Victor stood frozen for a moment, observing the brilliance emanating from Lillie’s glowing heterochromatic eyes as she placed herself between him and the supposed “shadow.” Her stance was resolute, a stark contrast to the trembling girl he had first encountered in the forest.

  Indeed.

  It was all part of the plan. Ever since he began drawing the spell model for {Spatial Mirage}, Victor had subtly cast the spell on her, weaving the illusion seamlessly into her surroundings. But that alone wouldn’t have been enough. To make the scenario even more convincing, he had layered it with {Curse of Nightmare}, a curse spell designed to amplify fear and distort perception. Of course, he had toned down its intensity, just enough to keep it realistic without overwhelming her. Even so, he couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty about this.

  Still, it was necessary.

  After all, he could feel it now — the unique constitution within Lillie's awakening, warping the fabric of reality around her. She wasn’t casting a spell or manipulating mana; she was shaping the world itself, her thoughts bleeding into existence.

  Victor narrowed his eyes, taking in the sight. The phenomenon was subtle at first, being a ripple in the elemental energy around them like a stone dropped into still water. But within seconds, jagged spires of crystalline light erupted from the ground, forming a protective barrier between him and the shadow.

  Fascinating, Victor thought. This wasn’t magic; it was far more primal, like a direct manifestation of imagination woven into reality. It explained the distortions he’d seen before — her creations defied the conventional rules of magic and weren’t constructs of mana; they were pure manifestations of thought that took tangible form.

  Finally, the pieces clicked into place.

  “Dreamforce.”

  Those words slowly left Victor’s mouth. Among the countless books he had read from the citadel’s library, there had been brief mentions of a supernatural force that could affect reality in the way that mana never could. Yet so little study had been conducted on it that it bordered on myth, a concept dismissed as false magic.

  However, legends spoke of beings capable of wielding this mysterious force, beings with terrifying, world-bending power that even the mightiest Magi could scarcely hope to rival.

  What made this revelation all the more astounding was Lillie’s innate connection to it. She wasn’t merely manipulating dreamforce; she was controlling it effortlessly, as though it were an extension of herself. The force seemed subservient to her, bending to her will through the use of her glowing heterochromatic eyes.

  In the next moment, the shadow recoiled violently from the jagged crystalline spears, rippling with agitation.

  “You won’t hurt him!” she repeated. As if responding to her command, the crystalline barrier began to twist and shift, sprouting thorns that shimmered with a faint, ethereal blue light. The once-defensive structure became a weapon, pressing forward with undeniable force and driving the shadow further back.

  The shadow was quickly backed into the corner, letting out one final, earsplitting hiss before shattering into fragments of darkness that dissipated into the air. After all, it wasn’t real, and an illusion conjured by the Aleph-tier spell {Spatial Mirage} could only persist for so long. The moment the entity vanished, he lifted the {Curse of Nightmare} from her mind entirely, ensuring no lingering traces of its influence remained.

  Lillie’s breathing was quick and shallow, with sweat falling down her forehead. She closed her eyes for a moment, steadying herself. Slowly, the crystalline barrier faded away, leaving the room in its normal, quiet state.

  Seeing that, Victor exhaled slowly as he observed her. How extraordinary.

  He moved beside her in an instant, checking for any signs of harm. “Lillie, are you all right?”

  She nodded. “Lillie is fine. She didn’t want it to hurt you…”

  Victor placed a reassuring hand on her head. “You did well, Lillie. But we’ll need to talk about this thoroughly — about your power.”

  Lillie looked up at him with wide, tear-filled eyes. “Is Lillie… dangerous?”

  As he heard that, Victor chuckled lightly, shaking his head. “No, of course not,” he said with certainty. “I’ve been aware of your special power ever since the first time I met you.” His gaze softened as he met her eyes directly. “You’re not dangerous, Lillie. Your power is incredible, but it needs guidance. And that’s what I’m here for — to teach you about magic and the supernatural.”

  For the first time since the shadow appeared, a faint smile broke through Lillie’s fear. Without hesitation, she stepped forward and hugged him tightly. “Thank you… Mentor Victor.”

  Victor let her hug him for a good few seconds before gently patting her head and stepping back to give her space. “Now, mind telling me everything that you know about your power?”

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  “Mm-hmm!” Lillie nodded, a cheerful smile lighting up her face. She took a deep breath and began explaining everything she knew in a childlike manner.

  At first, what she shared was unsurprising — things Victor had already deduced or learned from Brown and others. But as she continued, her story took a more intriguing turn:

  “Mama and Papa said that Lillie’s eyes could make dreams real. They told Lillie to be careful with them, though, because they said not all dreams are happy ones. Some dreams… can turn into nightmares.”

  Victor listened intently, already concluding something as he pieced together the fragments of her story.

  “Whenever Lillie imagines something,” she continued, her heterochromatic eyes glimmering faintly as she spoke, “it feels like the world listens. Like it’s waiting for Lillie to tell it what to do. But sometimes, things happen without Lillie wanting them to… like the shadow. Mama said it’s because Lillie’s heart isn’t always steady. When Lillie’s scared, sad, and anxious, it shows up.”

  She looked down at her hands, her fingers curling slightly as though she were trying to grasp the intangible force she described. “That’s why Mama and Papa always told Lillie to think about good things like the heroes in the fairytale and pretty things like flowers and shiny crystals. But no matter how hard Lillie tries, sometimes the shadow still comes back…”

  No wonder that she’s so pure and innocent… Her parents intentionally raised her this way, trying to shield her. Victor inwardly sighed. Yet, that very innocence, untainted and genuine, was what made Lillie who she was. Pure like a white lily flower.

  [Mission Accomplished!]

  [Congratulations on passing the mission. You have successfully ascertained the truth behind the rumors of the abomination’s existence.]

  [The reward (an unknown grimoire) has been issued.]

  Ignoring the melodious ding of the notification, Victor nodded thoughtfully. “I see. Your power is tied to your emotions and your imagination. That makes it both extraordinary and dangerous, but only if left unchecked. With the proper teaching and guidance, we can make sure it’s a force for good.” Good for me, that is. Hehe.

  Lillie’s eyes widened, hope flickering in her eyes. “Really? Lillie can control it?”

  Victor smiled reassuringly. “Of course. You’ve already proven that you have the courage to face it. Still, controlling such a force is far from easy; you have to listen to my instructions well.”

  Her smile returned, brighter and more determined. “Thank you, Mentor Victor! Lillie will do her best!”

  Victor’s gaze softened as he reached out to gently pat her head. “Good. Now, let’s see — besides manifesting things based on your imagination, what else can you do?”

  It was critical to get a complete understanding of her abilities before devising a plan to help her control them. As a Magus, learning through experimentation was a cornerstone of discovery, and in this case, he was operating with little more than fragments of knowledge gleaned from obscure literature. This made it no different than thinking what colors look like as a blind person.

  Lillie tilted her head slightly, placing a finger on her chin as she thought. “Hmm. Lillie can temporarily create little friends to help her do stuff, like this.”

  She extended her right hand, and before Victor’s eyes, a small bird materialized. It perched on her hand, its form vivid and lifelike, down to the texture of its feathers and the sparkle in its tiny eyes. The bird chirped, tilting its head as it affectionately nuzzled Lillie’s fingers.

  Eyes wide, Victor was stunned speechless. What?!

  He had every right to express such astonishment. It had to be noted that while Magi could summon or create familiars, they were, at best, lifeless puppets animated by mana. Even Magi with Bio or Dendro elemental affinities couldn’t create truly living plants out of nothing; they had to use existing materials from the earth. Any plants they conjured up without a base would always be temporary and fragile imitations of life.

  As Victor observed the bird further, he became certain that it wasn’t just an illusion or a vague construct — it exuded a lifelike presence in every sense. Still, he decided it was better to confirm his thoughts.

  “Lillie,” he asked, “is it… alive?”

  She nodded, then quickly shook her head, smiling sheepishly. “Yes, but not really. It’s more like… Lillie’s imagination made real. It feels alive, but it’s not. See?”

  As if to demonstrate, she gently cupped the bird in both hands. A moment later, it dissolved into shimmering particles of light that faded into the air.

  Hmm… So, it’s somewhere in between. Even so, the fact that the beings she created could remain active and lifelike for as long as she willed them to was already far beyond what Magi’s simple magic spells could achieve. This is far closer to true creation than anything I’ve ever seen. If she can refine this ability, the possibilities are endless.

  “Dreamforce sure is mysterious,” Victor muttered to himself.

  It could be said that this kind of power was far beyond his current rank and understanding. If mishandled, it could lead to disastrous consequences. Even the Magi who dared to study this enigmatic force wrote of the dangers, such as being haunted by supernatural entities from the realm of all dreams, the Dreamscape. But thankfully, Lillie herself appeared to have full control of her power, as though dreamforce itself bowed to her will, all the while only being a first-stage Initiate Attunement acolyte.

  But if she has full control of dreamforce… could she—

  Overcome by his curiosity, Victor inquired, “Lillie, you said that you often have recurring vivid dreams of going to fairytale lands. Can you imagine that place and try to open, uh, a passage…?” He trailed off with uncertainty. He was unsure if this was possible, but there was nothing wrong with trying.

  “Um, Lillie never tried that before. But okay!” Thus, she closed her eyes and started to imagine, totally focused.

  Watching this unfold, Victor couldn’t help but think, This reminds me of Alice in Wonderland. But in Lillie’s case, won’t it be Lillie in Dream World?

  All of a sudden, her heterochromatic eyes began to glow, even though they remained shut. Then there was a ripple of mysterious force that emanated from her, spreading outward like a gentle wave.

  Before Victor’s eyes, the space in front of her began to shimmer and distort, bending as though the very fabric of the room was being peeled open and defying the natural order. In its place, a swirling portal of soft, pastel colors took form — it was a gateway to a dream world. Victor could see a white castle in the distance along with a dreamy landscape that seemed to have leaped straight out of the pages of a fairytale book.

  Victor’s breath quickened. She’s actually doing it. She’s opening a portal to the Dreamscape!