“That’s all you’re getting,” Henry said. “I could have pushed the fire higher with no problem, but you might have gotten a big head. And don’t make the mistake of thinking that my power translates to yours. Any one of these four could wipe the floor with your face.”

Thanks for that.

“No problem,” Henry replied cheerily. “And, before you ask – yes. I did intentionally make the pillar of fire taller than Nolan’s before dropping it back down. And to the second question you haven’t asked yet – yes as well. I am that petty.”

Damien didn’t have much of a response for that. A grin flickered across his face before abruptly fading. The way Henry acted - like he was an old friend his own age rather than a timeless entity seeking the destruction of the world - unsettled him. He knew that Henry was simply a way to communicate with his companion, and the familiar tone the monster took on was simply a manipulative tactic. The concerning thing was that it was working.

"Get moving," Henry said. "They're staring at you."

Four stares burned into Damien’s face as he made his way back to the group of students. Dross, however, seemed largely unimpressed. He finished writing and snapped his notebook shut.

“You’re lucky to have successfully completed a summon on your own,” Dross said. “It wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened, but it’s stupid and dangerous. We’re done here. There will be further tests, but not today. You have all displayed sufficient talent to be accepted into a mage college.”

“That was a given,” Nolan said, recovering from the shock of seeing Damien nearly perform as well as he had. “Did we get into Kingsfront?”

Dross turned a cold eye towards Nolan.

“First years are sent to a college at random. These testing results are for your own information, not mine. The data will be sent to you, so that you can get an accurate reading of your abilities. If you wish to apply to a more prestigious mage college, you may do so at the end of your first year. Be aware that there are strict requirements for entry, and not a single one of you is anywhere near meeting them at the moment.”

Nolan’s eyes bugged out.

“Not even close?” He protested. “How is that possible?”

“Welcome to college, Gray,” Dross replied. “You aren’t the big fish in the pond anymore. You aren’t even a guppy. Now, don’t look too sad. If you all keep your wits about you and work as hard as you can, you might even pass your first year.”

With that comforting piece of advice, Dross returned the book to a holster at his side and gestured for them to follow after him as he headed back towards the portal.

As he walked, a rectangle of white fire traced itself into the air before him. With a crackle, the air peeled away and Dross reached into the white box, pulling out a slip of parchment.

“And would you look at that. Right on time,” Dross said. “Your college has been assigned. The five of you will all be attending Blackmist for your first year. You will receive a bracelet when you arrive. It will contain information about your current abilities, and will update live based on your progress… or regression.”

“Wait, the five of us?” Nolan asked, glancing at Damien. “I thought you said it was random?”

“It is. We sort by wagons to make things easier. Generally, students within the wagons already know eachother as they’re from the same area. You five just happen to be an abnormality. If I cared, I would apologize. Now, get in the portal.”

The blue light swirling in the stone arch behind them shimmered, turning a greyish black. Damien felt a slight suction force coming out of it, drawing him in slowly.

Mark was the first to hop through it. Nolan and Reena followed after him, with Damien and the still unnamed girl taking up the back.

This time, Damien was ready for the teleportation. His foot landed on what looked to be obsidian brick seamlessly. He braced himself. Then doubled over and threw up. Turns out, being ready for something doesn’t mean you can deal with it.

Damien groaned, wiping his mouth. Before he could even avert his eyes from the vomit on the ground, it vanished. The young man looked up into the cold eyes of a mage in black leather and chain armor. He had a clean shaven face and short hair.

“It’s a long distance teleport,” the mage said. “You aren’t the first person to throw up, and you won’t be the last.”

“Thanks,” Damien said, straightening up. He took no small degree of pleasure in noting that Nolan and Reena looked just as disoriented as he did. Mark and the nameless girl seemed to be looking better, but their faces were still pale.

They stood in a large obsidian tiled courtyard. A massive mountain range surrounded the yard, rising high into the sky on every side and casting them all in shade. The world looked like it was drawn in hues of grey.

"Tread carefully," Henry said, his words cold and lacking the sarcastic tone that Damien had gotten used to. "This college is covered in wards. Since we've both got a vested interested in you not dying, you must not reveal my true nature. Mortals will not hesitate to kill you if they discover the truth of who I am."

With that cheery piece of information, Damien felt Henry withdraw into the depths of his mind. All around them, other students popped into existance. Damien couldn’t tell exactly how many other groups appeared, as the courtyard was quite large and could have held several hundred people without difficulty, but he guessed that there were probably fifteen to twenty other parties of students.

“You five were tested by Dross, right?” The mage asked.

“We were,” Nolan said. “I’m Nolan Gray, and this–”

“I know who you are,” the mage interrupted. “And, frankly, I’d drop your last name. Nobody cares who you are. Blackmist is at the edge of the continent and just barely under the Mage King’s reign. If you want to learn politics, you’d best hope to transfer to Goldsilk or Kingsfront. Just survive your first year and you’ll be fine.”

The mage traced a circle in the air. He reached inside and pulled out a bundle of metal rings. He checked each one before handing one out to each of them.

“Put these on and take a glance at your information,” the mage instructed. “That should keep you occupied until everyone arrives and the campus tour begins. I’ve got to go hand out more bracelets and make vomit dissapear, so best of luck.”

With that, a shadow passed over the man’s face. It enveloped his body, turning him darker until he was practically pitch black. Then the man sank into the ground and disappeared.

Henry shifted, stirring from his idle observation of Damien and his surroundings. A moment later, he faded away like smoke from a dying candle.

He reappeared floating within a black abyss. Miniscule stars in the far distance moved to and fro in a mesmerizing pattern, slowly forming into an enormous face. It looked down at Henry with an expressionless gaze.

There were no words spoken. Henry looked down at his chest, where a small mote of light shimmered. Unlike the stars, this light shimmered with a warm glow. A cold wind blew past Henry’s face, carrying the distinct air of distaste.

“He appears to be impressionable,” Henry said. “The boy has not stopped to wonder why we seek the destruction of the Mortal Plane if it is the only thing that gives us entertainment. With a little more work, he will do as I say without question.”

The air around Henry grew cold. He had no skin, but the outer edges of his body grew impossibly cold as his very soul was chilled to the core. The face contorted, its brow lowering ever so slightly in anger.

“We are one and the same. There’s no reason to react like that,” Henry said, unperturbed by the cold. “We designed me to be like this. You can’t complain about our own handiwork. If I was to act normally, the boy would never trust me.”

The ice vanished, but the face looked no less pleased. A moment later, even though it seemed as though they hadn’t spoken, Henry flickered.

“The others didn’t completely make it? How is that possible? Either they’re on the Mortal Plane or they aren’t,” Henry said. “I’ll investigate. I just need to wait for the boy to give me permission to leave. It shouldn’t be too hard to get once he’s tired.”

The head exploded back into stars that flew across the sky, vanishing into the darkness and casting the world back into shadows. Henry vanished, reappearing within Damien’s mind once more, a pensive frown on his many mouths.

“That wasn’t dramatic at all,” Mark said, slipping the band over his wrist without hesitation. His eyes zoned out as he focused on something in the air before him.