Dream

William was relieved. 

He had slept, and the dream hadn't come. He theorized that the dream was unique to that one night, and that he experienced it many times through only the reversal of time of that particular day and night.

But, for that positive, there was a balancing negative. He woke up to a roaring stomach—starving for food. He hadn't eaten or drank a single thing for more than a day now, and he needed something soon.

Getting up, he noticed that Emily was still asleep—as were their parents, though they woke up soon after him.

William told them that he hadn't eaten a thing, and that he would be running to the nearest place that had food. 

His parents had awkward expressions, his mother reminding him of an important fact. 

"William. We have no money." 

William's face was drained of all color, despair overcoming him. Soon, however, a realization occurred, and so he voiced it out.

"Then how did you two eat yesterday?" he asked.

His father replied. "They treated us to a free meal, a mix of pity and goodwill. They'll probably do it again for you, and maybe Emily once she wakes up—but they won't continue afterwards. It's human nature for them to start feeling like we're leeches after enough time."

William's mind agreed, though his stomach did not. It needed food and water, and demanded that his brain think of a solution AFTER visiting the pub.

William listened to his stomach.

"Good morning, William right?" a women behind the bar counter said, wiping a cup.

Sitting in front of her, he nodded.

"I heard about your family's situation, everyone has—small place after all. I'm quite sorry," she said, placing the cup down.

"It's fine, home wasn't all that nice anyways." William's stomach then had a turn in the conversation, screaming for all to hear.

The bar lady laughed, before serving William a cup of water as she told him that she would prepare a small meal for him, as a guest.

The water was gone in a blink. William thanked the women, then asked for her name.

"Lyra. Sorry, forgot to say beforehand," she answered.

William waved his hand dismissively, saying "It's no issue."

The two continued their conversation in the empty bar, one nearly drooling from hunger, and the other preparing his meal.

"Here you go," She placed a bowl of steaming vegetable soup, along with small loaf of bread. "Be careful, it's hot," she warned, refilling his cup of water.

As William devoured the food, Lyra placed another bowl at the seat next to him, as a young girl entered the bar.

"Good morning, you must be Emily," Lyra greeted, instructing, "Please make yourself comfortable, and dig in—it's on the house."

A few minutes passed, and two siblings sat next to each other, holding their stomachs in satisfaction. 

William promised to repay the gift, and so he and Emily bid their farewells and left the small building.

The two walked quietly, greeting those they passed. 

Yesterday's conversation replayed in William's head. He knew that he had to let Emily confront her coming challenges if he wanted her to grow at all, but he couldn't fully accept that. 

Emily was only thirteen years old, three years younger than William. Even William wasn't confident in being able to deal with what she might have to go through, and so his heart was stressed.

Of course, it was possible that nothing bad would happen, and that the worst scenarios wouldn't come to pass—but a risk was a risk, and William would take it seriously.

"I borrowed some books yesterday, you should read with me," he said. 

Emily smiled, and agreed. "Sure," she replied.

The two returned to the tower, and talked about the village as they did so. William retrieved the books, offering Emily a choice.

"I'll take the history one, we can swap after some time" She decided.

William nodded, and took hold of the other one, leaving her choice for her to take.

Minutes turned to hours, the siblings entranced by the contents of the books, assimilating the knowledge at a great pace.

Every hour or so, they swapped, juggling the two books at once. Before they knew it, the day was over. 

"It's night already?" William commented, significantly surprised.

In a single day, they had completed both books—though that was in part due to the books not being all that long.

Their parents had spent the day learning about the structure of the village, and what jobs they could get. 

William asked for where he could take a shower, as did Emily, and so the two headed to a nearby spring.

William let Emily go first, taking the time to revise the contents of the books.

The first book, 'Rowan Blackwood; Records of the West', was essentially a journal of the author's journey across the western continent. He noted down all the history and culture he had learned, and summarized it into the book.

William recalled the knowledge of the book. 

The author was a known adventurer from nearly a hundred years ago. He was originally from a rural village to the north of the continent. 

Rowan Blackwood began his exploration at the age of twenty, from the northern tip of the continent, to the southernmost edge.

He witnessed the magical technologies of the Aurelian Empire, their fleets of airships traversing the sky. He saw the manor of Count Dracula, meeting with his noble house members and observing their strange blood magic.

He recorded the structure of the White Church, even encountering one of the three Saints. 

He explored Criweth Kingdom, and saw the rise of King Leopold the Second, the strongest Demibeast. 

The book was an interesting read, providing vivid imagery of the man's journey, though William was more interested in the hard facts of the continent's history, rather than its sights and people.

Regardless, it provided him with a better understanding of where he was, as well as greater insight as to the politics of the region.

The second book, however, interested him greatly.

'Maelis Valtara; Basics of Magic' was a book that, as its name suggested, delved into the basic concepts and laws surrounding magic. 

First and foremost was the definition of magic, which was, as the author put it 'The act of utilizing mana'. This also provided William with the name of the magical energy he had been experimenting with.

The author, Maelis Valtara, was a High Mage of the High Mage Council. She was a talented and knowledgeable witch, having maintained her position in the council for fifty years, before vanishing under mysterious circumstances a decade ago.

In her book, she detailed the three laws of magic. 

First, mana cannot create nor destroy mana. Second, mana tied to a soul and mind does not harm its host unless commanded to do so. And third, the consumption of mana is directly proportional to the extent of deviation from natural laws; the greater the deviation, the higher the consumption.

The book then elaborated on each law, providing the names for the laws, respectively named: The law of mana conservation, the law of harmonic mana, and the law of mana defiance.

William also learned the definition of a spell, which was strangely complicated. It noted that 'Modern spells are individual systems of magic, with clearly defined outcomes and a set of rules and procedures to bring them to fruition.'

This explanation alone was not nearly enough to truly understand 'Spells', rather the image was cleared with the subsequent topic. Systems of Magic.

Mana was strange. It only functioned when the individual behind it could comprehend the extent of its effects, and, since the potential of imagination was infinite, it requires clearly defined rules in order for the mage's mind to permit the magic.

This led to the creation of various 'Systems of Magic', with runic languages, verbal systems, ritual based ones, and many more. 

Spells—specifically those that had arisen a millennium ago—are individual systems of magic. This makes them so much more powerful and effective than the ancient runic languages, like the art of Sigilcraft, as those are overarching magic systems that contain many sets of 'spells', whilst modern spells are whole systems in and of themselves.

The book didn't go too deep into the details, just enough for him to understand the basics, however it held the instructions to the 'Three Basic Spells' of this modern system of magic, simply named "The Modern Spell Web" or "Modern Spells".

These were the most important details that he could recall from the books, and William committed them to his memory. 

However pure memory was never good enough, he would need to experiment soon.

"Your turn now, thanks for letting me go first" Emily said, dressed and ready to return to the tower for a full night's sleep.

William waved Emily goodbye, as he headed to the spring. 

Roughly ten minutes later, having rested his mind and body, William dressed and began to return home, however he paused before he reached there.

'I can do a few short experiments here, while I have the opportunity,' he thought.

"Fireball," he commanded, placing his right hand forward.

It took a few seconds, and his memory did most of the work, however a ball of flames was created and then launched at a patch of grass.

William then attempted to destroy the mana of the fire with more mana, which, as explained in the book, didn't work. 

He then simply willed the flames to go out, and so they did. 

'Then, if the mana isn't destroyed, what happened to it?' he wondered, thinking that perhaps it behaved like all other energies and simply changed forms.

William then thought back to the third law. 

He brought his left hand forward, and willed a small rock to levitate. 

The rock floated for a bit, however it was consuming his mana at a swift pace, and so he ended the magic.

Then, he brought his left palm forward once more, and willed the wind to lift the rock up.

It worked, and William noticed a considerable decrease in the mana cost.

'So by directly proportional, it means that the more vague and nature-defying my commands are, the greater the mana cost,' he concluded.

William felt that this was enough for now, and so he resumed his walk to the tower.

He hadn't seen the sky last night, as he was too tired, so he looked at it now as he walked. 

The same two suns remained floating with a gentle glow, the only difference being the darkness of the sky and the land.

How and why the sky functioned like that was beyond William, and so he dismissed it as some powerful magic. 

Arriving at the second floor of the tower, William lay on his bed, taking a final glance at his sleeping family, before he too joined them in sleep.

***

The next day arrived, and William woke up calmly—free from the dream.

He had realized that since he first started using mana, his mind and emotions felt easier to control. Perhaps it was simply an illusion, or a coincidence, but he observed it nonetheless.

William hadn't yet caught up on what his parents had done, and so after they woke up, they all discussed.

"So then Gregor offered me to join him in hunting, in exchange for a free meal at the bar once a day," James explained.

Apparently, the currency of this world didn't concern this remote village, and a system of work and trade replaced it. 

The adults either worked at the farms, as guards, or as part of the hunting group. The food captured by the hunting groups and produced at the farms would go to the local bar (aside from a small share left for them to sale), and would then be cooked into delicious meals for the townspeople to enjoy.

It was a simple and effective system, and the locals had lived like this for decades now. Some would leave to other places every once and a while, but most were satisfied.

The children were educated at home, with Rheala having provided plenty of teaching materials to all the mothers of the village.

James was offered a role as part of the hunting group, and from this he would be able to eat at the bar without worry as do the rest of the locals.

"I think we should leave," William said, bluntly.

His parents cast him odd looks, before he continued. "Living in this village any longer will either push us closer to a small, idle life, or to a soldier of the soul star coming and taking Emily away." 

That had done it. His parents were now upset.

"Why do you have to be so negative? Don't say such things again, young man!" His mother yelled.

His father simply stared at him in disappointment. Emily made no comment, and was strangely expressionless.

William understood why it was that they behaved like this, though it still annoyed him. 

He knew that the reality still hadn't fully settled in for them, even with all their socializing and talking. They still rejected the idea that Emily could be taken away, and that things weren't like how they were back home. 

They couldn't just 'get a job' and 'move on'. It was a new world, with different rules, and they needed to realize that soon. 

In truth, his parents weren't all that mad. They were only mildly upset.

"Even if that doesn't come to pass, should we simply forget about the reality that we are in another world, with irrational possibilities and potential? Should we let up this chance and simply lead dull lives to the day we die? Emily is going, she has a fate—a future. We need to create our own," he said.

His mother had always been fragile around important topics on her kids, however she would always go for the best—even if it bothered her. And his father was a man of great patience and determination, not a man of delusion. Both of them would, in the end, go for what was best for their children's futures, and so they sighed in resignation.

"Where should we go?" James asked.

William had placed a great deal of thought on this topic.

"Though I said that we should go, it was only to lead us here. I do believe we should go, I didn't lie, however only after we all understand things a bit more—after Emily makes up her mind," he responded.

They then turned silent, waiting for Emily to have a say.

"I…have already decided. I'll go with the church," she said. 

William had expected that answer, though he was still surprised to find himself right. 'The trait likely influences her. It has to have at least some magical aspects, not just a title,' he concluded.

"Are you sure? We still have weeks before anyone comes, you heard miss Rheala—" Their mother said, before Emily reaffirmed her position, "I'm sure. I've thought about it a lot, and I doubt my opinion will be different when they're here."

"We will go with what you decide," their father replied, expressing his heartfelt opinion—though he wouldn't deny that it pained him.

William felt that the room had a depressing atmosphere, so he spoke out to change the topic.

"Father, mother. I borrowed two books from mage Rheala. Me and Emily already finished them, you two should give them a read as well," he offered, picking them up from beneath his bed.

They thanked him, receiving the books. 

"We should eat," Emily said, and with unanimous approval, the family headed to the pub.

The place wasn't empty anymore, with a few other families enjoying their meals. A man noticed them, and approached James.

"So James, have you decided yet?" he asked.

"Ah, good morning to you too Gregor. Yes, I'll give the hunting party a try—we'll need to pay for our meals somehow after all," James replied.

The man smiled, then faced the rest of the table.

"Nice to meet you all, you must be the famous children of smart James and kindly Julie. I'm Gregor, though you probably smartly noticed that from your father's words," Gregor said, as William had a rising suspicion of the man not being very bright. 

"Nice to meet you too. I'm William, and this is Emily," William pointed at his sister, seated next to him.

"I'll leave you to your meals, but William, if you want to join us, you can too," Gregor offered.

"I'll think it over, thanks for the suggestion," William replied.

Gregor then left, with Lyra arriving just in time. 

The table was swiftly filled with food, the smell causing a case of widespread unintentional drool. 

The family payed their thanks, before turning to their meals. 

***

William had been contemplating many things in the past few weeks. 

Back on Earth, his life's goal was to become an engineer—specifically, a Spacewarp Engineer, those who specialized in warping technology, like warp gates, warp drives, and so much more. 

He was simply fascinated by the concept. The idea of accessing alternate dimensions, like the Dark Ocean, and using their comparative ratios of distance to shorten travel, it was the closest thing to magic humanity had.

Now, his dream was no longer possible. 

But a new dream had taken its place.

William recalled their first day, when he brought them to this place—escaping the beast. It was the closest he ever was to warp tech, and a much more intimate experience with the science then ever possible back on Earth.

There were things to be done here as well, impossible things. 

Desires William never thought he'd have, came to be, all because of one factor. 

Magic.

Why was it that William felt so…attracted to it? Was it due to its nature as, quite literally, magic? Was it because of the power it promised? Was it simply out of a child-like wonder at its abilities?

William didn't know, but he desired it. He yearned to learn its intricacies, its laws—to the point of turning it into a new science. 

What he learned from the book was, although relatively structured, still very loose and unfounded. It stated only three laws, all of which felt like they had more to them—that they could be further understood.

Even spells were too conceptual, too undeveloped. 

William now knew why he wanted to be a Spacewarp Engineer, and why he now wished to study magic. 

He wanted to progress, to optimize, and to advance. He wanted to bring forth every detail of the sciences, to observe them down to the very laws of reality bringing them to be.

Would he become a mage? Would he stand shoulder to shoulder next to his sister as a wise mage with unbounded knowledge and experience behind his back?

Perhaps. 

His sister had a goal, she desired it, and it was fated for her. Now, he had a goal as well.

He would learn everything there was to learn about magic, and then about everything else. It was a foolish dream, ambitious would be a severe understatement.

He would likely never accomplish even a fragment of this dream, but that didn't deter him. 

William then recalled the beast. It was beyond him, even seeing it wouldn't register in his mind. It killed him before he could feel a single thing, hundreds of times, again and again.

William then recalled the dream. A being beyond rationality, something that couldn't be comprehended. Its gaze, something that William felt would do much more then wake him up if it wasn't a dream.

Pure power. 

William felt another desire grow within his heart.

"Will, you've been staring at the wall for a full ten minutes now. Are you alright?" 

Shacking his head, he faced his sister, before replying "I'm fine, just thinking about a few things." 

The siblings sat peacefully on the cobblestone path, one smiling at her brother, and the other retreating to his thoughts once more.

They remained like this for some time, though they were eventually disturbed.

"Young ones, the Soldier has arrived," an old feminine voice informed, causing the two to turn their head towards her.

'So the time's come…' William thought, standing up.

Today would be the day their questions would be answered. 

Regardless of today's outcome, William had already resolved to let things be. Emily had her own goals to achieve.

And so, the three headed to the center of the village. 

They arrived upon an open space within which their parents, a few guards, and a cloaked man stood.

Expectations ran rampant amidst their minds. 

William could only hope that the worst wouldn't come to be.