"I keep feeling like I should know something about this," he admitted. "Like the answer is right there, behind those memory barriers."
"Perhaps being closer to the site of an attack will trigger more recollections," Reina suggested. "Though we should be cautious about breaking through those barriers too quickly. Memory magic is delicate—forcing it could cause permanent damage."
They reached a storeroom where a castle servant was already assembling travel gear—packs, bedrolls, water flasks, and weather-appropriate clothing. Reina instructed the servant to add medical supplies to Kazuki's pack, then turned back to him.
"There's one more thing we should discuss before tomorrow," she said, her tone serious. "Your Original Spell. We need to understand if you can control it deliberately."
Kazuki looked down at his hands, remembering the strange sensation of becoming intangible. "I'm not sure how I did it in the first place. It just... happened when I was afraid."
"Most Original Spells first manifest in moments of extreme stress," Reina explained. "After that initial awakening, users typically learn to access them more consistently." She glanced around, ensuring they were alone except for the busy servant. "We should try to activate it in a controlled environment before we leave the castle."
"Now?" Kazuki asked, surprised.
"Later this evening, when there are fewer people about. I've arranged for access to one of the magical training chambers in the east tower." She lowered her voice. "Captain Valerius doesn't know. I thought it might be better to explore your abilities without his... input."
Kazuki nodded gratefully. "Thank you. I'd prefer to understand what's happening to me before being treated like a weapon or a threat."
"Don't thank me yet," Reina warned. "Developing an Original Spell can be difficult and sometimes dangerous. But if we're going into potential danger tomorrow, having some control over your abilities could prove essential."
---
The east tower magical training chamber was circular, with smooth stone walls inscribed with intricate rune patterns that glowed faintly in the dim light. Thick tapestries hung between the runes, absorbing sound and, Kazuki suspected, containing magical energies that might be released during practice. The floor was bare stone, but softer than it appeared—slightly yielding beneath his feet, like packed sand.
"Cushioning enchantment," Reina explained when he commented on it. "For when students fall. Which happens often."
She had changed into simpler attire—a tunic and trousers similar to his own, but in shades of deep blue that he was beginning to recognize as her preferred color. Her hair was braided back practically, and she wore a slim silver chain around her wrist that he hadn't noticed before.
"A focus amplifier," she said, catching his glance at the chain. "It helps control the flow of mana for precision work." She closed the heavy door behind them, engaging several locks. "There. We shouldn't be disturbed."
Kazuki stood in the center of the chamber, suddenly feeling awkward and uncertain. "So... how do we do this? I don't even know where to begin."
"Original Spells connect to both the conscious and unconscious mind," Reina said, circling him slowly as she spoke. "They respond to intention, emotion, and need. Yesterday, your spell activated when you felt threatened—a natural defensive response." She stopped in front of him. "Close your eyes. Try to remember exactly how it felt."
Kazuki obeyed, shutting his eyes and casting his mind back to the interrogation room. "There was a sensation along my spine—like cold fingers tracing patterns. It spread outward, through my limbs."
"Good. And before that? What triggered it?"
"Fear. Desperation." He frowned in concentration. "But also... something else. It felt like something was waking up inside me. Something that had been dormant."
Reina made a thoughtful sound. "Your Gate activating, perhaps. Try to find that feeling again—that sense of awakening."
Kazuki focused inward, searching for the strange sensation he'd experienced. Minutes passed in silence, but nothing happened. He felt normal, solid, entirely present in the chamber.
"It's not working," he said finally, opening his eyes. "Maybe it was a one-time occurrence."
"Unlikely," Reina replied. "Once an Original Spell manifests, it remains accessible—though sometimes difficult to control." She considered him thoughtfully. "Perhaps we need a stronger trigger."
Before Kazuki could ask what she meant, she flicked her wrist. The silver chain around her wrist glowed briefly, and suddenly a sphere of water formed in the air before her. With another gesture, she sent it hurtling toward him.
Instinctively, Kazuki raised his arms to shield his face—and the water passed straight through him, splashing against the wall behind. He stared at his arms in shock, which appeared perfectly solid to his eyes yet had just allowed water to pass through them.
"There," Reina said with satisfaction. "Your body remembers, even if your conscious mind doesn't yet understand how to activate it."
"You could have warned me," Kazuki protested, though he couldn't deny the effectiveness of her method.
"Fear triggered it before. I needed an authentic reaction." She approached, studying him with clinical interest. "How does it feel now?"
Kazuki took stock of the sensations. The cold finger-tracing feeling had returned, but milder this time, more controlled. "Like I'm partially disconnected from the physical world. I can still feel the floor beneath my feet, but... it's less substantial somehow."
He reached out to touch the wall nearest him. His hand passed through the stone as if it were mist, leaving a strange tingling sensation across his palm. "Incredible."
"Try to make it stop," Reina suggested. "Will yourself back to full physical presence."
Kazuki concentrated, imagining his body becoming solid again, anchored firmly in this dimension. Gradually, the cold sensation receded. When he touched the wall again, his hand met solid stone.
"I did it," he said, unable to keep the wonder from his voice.
"Excellent progress," Reina said approvingly. "Now try to activate it deliberately."
This proved more challenging. Despite his best efforts, Kazuki couldn't seem to trigger the phase-shifting voluntarily. Each time, Reina had to startle or threaten him in some way—sending water orbs flying at him, making sharp sounds, or once even drawing a small knife—before the ability would manifest reflexively.
After an hour of practice, he managed to maintain the phase-shifted state for nearly three minutes, but initiating it remained elusive.
"It's like trying to sneeze on command," he said frustratedly after a particularly unsuccessful attempt. "I know the feeling, but I can't make it happen without a trigger."
"That's not unusual for new Original Spell users," Reina assured him. "Especially with defensive abilities—they're designed to protect you from threats, so they respond more readily to perceived danger." She tucked the knife she'd been using as a stimulus back into her boot. "You've made good progress for one session."