Cassius came out of his cloud of anger. The targets were nothing but burnt pieces of wood and the pent of energy of his had burned away. He felt relaxed, almost like he was ready to go for more. This had been what he needed and even if this was Iza’s way of calming him before shit hit the fan, he was okay with it. He would’t say he felt something was off, but there was a different feeling to this training session. The magic in the air—what was left of it anyway—was stronger, crisper than the magic he was use to. This could be the effects of a new magical current, but it’s never been like this before. He wondered if Felix could sense it. Of course, he would never mention something like that to him. He didn’t have to and when things weren’t his responsibility, he let them fly by without blinking.

The magic felt dangerous. He couldn’t quite place the feeling, whether he should be afraid or worried. It just felt like it could cause trouble.

It confused the hell out of him and while he would have liked to solve the mystery on his own, he had other things to deal with. That being keeping his ass in check.

Cassius flexed his hand, gazing down the path of the burned targets. The magic had been stronger than he realized and his anger was to blame for that. The frustration and the humiliation paired with one another had set off a bomb inside him. But this was more concerning than losing control. With the Dissipater, his energy shouldn’t have been this stronger. It shouldn’t have replenished this fast either. Usually when he was on a mission he could bounce back after setting off a blast like that with no problem. But when the Dissipater was doing its job, he had to wait almost five minutes before he could strike again and that was if he was using a less considerable amount of magic. The Dissipater blocked most of his magic. That was its job.

How was he going to hide the fact that it wasn’t working?

He knew that he wouldn’t be able to keep the secret for long. However he managed, he would try until the end, just to save himself time. It could be in the next hour or days down the line. He was prepared for the questions and the consequences that would come after. All he needed to do right then was keep it on a low profile. But he obviously wasn’t doing that. The targets conveyed more than anything else.

Felix is watching him from the corner of the yard. He saw everything and yet he hasn’t said a word. Cassius can’t tell if he’s ignoring the chaos or if he knows more than Cassius does. The silence that he wasn’t expecting was nagging at him like a scab that itched. He wanted to know everything, but he knew better than to open his mouth. When things boiled down to it, keeping his mouth shut was his best option though it was difficult at times.

There was this unsettling feeling of being left out. It seemed like there was something he should know or should have noticed when he walked in. Felix was calm and even after he took out his rage, Cassius was still thrumming with power. It should have concerned Felix. It was his job to know when Cassius was getting worked up and might destroy something.

But he was just standing there.

Cassius thought about hurling a shot at him just to get a reaction. Maybe then he would pay attention.

He gathered a string of magic and touched the Veil. He wasn’t trying to enter nor was he trying to gather information. It was a comfort touch, like he was gathering warmth. The Veil wasn’t a being, neither was the Third Eye. He didn’t know what they were, but they drifted between a place and a reality. They could do things that seemed like only conscious animals could do, but on the other hand, they could morph into places or whole worlds when they wanted. It was all up to the person’s reality and their own mind on what they saw; however, two realities could cross. That was the complications of the Veil. The Third Eye was even more confusing.

And beyond that…

Xtavia and the modern world still had their superstitions. It was the main reason why the Mekiah were enslaved. Cassius never believed the crap he was fed, though he wasn’t taught much in the HIVE except how to speak and do basic things so he could function in the world. After he arrived on the base, he had to learn quick or else he would be blasted away once he stepped in the Veil.

There were myths about demons and how the Mekiah had descended from them. He saw the resemblance, but he also how similar he looked to the Remu and the Exteru. For all he knew, they could all be from the same ancestor. They didn’t want to hear that though. They wouldn’t let anything disturb their normality, no matter if it was the truth.

The Veil opened. He waded through the dark space, submerging himself in the silence, basking in the pulsating energy. They never described this feeling to him when he was in the HIVE. It was nothing he’d felt before. And when he was with his mother and his many siblings, he never felt the electric connection he felt when he was connected to the Eye. All the things they told him were cold hard facts. It was like they didn’t know there was suppose to be emotions or feelings behind the power. Magic made things easier and while it was mostly used in destruction, just having it healed him.

The Exteru didn’t care for any of that. The Remu didn’t either, but the only Remu he really knew was Iza.