This place is odd. It's hand was somewhere warm. It knew that it wasn't always warm there, but right now it was sweltering there; that being said, It didn't mind the heat, it's not like it hurt. Nothing hurt anymore. Not since the agony and light in It's veins-

  No. Bad memories. Why focus on that when It's foot is in a place that feels like Home? Good memories-

  What are memories? Do they even matter? No. Only feeling. But that place feels nice. But so does the warmth? It feels of peoples and places too. Maybe not It's Home, but a Home to some, and It loved that feeling. But the peoples of the Hot Home were hurting. Their Home hurt them. Pain. It didn't like pain. So It brought the Homes together. Better Home. Bigger Home. Loving Home. Home for many. Home for all.

  War.

  No! If Home is good, then why cause pain? No pain. People came. Different people from outside of where It was. One came through It, as if passing out of It's core. Like a Flood through a termite hole in It's core, flowing down into the big home. The pain drew The Flood there. As if it was waiting for the pain. Wanting the pain.

  The others came from outside, Visitors. They opened a door to the place where It was and walked into the Home. The Visitors fought The Flood. They cast it out. They stopped the war. They bound the Hot Home people who started the fighting in the First Home. But they were different now. The Hot Home didn't hurt them anymore. No Great Home, but at least the pain was gone. No more pain. And the First Home people could still visit them. They made new Homes.

  Could It try again? To make a bigger Home? Could It still make the Great Home? It could feel more Homes out there. More peoples. It wanted to. So It reached out. There were places without time. Eternal Homes. Bright lights and frigid ice. Warmth and the shadows of beginnings. Dry autumn wind and forever the end of a day. There were other Homes too, A deep and damp place with creatures of the rocks below. A place of air and wings that shifted and flowed like waves.

  It brought them together, It brought them together It didn't know why. It all felt so hazy. The ones from the First Home did unknown things. The Home of Air cut itself off from the core, but was still connected. Like a wall. The wall hurt. Not like the-

  NO. No memories. The wall stung. But it was okay. Those of the Eternal Homes met and mixed. It was happy. They loved each other. Finally. The Great Home.

  More things happened. It couldn't pay as much attention. It was strange. SO much was happening. And there was now suddenly pain and Hatred in the first place. The Hatred drove many of the First Ones away from their Home and into the fringes of the place where It now lived. Right at the walls. They began to cause pain at the edges of it all.

  The pain grew and grew until something broke. At the edges. Things slipped through. The Darkness. The Darkness hated. The Darkness hated so much. The Darkness wanted to destroy the Great Home. The First Ones Who Stayed cowered. They hid away. Hatred ran rampant in the First Home. Darkness ran rampant in the Great Home.

  Things outside felt that power and began trying to get in. They tried the cracks, but the Darkness killed any who tried. They searched and searched. It could feel them searching from the outside. Buzzing around like a bunch of Insects outside. They wanted the power of the Hatred, It could feel it.

  The Ones Who Stayed found the door. The door that the Visitors used to enter this place before they banished the Flood. The Ones Who Stayed gathered the power of the Hatred formed in the ancient war-

  Ancient? How long had it been? It-

  THEY BROKE THE DOOR.

  No no no no no. It couldn't be. The Insects outside will-

  But wait, that door doesn't lead outside? Or at least, not that outside? Is it the back door? Or a side door? Or an opening to a different place. The broken door hasn't let the Insects from outside into the great home. So it was okay. The only thing through the door was silence. So that is okay. Silence never hurt anybody.

  While It wasn't looking, the Hatred had died? The Ones Who Stayed now had the power of the Hatred, the power that the Insects wanted.

  The Ones Who Stayed grew quiet. Silent. Why were they quiet? Was the Hatred not dead? They had the power of the Hatred. Why were they all so scared? It couldn't see anything for them to be scared of. Only silence. The Ones Who Stayed escaped from below and lived normal lives. They used the power of the Hatred to banish the Darkness from the Great Home, sealing the cracks.

  Is there something to the place they lived? It couldn't see or hear anything down there. There were spots. Growing spots. Spots where there was less than nothing. It spent time and learned to see the nothing by seeing places that had no sound. By hearing the Silence. The Silence was a thing, the Silence lived in the caves, the Silence had killed the-

  It had been distracted.

  The Silence drew It's attention, and while It wasn't looking, the Insects found a different door, one that It didn't know about. They entered the Great Home. The Insects poked a hole through the place below and let the creatures of the shadows and stones in, and with them, they brought a sickness. Before, only the Ones of Stones that moved through the barriers were allowed to interact with the other Homes of the Great Home, but this hole allowed others in. The sick ones. This sickness destroyed all it touched. The Ones Who Stayed began to die. They died so quickly. So many of them.

  The Insects offered relief. They offered to help in exchange for that great power of the Hatred owned by the Ones Who Stayed, the power that sealed away the Darkness. They offered it happily. Some of the Ones Who Stayed saw the creations of the Insects and were enraptured. The Insects taught them secrets. The Ones Who Stayed split. Some said the secrets were evil and demanded that the Insects leave. The others sought guidance and Revolted against the Elders, who claimed their saviors should leave.

  The Insects had what they wanted, so they left at the command of the Elders. The ones of Revolution used their secrets to build caverns of light and power.

  The ones of Revolution destroyed themselves with the light, becoming beasts and monsters.

  More more more. It all began to blur. No more came from outside, so It was satisfied letting the ones in the Great Home have their lives.

  Tug

  After a time, it felt something. A tug. A pull. Something was pulling it to the center. The first place.

  Hadn't It called the First Home something else once? It's Home?

  But it feels nice here, being it all. Feeling each Home. It was amazing. It was amazed. But had it always been like this?

  Tug

  No. The time before. The memory- NO! No memories, the memories are painful! Agony! The fire in its veins! The memories, they-

  Tug

  But not all of them. Some were nice. Flashes of faces. Smiles. Warmth. Names lost to time. People forgotten. Faces Fuzzy-

  TUG

  Not forgotten forever. They teased It. The names were at the corners of It's- his? NO! It's. It would have to-

  TUG

  The names. One name. But if It- he- It remembered the names, he- It- he would have to leave this place-

  TUG

  One name. That name. He would have to leave. Grasp slipping. But with the slipping came something-

  Ed... Ward...?

  His eyes shot open. Where was he? It was cold, he knew that. His body felt odd, too, as if the wind was blowing through him, chilling him to the bones, but something else besides the cold was thrumming through him with a force he couldn't explain. It felt like magic, mana, but so much more raw. He looked at his hand and saw that it was semi-transparent. He had experienced something like this before. Astral projection... but where was his body? The last time his did this he could feel it, though maybe he was just misremembering it? He-

  "Good. Now, come." Said a horse whisper-y voice, interrupting his thoughts. He turned about and saw a short figure in a deep crimson robe.

  "My most sincere pardons, but where might I be finding mineself" He asked the figure, looking around to see the icy landscape around him, but finding it hard to see in the darkness. Seems it was an incredibly dark night. When he spoke, the figure seemed to be startled, jumping slightly and turning around to face the boy sitting on the ground. It seemed like it was an old man, though his skin was grey and withered, his eyes as red as the odd red powder that Edward used to play with to make his contraptions as a child.

  "Did you just... Speak to me?" Asked the figure, his eyes drilling holes through Edward. Something about that gaze was mesmerizing, like it had an almost hypnotic pull to it. Edward felt an odd desire to just shut up and obey whatever this man told him to, but his concern for what was happening around him took precedence.

  "Yes, I did speak to you a moment ago. So, to re-state mine question, where art we? I do not recognize this place..." He responded to the old man's question. The man just sat there for a moment, still staring at him, his eyes seeming to catch the light oddly, almost as if they were glowing momentarily. The pull to obey was stronger for a moment before the light faded and the man gave a light disgruntled 'Hmph'.

  "Yes... That makes sense... There's nobody else here who could have spoken after all. As to answer your question, you are at the Origin point." The man explained. At the look of confusion on Edward's face, he continued.

  "The point that this world was created from. The center of the world. Or, if you prefer, the great crossroads."

  "How does one define the centre of the world as being in one place or another?" He asked. The man raised an eyebrow at the boy sitting before him, talking with a tone as if he was in some kind of debate.

  "Because this is the point where every lay-line in the world converges. This is the point where all 120 lines originate. Right where you are sitting. Can't you feel it?" He could feel it. That thrumming from earlier. Edward supposed that it made sense. Still didn't quite justify it as 'The centre' if you asked him, but he didn't feel the need to argue it.

  "I see. I do have a few more questions of thee if thou do not mind my imposition upon thee for this information." Edward asked, standing up, the seemingly fluffy snow felt solid beneath his hands as he pushed himself to his feet.

  "But could we perhaps move to a different location? That thrumming feeling is rather distracting."

  "Yes, of course. Follow me. This cold is rather uncomfortable." Said the man, jesturing for Edward to follow, which he did. They began walking, and in less than a minute, just by walking around that specified center point, the temperature rose drastically. Looking at the ground, he could see that the snow ended abruptly in a clean line on the ground. It was hard to see in this pitch-black night, but the area seemed to change drastically, as if, from that point he awoke, the world seemed to fracture cleanly outwards, different environments represented in expanding segmented miniature.

  "Fascinating. I knoweth that the ley lines have something of an effect on the environment, but to witness it represented here so distinctly..." Edward said with a spark of excitement. As he spoke, he reached behind his back for the research notes he always kept there, finding nothing, not even the belt he used to tuck the notes into... or the pants that belt was supposed to keep up.

  "AH! Where art mine clothes??!" He cried out, covering his exposed parts...

  "Hm? oh, I suppose that might be a worry of yours." Said the man, not looking back at him as they walked. He seemed completely unaffected by the nudity.

  "Just make some for yourself. You can wear regular clothes, but for the sake of not needing to find any, just imagine you are wearing some. Feel it. The fabric, the sensation. We're still rather close to the origin, so it should be easy." He explained to Edward with the nonchalance and condescension of explaining a simple concept to a child.

  Concentrating, Edward found that he COULD imagine it. The old outfit he wore so often, the fabric, the belts, the goggles, and the mask, the journal and tools hanging from his belt, the magical equipment in satchels strapped to his legs. A functional outfit, yet not unfashionable, with lots of storage and security. Protection from his spells and experiments, leaving him mobile enough for combat, should it arise. When he opened his eyes, it was there. Overjoyed, he reached for his journal, flipping it open.

  The pages were full of scribbles, shifting writing. He would try to read it, but it would go out of focus. He could imagine words, and they would snap into place for just a moment before fading back away into scribbles the moment he stopped concentrating.

  "Why can I not read mine own journal?" Edward asked, sorrow creeping into his voice as he flipped through the pages, each ruffle of paper on paper completely inaudible.

  "Hm?" The old man turned slightly to look at Edward and his book.

  "Because it's not actually there. You are just imagining it. You have enough substance to create the journal, but in the end it's not real. It's like a dream. Nothing you have exists without you making it exist. Most of it you can do subconsciously, but words are different. The book knows it should have writing, but can't remember what that writing is because you can't remember what the writing said." The old man turned away, watching the path ahead of them.

  "Honestly, I'm supprised you can even manifest objects. Normally, you'd be restricted to clothes as people tend to view those as part of their 'self'. You must have been very attached to all of those things, weren't you?" He asked, sounding mildly amused.

  Edward took it all in for a moment, then remembered that he was just a projection.

  "Ah! Of course! The journal should be on mine body! Or back within mine chambers. All I need to do is return to my home! Do thou know where I might find mine home? It is located in Castle Alexandar in the kingdom of Alexandar." Edward asked, hope in his voice.

  "The kingdom of..." The man said, slowing to a stop in front of Edward.

  "You are VERY far from home, boy. You could run for a hundred years, and you'd still be running in the wrong direction, regardless of the heading of your path." He said, somberly, pittyingly.

  "It's a feeling I'm familiar with, actually..."

  "Art thou from a distant land as well?"

  "Yes. A very distant land... Though nearer than yours I suppose." The only man explained, a great sorrow entering his tone, as well as a hint of anger.

  "Well, I'll find some way to get home." Edward said matter-of-factly, as if it were a simple matter.

  "That being stated, I would ask that thou would not refer to me as if I were but a child. I am a man, I wilt have thou know. I've reached my sixteenth year after all. And I am a talented magic-weaver like unto mine father, and his mother before him. And my mother and her father before her." Edward said mildly indignant at the man's tone.

  "Six-" The man started, looking back at Edward, a bit shocked. Then a bit of an amused smile spread across his face.

  "Sixteen? I've met many a sixteen-year-old who still behaves like a child. But I suppose that your accomplishments may set you apart from most. But base your adulthood on your accomplishments, not your age. You might not find that to be a particularly accurate- or rather, acceptable reason in these parts. Some here may still consider you a child if you refer to yourself as a sixteen-year-old." He continued, turning back to the path and stepping forward, continuing their path.

  "Hm. Well, I thankest thou kindly for the words, both of acknowledgment of mine abilities, and of concern to mine current state of affairs. That being noted, I wilt have thou understand that I can do most things should I put mine mind to it, though, not knowing the direction of the destination may cause a spot of difficulty in mine endeavors..." Edward said, absentmindedly reaching to grab his journal and begin noting things down, but remembering as soon as he brought the scrambled words into his sight.

  The man said nothing in response to this, simply letting Edward ramble on as he walked behind him. This didn't bother Edward, though; he tends to talk without end, and being able to listen is a wonderful trait in his eyes.

  They walked for longer still, all the while Edward made comments about the weather or the flora, or even the few fauna he spotted, though he couldn't help but expect that he should be seeing more. He'd been through forests before, and even if they had been frightened of the people (him) visiting, he'd always at least SEEN them, or caught hints of them. After noticing how eerily silent and still the woods were, he eventually began to quiet as well. Something about this situation seemed off to him.

  The old man still didn't say anything to break the silence; he seemed almost content in this unnatural space, just keeping up his even pace. As the foliage began to grow further and further unkempt, as if not even the grazing animals reached this place, Edward spoke up again, breaking the silence that had built up heavily by that point.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  "So, we art going to a place of greater comfort for thee so thou could answer mine questions, correct?" Edward asked, a mild quiver in his tone as he spoke.

  "Where might this place be? Might it be safer than this locale?" He asked, seeming uncomfortable with the environment, but trusting that the man would take him away from this place.

  "Hm? Oh, yes. We are heading to my home. It is a safehaven in this place of silence. I would have preferred to bring you here during the day to make you more comfortable, as the silent woods are more peaceful during that time. Unfortunately, you would have caught fire in the sunlight." The man explained matter-of-factly, not a drop of humor as he explained Edwards fate.

  "Thou meanest that metaphorically, correct?" Edward asked, an awkward chuckle in his tone. In response, the old man just turned his head slightly and raised an eyebrow.

  "...Correct?" Edward asked again, the laugh gone and a brief tone of distress replacing it.

  "So thou art saying that I am only able to abscond into the night? If I enter the sun mine soul would be ripped asunder by the light?

  "Yes. That is what I am saying. Though you could likely avoid it by maintaining full incorporeality. If the light cannot touch you, then it cannot burn you. Which, so far as I understand, can be very energy intensive." The man replied, his voice sounding more tense than before.

  "But so long as you keep eating, you should be fine." He continued, the same whispery tone having remained consistent.

  "Wait, are not I but a tethered soul? I cannot eat!" Edward exclaimed in confusion, the stress of the situation and of the revelation of his tragedy eating away at his nerves.

  "Wrong. You are currently unteathered. Your body is... not close enough..." Said the man, who made a slightly awkward pause, as if trying to find the right words.

  "Because of that, you aren't drawing energy from it. Normally, if you were a summoned spirit, you would draw energy from the summoner, but you aren't dead enough to be one of those." The old man explained, walking around a fallen log in the path, the tree having a surprisingly large black rotten patch, one oddly reminiscent of a handprint.

  "So, if your energy doesn't come from your body, or a hypothetical 'summoner', then it must come from your own core. There are tales of unbound spirits. Each one had the unique ability to convert matter directly into magical energy that was edible to the spirit. -Are you still following along back there?" Explained the man, stopping abruptly as he noticed Edward had stopped and was inspecting another tree that was still standing despite the same level of rot as the log in the road.

  "Yes, yes, I hear thee. Food to magical conversion. What, pray-tell, is the story behind the trees here?" He asked warily, poking the rot with the pen he had conjured along with his clothes.

  "Oh. There was once a horde of wandering undead in this region. Later, there came a powerful Revenant who gathered the lesser undead into his service. That was a few years ago, and to my knowledge life hasn't returned to this part of the forest. Some people claim it is cursed. I haven't seen any evidence of an actual curse, though. As I said, it's quite tranquil during the day. I've come to really enjoy it out here." The old man explained as he waited for Edward. Though after he burst the rotten section by poking it, sending oozing fluid pouring from the hole, the man continued.

  "That being said, are you coming? My explanation is not yet complete." He said, mildly annoyed at the hold-up.

  "Oh! Yes. Mine most sincere apologies for holding up our progress." Edward said, stepping over the puddle of mush on the ground and following after the man.

  With his spatial awareness, Noctis could feel her Master approaching. The Revenant did have a certain kind of presence. As he intended, he gathered the Acolytes. Noctis intended to get the Acolytes to respect The Revenant, and the best way to do that is to treat him as if he had a certain kind of majesty. Once his Master got close enough, he noticed another presence with him. Seems that today's endeavor to gather the spirit was successful. With a powerful spirit like that under their control, they would be even more of a force to be reckoned with. And when the time came, they could easily harvest its essence. With that, they could bring the lord back, and he would grant them, her, power.

  Finally, once he was in range, Noctis gave the signal and the doors opened fluidly. On the other side, he saw his Master, and the spirit. It was wearing odd clothing, somewhat archaic, but with a sort of practicality. That was odd, Noctis had assumed it would be nude like some of the other stronger spirits under their control. The weaker ones didn't have enough form to be naked or clothed, but this one seemed to be powerful enough to have clothing associated with it.

  "Welcome home, Master." Noctis said in that warbling voice he'd grown so used to, the "S" sound slightly drawn out, the only memory he had of his past self. If he were being honest, he did miss having his tail; having legs had always felt so awkward.

  "I see you were successful in obtaining the-" Noctis started, but was quickly cut off by his Master.

  "Yes, I was successful in locating the lost soul we had sensed, and am safely returning him to our humble abode." His Master said. That was odd. He normally never cut Noctis off unless he was going a bit too far with one of his bits. He didn't think this was one of those times, though. Examining things a bit further, he came to a bit of a guess. The spirit wasn't dead-eyed either. Seems something has occurred that His Master hadn't accounted for. And with the look he was shooting Noctis that was screaming 'just roll with it'? Noctis knew. This was a sacrifice situation.

  "...Good. That is so good to hear! May I have your name?" Noctis said, following His Master's lead, reaching a hand forward to make proper introductions with the spirit. The spirit smiled and opened his mouth to speak before suddenly stopping and thinking for a moment.

  "Thou art not some kind of Fae creature, art thou?" It asked. It had an odd manner of speaking, one that Noctis hadn't heard before. It felt old, but his tone, while skeptical, had a sense of whimsy to it. It was friendly. Such a shame that he needed to die. Or rather, die again. As for the question, Noctis hadn't even considered the Fae, it was funny. He momentarily considered acting like the stories told, but decided against it.

  "No. I am not a Fae." Answered Noctis with a genuine smile. A shame indeed. But before this spirit was gone, there was nothing wrong with enjoying it's eccentric company in the meantime. They likely needed to adjust the plan at least a little bit, as the spirit may fight back.

  "Splendid! Mine name is Edward Caster." Responded the spirit, Edward, shaking her hand. So he did have some sense of an identity. Yes. This would complicate things indeed.

  "Lovely to meet you, Edward. I am Noctis Vantor. And I'm sure you are already acquainted with Master Re-" Noctis began, but was cut off again.

  "Master Rev. Or just Rev is fine." Cut in The Master. He interrupted Noctis again. It was a bit annoying, but he did understand. Fine, make a scene. Give them a chance for a 'private talking-to about his antics'.

  "But Master! To let him speak so informally to you? Such an honor!" Noctis responded, playing up the drama of the moment. Edward started to squirm a bit. Seems he was uncomfortable being put on the spot. Oh. Oh no! Teasing him was going to be way too fun...

  "To think you would honor this newcomer with naming you without a title!"

  "It is really okay I do not intend-" Edward started, but was cut off by more of Noctis's tirade.

  "Oh, great spirit! You must be truly powerful to be given such a great gift by our grand Master!" In the corner of her eye, Noctis could see His Master was pinching the bridge of his nose. With the fact that he wasn't facing Edward, it seemed it wasn't for the benefit of the act. Amazing. Two for one special. He was grinning now, truly enjoying himself.

  "No no! I have some modicum of skill but-" Edward continued, but was cut off again.

  "A modicum?! There is no need to be so MODEST great one! I'm sure that you-" Noctis responded, but was cut off this time by one he wouldn't interrupt.

  "Noctis, may I speak with you in private? Now." Interjected her Master. Finally, he could find out what was going on. Noctis put on a mock-pouting face for Edward's benefit, as if he were going to get scolded.

  "Yes, Master, of course." Finally, given the cue, Noctis mentally reached into the outlands and, with his spatial sense, could feel the world around him, including the chamber on the floor below. The chamber that only he, the master, and the rest of the inner circle could access. Once he reached out, he could grab hold of it. For a moment, Noctis felt a sensation similar to walking through a waterfall, and saw a tiny glimpse of the floating rocks and alien landscape. Next thing he knew, he was standing in the chamber. Familiar with this, Noctis sat in a chair and waited for His Master to arrive.

  After only a few moments, he heard a click from the trapdoor and the whoosh of air as His Master used a wind spell to descend to the floor safely and quickly. As he walked in, Noctis was sitting with one leg crossed over the other, and fingers drumming in a wave pattern.

  "So, what's the briefing. What does he know?" Noctis asked, straight to business. He had learned it was better to just be straightforward with His Master. He figured that with him interrupting him earlier, the boy didn't know some important information involving their identities, so to prevent Noctis from saying anything else in the future, he would confirm what the spirit knows, then avoid expanding that knowledge.

  "Nothing. I just gauged he's not even seen teleportation magic. He is unusually inquisitive from what I've seen, and I don't doubt he's up there trying to figure out how it works, but that is a fine distraction. As we walked I explained some things that I assumed he would know, but with how he behaved, he is either sickeningly polite and was entertaining me, or really has no idea what is happening. I assume it's the latter. As he doesn't seem to be the particularly humble type. He claims he is an adult, and you will refer to him as one for the sake of the act. That being said, he acts like a small child, asking questions about every little thing, so avoid answering too many in any straightforward manner, try to be cryptic. I don't know if he has any Varitomancy abilities, so still avoid telling him any lies if you can avoid it" The Revenant monologued in explanation.

  "Any questions?" He asked.

  "Yes. I like him. Is there any way we can get what we need without killing him? Perhaps there is a way we can recruit him? A sapient phantom may be an asset." Asked Noctis, leaning back father in his chair.

  "No. We require the raw essence of his being. If there is a consciousness tied to it, it won't be compatible with the ritual." He answered. Unfortunate. But Noctis had guessed that. Seemed it couldn't be helped.

  "I trust this won't be a conflict of interest?" He asked her in turn.

  "Nah, I just figured I'd ask, can't hurt to see if it's possible. If not, it's not a scale off my back." Noctis responded confidently, the bobbing of his foot stopping as he stretched out of habit. He didn't need to stretch anymore as his corrupted form didn't have bones or muscles, but the familiarity of the action often brought her a sense of relief. Thinking on it a bit, Noctis figured now was a good time to brief His Master on the finished preparations for the ritual and ask if any changes were to be made.

  "As for what is possible, the preparations you established are in place. The chamber has been proofed against incorporeality with a smooth sheet of black glass on all sides, and the proper sigils have been placed in as well. No essence will be leaking out of that room." Noctis said.

  "Additionally, what is the plan factoring in that he is sapient?"

  "Good. Great work as always, Noctis. Now, as for the procedure with the boy, we need to accelerate our timeline. He has to be dealt with before he can figure out either our intentions or how teleportation works. I don't really have a lot of interest in trying to make the room or circle teleportation-proof." He answered. As somebody who regularly teleported, Noctis could agree that making the room teleportation-proof would be obnoxious.

  "Now, let's begin. With the chamber ready, we will need to move quickly. With the ritual in the morning, and I'm sure I don't need to say this, but if the boy hears the screaming, it may tip him off." He continued, wrapping up the meeting. Noctis gave a nod.

  "Also, would you mind reprimanding me briefly about 'my behavior'? I do not want to risk lying to the boy about the purpose of this meeting if he asks." Noctis asked him.

  "Ah yes. Shame on you for being such a Drama Lord. Your antics, while entertaining at times, are not always perfectly timed. Shame. Shame. Now get up there and apologize to the boy for your teasing." He responded with a small smile on his face. Despite the Master-Student relationship, they had grown to be friends of a sort over the years.

  With another mental pull Noctis was standing in front of Edward again, who jumped visibly. Then, after seeing that it was Noctis, he relaxed and then laughed a little.

  "Thou hast given me quite the fright! But I cannot deny that this art of 'teleportation', as Master Rev put it, is fascinating! Do thee mind if I ask thee several questions upon the subject?" Edward said eagerly, pulling out a notebook that was covered in scribbles that, upon being looked at by him, solidified into words.

  "I noticed that there was a symbol in the air after thou disappeared, but I can't perfectly recall. Would thee mind if I was to-"

  "First, there is something I must say." Noctis said, then bowed to him.

  "I must apologize for my antics before. It was very rude of me to mock you in that way. I simply found the Master's casualness unusual, and-" He paused. Nytherese, he very nearly lied to him by saying he thought it was appropriate behavior, when he did it specifically BECAUSE it wasn't appropriate.

  "...And it was inappropriate for me to act that way towards you, so you have my apologies for my behavior." It had been a bit rude after all. If Noctis could have avoided it, he would have loved to, but it was what it was at that point.

  "Oh, there is no need for thou to apologize! If anything, I should apologize. I know having thine Master give others the privilege to refer to them casually when thou might not have that right can be distressing at times." Edward responded. It was odd; Noctis genuinely couldn't tell if he was humble or not.

  "Oh, no need for you to worry about that! I call him my Master because I choose to. He has taught me, and so many others, such wonderful arts, such as the ability to heal wounds often thought fatal! One day, we will have the ability to rescue even the most desperate of cases." Noctis said, passion in his voice. There was no need to fake or act out this feeling, as it was genuine. The sanguine arts had many uses, and healing was one of them to be certain. After all, His Master had once been a great healer, though Noctis was not entirely certain what had changed him.

  "Really? Might thou allow me to learn these arts?" Edward asked.

  "Well, we have a rite at dawn; if you decide to attend, you very well might learn a thing or two just by observing." Noctis answered with a friendly wink.

  "Understandable! In the meantime, about teleportation..." Thankfully, at that moment, her Master appeared through the doorway and gestured towards the side halls.

  "Come with us, Edward. I believe I said I would answer you questions when we were somewhere more comfortable, and there is a sitting room here in the chapel that would be perfect for such an occasion." Her Master stated, saving her from having to explain more details.

  Thankfully, he did follow. While they were walking, though, he began to watch the acolytes. Worried he may interact with one and learn something he shouldn't, Noctis interjected with an explanation.

  "We'll need to move through a few chambers to get to the sitting room. I'm sure you'll have a LOT of questions about the individual nature of the rooms, but for the peace of our Acolytes, My Master and I ask that you save your questions until we get there. Some of them are not used to vows of silence and may feel tempted to speak to you if you are asking questions of their activities." Noctis said, and thankfully Edward took this request seriously, remaining silent.

  They walked for a while longer, making their way from one chamber to another. There was a much more direct route, but that would have taken them past the great altar, which might have given him a hint as to the nature of their arts. Upon arriving in the chamber, Noctis closed the trapdoor behind them. The only entrance to the room. His Master gestured for Edward to follow, and he did, not noticing the lack of doors in the room. As Edward reached the very center of the room, His Master paused, looking confused, then made a shushing motion, gesturing at his ear in a 'do you hear that?' motion, causing Edward to stop right in the middle of the circle.

  Noctis knew what he needed to do. Stepping up to the edge of the circle, he extended a hand downwards, and the orb on his wrist began to glow as he fed magical essence into the circle.

  "I do not hear any-" Edward started, before feeling the barrier spring up around him.

  "Wait! I think I may be feeling something! As if a weight is settling upon mine shoulders..." It was at this moment that Edward caught the look on His Master's face, and noticed how frantically Noctis was working, warping around the room, double-checking the sigils on the walls, floors, and ceiling.

  "What is going on here?" Edward questioned, looking between the two of them.

  "Sumissop ereubirt sinoitacifiviver eaut eangam-" Began the chanting of her Master. Almost immediately, energy seemed to flow from Edward into the walls of the barrier. Gasping in pain, he dropped to one knee.

  "Stop it! Thou art hurting me!" He cried, pressing on the wall of the barrier, trying to escape. Even as Noctis pittied the boy, he strengthened the flow of arcane blood from the orb into the circle after confirming that each one of the anti-intangibility seals were still working.

  "eid ni ibit mae tu erarapes-" Continued the chant unbroken. Judging by the look on his face, Edward had realized what was happening.

  "Both of ye art MONSTERS!" Edward cried out, then, oddly, he began to perform a hand gesture, and it was almost as if the air around him crystallized. Still flowing, still transferring his essence to the walls of the enclosure, but traveling in the crystalline pattern of the air.

  "suie maitnesse sibon ettimrep." Edward didn't speak as the chant continued. He just kept trying different forms of patterns in the air, the entire lattice shifting, and parts of it glowing as he drew out symbols in the air. It was oddly entrancing and was unlike any magic Noctis had ever seen before, and considering he was one of the top practitioners of multiple arts, that was incredibly impressive.

  "Damnation be it all!" Edward exclaimed as the lattice broke apart, as he tried to cast with a malformed symbol. But it reformed in less than a second. Now that he looked closer, Noctis realized he was trying to draw the sigil of teleportation.

  "Sumireffo ibit mutirips cnuh, murovren-" Was he trying to figure out teleportation? Poor fool. It took scholars years to figure out teleportation, and even then, it was an art only the most talented could accomplish safely. Unless they had the power of the Outlands as Noctis did. In that moment, the lattice flashed once, then faded. Not breaking apart like before.

  "Oh! Right, the subject symbol. I need to include a target- ah! And don't forget a frame of reference, that would make sense. This is basic weaving Edward! Dont get sloppy..." Edward began muttering while it was fading. What was he doing? Noctis had felt something as if a point in space just shifted into itself. As if the air in front of Edward had just teleported in place. No way, was he actually going to figure it out? This kid is insane!

  "te muisso sued engam o!" His Master finished the chant. When he did, the speed at which the essence was sucked away from Edward increased, but just a few moments later, Edward finished his most recent attempt at drawing the symbols. And this time, unlike before, he vanished entirely from the circle. Noctis felt him leave, and it felt different than his teleportation, as if all the space he occupied just... left, taking Edward with it.

  Dumbstruck, the two of them stared at the circle for a moment, then looked at each other. After only another second, Noctis stood up, looked at the circle, then reached through the barrier easily, feeling at the air inside. He needed to see if he could trace him. If Edward traveled through the outlands as Noctis did, then Noctis could follow the trail, regardless of how far Edward had traveled.

  "Well, can you trace him?" Asked His Master, flustered slightly by the course of events, his rage leaking out through his tone. Noctis didn't say anything for a moment, just closed her eyes and waved her hand around a bit, trying to catch any hint of the distortion.

  "...No... I'm not sure I can. He didn't move through the outlands like me or one of my kin would. This teleportation is different from ours." Noctis explained, not opening his eyes, still trying to feel anything.

  "Is there anything else we can do to find him?!" Demanded His Master, enraged, but not aiming the fury at Noctis despite the fire in his eyes.

  "The essence we have gathered it wont be enough! We need to collect more!" He look frantic, Noctis could feel him pacing, even with his eyes closed.

  "We can try to create a scrying circle, but that is my only idea. I'm not getting anything from this." Noctis continued, opening his eyes. He couldn't lie, this was very impressive. It had taken Noctis himself a few hours to figure out teleportation after his corruption, though it had also taken him a few days to figure out how to walk on these legs, so maybe that wasn't saying much.

  "Begin working on that immediately. In the meantime, I will have my servants and the Acolytes begin searching in case he did not travel very far." He commanded him, sending out a mental command to all of the creatures in his control. Noctis felt it through their connection and assumed that each of the undead and acolytes was hearing the same thing in their minds. "FIND THE SPIRIT KNOWN AS EDWARD CASTER. BRING HIM TO ME. DO NOT DESTROY HIM."

  The feeling was unlike anything he had felt before, as if he were compressed into a single point and then unfolded in a different place. He collapsed to his knees, feeling like all the strength had been drained from his body. It was as if he were a husk of the self he had been before. Looking at his hands that were pressed against the snow in front of him, they seemed... whispy-er around the edges. As if he were less stable, and pieces of him were beginning to float away slightly.

  "They have deceived me!" He said, slamming his fist on the ground as he began to stand, legs wobbling. He began to think to himself. Despite the general sluggishness of his mind at the moment due to exhaustion, the panic of just a few moments ago still pushed him to move. He checked his surroundings and after looking closer, realized that he recognized this place. It was the origin.

  "What? Why am I here again?" He asked himself aloud before it suddenly clicked.

  "The reference point! I set it as the world, but I didn't think to specify distance, or direction, or anything of that sort! Meaning that this truly must be the center of the world! The default point in space here. What an odd way to prove that." He said, the realization shaking him out of his stupor, but in just a moment, he remembered what the takes were.

  "Right, running from an evil group of people trying to kill me." He said, looking at the direction the man, 'Master Rev', had taken him before. In response, he turned 180 degrees and sprinted in that direction instead.