Creating a space for his tether wasn’t especially hard, not even with Kasos breathing down his back. What was harder was seeing all the effort and hard work he’d gone through missing. The tether was as small as a pre-stage’s and kept its Body Discipline favoring loop.

There was some hope, however. When Ranvir first remade the space and placed the egg of space energy within, he revealed a much diminished tether that barely grew a quarter of the way through the space. When he went to bed that evening, Ranvir checked on the space once more and found it had grown its own size again and was more than halfway through the loop.

“I suspect you will experience some power loss, but much of beginner’s training involves acclimation to mana, as much as actual growth of power. Since you’re already used to the energy, the first part should come quickly to you.”

Ranvir frowned. “What about the rest?” Scratching at his chin, trying to hide his disappointment. “Will I regain my Disciplines?”

“Maybe,” Kasos said with a shrug. “In this case, you understand your own powers better than I do. You understand how far you can push it and how to train it. Your tether sounds similar to Mana: Draw, but not enough that I’ll try to supersede your experience on the matter.”

Ranvir narrowed his eyes. “What about advancing?”

“From what you described?” Kasos muttered as he shifted through papers to find his notes on Ranvir’s description of his advancement to Veil, as well as what he could recall of Dagger and Flesh. “Take careful stock of your spirit beforehand, but you didn’t experience any weakness after reawakening your tether, right?”

Ranvir shook his head. And he really hadn’t. It had been easy almost. Much less invasive than what Amanaris had done to him.

“Then you’re free to go ahead.”

Ranvir nodded, already deep in thought. He turned to his Fundament, examining his new tether-space from the outside. Advancing dealt with breaking through the bubble, expanding and reshaping it through various means. Could Ranvir’s new perspective, his new control speed that along? Should it? What if that caused some loss of power or strength?

Ranvir shook his head. He couldn’t worry about that. If he was too afraid to apply the knowledge and experience he’d gained, he’d get nowhere. One thing he knew for certain. The space was going to go through a lot of changes.

He’d initially made it similar to the original tether-space, including the flaw. As a pre-stage, Ranvir’d already suffered from a lack of endurance. The improved and more powerful tether would only exacerbate the issue and potentially crack his Fundament. Again.

It needed to be stronger, more durable, the walls needed to be thicker. He’d make his tether-space into a fortress. A bastion to withstand all the power he’d ever gain. Ranvir set to it with gusto, shaping and reshaping the limits of the space. He tested every change with small bursts of power he could manage. Through his increasing understanding of the Fundament, and his spirit, he realized what had caused the damage to begin with.

When he advanced a Discipline that had been signaled by maturity in the tether and a buildup of pressure within the tether-space, which was made of two distinct layers. An outer layer of anima that actually detailed the border of the space and an inner one meant to detect the type of breakthrough and start the advancement.

His improved tether had been flooding the space with so much energy that it had infiltrated and slipped into the outer layer of anima as it reshaped, creating small weaknesses and vulnerabilities. These should have eventually healed on their own, but Ranvir’s almost immediate step onto the Discipline of Flesh further destabilized the space and flooded his soul with inferior energy, contaminating it. The final polish of the ice was the addition of his Concept, which shifted his spirit to the core, remaking and repurposing much of his soul to new goals.

A perfect storm of vulnerability and strength that broke his spirit and set it bleeding.

So how would Ranvir make that didn’t happen again? Firstly, he added an extra layer in the middle, one designed not to break in certain very specific ways, but to soak up mana like a sponge and reduce its impact and speed. Ranvir based it off the idea of the Basin ritual-circle. When energy flowed in the basin’s many intricate details, twists, and turns, it slowed the mana down significantly.

Secondly, he added thickness of the outer layer, making it much more resistant to pollution of the First Order energy, though it might slow his initial growth after advancement down as the space took longer to readjust. A worthy sacrifice, he deemed.

And then Ranvir restored the space perfectly, realigning the tether and space.

One hour after Ranvir restored his tether connection to its previous greatness, the loop grew finished.

At noon that same day, his tether had fully matured the peak of the pre-stages and was already straining at the borders.

Two hours of intense concentration later, Ranvir stifled the onslaught of mana such that he didn’t have to worry about accidentally breaking through.

Ten minutes later, a color ooze of fur and claw slipped from between the ribbons of power, glowing the soft purple of space. Ranvir gaped as the creature reformed within the tether-space. He didn’t know whether to be elated that a source of expertise had reappeared, or to be worried that it had got inside with his tether.

Thankfully, he didn’t have to make that choice yet. Instead of turning into the human-like creature of broad chest and shoulder, it simply sloughed onto the bottom of the space and rested there. No thick arms reaching down to the floor supporting its body, no cat-like legs to walk around on. Just a glob of lightly bubbling orange, yellow, and reds.

Ranvir retreated from his soul, deciding that he’d had enough of training today. He needed a break anyway to go see Frija. He’d made arrangements with Elpir, but if he didn’t hurry, he might be late.

“Alright,” Kasos muttered, “I’m here. You sure you’re ready, kid?”

Ranvir had already stretched his patience about as far as it could feasibly go. He’d sat with the power to advance, ready at the snap of his fingers, but he’d been diligent. He’d first checked over the space, then double-checked that all functions were in place and that they worked. Then he’d triple-checked. And he’d asked Kasos to be there in case something should go wrong.

He’d been patient. He’d done his groundwork. He’d waited long enough.

“It’s been two days, Kasos!” Ranvir near growled. “I can’t wait any longer.”

Kasos paused one foot through the door before he shook his head and entered. “Kids.”

Ranvir barely heard him as he was diving deep into his tether-space. He’d embraced the pressure a few times, just to feel it. To make sure everything worked. But his reach had been so limited.

“I’m watching.”

Ranvir heard Kasos’ voice only faintly through the barriers enclosing the space. He didn’t know if the old man could hear him in return, so he spoke out loud, “I’m beginning.”

And then he spun his tether up, feeling the low drag of a spiritual breeze as it spun up faster and grinned. Ranvir didn’t initiate his ritual focus. He didn’t even go through the buildup that usually preceded advancement—like what Master Svenar had done for Esmund.

Bringing the entirety of his attention to bear on his tether, he felt the simple braiding of the strands, the slow churn as it spun around, the occasional pulse of light as a little more energy passed through.

Ranvir drew.

His tether exploded with purple light, and mana rushed through his tether. It followed the most natural pattern within his spirit. The way his body had naturally adapted when first exposed.

He felt more than heard the rattle and crack of the inner layer of the space, as Ranvir drove space mana through his loop and past it into, and through, his body before returning it to the tether and finished the loop.

The rush of power tingled Ranvir’s entire body as the entire space convulsed and the flow of power reached through the cloth of space, into the space between planes, grasping at something beyond Korfyi.

Space mana slammed through the tether and into Ranvir like a runaway avalanche, hammering through the gap created in the innermost layer and slammed to a dragging halt through the second before impacting flatly on the anima border.

Ranvir felt the burn in his eyes return with strength and he was certain that his eyes were glowing something fierce. At the bottom of the tether-space, Latresekt stirred. The spirit-creature drank of the ambient power flooding its body and restoring itself. In moments, it was restored to its old splendor.

The sensation of reaching beyond Korfyi faded as the mana flow subsided slightly. His tether burned with power, a tiny portion flowed into his newly re-grown Discipline of Body and settled him more strongly in the world.

“That went smoothly,” Kasos commented once Ranvir emerged from his soul. “From what I could see of your shell, I’d probably recommend waiting a few weeks before attempting to advance again. Your spirit’s currently holding strong, but as you’ve changed how fast you adapt to the new power, there might be complications later on.”

Ranvir nodded. “That was my fault as well,” with the thicker outer wall it would take at least a week before the power fully settled in, which meant it would be steadily increasing during that time, until it reached a point of equilibrium and he could start training it.

“You survived… Well done, kid.” Latresekt’s low growl shivered down Ranvir’s spine as the creature stirred and stretched.

A mix of thick yellow apprehension, lively green excitement, and dark red of expectation boiled for eminence within Ranvir with a strength he hadn’t felt since he’d left Vednar.