Sidrick was a poor refugee from the ruins of Kenn, a small town that was demolished by a hurricane five years ago. The town would have survived if not for the monsters that followed. Luckily, his eldest sister had evacuated with him beforehand. After years of travel, they decided Centralis was the best place to start a new life.

“And if we run into actual survivors?” Layla asked.

“There aren’t any,” Jonah said. “It was a very small town full of very stubborn people. Nobody left despite the warnings, and there’s only so much a few tired guards can do against a pack of wolves. They didn’t have the coin for mercenaries.”

“Yenoriha had a mercenary corps when there were monsters. Adventurers, I think they were called. Linea has something similar?” Sidrick asked.

“Yeah. We call them hunters.” Jonah smirked. “Hedwin disapproves.”

“They’re not up to his standard?” Sidrick asked.

“Ehh… Ask him about it sometime. He might not answer though,” Jonah said.

“I hate freelancers too. Most of them are just morons without the skills to join a real party,” Layla said, groaning as she remembered her experiences with them. “They self-teach themselves into mediocrity and act like they’re heroes for it. Ugh, I fucking hate them.”

“Sore spot, huh,” Jonah said.

“Don’t get me started.”

“Do you have books we can read on general history, culture, anything like that?” Sidrick asked. Though he couldn’t practice Linean magic, he still stretched and grew his reservoir with his own spells. The constant mana exhaustion left him too tired to read up on Linea’s customs and common sense.

“I’m glad you asked!” Jonah said.

Two small stacks of books appeared and landed with a thud on the coffee table.

Layla melted into her chair.

Sidrick sighed and grabbed the top one. General History: 3400-3499 AC.

“At least three chapters a day, kiddos!” Jonah said.

Sidrick glanced over at Layla and laughed. The light had practically left her eyes.

#

Layla entered the library only to see Norell Caelum’s smug little smile.

“I told you just forcing the currents along was a bad idea,” Norell said.

Layla groaned. “Just help me figure out this new spell.”

The endless shelves of books shifted, clearing a large section for her personal use. For whatever reason, she could simulate magic here. Her ghost grandpa had said that it had to do with the unique properties of ethereal constructs, the vast collective of knowledge, and… Well, Layla had stopped caring pretty quick.

It worked, had no ill effect, and she could use it all day. That’s all she needed to know.

Plus, she looked like a genius, just meditating for a few hours to make leaps and bounds. When she bragged to Sidrick, he just rolled his eyes and got back to work. Jonah suspected some kind of magic but didn’t pry.

Layla would have to fight her soon. If Sidrick could break her nose, Layla would reshape her face.

“So? What spell are we looking at today?” Norell asked, rubbing his hands together. He was more excited than her about Linean magic. It was natural for a library ghost to be obsessed with new things, she supposed.

“Okay, so, you know how arcane is really shit for armor?” Layla asked.

“Language. Please. But yes, arcane mages are generally glass cannons,” Norell said. “Your mother tried to correct the deficiency, but she could never get your affinity to cooperate with others.”

“Right. That’s why we’re making arcane armor!”

“You can’t,” Norell deadpanned.

“We should be able to. Not real armor, more like a… deflector? Like wind magic with extra steps. I can make arcane energy in the air now, remember?” She smirked. “I guess you’re just too old to understand; too caught up in your ways.”

“You’re right. It seems you won’t need my help...” Norell slowly moved the rows of bookcases back.

“I was just joking, damn!”

The bookcases receded.

Norell waved her off. “Just show me the spell you thought up.”

#

On the balcony overlooking Centralis, Sidrick practiced the kata Jonah had given him. It was slow and meditative, more a way to calm the mind than anything. The oni’s martial arts were so similar to Yenorihan arts, Sidrick wondered if it was more than a simple coincidence. Then again, there were only so many ways a humanoid could fight. If he looked for other Linean martial arts, he was sure that there would be a number of remarkable similarities.

Lines of water followed each of Sidrick’s movements. Controlling water stretched his focus much more than ice. It had taken him a year of practice before he could fluidly incorporate his magic into martial arts. Battlemages often fell to close-range fighters due to a lack of mobility. When 90% of exchanges ended at a distance, they couldn’t even be blamed for the deficiency. Even in the labyrinth, a ranged fighter had the advantage.

Sidrick was useless on a large scale, effective at mid-range, and powerful up close. Not ideal for what he’d been dealing with, but he thought it better to improve on his strengths instead of forcing a completely new direction.

“Can you extend the range of your hits with space magic?” Jonah asked from the side.

Sidrick stopped and took a breath. “I tried, but the constant calculations for it…”

“Oh, right. An invisible punch would’ve been neat though.” Jonah thought for a while, frowning deeply. “I never got why space magic required so many calculations. It should be mostly conceptual magic, so you need imagination, but I don’t understand what else holds it back.”

“You can't create new space. Well, maybe Lineans can. It would probably take a lot of mana though,” Sidrick said. “You have to account for all the space you want to affect, what objects occupy it, and then change all of the rules in a way that doesn’t tear you apart. Most of the variables you think exist probably do. Even simple spatial tricks get very costly.”

Sidrick raised a hand. Space was pulled into a tight sphere above his hand, distorting the air slightly. To keep it together, Sidrick rapidly flicked the spell off and on. “Sustained casting means constant calculation. Flickering keeps it simpler.”

“Reminds me of containing wind,” Jonah said, watching the currents. “Linean space mages make static containers. The currents are too hard to control when it comes to something that broad and vague.” She fell into a stern expression. “Your world’s magic is getting much more important than I thought.”

Sidrick shook his head. “It’s far too limited compared to just the magic I’ve seen already. It fixes a few magical problems but nothing exceptional.”

“Hmm… Sidrick, I’ve seen more types of magic than most could imagine, and I’m telling you that what you have is valuable,” Jonah said. “It shifts our understanding of currents just enough to rewrite some sentences of foundational theory. That’s the scariest little change you can make. It means everybody has suddenly got a whole lot more options.”

“Like what?”

“If I started, we’d be here all day. But new options always mean new problems.”

Sidrick’s expression sank. “Will Ede Alonse try something if our magic is that valuable?”

“No,” Jonah said. “He doesn’t take. That’s not the way he plays the game. He gives until you give back.”

“I owe him for shelter, but it’s not nearly enough for any meaningful secrets.”

Jonah shrugged. “If you’re nice and make a person welcome, give them what they want and protect them, then eventually they’ll start giving back. Small things at first—favors, help on a mission. Eventually, they’ll treat Centralis as home and get more involved in its affairs and people. Then, for one reason or another, they’ll give Ede Alonse the knowledge he wants. It might take years, even decades, but he’s a patient man.” Jonah gestured to the gorgeous view of the city. “This is all a means to an end. Every Sovereign plays the same game, whether they like it or not.”

“And the other travellers don’t mind?”

“They do to some extent, but Centralis is our best option.” She crossed her arms. “Here, we can work and live as we please. We can even leave for another nation if we want. There is no pressure from above, no political obligation, nothing to hold you back. You could take all your magic to the grave and still be honored all the same.”

“I’m still looking for a bigger catch.”

“Part of me is too. But it’s the real deal,” Jonah said. “That’s the point. Who wouldn’t want to protect paradise?”

Sidrick took a deep breath as he looked out at the city.

“Well, it all sounds very sinister, but Ede Alonse does care. I don’t think he built Centralis with any greater scheme in mind,” Jonah said.

“He’s an accidental mastermind?” Sidrick asked, doubtful.

“As stupid as it sounds, I think so.”

Sidrick gathered water above his hand. “Would changing a few theories really be that bad?”

“It would start bad, I can tell you that much. The last time Linean theories changed, the Sovereigns shattered a continent,” Jonah said. “On the other hand, medical magic made leaps and bounds, ship building became far more developed, and hundreds of new spells were created. The world probably came out better in the long term, but the people that lived through the shattering might tell you otherwise.”

Sidrick sighed and returned his water to the nearby vase. This world was becoming closer to Yenoriha by the day.

“For what it's worth, I’m sorry that you’ll have to hide,” Jonah said.

“It is what it is,” Sidrick said. He was doing his best to think positive. The spiral of doubt he found himself on wouldn’t do him any good. “Have you heard if Kor will be coming back soon?”

“He’ll be back in a few days or so,” Jonah said. “Well, that’s what his wife said. She’s usually right.” She shrugged. “Why don’t you run through another set of the kata? Some of the moves were a little off.”

“Really?”

“You keep moving a little too quickly. It’s like you get annoyed and just want to get the move over with,” she said.

Sidrick snorted and got into the starting stance.

#

Hedwin sat across from Jonah. The latter took a sip of coffee and leaned back in her chair.

Hedwin rolled his eyes. “Who even drinks coffee this late?”

“Sleep is for the weak.”

Hedwin rolled his eyes. Pomark set down a fancy looking vegetarian dish in front of him. To Jonah, he gave half a meat pie with a side of potatoes.

“Amazing as always, Pomark,” Jonah said with a wide smile.

“Yes. Thank you,” Hedwin said, giving the elf a few suspicious glances.

Pomark bowed slightly before disappearing into the kitchen.

“Still don’t like him? Seriously?” Jonah asked as she took a bite of food.

“You should never fully trust a person that can use simulacrums. They’re too many places at once, you never know if it’s the original, and they always end up as spies,” Hedwin said. He stared at the food for a moment before taking a cautious bite. Quantify told him nothing. “I admit that Pomark seems like a good man, however. I have not yet been poisoned.”

“He’s under heavenly restriction, Hedwin, any poison is off the table,” Jonah said.

“There is always a way to escape an oath.”

Jonah sighed. “You know, you’re doing it again.”

“I am not— I am. Apologies,” Hedwin said. He took a deep breath, his back becoming straighter, his gaze becoming more focused. The teacher climbed over the hunter, assuming his rightful place once more. “Now, what did you want to talk about?”

“Sidrick, mostly. He broke my nose. No magic, but still,” Jonah said.

“A notable feat but nothing extreme.”

“Sure, if he wasn’t a generalized fighter. You can’t be as good as he is at magic and martial arts without at least a few more years of training.”

Hedwin frowned. “We all have our secrets. Unless it’s dangerous, I don’t think it’s a problem.”

“Well I’m a little worried,” Jonah said, taking another sip of coffee. “It was weird when I fought him. His mind was still there but it was out of sync. He was starting punches before he decided to throw them. It was like someone else was driving his body.

“I gave him a kata to practice this morning and I saw it again. Whenever his head slipped a little, something else took over.”

Hedwin crossed his arms. “Do you think it has to do with his enhancements?”

“Probably, but there has to be something else too.”

“He is missing the mental limitations someone his age should have. He wouldn’t tell me how much use he got out of the Anchor, but I get the sense he’s used to using it,” Hedwin said, frown deepening. “Mind magic would be my first guess but he lacks the signs. Have you asked his sister anything?”

“No. Much as I like her, I don’t think she would take it well. I need more details first.”

“He won’t discuss his past.”

“My best guess is that he was part of a strike force or something similar,” Jonah said. “Yenoriha sounds like the kind of hellhole that would use child soldiers.”

“Linea isn’t much better.”

“They have teenagers kill wild beasts, not fight in wars. Not like either of us can really judge.”

Hedwin didn’t reply.

Jonah stewed in her thoughts. She had a bad feeling. Ever since they left the labyrinth, she felt like something wasn’t quite right.

“I might know what Sidrick is suffering from,” Hedwin said, leaning forward on the table. “The Hunters were always trying to find ways to train recruits faster. Memory transplants were always something they went back to. All they achieved was driving poor boys insane. I eventually put a stop to it, but… the things I saw in that lab…”

Hedwin sighed deeply.

“Northwatch tried that too, way before I came,” Jonah said, nodding. “Their mind mages could never get the currents to cooperate. When they tried a fully arrayed cast, the complexity spiralled out of control. The victims all had their minds scrambled, and that was the end of it.”

“Right. But if you could get the currents to cooperate, were already an expert mind puppeteer, and used a still developing mind…”

Jonah made an ugly expression.

“Yenorihan magic doesn’t need to worry about the currents,” Hedwin continued, his hands curling into fists. “Their magic also focuses exclusively on manipulating real objects.”

Jonah’s eyes burned with anger.

“Sidrick and Layla’s enhancements already show that Yenoriha was much more advanced in body manipulation. While it’s still unlikely—“

“If they actually got memory implants, would they know?” Jonah asked.

Hedwin took a deep breath. “It’s hard to say. They might not recognize what isn’t theirs if it was done while they were young. Their brains would have filled the inconsistencies years ago. They could have also knowingly accepted the transplant.”

“If it was done at all…” Jonah murmured.

They sat in silence, neither of them in the mood to touch their food.

“Their magic can never be allowed into Linea,” Hedwin finally said.

Jonah nodded solemnly.

#

Sidrick could see once more. The world was not as he remembered it, its details a fluid dance of paint strokes. They brushed through his fur most soothingly.

He now knew that he was not as he should be.

And Layla had moved on without him. All of the presences had helped him grow but none had been the savior he sought.

Sidrick was more disturbed by his lack of emotion than the revelations. His body was changed, yes, but was his mind not the same?

As he pondered, Sidrick found the last of his intact corpses. The forest had not been kind to many of his copies, having ripped them apart in every way imaginable; even digested them. He had granted them peace by letting the mold repurpose them.

These intact copies, however, Sidrick would preserve and protect. No matter how much his body and mind changed, he did not wish to forget his former self. Though he currently lacked a way to reshape his massive form, he would find it eventually. Sculpting from reference would be much better than using memory.

Mold rose in branches from his hands. It swam through the air much like water, wrapping the dead copies with a warm embrace. Sidrick recalled the feeling of his ice magic. The world around him stirred as the mold solidified, forming cocoons around his copies. It was close to his own magic, he supposed.

With a mental command, he stopped the mold from subsuming the bodies.

The forest no longer held anything for him. Its nature as a junction between the tenth and ninth layers was fascinating, yet beyond his current ability to understand. He left some of his form behind to explore and study, but it was a long term project.

For now, he would focus on ascending the labyrinth.