"I'm glad you came," Vincent greeted him as Isaac entered the clan leader's office.
Isaac closed the door behind him. His gaze briefly wandered across the office before he shoved his hands into his pockets.
"I don't exactly have much of a choice if I want to finally learn how to control my magic," he sighed at last. "So? Where do we start?"
Vincent studied him with visible amusement.
"Is there any particular reason why you're so eager to speed this up?"
Isaac let out an annoyed snort.
"Maybe it has something to do with that idiotic prank you pulled."
An amused smile appeared on Vincent's lips.
"How cruel," he replied with feigned hurt. "And after I picked everything out personally."
Isaac rubbed a tired hand over his face.
Did he actually go shopping himself?
The very idea seemed absurd. Vincent led an entire clan, constantly made decisions, coordinated assignments, and never seemed to have even a single free minute. The thought of that same man walking through stores and selecting the contents of that box simply did not fit Isaac's image of him.
"Can we please just change the subject?" Isaac asked wearily.
"What a shame," Vincent said with a knowing smile that only irritated Isaac even more.
Isaac crossed his arms over his chest.
"So? What exactly are you planning?"
In an instant, the easygoing expression vanished from Vincent's face. His posture remained relaxed, but his gaze turned attentive and serious.
"Not much," he explained calmly. "First, I want to examine your magical flow. The way your energy moves, how you normally release it, and exactly where the instability occurs."
Isaac remained silent and listened carefully.
"I need to understand what I'm working with," Vincent continued. "Only then can I show you how to properly control your magic."
At least that sounded reasonable. Isaac gave a slight nod.
"Sounds fair."
Vincent folded his hands together, rested his chin on them, and looked at Isaac expectantly.
"Take your clothes off," he said.
Isaac froze instantly.
"What?!" He immediately went on the defensive. "Why the hell would I strip in front of you?"
But Vincent merely raised an eyebrow.
"The less clothing you wear, the easier it is for me to observe your energy flow," he explained calmly. "Taking off your sweater will be enough."
Isaac blinked in irritation.
Honestly, he had expected explanations. Maybe meditation, some complicated exercise, or at least a theoretical lecture about magic. But definitely not being asked to half-undress.
"If it absolutely has to be done…" he muttered reluctantly.
Slowly, he pulled the sweater over his head and carelessly tossed it over the back of a chair.
At once, an uncomfortable tension spread through him. Isaac hated showing his body — for several reasons. For one thing, only Noctis had ever seen him completely naked before. The thought alone made his shoulders tense instinctively.
And while Vincent had technically seen his body as well, Isaac had barely been conscious at the time. His injuries had left him immobile, dazed, and helpless. He had been unable to think clearly, let alone stop any of it.
Now Vincent stood directly in front of him, fully attentive, while Isaac suddenly became painfully aware of every scar on his skin. Presenting himself to Vincent now, fully conscious and clear-minded, felt deeply uncomfortable. Especially under that intense gaze with which Vincent was studying him.
"Hm… you're actually very well built," Vincent murmured at last.
His tone sounded less teasing than genuinely interested, which somehow unsettled Isaac even more.
"How do you usually train?"
Isaac reflexively crossed his arms before realizing that only drew more attention to his upper body. Reluctantly, he let them fall again.
"I go jogging, do strength training, stretching exercises, and spar with Noctis regularly."
"Interesting." Vincent's gaze briefly wandered over his shoulders and arms. "How flexible are you?"
Isaac narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Does that have anything to do with magic training?"
"No."
"Then forget it."
A faint smirk crossed Vincent's face.
"I really wish you'd see me more as family and less like some kind of villain."
"Then stop asking unnecessary questions," Isaac snorted.
More than anything, he wanted to end this immediately. He would much rather retreat to his room again, go through his mother's old records, or sit in front of a canvas for hours until his thoughts finally quieted down. Anything was better than dealing with Vincent.
Just because Vincent might officially become his brother-in-law someday did not make him any more likable.
Besides, he still hadn't heard anything from Noctis. Not a short message, not even a sign that he was okay. Even though only a single day had passed, Isaac was worried about him.
Kind of strange, really.
Only a few months ago, there had often been days without any word from Noctis, except when he suddenly appeared unannounced at Isaac's place. Back then, it had barely bothered him.
But at that time, he also hadn't heard anything from Levi in a long while. And after what Levi had said… Levi was planning something. Even if he wanted Isaac to come to him willingly, Isaac had absolutely no way of predicting who Levi would target first. Or whether he had simply been bluffing to scare him.
What if he started with Noctis while he was out there alone, working through his endless to-do list? Isaac swallowed hard. He did not want to imagine Vincent's people someday returning with Noctis' lifeless body.
The image alone sent panic rising inside him.
Either way, Isaac expected something to happen any day now. Whether Levi intended to follow through on his threat, or whether he would instead try to abduct Isaac against his will.
Damn it, he just wasn't doing well. Not after everything that had happened over the past few weeks.
Suddenly, he felt hands against his back.
Isaac flinched violently and whipped his head around in alarm. Vincent had completely torn him out of his thoughts.
"Relax," Vincent said calmly.
Isaac forced himself to take a slow breath, even though his pulse was still racing far too fast.
"I hate it when people touch me without warning," he replied tensely.
"Hm? And that despite how shamelessly you sleep with my brother?" Vincent teased.
Isaac's head snapped toward him immediately.
"That is absolutely none of your business!" he hissed.
Vincent's grin only widened, clearly pleased by the strong reaction.
"But what's wrong with wanting to know everything about my future brother-in-law?"
His hand moved across Isaac's skin until it rested between his shoulder blades, an unusual warmth radiating from it.
Isaac hated how good it felt. Especially after how tense he had been.
"Everything?" Isaac finally replied, struggling to suppress a relieved sigh. "Wouldn't normal people rather want to know what hobbies their brother's partner has? Where he comes from, or what interests him?"
"But I already know all that," Vincent waved it off.
The casualness in his tone was unsettling, and once again Isaac was reminded of exactly who he was dealing with.
"What I don't know, however, is something far more important." His voice grew calmer. "What drives you. What you like or dislike. What makes you angry, or what you need in order to feel okay."
Isaac grimaced slightly.
"All of those things are pretty personal."
"In a family, nothing should be personal," Vincent replied without hesitation. "Noctis and I don't keep secrets from each other."
"Good for you," Isaac snorted dryly.
A quiet, thoughtful "Hm…" came from Vincent in response.
His hand slid down along Isaac's spine. He had completely ignored Isaac's last remark and continued fiddling with him anyway.
"Are you done yet?" he finally asked irritably.
The moment Isaac spoke, Vincent removed his hands from him.
"Yes," he replied without any further explanation.
The fact that Vincent gave absolutely no comment at all only worried Isaac more. He had no way of judging whether he came across as a normal, average mage. The only thing he knew was how Noctis had reacted to him.
And that reaction had not exactly been reassuring.
"Did you bring the materials I asked for?" Vincent asked eventually.
Isaac nodded and took out the supplies he used to paint the cards for Noctis. He laid everything down on the desk while Vincent fetched a chair and placed it directly in front of it.
"Sit down and make the card the way you normally do."
Isaac raised a skeptical eyebrow.
"You do realize this could take a while? Do you really have that much time?"
"Of course." Vincent leaned casually against the edge of the desk. "At the moment, everything is going according to plan. And if something goes wrong somewhere, I'll be informed immediately."
Then his expression grew more serious for a brief moment.
"Besides, this is important." His voice lost its teasing undertone entirely. "We couldn't provide you with a teacher all these years. And under no circumstances could Noctis allow himself to be exposed."
For the first time, Vincent actually sounded genuinely apologetic. Isaac didn't know why exactly, but this time it was difficult to simply distrust his words.
"Just start and don't let me distract you."
"If you say so," Isaac muttered and reached for his sweater to put it back on.
"Leave it off," Vincent said immediately.
Isaac froze mid-motion and looked at him in annoyance.
"Why?"
Surely Vincent did not expect him to sit here half-undressed for the next several hours while painting the card. Not just because of the nudity itself, but also because he had no desire to sit around freezing.
"Because I'll need to check your magical flow from time to time," Vincent said calmly. "Begin, Isaac."
He said nothing more.
Isaac let out a quiet snort, but eventually sat down in the chair and pulled the materials closer to himself.
He grabbed the card and sketched out his idea before mixing the colors he would need. It was a shame that the images turned completely black the moment the magic took effect, leaving only the golden spider on the back intact.
On the other hand, it was probably for the best. That way, no one could recognize his art style.
It was still bizarre that Isaac was essentially helping kill those people, but he also did not care. He preferred knowing that Noctis was safe and not putting himself in unnecessary danger.
From the very first brushstroke onward, he wove his magic into the process. It burned through his veins like fire, and as usual, the entire procedure exhausted him. But over the years, he had learned how to deal with the pain. By now, he did not even flinch anymore and simply continued painting without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Vincent remained surprisingly quiet.
Only occasionally did he step closer, place a hand between Isaac's shoulder blades, and let his fingers slowly trace the same lines along his back, as though following something only he could see.
Isaac still disliked being touched by him, but he endured it all the same. In this matter, he actually agreed with Vincent. This was important if he truly wanted to learn how to control his magic properly. At last, he had a teacher — or at least someone willing to show him the right path.
After three hours of intense painting, he finally reached a level of detail he found satisfactory. He inspected his work one last time before washing out the brush with quiet satisfaction. Setting it aside, he completed the spell by granting Noctis sole authorization to use the dream for his own purposes.
The magic faded, taking the burning sensation with it. The unpleasant pain disappeared, leaving behind only the familiar tingling beneath his skin. Isaac wanted nothing more than to let out a relieved breath and close his eyes for a moment. As always, he was exhausted. More than anything, he wanted to collapse onto his bed and rest.
But he would never show even the slightest sign of weakness in front of Vincent if he could avoid it.
Vincent was still silent.
Isaac turned toward him, but the moment he saw the expression on his face, he merely sighed.
So my way of using magic really has been wrong all along.
"How bad is it?" Isaac asked quietly.
"How the hell have you managed to stay alive until now?" Vincent asked in astonishment. He held out his hand. "Give me the card."
Without a word, Isaac handed him the card. What was he supposed to say to that anyway? It wasn't as if he truly knew what he was doing.
Vincent took the card and examined it carefully. He turned it over in his hand, and only the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed his dissatisfaction.
Eventually, he set the card aside, knelt down in front of Isaac, and took his hands into his own. He briefly closed his eyes, and once again his hands grew slightly warmer as he used his own magic.
Isaac felt Vincent's magic spreading through his body.
But far too soon, Vincent released his hands again, and the pleasant sensation disappeared with it.
With a sigh, Vincent stood back up.
"You use your magic to such an extreme degree that I'm honestly surprised you haven't become a complete wreck by now," he finally said. "I'll try to explain it as simply as possible: you're trying to force your magic into a vessel that doesn't have enough space to contain it. You just keep pouring in more and more magic until you force the result you want."
Isaac frowned, but continued listening.
"The result itself is impressive," Vincent continued. "The card functions exactly the way you intended. With the amount of magic you crammed into it, Noctis will probably feel like he's strolling through a peaceful flower field while murdering someone."
Then his expression darkened.
"But the way you achieved it is absolutely catastrophic. How severe is the pain when you cast magic?"
Isaac looked him directly in the eyes at first, but then glanced away.
"Like my arms are burning alive."
"So I thought," Vincent snorted. "I think the only reason you've survived this long is because you constantly trained your magic through Noah's talisman. You have more potential than even the stronger mages in this clan. Naturally, that allowed you to abuse your magic recklessly the way you have until now."
Isaac pressed his lips together.
"How else was I supposed to do it?" he finally asked more quietly. "No one ever showed me how any of this works."
The words came out more bitterly than he intended.
Surprisingly, Vincent did not argue.
"Yes," he said calmly instead. "The fault lies with us."
Isaac blinked in irritation.
He had not expected Vincent to admit that so openly.
He held out his hand. Isaac took it hesitantly. A moment later, he felt that pleasant warmth again.
"Magic shouldn't hurt you. You may direct it where you want, but it should feel like swimming with the current of a river," Vincent explained. "Of course, my magic works differently from yours, but the principle is the same."
Isaac frowned.
"That's exactly what I'm doing," he argued.
Vincent shook his head slightly.
"You're putting far too much effort into forcing it into an object," Vincent explained. "There's no question that the card now contains an extremely powerful spell. But when creating something, you need to consider the actual purpose of the object you're designing. Rule number one is that none of your creations should remain connected to you. Rule number two would be to reduce the spell's duration. With the amount of magic inside this single card, Noctis would have over an hour to send multiple people into dreamland. Give him ten minutes at most. That's more than enough time for him to get in and do his job. Besides, he still has his own magic to rely on, and as far as I know, he always carries more than one of your cards anyway."
"But if I don't make them like that, he'll run into trouble!" Isaac protested.
"No," Vincent replied calmly. "He uses your cards, but Noctis is not helpless."
Isaac immediately wanted to argue back, but Vincent sighed quietly, stepped closer, and suddenly placed both hands against his cheeks.
The gesture was so unexpectedly gentle that Isaac went completely still for a moment.
"What exactly do you think a Crafter is?" Vincent asked seriously.
His tone was entirely serious now, every trace of amusement gone from his voice. Standing before him was no longer the Vincent who always seemed to take life lightly, but someone who genuinely appeared concerned for Isaac.
Isaac swallowed.
"Someone who creates things, no matter what kind. Like a craftsman or an engineer," Isaac answered.
Vincent nodded slowly.
"Correct. Which means you create tools. Things that other people can use to make certain situations in life easier."
And suddenly, Isaac understood.
His eyes widened slightly.
"Does that apply to everything?" he asked immediately. "Even talismans? Or protective spells?"
Maybe he could finally create more than just a single talisman — and cast other spells without constantly hovering on the edge of exhaustion.
Vincent nodded.
"Never give a protective spell more than one single task," he explained. "And phrase it as specifically as possible."
Isaac listened attentively.
"Don't simply tell a talisman, 'Protect Noctis.' That's far too vague." Vincent crossed his arms. "Instead, say something like: 'Prevent him from suffering one fatal blow.'"
Isaac's thoughts immediately began racing.
If that actually worked…
How many possibilities had he wasted until now?
"But wouldn't I need to create several in that case? Wouldn't the magic still have to stay connected to me?"
"No. You apply the exact same principle you use for the cards and weave the spell into the object while creating it," Vincent said as he straightened up again. Once more, he let out a sigh. "I observed your magical flow closely while you were creating the card, and you lost your strength so quickly that, honestly, I'm surprised you managed to finish it at all."
Vincent picked up Isaac's sweater and handed it back to him.
"Practice what I told you over the next few days," he said. "I want to see you here again in three days."
Isaac took the sweater from him.
"Bring everything you've created by then." Vincent's expression remained serious. "And then you'll show me what you've learned."
Isaac pulled the sweater back on and slowly stood up.
Surprisingly, he felt lighter than he had only a few minutes earlier.
"I healed your exhaustion. And your body as well," Vincent explained calmly, as though he had read his thoughts. "You're far too tense."
"I healed your exhaustion and your body. You're far too tense," Vincent repeated when he noticed Isaac's look.
"Thank you," Isaac said honestly.
"You're welcome."
But just when Isaac thought the conversation might finally end on a normal note, that suspiciously amused grin appeared on Vincent's face again.
"By the way, Noctis will be back tomorrow. You should take a break now and relax a little. Maybe it would help to try something new?"
His tone sounded innocent, yet Isaac knew exactly what he was implying. His face immediately burned with embarrassment as he remembered that cursed box still sitting untouched in his room.
"Stay out of my private life!" he snapped at Vincent, mortified.
But Vincent only burst into amused laughter.
"Who would've thought I'd someday end up with such an adorable brother-in-law?" he said with a grin. "Teasing you is honestly far more entertaining than I expected."
Isaac let out an irritated snort, hurriedly stuffed his things together, and shot Vincent a dark glare.
"Sometimes I really wonder what I did to deserve having to deal with you."
Vincent placed a hand against his chest in mock innocence.
"And here I am doing everything I can to make sure you're happy."
"Stop that!" Isaac immediately hissed. "Especially when it concerns things that are absolutely none of your business!"
By now, his cheeks were burning so badly that he wanted the ground to swallow him whole.
And Vincent's laughter only made it worse.
No matter what Isaac said, Vincent seemed to find every single reaction endlessly entertaining.
"See you in three days," Isaac finally growled.
Without waiting for another response, he turned around and left the office.
But even out in the hallway, he could still hear Vincent's quiet laughter behind him.
Only once Isaac finally reached his room and closed the door behind him did silence slowly return.