The two walked for a while in silence, each mulling over their own thoughts. From time to time, the darkness was broken by torches set into the wall, allowing Tommy to see the hallway around him. It was more a cave than anything else, with the occasional tunnel branching off here and there. He was happy for the torches, as spaced out as they were, for the darkness seemed to settle over him like a blanket, dulling his senses. Tommy was still grappling with the concept of serving in the army. Granted, there appeared to be less technological leaps here than on Earth, so he wouldn't need to worry about dodging bullets. But...he wasn't sure if a sword cleaving through the air, intent on gutting him or taking off his head, would be any better. Unfortunately, Tommy had no other options. He had no idea how life worked here in this new place, and Fleya was his only guiding light. He would have to take her word for now, until he saw any better options. He estimated they had been walking for a half hour before he could make out the end of the tunnel. Appearing before them as a pinprick of light at first, the exit guided them as it grew in size. The two slowed their pace as they came before the it, eyes trying to adjust to the bright light. What Tommy saw took his breath away. The tunnel deposited the two into a wide valley, nestled between two peaks of the mountain. The valley was surrounded by the mountain like walls around a prison, though this place gave off a completely different feel. The valley was luscious with evergreens, meadows, and ponds scattered throughout. Deer could be seen weaving in and out of the trees, and a light dew seemed to mist the entire scene. When the rays of the sun hit the mist, the entire valley seemed to glitter like the stars in the night sky. Tommy could make out the sounds of a nearby waterfall and upon searching for it, he found the Academy. Nestled in the middle of a small lake sat a sprawling campus. Towards the edge of the lake was a large, white manor, arranged in a star pattern. Where each leg of the star would be sat different wings of the building. In the center a giant spire arose, covering the lake in a looming shadow. The spire stretched towards the heavens; the top almost lost in the cloud cover above. Tommy recognized this to be the white palace he had seen earlier. Although, he now recognized it was less a palace, and more a large school that looked to be ripped from a fantasy book. Like a hawk standing guard over its helpless eyas, it perched on the edge of the valley, looming over the rest of the campus. Arranged in front of the building were archery fields, sparring rings, a large torn up field, as well as a variety of other buildings and gardens. And everywhere he looked, he saw magic. People were soaring in the air on large animals, threading their way through the clouds with absolute freedom. Some people streaked through the air without external help, Tommy assumed it was somehow related to their abilities. A yearning welled up from within him, pushing him onwards as they made their way through the valley and towards the Academy. He had always loved fantasy books and now...it appeared that he was living in one. He had to admit, he was a bit curious and excited to see what he would discover in this world. Would he be able to do as much as these other people? He doubted it. Lost to his own thoughts, he failed to notice when they arrived at the lake. Looking around, Tommy could not figure out how Fleya planned to get them across. “You might want to close your eyes for this, it can be a bit disorienting,” Fleya said as she grabbed his hand and walked towards the edge of the lake. Before he could process her words, she raised her hand, and he could see runes forming in the air around it. She reached out and placed her hand on a pedestal rising from the edge of the water. The runes seemed to sink into the stone, absorbing into it. Then the entire beach distorted, shifting as though he was now peering through a fishbowl. Tommy looked around but felt as if everything was just slightly out of focus, like his eyes were forced away from the object before it could come into focus. Another distortion ran through the stone, across the sand of the beach, settling it. Tommy took a deep breath of air as he looked around, only to find they were on the Academy side of the shore. Feeling his reality lurch so suddenly as they practically teleported, Tommy reeled, then retched. Fleya released his hand and immediately shifted back three feet, avoiding the puke entirely. “I told you to close your eyes,” she said, standing well away from him and the puke. “You didn’t really give me a chance,” he said, slightly irritated. They continued on their path, leaving his pool of vomit and the disorienting portal behind. His irritation quickly faded as he took in his new surroundings. Tommy could make out a few archers shooting spikes of ice from bows over on the archery field while to the right of that were people dueling in sparring rings. Everyone there seemed intent on practicing some form of fighting or spell craft, as he didn’t see a single person standing around doing nothing. Even the people watching fights were studying each move, intent on understanding what was going on. As they walked through the grounds and he could get a closer look, he could see one person using a whip of light that left a blazing trail as it arced through the air. He watched as it ensnared its target around the waste causing the man to cry out with pain, as if burned by the touch. The whip-wielder snapped his wrist, hardly moving, but causing his opponent to be thrown through the air. The man collided into a group of observers outside of the ring knocking them all down. While the group struggled to get up, the man with the whip turned and walked out of the ring. Tommy couldn’t help but notice the sense of pride that emanated from him. He radiated confidence and everyone in his way hurried to get out of it. In other rings, other mages were dueling using fantastic, eye-catching powers. A woman in her mid-thirties conjured a fireball that Tommy could feel from where he was standing, over forty feet away. The heat was so strong he felt as if his eyebrows might have singed. No one else appeared to be as affected. Hearing a loud explosion, he swiveled to look at the big, open field. Two mages were dueling in the middle of the field, the area around them completely devoid of life. Surrounding the field was the beginnings of a small crowd, eager to watch just as much as Tommy was. Another explosion split the air, but this time he was able to see the cause. One of the mages was pulling chunks of ground from the earth and hurling them towards the other mage, the earthen chunk crystalizing as it screamed towards its target. Tommy didn’t think there was anything the other mage would be able to do, but was proven wrong the next second. The crystal reached the man and collided into him, shattering on impact. As the dust cleared, Tommy could see the other mage standing there, completely covered in a silver, viscous liquid. The man seemed completely unfazed as he walked forward, constantly shattering crystal after crystal without slowing. Just as the two met in the middle of the battleground, Fleya pulled on Tommy’s arm, and he lost sight of the fight as they weaved their way through the crowd. “This is absolutely insane!” he exclaimed, head craning backwards to try and get a glimpse of the action but failing as they rounded a corner. He quickly forgot about the fight as he tried to take in all his surroundings. The entire campus was buzzing with activity no matter which direction he looked. Some buildings looked to be bathhouses; others appeared to be private training rooms. Tommy watched as a man was thrown through the paper like door blocking one such room from view. The man landed at his feet, rolling to a stop. A fiery tempered woman strode from the door, looking intent on finishing whatever was going on. Fleya dragged him ever onwards, as he stopped again and again, shocked by scene after scene. Slowly, they made their way to the goliath manor in front of them. The two walked through the large doors set into the junction of two wings of the building and into the main hall. Just like in the palace below, the guts of the Academy looked like they were forever at war. The difference was shown in the more orderly grouping each section of the building was made up of. Looking before him, Tommy made out a large, circular atrium attached to the entryway. Arranged around the room were massive columns that stretched skywards, supporting the rest of the building’s stories as well as the glass dome that capped the spire. Each level to the building was open to the shaft of the spire and Tommy could see ornately carved railings guarding the balconies. Each wing of the Academy seemed to be geared for a specific use. He could make out sections made entirely of what appeared to be lava, some that had blizzards raging inside of them, and some that seemed to leech the light from all its surroundings. He failed to count the number of rooms he saw as they navigated further into the school. The sheer vastness of this place had Tommy completely in awe. He felt like he was walking into a fairytale from Earth, but then the feeling suddenly soured as he was reminded of his home. While this place was impossible and amazing, he hoped he would be able to see his family again one day. Pushing the feeling aside, he added it to the fuel that kept him focused on what lay before him. He needed to be enrolled, tested, and then trained. From there he and Fleya could figure out more about his situation. His attention snapped back to the present as they came to a stop outside of an oddly modern office. Walking through the door, he had the surreal feeling like he was walking into his high school office back home. True, the room was not at all like his high school office, but the sense of order and administration that seemed to blanket him gave off the same vibe. A counter stretched the length of the room and a few attendants sat behind it, each scribbling furiously at the work in front of them. One of the attendants was writing so fast, Tommy was able to see ink splattering as the quill dashed across the page at a racing pace. Set into the walls were pedestals, each holding a glowing orb of light, giving off a harsh, bright light. Covering the walls were blackboards. These were not regular blackboards though, as Tommy watched them fill with writing on their own, the entire text scrolling upwards so the invisible author could continue their work. Wherever a blackboard wasn’t, a bookshelf was. There was not a single inch of the room that was not being utilized to some extent. “Can I help you?” a mousy faced attendant asked, pushing up on her spectacles and grabbing his attention. “You can, I need to enroll a student,” Fleya responded, gesturing to Tommy. The attendant took him in, sniffing and appearing quite unimpressed. Almost with a bored tone, she inquired, “Name?” “Thomas Ohme,” Tommy replied, feeling his cheeks redden at when he said his last name. “Rank?” she continued, uncaring. “Untested,” Fleya responded. “Abilities?” “Untested, but I believe he has an affinity towards lightning,” Fleya offered, glancing back at him. The woman glanced up at Tommy as she listened to Fleya, seeming a little more curious now. “Age of manifestation?” she asked, eyes boring into Tommy. “19, but he has no control and has been struggling in the country for the past 3 years. I found him after my last skirmish and brought him here for training.” Fleya stated. Tommy shot her a quick look but didn’t say anything. “Hmmm,” is all the woman responded with, before gesturing with her arm. A brief flicker of power snapped from her hand to a knob in the counter to her right. Immediately, the counter parted where the knob was, melding back into itself to form a path through to the other side. “Down the hall and to the right,” is all she said as she took the file she had been writing on and pushed it through a slot on the counter. She then continued with her work like nothing had ever happened. “She didn’t seem very thrilled,” Tommy said as they proceeded down the hall, and to the right. “It’s generally frowned upon to not enroll on your own. The sects throughout the kingdoms can help train mages and cultivators as well, but they don’t have as much collective knowledge as students here at the Academy,” Fleya answered, giving him a quick sidelong glance. “But it’s really the only choice we have, unless you want to make up an entire family history too,” she continued, forestalling his immediate response. “Didn’t you say it was dangerous here for the weak? And you’re starting me off with two hands tied behind my back,” Tommy exclaimed, his nerves on the verge of fraying once again. “I understand how you feel, but I don’t have any other ideas. Do you? If you keep quiet, the odds of people hearing about this are slim.” Tommy stayed silent as he couldn’t offer any alternatives. They continued down the hall, Tommy pondering his situation a little more. He had been trying hard to ignore it, but now that they were here, he could feel the fear start to creep up his neck again. He couldn’t fight in the army. Who was he kidding? He was just an IT guy at best, there was no way he would survive in this world. Just as he was preparing to turn tail and run, Fleya stopped in front of a massive door with runes inscribed all around it. Curiosity overcoming his cowardice, he forced himself to plant his feet and wait for her guidance. “Where are we?” he asked, glancing to Fleya. Seeing him get ahold of himself, she smiled, then said, “The Nightmare Room.” Seeing his face pale again, she laughed. “Excuse me?” Tommy spluttered, his face blanching. “It’s just a nickname,” she drawled, trying to loosen him up a bit, a hint of a smile teasing through. He might not be cut out for this, Fleya was thinking to herself, waiting for him to calm down enough to continue. “This is the testing room,” she went after a few minutes of waiting. She had never seen one person so easily wound up. Granted, he was going through extra-ordinary circumstances, but she still wasn’t entirely convinced on his story. Sure, he seemed panicked enough that it could be true, but she had seen crazier people do and say crazier things. There was still every chance he had been hit hard over the head and was delusional. “Inside, the room forces your powers out of you. The problem is the magic inside does whatever it needs to. I have some friends who have gone in there and have come out with smiles and laughs,” she explained. “But I’ve also had friends go in there and come out, panicking and hysterical. It just depends on what it takes to get you to use your power.” “So basically, anything could happen in there?” he questioned her back, still considering running. “Basically,” she nodded, looking at him as if gaging his reaction. He met her stare in silence, having an internal war in his mind. This is insane, that place is called the nightmare room, I can’t go in there, Tommy thought to himself, turning to pace back in forth in front of the room. Just days ago, he was living a comfortable life, carefree as usual back on Earth. It was not the best life, but he had been comfortable. And happy, for the most part. But now, he was struggling with the idea of getting through a week here, let alone this Nightmare Room. As he paced back in forth in front of the door, he felt as a building headache worked its way to the fore of his problems. The two stayed in the hallway for a few minutes, Fleya waiting on Tommy, and Tommy waiting on his courage. No matter what he did, he couldn’t bring himself to face whatever lay in store for him behind that door. PATHETIC A guttural, grating voice echoed off the walls around him. Tommy stopped dead in his tracks and looked up, looking for the source of the voice. Seeing and hearing nothing else, he looked to Fleya. “What?” he asked. Looking at him questioningly, Fleya responded, “What, what?” “Someone just called me pathetic, you didn’t hear?” “I didn’t hear anything, but if you plan on pacing in front of this door for the next hour, I have more important things to attend to,” she replied, exasperated. At this rate, he won’t survive a week, she thought to herself. “You really didn’t hear it?” Tommy questioned, disbelieving that he was now hearing things as well. “Honestly Thomas,” Fleya responded, her interest in the situation gone. “But I really do need to take care of other matters while I am here. So, if you don’t want to do this, let’s back out now.” As she spoke, she slowly moved away from the door and down the hall a bit. “No,” he exclaimed, reaching out and grabbing her shoulder, stopping her. She looked down at his hand and up again. He immediately yanked it back as if burned. “I need to do this. I can do this.” It sounded like he was saying it more for himself, than for anyone else, but she nodded once and moved back towards the door. Steeling his nerve and pushing the voice to the back of his mind, he readied himself. Whatever was to happen, he had to take this next step head on. If he couldn’t even take this baby step, he would never figure out what happened to him, or how to get home. Tommy looked to Fleya, nodding for her to start the trial. “Once you’re in there, it’s for the duration of the test. I won’t be able to interrupt it, and neither will you. You either control your power and overcome your obstacle, or you don’t, and we move on,” she gave him the details, so he knew what to expect. At least he hasn’t run away yet, she thought and then continued. “You’re ready for this?” “Hopefully.” “OK, then let’s start.” Fleya reached for the aura that was all around her. She felt it as it pervaded the world around her, connecting everything but intangible at the same time. She built it into her spell, forming the trial’s initiation rune above her palm. As the rune coalesced above her hand, she looked at Tommy, then pressed her hand into the center of the door. Tommy watched as the magic seeped into the stone, waiting for something grand to happen. Taking him by surprise, the door swung inwards, completely silent. He couldn’t make out anything beyond the threshold, just an infinite darkness. The room was ominous, and Tommy felt it beckoning him inwards even as a voice inside of him screamed to back out. But there was no going back. He had to do this, or else he would not survive in this new world. Tommy walked forward, into the black. Taking one last, final look back, he saw as the door closed and sealed him in. As the light faded, he heard that grating voice echo out once more, laughing at him from the darkness.