Dreams assaulted Akari while she slept, one after the other in rapid succession.

  But no . . . this couldn’t be sleep. Those soldiers had knocked her out with a steel rod to the face. Unconscious people didn’t dream, did they? Still, some part of her seemed desperate for these visions. Maybe it was her soul, or maybe it was the technique Elend had placed inside her head.

  She couldn’t normally sense the dream Construct. But now she felt its power fading as clearly as she felt her own mana. It would dissolve soon, and so would the marks on their bodies.

  Wake up. Relia needs you.

  Nothing happened. Her dreams had been fragile before, fading at the slightest stray thought or emotion. Now, they washed over her like mana storms, with her past self firmly in control. Even her thoughts drifted to the back of her mind, overwhelmed by the dreams’ power.

  She sat in the audience of Last Haven’s arena, watching Kalden rip through his opponents. First, he fought Rina Watase, a lightning artist who sprinted faster than a raptor. But for all her speed and grace, Kalden had predicted her exact path, and the girl impaled herself on his flying blade.

  Then he faced a stone artist named Tashiro Kamoto. Like Watase, this boy didn’t have a proper Cloak technique, but he covered every inch of his body in solid rock, charging Kalden head-on. Kalden abandoned his own defense and shrank his mana blades to pinpricks. The needle-like techniques wove through the gaps in Kamoto’s armor, and the fight ended in less than ten seconds.

  After that, he faced Darren Warder who wielded a pair of submachine guns. The other boy must have infused his bullets with mana, because they curved through the air, seeking their target and exploding on impact. Guns were a great way to close skill gaps against stronger opponents, but they usually lost to traditional mana arts, and today was no exception. Kalden deflected every bullet, and Darren’s own defenses were no match for the storm of blades.

  Akari and Kalden had trained together one time that week, but she still hadn’t learned how to defeat him. Then he’d started hanging out with Emberlyn Frostblade, and he’d been too busy for her after that.

  Back to Plan A, then. She needed an aspect.

  ~~~

  Akari followed her mother up a steep mountain trail, more than two miles from their neighborhood. Thick green trees surrounded them on all sides, and the air smelled like spring—cold and damp and filled with life.

  “I don’t get it,” she said. “How’s this better than our backyard?”

  “Trust me.” Her mother glanced over her shoulder, and the wind caught several strands of her dark hair. “We’ll want plenty of space for this.”

  “Then why not show me something smaller?” Akari had been emailing with someone online, and she had a plan to aspect her mana without her parents’ help. But first, she had to make a choice.

  Combining the two aspects was out of the question. Her parents said it was too risky, and she believed them. Besides, she didn’t want some weird, theoretical aspect to satisfy their curiosity. She wanted something real. Something she could fight with today, with years of research and technique manuals to back it up.

  But which one? Space or time?

  Her father had demonstrated space mana countless times over the years. His Missiles were lightning fast, and practically invisible—more than enough to flank a blade artist in battle. They could also affect anything they touched, swapping two objects, or even two people. His Constructs could form portals and pocket dimensions in midair, bending space itself. His Cloak technique could warp the space around his body, making him impossible to hit.

  The combat possibilities were endless, and Akari was ninety percent sure she’d choose her father’s aspect. But this would be a lifelong choice, and she couldn’t dismiss her mother’s aspect too soon.

  The problem was, she’d rarely seen time mana in action. Her mother could alter the flow of time inside her Constructs, but what did that mean, aside from keeping soup warm?

  So Akari had asked for a proper demonstration, and here they were.

  “There are laws around time mana,” Emeri said as they walked. “For one thing, you can’t form Constructs around people without their consent. It’s not technically illegal to use them in public, but it’s frowned upon.”

  “Why?” Akari pressed. “Why so many rules?”

  “It makes people uncomfortable.” Her mother smiled as they emerged into a forest clearing. “Think about it. I can reverse the flow of time inside my Constructs.”

  “Yeah, so?”

  Emeri didn’t answer right away. Instead, she made a slow circle around the clearing, and mana flowed from her outstretched hands. Time mana was all but invisible to the naked eye, but Akari saw it in her Silver Sight.

  Her mother kept walking until she’d completed a full circle, more than thirty yards in diameter. Her mana formed a massive dome around them, encasing dozens of trees. Akari switched back to her regular vision, and time slowed to a crawl beyond the Construct’s borders. The trees had stopped blowing in the wind, and a few birds froze in the sky overhead. Even the sounds of the forest died down, and it sounded more like winter than spring.

  “How’s school going?” her mother asked.

  “Fine.” Akari crossed her arms and tapped her foot in the dirt. Was she seriously changing the subject right now? She better not ask about Emberlyn, or Akari would turn around right now.

  Emeri rejoined her in the center of the clearing. “Do you have a crush on anyone? Any cute boys?”

  Akari rolled her eyes. “Wouldn’t tell you if I did.”

  Her mother just smiled as if she’d expected that. “What if I offered you ten thousand espers? Would you tell me then?”

  “Wait, what?”

  “Hypothetically,” she said with a raised finger. “It’s not a real offer,”

  Akari gave a lopsided shrug. “I mean, there’s still nothing to tell. That’s the truth.” All her crushes were fictional characters from movies, and the boys at school were too young and scrawny for her taste.

  “But what if you did have a crush on someone? Would you tell me for ten thousand espers?”

  “Yeah, I guess so” Money wouldn’t solve most of her problems, but it definitely couldn’t hurt. With ten thousand espers, she could buy several outfits of sigil-enhanced clothing, or a year’s supply of potions and elixirs. She could hire a private trainer for a few months, or take a trip down to Koreldon.

  “Now let’s pretend my offer was real,” Emeri said. “Imagine you had a secret I wanted. We’re in a time bubble right now.” She gestured around them as if it weren’t obvious. “I could offer you the money in exchange for your secret, then I could turn back time to the moment I formed the Construct. I’d keep my memories, but you wouldn’t remember our deal. In other words, I could cheat you with no consequences.”

  “Wait,” Akari said. “Why would you keep your memories?” She knew the basics of time mana, but she’d never heard this part before. Brains stored memories, and time affected the brain like anything else.

  Her mother raised her hand and tapped a familiar-looking bronze watch on her wrist. “I use this to turn back time, and it lets me keep my memories along the way.”

  She furrowed her brow. “How?”

  “Knowledge and dream mana. The knowledge mana holds my memories, and the dream mana lets me see the world while time flows backward.”

  Well, shit. She’d been leaning toward her father’s aspect until now, but that sounded ridiculously overpowered.

  “This can be very dangerous in the right context,” Emeri explained. “Time artists can relive the same moments several times until we get it exactly right. Negotiations, business deals, or even casual talks between friends. Then once we’re happy with the outcome, we can dissipate the Construct and do it for real.”

  “What about combat?” Akari asked.

  “Yes.” Her mother drew out the word, and shot her a knowing grin. “Combat, too. You could face the same opponent multiple times, learning from your mistakes and undoing your failures along the way. But enough talking”—her mother beckoned her to step closer—“You wanted a demonstration, right?”

  Akari joined her in the center of the clearing. Several heartbeats passed, then Emeri shot two blades of pure mana from her outstretched palms. The paper-thin Constructs grew wider as they flew, more than ten feet long. They spun through the air in a horizontal arc, slicing through the undergrowth, then the trees themselves. Some of those trees were too thick for Akari to wrap her arms around, but the blades cut through them like kindling. They toppled one by one, angling their heavy trunks toward the forest floor.

  Emeri raised her hands again, and a volley of vertical blades soared into the chaos. These cut through the falling trees, shattering their branches and leaves. Several long seconds passed as the chunks hit the forest floor, and Akari felt the tremors in her bones, from the bottoms of her feet to the top of her skull.

  But Emeri still wasn’t done. She raised her arms toward the sky and shot a torrent of pale blue Missiles from her palm, like water from a fountain.

  “Cover your ears,” she hollered.

  Akari obeyed just as the Missiles arched back toward the earth, striking the remaining tree stumps. They exploded like gunshots and thunder, sending chunks of broken wood all around them. A few shards flew their way, and her mother deflected them with a quick shield.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Akari lowered her hands and smiled despite her pounding heart. She couldn’t wait to be a Master.

  They stood in silence for several long moments, taking in the destruction around them. The air smelled sharper than before, as the wounded trees struck her nostrils in a sudden wave.

  “Alright.” Emeri raised her left hand with the bronze watch. “Now pay attention.” She lowered her hand and snapped her fingers. Then her words came out in a jumbled mess as she spoke in reverse.

  Akari’s breath caught as time rewound itself. Metaphorically, at least. Her actual breath flowed backward, with each exhale feeling more like an inhale, and vice versa. She even felt the rhythm of her heart change, as her blood flowed back through her arteries.

  Then the forest sprang into motion once again. Shards of broken wood flew back through the clearing, forming solid stumps in the ground. Tree trunks reformed themselves in midair, rising up from the forest floor, returning to their spots in the earth. Even her mother’s techniques flowed backward through time—first the Missiles, then the blades.

  The tremors flowed through her body in reverse, starting from her skull and flowing down her spine. The sound waves pulled away as if they’d been ripped from her ears. Her heart beat slower, and the tension faded from her muscles. Her neck swiveled around the scene without her control—a perfect mirror of her past movements. Only her thoughts moved forward in time, courtesy of her mother’s watch.

  Leaves drifted back to their branches and saplings snapped back into place. The sight was strangely hypnotic as they caught the evening light.

  Akari felt a sudden jolt as time flowed forward once again. The whole forest seemed to take a deep breath as if nothing had happened. The smell of broken trees faded from the air, replaced by the living scent of spring.

  “How?” she finally blurted out. “How’s that even possible?” She’d spent the past few years studying physics, and she still didn’t understand any of this. Traditional physics could be explained with math, but shit hit the fan when you tried to fit mana into those equations.

  Her mother smiled, looking far too pleased with herself. “It’s hard to explain things at this scale. We’ll start you off small when you’re ready—tiny Constructs with simple speed changes. There’s a bit of mental calculus involved, but it all gets easier with practice.

  That didn’t make any sense, but Akari nodded anyway. “Why don’t more duelists use this?” She’d checked, and time mana didn’t violate any tournament rules.

  “The setup,” her mother explained. “You saw how long it took me to build this Construct, right? You can’t expect your opponent to sit still and let that happen.”

  Shit, that was a good point. And her mother was a Master; things would be even slower for Apprentices and Artisan.

  “But who knows.” Emeri gave her an easy smile. “Maybe things will be different with spacetime mana. Maybe you’ll be the first one to solve that problem.”

  ~~~

  The next day, Akari rode her bike down a winding asphalt road. Her path continued downhill for several miles, steeper than any slopes she’d ever seen. Eventually, she passed over a train track and reached her destination—an old diner with a red neon sign on its roof.

  Akari walked her bike through the parking lot, dodging potholes and puddles from the recent rainfall. A galvanized steel rack sat by the front door, and she locked her bike into place. No one worried about theft in Last Haven, but she’d heard rougher stories about the outside world.

  She stepped inside, ordered a coffee, and found a booth far away from the chatting locals. An air vent blasted her from above, even colder than the air outside. Akari zipped her hoodie to her chin and curled her fingers around the steaming mug. Rain spattered the windows, and the trees thrashed in the wind outside.

  Great. Twenty miles down the mountain hadn’t been so bad, but the ride home was going to suck.

  The minutes dragged on, and she checked her watch for the hundredth time.

  1:59.

  She glanced out the window, squinting past the steady flow of water droplets. No one else had shown up yet. Would it be better if she turned around? Akari was still pissed at her parents, but did she want to sneak behind their backs like this? Did she really want to share their secrets with a stranger?

  Her mother’s aspect had been truly breathtaking. It was more than a simple set of techniques; it was a whole new way of thinking. And if Akari chose space mana, she would close that door forever.

  But she’d also questioned her mother further on the walk home, and most of her techniques only worked in the Master realm. In other words, she would spend the next two decades practicing with nothing to show for it. Even once she reached the Master realm, time artists played more of a support role in battle.

  But what about spacetime mana? She’d only have to wait two or three more years for that. What if her parents were right? What if her patience paid off?

  The clock struck two, and a man appeared in the booth across from her.

  “Shit.” Akari jumped back, losing her grip on her mug.

  Mana flashed from the newcomer’s hand, and he caught the falling cup with a Missile technique. Several drops of brown liquid froze in midair.

  Only a Master had control that good.

  “Sorry for the scare,” the man said with an easy smile. He was Espirian like her father, and about the same age. His blue eyes pierced her like two ice Missiles—far brighter than any eyes she’d ever seen. His dark red hair was neatly styled, and his features looked like they’d been chiseled from stone.

  Akari’s mug rose from her lap and returned to its place on the table. She glanced down at the cup, then back at the newcomer. “Ashur Moonfire?”

  He nodded once, just as a waitress passed their table. The woman gave no reaction to his sudden appearance. In fact, no one else in the diner seemed to notice him.

  “Oh, hell no.” Akari scooted out of the booth. “I didn’t sign up for dream mana.”

  She’d half expected the man to freeze her in place. Instead, he gave a casual shrug. “Suit yourself. But I’m not a dream artist.”

  Akari hesitated.

  “There are other ways to make yourself invisible,” he said. “Some people from your sect might recognize me, and I’d rather not antagonize them.”

  She relaxed into her Silver Sight, expecting to see an intricate web of mana around the man. Instead, she saw nothing. No invisible Construct surrounded their booth, and no Missiles passed between them. He’d even veiled his soul.

  But that proved nothing. What if he’d already gotten inside her head? He could easily blind her to his techniques, the same way he’d shrouded his appearance. He could be influencing her choices right now, encouraging her to stay.

  “You’re uncomfortable.” Ashur slid out of his seat, buttoning his jacket as he stood. “I understand.”

  What was this? Reverse psychology? But why would a dream artist resort to mundane tricks?

  “Not gonna make me stay?” she asked him.

  He raised an eyebrow. “Why would I do that?”

  “You need information from me.”

  “Yes, but it’s beneath me to manipulate a child.”

  Child? Please. Aside from him, Akari could probably defeat anyone in this diner. Even the Apprentices.

  “Have a good day, Miss Clifton.” Ashur put his back to her, and space bent between the tables as he opened a human-sized portal. A dimly lit room waited for him on the other side, filled with shelves of leather-bound books.

  A space artist? But that could be faked, too. She’d once tried this exact technique with a bottle of liquid space mana. She’d failed, of course; drinking the mana wasn’t the same as having the actual aspect. And even if she’d succeeded, alchemy was prohibited in her sect’s Novice league.

  She needed a real aspect to beat Kalden Trengsen, and this man might be her only chance.

  “Wait,” Akari said.

  Ashur paused halfway through the portal, turning to face her. “Change your mind?”

  “Yeah.” She let out a long breath and sank back into the booth. He joined her a second later, and the portal snapped shut behind him. They sat in silence for several heartbeats, and Akari scrambled for the right words. He already knew her situation from their emails, and she’d come prepared with the artifacts and information.

  Ashur broke the silence first. “Your parents are holding you back.”

  Akari nodded, curling her fingers around her warm mug.

  “They’re right to be scared,” he said. “A spacetime aspect has never been done before. If it fails, then half your mana will be useless. You’ll be crippled for life.”

  She swallowed, and her fingers continued to fidget with her mug. Her parents had given her similar warnings in the past, but they’d always seemed so confident in their plans.

  He must have sensed her discomfort because he raised a hand. “Sorry. I’m not trying to scare you, or make your parents sound like the bad guys. I’m sure they want what’s best for you, but they’re not certified instructors.”

  Good point. Her parents always acted smart by referencing their academic journals, but they seemed to lack common sense. Worst of all, they’d always valued their own experiments over her life.

  “I’ve seen videos of your duels.” Ashur leaned forward. “You have so much potential. With a proper aspect, you could be the greatest mana artist of your generation.”

  Finally. That was her goal, of course, but everyone else sailed around the storm and discouraged her from setting her sights too high. Hearing it spoken aloud sent shivers down her spine.

  “But you’re plateauing,” he said. “Techniques from a tier five aspect take years to develop. You need to start training now if you want to compete at the collegiate level.”

  “Try telling my parents that,” she muttered.

  “They see your potential, too. But they’d rather shield you from that life of fame, convincing themselves it’s for your own good.”

  “But what if they’re right?” Akari asked. “What if spacetime mana makes me stronger in the long run?” She agreed with everything Ashur had said, but she’d wrestled with this last question ever since her duel with Kalden. What was the cost of being wrong?

  Ashur spread out his hands on the table. “Sure. Let’s say your parents are right about everything. You still have a hard road ahead of you. It won’t be as simple as inheriting both of their techniques. More likely, you’ll need to invent your own techniques from scratch. Have you ever tried inventing a technique before?”

  Akari shook her head.

  “It takes years of trial and error,” he said. “It will make you an academic curiosity, but it won’t be practical.”

  That was about what she’d expected. Even after all these years of waiting, she’d still have to work harder than everyone else. Her parents would prove their theory, while she paid the price.

  “Alright,” she said. “I’ll go with space mana.”

  Ashur nodded as if he’d expected that. “Did you bring the artifacts?”

  “Right here.” Akari patted her backpack, which sat in the booth beside her. The bag itself had been handcrafted by her father, and the other two artifacts sat inside. “What about the ritual? How’s it work?”

  Ashur’s lips curled up at the edges, and he raised his right hand. “We’re still negotiating. You have the information I’ve asked for?”

  Akari laughed under her breath. He’d asked her the name of Last Haven’s enemy—the person her parents actively defied. “Only one name I can think of. But you might not believe me.”

  “I think I will. My people have our suspicions, but we need confirmation.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “What will you do with this if I tell you?”

  “Nothing. I study sects like yours for research, and I report back what I find. That’s all.”

  “But you disagree with them?”

  “So do you. But I wish them no ill will.”

  Akari let out a long breath. “So I tell you the name, then you teach me the ritual?”

  “That’s the deal.”

  Her conscience still itched at the thought of betraying her sect. But what choice did she have? Her parents refused to listen, and no one else in the sect had offered to help. They’d all forced her hand.

  Akari took a deep breath, then spoke the name. The sound left her mouth in a blur, and it sounded more like a rush of water than actual words. At the same time, the ambiance of the diner grew louder, and pressure built in her ears until they popped.

  Talek. What the hell was this? All her other memories had been clear as glass—Elend’s technique had seen to that. But someone had taken special care with this moment. Could it be the Mystic who’d stolen her memories in the first place? Was that person defending himself somehow?

  Akari’s ears had been deaf to the sound, but she’d felt her lips move as she spoke. The name was undoubtedly long—at least six syllables.

  The sound returned to normal when Ashur spoke again. “Excellent. That’s all I needed.”

  Akari nodded as she fought down her guilt. “So when do I get my aspect?”

  He sent a burst of mana over his shoulder, opening another portal. “Right now.”