Behind the curtains was a room Audree hadn’t noticed before, despite his many visits. It radiated ambient magic. Glowing runes lined the walls, with crystals embedded between them. Tables were scattered throughout the space, cluttered with beakers, a cauldron, and even a chalkboard—almost like an old classroom. Notes and books were strewn about, but everything was coated in dust and cobwebs, evidence that the room hadn’t been used in a long time.

Lief wandered around the room in awe. Haldo quickly snapped, “Don’t go around touching things. I came here to find something.”

He began rifling through old papers and rummaging through drawers, mana hands working at a freakish pace.

Lief, still hovering near the chalkboard, whispered, “What is this place?”

Haldo responded without looking up. “It used to be a classroom. A place where I trained a few students. Long ago.”

“You taught people here?” Audree asked, surprised.

Haldo grunted. “For a time. Until they got too arrogant, too ignorant, or too annoying. Magic makes people reckless. I got tired of cleaning up after their mistakes.”

Audree couldn’t help but think he might be all of those things.

While Haldo was searching through the clutter for whatever he needed, Audree could feel more energy flowing into him. It was starting to tingle—a sensation that was becoming increasingly concerning. He glanced down at his slime, which seemed comfortable in the room, soaking in the mana rich atmosphere.

That’s when it clicked. His arm was doing exactly what the slime did naturally—absorbing ambient magic.

Feeling a sudden urge to test his theory, Audree picked up the slime. “Hmm, I wonder if I just…”

The slime stared back at him, completely at ease. Audree focused on the sensation he remembered—the slime absorbing the energy from his arm. He concentrated.

Slowly, he felt the energy drain from his arm. “Hmm, I guess that worked.”

“So we do have a connection, lil guy. Some sort of bond, I guess.” He sighed, “Despite me trying not to form one, it ended up happening anyway.”

He gently placed the slime back into his bag.

“Well, I guess now every time I go into a magic-filled place, I’m going to have to release that energy into you.” The thought was more than a little annoying. But otherwise… he might blow up.

Haldo suddenly shouted, “Found you!”

A tiny “eep” echoed from somewhere in the cluttered room.

Audree looked over, startled, to see a small bottle in Haldo’s hand. Inside it sat some sort of tiny red creature, scrunched up and clearly confused about its surroundings.

Haldo held it up proudly. “This is an imp. A lesser demon.”

“A demon?” Audree blinked, stepping back slightly. “What are you talking about, old man? Why do you even have that thing in a bottle? Aren’t those supposed to be, you know… evil?”

He stared at the tiny thing. It didn’t look dangerous. It looked small, sad, and honestly a little pitiful. Not at all like the terrifying soul-stealing creatures the old stories described.

“Well, yes,” Haldo said casually. “But this one specifically has a skill to reveal keywords. Back in the day, before modern magic advancements, people had to do things in… other ways. Don’t worry—this demon is pretty harmless. He’s been sitting in that bottle for quite a while. I nearly forgot about him over the years.”

Audree frowned. “That doesn’t make me feel better.”

Haldo glanced at the imp, a touch of nostalgia crossing his face. “He actually belonged to an old student of mine. She was a great summoner—lots of potential. But as always, their ambition led them down a path I couldn’t agree with.”

For a brief moment, a look of sadness washed over the old man’s face, but he quickly shook it off, returning to his usual stern expression.

Audree watched as Lief's face paled. Overwhelmed, Lief fled the room, slipping away before Audree could protest.

Haldo didn't seem surprised. He let out a low sigh. “Probably for the best,” he murmured.

Audree folded his arms. “So... why do you need this—this imp?”

Haldo leaned on a crystal-studded altar table in the center of the room. “To uncover your keyword, of course.”

Audree frowned. “I don’t even have mana. How am I supposed to have a keyword?” He crossed his arms defensively, determined not to let Haldo—or himself—get hopes up again. He'd already accepted that being a traditional mage was out of his reach.

Haldo’s gaze was calm. “There was something missing in your experiment. Every indicator I’ve seen points to interference from some unknown power. The ability in your arm? That’s not something a regular person can possess. Whether you call it ambient or otherwise, no one without power should be able to do it. So there must be... something inside you, the soul, the will, the heart. Whatever you may call it.”

Audree swallowed hard, a mix of excitement and fear pulsing through him.

Haldo lifted a heavy table—carved with glowing runes—and maneuvered it to the center of the room using his mana-formed hands. He placed a crystal orb atop it, its surface shimmering with concealed energy. Next to it, he set the imp’s bottle with care.

“It’s simple,” Haldo explained. “All you need to do is touch the orb. Let the imp—this being that can reveal keywords—do its job.”

Audree eyed them both, troubled by the possible outcome. But he stepped forward, lifting a tentative hand.

This was it—a chance to finally know whether he truly possessed something magical deep within.

Audree stepped forward toward the orb, his heartbeat increasing. Haldo watched him with a curious glint in his eyes, leaning forward on the edge of his seat. Audree's fingers hovered over the orb, like everyone was waiting for something impossible.

He reached for his wrist—his bracelet, his comfort—but it wasn’t there. Of course. He sucked his lip, cheeks burning.

You’re being childish, Audree, he chastised himself. Just do it.

He placed his palm on the orb.

Nothing.

He stared at the orb, breath caught. Then he pulled back and tried again, focusing on the imp, willing something, anything to happen.

Still nothing.

Of course not, he thought, slumping. Why would it work?
He didn’t even have a keyword—he’d never felt mana of his own. The runes on his arm were a mystery, odd and dangerous, but not proof of anything “Keyword-like.” Maybe he should just accept he was stuck between worlds.

Haldo sat quietly for a long moment, silent except for the flicker of torchlight on his robes. Finally he cleared his throat and spoke in a low voice.

“Hmm. Very interesting, my boy. I have a theory.” He gestured. “Hold out that — that strange hand of yours.”

Audree exhaled, rubbing his temples, then reluctantly extended the marked arm.
He felt a touch—cold, gentle—a mana hand. Haldo had conjured it, seated back in his chair, that translucent hand reaching out to Audree’s. The moment their surfaces touched, Audree’s runes flared, his arm warming. He felt energy trickle into him—not violent or overwhelming, but slow, regulated. It was nothing like the manic surge he’d experienced before. This was control.

The mana hand withdrew, vanishing back toward Haldo as Audree’s arm stilled, its glow fading to a constant pulse.

Haldo rubbed his beard, eyes narrowing. “Interesting…” His voice fell quiet, then firmer: “Now, touch the orb again.”

And so he did.

This time, instead of nothing, the orb began to glow—shifting colors swirling within it. Greens gave way to purples, then to deep, lustrous gold. Within the orb, shapes formed: a cauldron shimmered into view, only to twist and morph into a skull with a wide, toothy grin—the same mocking smile from Audree’s dream. The cauldron returned, now forged from gold, and then—

Crack.

The orb fractured down the center with a sharp, sudden sound.