She continued through the dark tunnel. 

—Creeeekk!

The cry of critters echoed through the tunnel. 

Where was she going?

Daniela had wanted to explore the city, hence she decided to sneak out of the castle after dinner. 

"I do think my personality is very different from hers. What was she like anyways?"

Even though her words were light, it echoed once again. 

While walking, she felt a sharp pain around her left angle. 

Why?

'I shouldn't have jumped out of the window.' 

Yes, she had jumped out of the six story building, and tried to use magic to soften her fall, which ultimately worked in her favour. 

Proof? 

She was still in one whole piece and walking. 

'I mean, I could have went around, but that would take up too much of my time.'

A bright light was seen at the end of the tunnel. 

The light illuminated through the grill, gracing the dry tunnel. 

The path she had been taking was the old sewers, because the abandoned sewers were...well abandoned, and an easy means of getaway. 

And the light she had caught a glimpse of was the end of this long tunnel. 

Discreetly, she made her way towards the grilled gates. 

Upon reaching the grilled gate, she looked at it, sliding a finger through it. 

The metal was rusting and crooked. She winced, her finger snagging one of the sharp tip of the rusting brown metal. 

Then with great haste, she held out her hands with open palms. 

"Yep! Just as I practiced."

At first the silence prevailed, but then blue particles gathered around her open palm. 

The particles mixed together, forming an irregular shape, while the air whirred as a result of the vibrating particles. 

Neither symmetrical nor geometrical, it was simply an amalgamation. 

Soon the words appeared. 

She was back in her psyche, the deep darkness. 

She felt it each time she was about to cast a spell. 

Each time she tried to gather mana, her mind would fall into her psyche where strange mnemonics appeared. 

At first she had trouble comprehending it, but later instead of trying to read and understand it, she tried to feel it, letting her cast a spell. 

The mnemonics once again formed, and this time she spoke, her lips parting as she chanted it. 

"Mana flow to my will, Coalesce and Amalgamate~Magic Bullet." 

The earlier lump of mana took shape, forming a particularly small sphere of blue energy. 

—Boom!!

—Taktaktaktak!

The gates blasted open, the pieces of the shattered steel gate making contact with the ground revebrated through the tunnels behind her. 

Finally...

"Ruberis City, here I come!" 

Was it Ruberis that waited for her, or something else?

She soon stepped out into the moon kissed grounds, taking a large whiff of the surroundings. 

"...smells great." 

_________________________

"Should I?" 

He sat cross legged on top of his soft mattress. 

Finn fell back to his conversation with Templeton. 

[Netherane should be perfect for you.]

[Why netherane? I could do well with my normal mana.]

[I get the feeling you should try Netherane. Take it from this senior, it will do you great wonders.]

With a single glance he took note of Finn's element. 

But he did not say it out loud. 

'It's not like I haven't considered it. It's just... I lost the Tenebrion family's Cultivation and thought...'

He paused, hitting himself on his head. 

"Idiot. That's exactly why I should have tried it. What adverse effects would netherane have on my current talent?"

At this moment he was curious. 

But what is Netherane?

It was the slope of Mana, the downward line, this was netherane. 

"Netherane would be more beneficial with talents such as mine."

Now came the challenging part. 

He lacked the resource to form netherane. 

Or did he?

"I don't need a Black Lily. There is enough darkness within everyone. Just like how there is a little yin in every yang, I have dark experiences... from my past life."

He clutched a hand over his shirt, tugging at it. 

The other method of forming Netherane was one used by the Dark Families, converting negative emotions, memories, and traumas, all into a negative energy, and infusing it with one's own Mana. 

The method would be difficult for a child who was only sixteen, if he was sixteen. 

'I read about the technique. It was similar to a mind cleanse where the mind is cleared of mental impurities. But instead of clearing it, I have to gather it at and form a Nyx.'

He rubbed his chin, before getting out of his bed and sitting down on the floor, cross-legged. 

"Alright. I'll do it." 

Bringing his hands together, he closed his eyes and focused. 

Even the slightest hint at distraction had to be removed, hence he closed his eyes and shut off his mind from the outside. 

Closing his eyes, he felt the world around him warp. 

Soon he found himself standing in darkness.

He looked around, but there was nothing but darkness. 

'I think it's going right. According the information I read, I remember it being somewhat similar to this.'

In this mind realm, he closed his eyes once more. 

The aim of this was to dwell deeper into his own psyche. 

He had to go deeper, to the deepest part of his mind. 

He once again felt it. 

Having felt the same once again, he opened his eyes. 

"Hah...!"

The sight was different from what he had witnessed earlier. 

Snow covered ground, few trees with white leaves, and grounds littered with scratch marks, and broken wood pieces. 

At this he looked ahead, feeling something similar. 

The marred grounds looked eerily similar to his own home. 

But he looked to the left to confirm it, and just as he thought, it was there. 

The large lake that sprawled over a long distance. 

But he couldn't make out it's shape, the entire landscape painted in black and white. 

He couldn't see far and wide, something halting his view. 

It was not cloudy, but his vision was somewhat hindered beyond a certain spot. 

This time he turned to the right, and noticed the small wooden cabin—shack. 

"I guess this is my mental world." 

Making his over towards the familiar abode, his eyes fell around the scarred state of his mental world. 

The streched out wasteland was scarred and colourless. 

—Aaarghh!

The sudden sound of the desperate cry shook him. 

At the noise, he turned instinctively. 

It was right behind him. 

Soon two shadowy figures, blurry and uncertain appeared behind him. 

One of the black and cloudy figure was missing it's bottom half, while the smaller shadow figure that had been weeping besides him, held the larger one in his arms. 

The sound of the choked sobs and weeps became clearer by the seconds. The dark figures became more clear as time passed by. 

Soon the figures were revealed, sending a wave of emotions. He grasped his head, doubling over at realisation. 

He felt the insides of his stomach churn st the sight. 

The dark cloudy figure missing it's lower half was none other than his—

"Grandfather...!"

_________________________

"Yes. Wyge?"

Covered in a black cloak, her face was barely visible under the street light. 

She kept her face straight, but her eyes turned to source of the sound, another young woman almost her age, maybe a tad older than her. 

The two were sitting at the far ends of the public benches, on the left and right respectively. 

"Did you get it, Amanda?" 

"Careful now. There might be someone listening." 

She spoke warily, but Wyge brushed off her concerns, rolling her eyes. 

At this, the other lady opened her mouth to reply, "...hah. Here you go." 

She handed her a small black cube. The three inch cube was faintly round at the edges, missing the sharp piercing edges of normal cubes. 

"Hm. Quick as ever." 

Her sound was smug, but not unappreciative. 

"How long are you going to serve the Princess?" 

The woman asked her, curious. 

"Few more years I suppose. I don't care for how long, but she promised me." 

Her grip on the cube tightened. 

She had been plagued by nightmares. Nightmares that kept telling her that the Princess might ignore her, and ultimately her goal to bring back her ruined family might fall. 

Noticing the faint gesture of discomfort, the other woman spoke reaching out, and placing a hand on Wyge's shoulder, "You know, you can come back anytime."

She opened her mouth to reply, "...Yes." 

The earlier sense of fear washed away, but she was still gripped by uncertainty, since the Lady she had been serving was acting strange for the past few days. 

"Goodbye."

_________________________