The moment Ethan's hand touched the crystal, reality shattered.
He was falling.
No—not falling.
Spinning.
The sensation was horrifyingly familiar.
The wormhole.
The crushing pressure. The impossible colors. The feeling of being torn apart and reassembled simultaneously.
No. No, not again. I can't—
[ALERT: EXTERNAL ENERGY SURGE DETECTED. UNKNOWN MAGICAL FORCE INTERFACING WITH HOST NEURAL STRUCTURE.]
The crystal wasn't just reading him.
It was inside him.
Tearing through his memories like flipping pages in a book.
Earth. The laboratory. Dr. Steve. The injection. The ship. The crash. Maya—
NO! GET OUT!
[MUTATION ACCELERATION DETECTED. EXTERNAL STIMULUS TRIGGERING CATASTROPHIC RESPONSE.]
Pain exploded through the barrier NEXUS had erected.
Even at 94% suppression, what leaked through was enough to make Ethan's vision go white.
[MUTATION PROGRESSION: 80%... 85%...]
Make it stop—
[90%... 93%...]
His legs gave out.
He was dimly aware of hitting the ground.
Of voices shouting.
Of hands grabbing him.
[97%... 98%...]
Maya... I'm sorry...
[99%...]
Darkness.
[100%.]
Nothing.
Unconscious
Ethan's body convulsed once.
Then went still.
Yama lunged forward, catching him before his head hit the ground.
"Ethan! ETHAN!"
No response.
The boy's eyes had rolled back. His breathing was shallow. Erratic.
"What's wrong with him?!" someone shouted.
"Is he dead?!"
"The crystal killed him!"
Diana pushed through the crowd, her royal composure cracking.
"Move! Give him space!"
But even she didn't know what to do.
None of them did.
The crystal ball floated innocently above the table, its colors swirling peacefully as if nothing had happened.
Yama pressed his fingers to Ethan's neck.
There's a pulse. Weak, but there.
His silver eyes blazed as he tried to see—to understand—
And what he saw made his blood run cold.
Ethan's soul—normally a steady, peaceful light—was burning.
Restructuring. Transforming. Tearing itself apart and rebuilding into something new.
What is he?
The wizard apprentice—Roma—stood from her chair.
She walked around the table, her movements unhurried.
Calm.
Like this was all perfectly normal.
The children parted before her, fear and respect keeping them back.
She knelt beside Ethan's unconscious form and tilted her head, studying him with that same cheerful smile.
"Oh my. This one held on longer than I expected."
"What did you do to him?!" Yama demanded, his voice shaking with barely controlled fury.
Roma looked up at him, blinking innocently.
"Me? I did nothing, little kitten. The crystal simply showed him the truth. What happens after... well, that depends on the person."
She reached into her robe and pulled out a small glass bottle.
No larger than her thumb.
Inside, a single drop of liquid glowed with soft golden light.
"This should help," Roma said, uncorking the bottle.
"What is that?" Diana asked sharply.
"Medicine. Very expensive medicine." Roma's smile widened. "He's going to owe me for this."
She tilted Ethan's head back and let a single drop fall onto his lips.
The effect was immediate.
The golden liquid seemed to sink into his skin rather than simply being swallowed.
Light spread through Ethan's body—visible through his skin like veins of liquid gold.
[EXTERNAL ENERGY DETECTED. CLASSIFICATION: UNKNOWN. ANALYZING...]
[ENERGY INTERFACING WITH MUTATION PROCESS. STABILIZING NEURAL STRUCTURE. HOST VITALS IMPROVING.]
[MUTATION COMPLETE. BRAIN STRUCTURE ADJUSTED ACCORDING TO FINAL CONFIGURATION. EXTERNAL ENERGY PROVIDED CRITICAL STABILIZATION. HOST LIFE PRESERVED.]
Ethan's eyes snapped open.
He gasped, sucking in air like a drowning man breaking the surface.
The world swam into focus.
Faces. Dozens of them. Staring down at him with expressions ranging from pity to fear to morbid curiosity.
And directly above him—
Roma's hooded face, only her smiling mouth visible.
"Welcome back, little kitten."
Ethan tried to sit up.
His body actually responded this time.
No puppet strings. No NEXUS override.
His own muscles. His own coordination.
The mutation is complete.
I'm... I survived.
[CONFIRMED. MUTATION PROCESS COMPLETE. NEURAL RESTRUCTURING SUCCESSFUL. HOST BRAIN STRUCTURE NOW STABILIZED IN NEW CONFIGURATION. PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT: ENHANCED COGNITIVE PROCESSING, IMPROVED SENSORY INTEGRATION, INCREASED NEURAL PLASTICITY.]
What does that mean?
[INSUFFICIENT DATA FOR COMPLETE ANALYSIS. RECOMMEND EXTENDED OBSERVATION PERIOD TO DETERMINE FULL EXTENT OF CHANGES.]
"Easy now," Roma said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You took quite a tumble. The crystal can be... intense."
Ethan looked at her.
Really looked at her.
Even with most of her face hidden, he could see the intelligence in her eyes. The calculation.
She knows something's different about me.
The crystal showed her. Or showed her enough to be suspicious.
"What..." his voice came out hoarse. "What happened?"
Roma's smile widened.
"You touched the crystal. It didn't like what it found. You collapsed." She shrugged as if this was all very simple. "The more power someone holds, the worse their reaction to the crystal ball. It measures potential, you see. And yours..."
She tilted her head.
"...is quite unusual."
Ethan's heart pounded.
She knows. She has to know. The crystal saw Earth. Saw the nanobots. Saw everything—
But Roma just stood and brushed off her robes.
"You're very lucky you didn't die, little kitten. That liquid I gave you? Worth more than most people earn in a lifetime. So congratulations—you now owe me five magic stones."
Ethan blinked. "Magic... stones?"
"Currency, dear boy. Money. Payment for services rendered. Specifically, for saving your life." Roma waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it now. You can work off the debt later."
She turned to address all the children.
"Everyone! Inside the ship! My servants will show you to your rooms. We wait here for my teacher to return. Go on now, don't dawdle!"
The children obeyed immediately.
What else could they do?
Yama helped Ethan to his feet.
"You alright?" he whispered.
"Define alright."
"Fair point. Again."
They walked toward the ship with the others.
Ethan's legs felt strange. Stronger than before. More... responsive.
Is this the mutation? Or just relief that I'm not dying anymore?
[PRELIMINARY MOTOR FUNCTION TESTS INDICATE 12% IMPROVEMENT IN REACTION TIME AND COORDINATION. MUTATION EFFECTS APPEAR BENEFICIAL IN CURRENT CONFIGURATION.]
Small mercies.
The ship looked ordinary from the outside.
A wooden vessel, maybe twenty meters long. Single mast. Simple construction.
But the moment Ethan stepped through the doorway—
Everything changed.
The interior was massive.
Not just larger than the outside—impossibly larger.
A grand hall stretched before them, easily fifty meters wide and a hundred meters long. The ceiling soared overhead, easily ten meters high. Lanterns floated in midair, casting warm light across polished wooden floors.
And gravity...
Ethan took a step and nearly stumbled.
He felt lighter. Not weightless, but... reduced.
Like walking on the moon.
[ANALYZING... GRAVITATIONAL FORCE APPROXIMATELY 60% OF NORMAL TERA STANDARD. CAUSE: UNKNOWN. POSSIBLY MAGICAL ALTERATION OF LOCAL SPACETIME.]
"What the—" Glan's voice echoed through the hall. "This is impossible! The ship is tiny outside!"
"Magic, little ones," one of the servants said. She was an older woman with kind eyes and a patient smile. "The ship is bigger on the inside. Much bigger. Now please, follow me to the residential wing."
The children followed in stunned silence.
As they walked, Ethan noticed something else.
His belongings were gone.
The crossbow that had been strapped to his back.
The dagger at his hip.
The coins in his pocket.
All of it—vanished.
He wasn't the only one who noticed.
"My sword!" someone shouted.
"My bag!"
"Where's my—"
"Everything has been stored safely," the servant said calmly. "You'll receive a token for your room. Your belongings will be returned when you leave the ship. This is standard procedure."
They reached a branching corridor.
Dozens of doors lined both sides.
Another servant—a young man with neat hair and formal robes—held a small chest. Inside were tokens made of some dark wood, each carved with a number.
"One per person," he said. "Your room number is on the token. Find your door and the token will open it. Meals are served in the main hall at dawn, midday, and sunset. Do not wander into restricted areas. Do not disturb the wizard or the apprentice unless summoned."
He began handing out tokens.
Ethan received his.
Token #47
He found his door halfway down the corridor.
The token glowed faintly when he held it near the handle. The door unlocked with a soft click.
Inside was a simple room.
A bed. A small table. A chair. A window that showed... nothing. Just swirling mist.
Not a real window then. Just decoration.
Ethan closed the door and collapsed onto the bed.
Five hours.
I need five hours of sleep.
Then I'll figure out what to do about—
He was asleep before he finished the thought.
WHOOOOOOOOSH
The sound was like thunder.
Like something massive moving through the air above the ship.
Ethan's eyes snapped open.
What was that?
[DETECTING HIGH-VELOCITY OBJECT PASSING OVERHEAD. ENERGY SIGNATURE: EXTREME. ANALYSIS: POSSIBLE AERIAL VEHICLE OR MAGICAL TRANSPORT.]
He scrambled out of bed and into the corridor.
Other children were emerging from their rooms, looking equally confused and alarmed.
"Did you hear that?"
"What's happening?"
"Is the ship moving?"
They all moved toward the deck.
By the time Ethan reached the stairs, at least twenty other children were already climbing up.
He followed them out into daylight—
And stopped.
A man stood on the deck.
Tall. Perhaps forty years old. He wore robes of deep purple and silver, far more elaborate than Roma's simple hood. His hair was dark with streaks of gray at the temples. His face was sharp, angular, with eyes that seemed to pierce through whatever they looked at.
And the presence he radiated—
It was like standing near a bonfire.
Not heat. Not physically.
But power.
Raw, undeniable power that made the air itself feel heavy.
Roma stood before him, bowing deeply.
Every servant on the deck had prostrated themselves.
Even the children instinctively took a step back.
Roma straightened, her usual cheerful demeanor replaced with formal respect.
"Welcome back, Teacher Renjo. Everything is ready. The Trial candidates have been gathered and tested."
The man—Renjo—nodded once.
His voice was deep. Measured. Each word felt weighted with authority.
"You have done well, Roma."
He reached into his robe and pulled something out.
Something small.
He handed it to Roma.
"Keep this in the secure vault. I'll examine it properly once we reach the Academy."
Roma took the object carefully, cradling it in both hands.
"Yes, Wizard Renjo."
Ethan couldn't see what it was at first.
Too many people in the way.
But then Roma turned slightly—
And Ethan saw it.
His blood turned to ice.
No.
No.
It was small. Metallic. Cylindrical.
About the size of a pocket watch.
With a small button on top and a blinking indicator light on the side.
The beacon.
My beacon.
The one from the ship.
The one I thought was destroyed in the crash.
[OBJECT IDENTIFIED: BEACON DEVICE. ORIGINAL MISSION PARAMETER EQUIPMENT. STATUS: ACTIVE. SIGNAL: CURRENTLY SUPPRESSED BUT FUNCTIONAL.]
They have it.
The wizards have the beacon.
Ethan's mind raced.
If they activate it—if they figure out how to use it—
Dr. Steve will receive the signal.
He'll create a stable wormhole.
He'll send a team.
And they'll arrive right into a trap.
The wizards will be waiting.
They'll capture them. Torture them for information. Find out about Earth.
Find out about Maya.
His first instinct was to move.
To lunge forward. To grab the beacon. To smash it. Destroy it. Even if it cost him his life.
Even if every wizard on this ship incinerated him on the spot.
Anything to protect Earth.
Anything to protect Maya.
His muscles tensed.
One step. That's all it would take.
One step and everything would—
[ALERT: HOSTILE DETECTION. WIZARD RENJO'S ATTENTION FOCUSED ON DECK. ANY AGGRESSIVE ACTION WILL BE IDENTIFIED IMMEDIATELY. SURVIVAL PROBABILITY: 0.0001%.]
Ethan froze.
NEXUS is right.
I'd be dead before I took two steps.
And the beacon would still be in their hands.
He forced himself to stay still.
To breathe.
To think.
There has to be another way.
I need information. I need to know what they know. What they plan to do with it.
I need time.
Roma turned and walked toward the lower deck, presumably to store the beacon in this "secure vault."
Ethan watched her go, his fists clenched so tight his nails drew blood.
Earth is in danger.
Maya is in danger.
And I can't do anything about it.
Not yet.
Renjo's gaze swept across the assembled children.
Cold. Analytical. Measuring.
"These are the survivors of the Wall?" he asked Roma.
"Yes, Teacher. Fifty-two out of one hundred forty-seven."
"Acceptable attrition rate." Renjo nodded as if they were discussing crops, not children. "Begin the voyage to the Academy. We have wasted enough time."
"Yes, Wizard Renjo."
The ship shuddered.
Not violently. More like... waking up.
The deck beneath Ethan's feet hummed with energy.
The mast began to glow with faint blue light.
And then—impossibly—
The ship lifted.
Not rocking on waves.
Lifting.
Rising into the air.
"We're flying!" someone shouted.
"The ship is FLYING!"
Ethan barely noticed.
His eyes were locked on the doorway where Roma had disappeared.
The beacon is somewhere below deck.
In a vault.
Guarded. Protected.
And I have to get it back.
No matter what it takes.