You don't wanna go home?”

“What does that even mean, home?” she scoffed, but still wouldn't look me in the eyes. “With my parents, I might as well stay here. You know, there's a reason I live by myself even though I still go to school.” A single, troubled glance was all I needed to know.

“...sorry. Guess that was unprofessional, huh?” I asked.

“It's okay,” my ward sighed. “You're doing fine, I think.”

Awkward at the unexpected compliment, I looked down at the people, and somehow felt Sophie do the same. Maybe it was my awakened talents, or maybe it was just human intuition. So we stood there, in the moist air, alone with our thoughts. Between us, the wall turned into a barrier again, though I couldn't do a thing about it. If only Nate was here, he could have done more, helped Sophie better. Maybe I wasn't cut out to be a caretaker. Maybe I was supposed to be a mage right from the start.

“So what about your family?” To my surprise, Sophie tore at the barrier. As if the sun had broken through the roof of the Caverns, the ice between us melted into nothing. “You had two sisters, right?” When I turned, I looked right into Sophie's bright eyes.

“Yeah,” A smile stole itself onto my face, but it soon turned into a smirk as I realized why I cared so much. “The younger one reminds me of you, actually.”

“So she's a troubled genius?” Sophie joked.

“She's a bit of a difficult one, all clever and gloomy. Dresses weird too, with those dark colors. I'm not an expert in fashion or anything, but I'm pretty sure that's not haute couture.”

“Oh? I like her already. Tell me more.”

As we whispered past the walls and throughout the night, we found comfort in each other's existence. We might have been dragged into a strange, new world, but at least we were not alone.