— I saw it.
Mike said quietly.
He wasn't joking.
Wasn't creating anything.
Just… staring ahead.
— I know.
Merlin replied, still sitting on the floor, fiddling with something that looked like a piece of glass… but wasn't.
Kael stayed silent.
Arms crossed.
— It wasn't like before.
Mike continued.
— Before it felt like… a game.
— Now it doesn't.
Silence.
— What did you see?
Kael asked.
Mike took a moment to answer.
— I don't know how to explain it.
He ran a hand over his face.
— It felt like something was… missing.
Merlin looked up.
— Good.
— Good?
Mike looked at her, annoyed.
— I'm telling you I felt something messed up and you say "good"?
She shrugged.
— You noticed.
— That's already more than most people.
— I don't want to notice that.
Silence.
Kael let out a quiet breath.
— No one does.
— Then why are we here?
Mike shot back.
Silence.
And this time—
no one answered right away.
Merlin placed what she was holding on the ground.
— Because you can do something about it.
— I'm a kid.
— Not for this kind of thing.
Mike froze for a second.
— I didn't ask for this.
— No one did.
Silence.
Kael uncrossed his arms.
— Hey.
Mike looked at him.
— you're not alone in this.
— I know.
— But it feels like I am.
Silence.
That one was more honest than anything else.
Merlin watched both of them.
Without interrupting.
— Alright.
She said.
— then we're doing it differently today.
Mike frowned.
— Differently how?
She stood up.
— no explanation.
— no theory.
— just practice.
Kael raised an eyebrow slightly.
— Now I'm curious.
Merlin smiled.
— you're joining too.
— I don't have that kind of power.
— You don't need it.
Silence.
She looked at Mike.
— create something.
— anything.
Mike sighed.
— Fine.
He raised his hand.
A chair appeared.
Simple.
Normal.
— There.
Merlin walked over.
Sat on it.
— That's easy for you.
— Yeah.
— Now create something you don't control.
Silence.
— …what do you mean?
— create without deciding everything.
— That doesn't make sense.
— It does.
Mike stared at his hand.
— If I don't decide… nothing happens.
— Then try.
Silence.
He took a deep breath.
— Alright…
He closed his eyes.
And this time—
he didn't think about shape.
Didn't think about an object.
He just… let it happen.
The space in front of him distorted.
Different.
Unstable.
Kael got serious immediately.
— Merlin…
— Shhh.
The thing started forming.
But it wasn't clean.
It shifted.
Wrong.
Like it was trying to exist… without knowing how.
Mike opened his eyes.
— …that's not me.
Merlin replied quietly:
— it's the part of you you don't control.
Silence.
The thing trembled.
And then—
it vanished.
Like it had never been there.
Mike stood still.
— I didn't like that.
— Neither did I.
Kael said.
Merlin didn't respond right away.
— Now you understand.
— Understand what?
Mike asked.
She looked straight at him.
— why Elion is dangerous.
Silence.
— That… didn't feel like him.
— Because it's not just him.
The air grew heavier.
— There's more?
— There is.
— And it doesn't talk.
Silence.
Mike looked down.
— So… he doesn't control everything either.
Merlin didn't answer.
And that was the answer.
Kael ran a hand through his hair.
— That makes it worse.
— Yeah.
Silence.
Mike looked up.
Different now.
Less light.
— Then I need to get stronger.
Merlin smiled slightly.
— no.
— you need to understand what you already are.
Silence.
And this time—
Mike didn't answer immediately.
Because for the first time…
he was actually taking it seriously.
— Alright.
Mike crossed his arms.
— so are you finally going to explain or keep talking in code?
Merlin smiled slightly.
— I'll show you.
Before he could reply—
the space around them… opened.
Not like a portal.
Not like normal magic.
Like reality itself had been pulled back.
— …I'll never get used to that.
Kael muttered.
— Me neither.
Merlin replied.
She looked at both of them.
— there are places between places.
— not worlds.
— not planes.
— they're… intervals.
Mike blinked.
— that didn't help.
— I know.
Silence.
She pointed.
Two openings appeared.
One stable.
The other… heavy.
Wrong.
— You're not going to the same place.
Kael already understood.
— How long?
— Out here?
— Not long.
— In there?
Silence.
— Enough.
Mike looked at his opening.
— Is this safe?
Merlin answered directly:
— No.
— But you can handle it.
Kael stepped forward.
No hesitation.
— How long for me?
— A minute and a half here.
— In there…
She looked at him.
— one year and three months.
Silence.
Mike's eyes widened.
— What?!
Kael just exhaled.
— …okay.
— "Okay"?!
Mike turned to him.
— You're gonna be in there for over a year!
Kael looked back.
— Someone has to.
Silence.
That hit differently.
Mike didn't respond right away.
Merlin then looked at him.
— and you come with me.
— How long?
— thirty minutes here.
— three months inside.
Mike stayed quiet.
Thinking.
— …alright.
He took a deep breath.
— but when I come back—
— I want to understand more.
Merlin smiled.
— you will.
Kael was already standing in front of his opening.
— don't die.
Mike said.
Kael gave a half smile.
— try not to destroy everything without me.
— no promises.
And then—
he stepped in.
The dimension… closed.
No sound.
No light.
Just… gone.
Silence.
Mike kept staring.
— he's coming back, right?
— he is.
— different.
Silence.
Merlin extended her hand.
— come.
Mike looked at his opening.
Less heavy.
But still strange.
— what is this place?
— where you learn.
He grabbed her hand.
— I'm already learning.
— not enough.
And then—
they stepped in.
The dimension closed.
And the world outside…
kept going.
Normal.
Like always.
A minute and a half later.
Silence.
The space opened again.
But different.
Denser.
Heavier.
Kael stepped out.
Slowly.
Controlled breathing.
His gaze… different.
Sharper.
Colder.
More… present.
He looked at his hands.
And without effort—
energy rose.
Level 2 transformation.
Fast.
Clean.
Controlled.
He deactivated it.
No instability.
No strain.
— …I get it.
Silence.
Thirty minutes later.
Another opening.
Lighter.
More stable.
Mike came out spinning in the air.
Landing seated on the ground.
— HOLY—
He stood up laughing.
— THAT WAS INSANE!
Merlin stepped out right after.
Calm.
Observing.
— you almost blew up half the space.
— but I didn't!
— barely.
Mike stood up.
Snapped his fingers.
A chair appeared.
Then vanished.
Then became something else.
All controlled.
— …okay.
He smiled.
— now I get it better.
Kael looked at him.
— you changed.
— so did you.
Silence.
Merlin crossed her arms.
Watching both of them.
— now…
She said quietly.
— we can begin.
Silence.
And this time—
they were ready.
Or at least…
closer to it.