Spell Weaver-Chapter 109. Workshop
The scent of fresh paint and new tiles filled Alex's senses as he stepped into the workshop for the first time. Just upon stepping in the door at the corner of the building, the rightmost wall went straight ahead, and to the left was a door that led him into the main workspace. Warm-colored light streamed through the windows, which had been tinted with bronze to prepare for a reinforcement enchantment. The main floor was bare concrete with divots that led toward a drainage system.
"Welcome to your new workspace, Master Moore," Edwin said. His voice echoed slightly in the large open room. "Shall we begin with a brief tour?"
Alex nodded and adjusted his grip on the three well-worn leather notebooks. The one he'd been using to sketch modified ritual circles to house runes had many loose sheets of paper, and he adjusted it so that the spine faced down and no longer threatened to spill across the floor. All of them, though, were filled with sketches, calculations, and hurried notes. He had been working tirelessly over the last few days, excited to make progress on his concepts and prove the grumpy spirit item wrong.
Edwin led him through the 2000-square-foot structure and pointed out various features with clipped notes on the changes and functions. "The main workshop occupies what was once the mother-in-law suite's downstairs living room and upstairs master bedroom and bathroom. You'll note the large ceilings with added and exposed steel beams. Just as you requested, they should accommodate larger projects and more industrial lighting when they ship in. Ordering some things is still very tough since the appearance of the Rifts."
Alex looked over and wandered toward the single floor-to-ceiling whiteboard. "Definitely an upgrade from the one I got in the house," he murmured.
"Indeed, sir," Edwin agreed. "As you can see, this room is the heart of the workshop. And this," he gestured to a massive oak table with a steel frame—"is the central workstation. Its height and angle are adjustable, and there are removable surface sections as well, depending on your desired project."
Alex approached the table and ran his hand along its smooth surface before placing his notebooks down side-by-side. "It's perfect."
They moved on to the materials prep area, which was previously the kitchen. There was a double stainless steel sink and a preparation counter that lined the wall. Additionally, Alex had spent extra for several temperature-controlled cabinets he envisioned being used for various reagents or ingredients in future spell experiments.
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"And through here," Edwin continued, "is the safety center." He opened a narrow, thick door to reveal a decontamination shower, emergency medical supplies, and a secondary exit.
As they completed the circuit of the workshop and moved back into the main work space, Alex felt an overwhelming sense of excitement. It was more than he could have imagined, and he hoped that after it received a few upgrades and reinforcements through enchanting or rituals, that the space would serve him well through his magical experiments and testing.
"Will there be anything else, sir?" Edwin asked as they returned to the large central table.
"No, thank you, Edwin. This is… Incredible."
With a slight bow, Edwin left the workshop to attend to his other duties. Alex looked under the table and pulled out a stool to sit on while thinking over the events of the previous three days. It had been Wednesday when he first met Maelis and Olivia had left for her trip.
He and Valtherion were continuing with their more relaxed infusion for the amulet.
Alex looked over to see his companion floating nearby. Through his Heavenly Eye, Alex could see his Val slowly infusing his mana into the amulet. Both of them were careful not to push too hard or bring themselves too close to mana fatigue. Alex figured it would be better to space out the lessons anyway, at least until he could prove to Maelis that his theory had more merit. Until then, the cantankerous old spirit had refused to teach Alex anything outside of the normal lesson plan.
With them taking their time and Val's larger mana pool, Alex assumed it would put them on pace to have a lesson with Maelis, either every day or every other day. The process was far more efficient and easier on their bodies than Alex's initial and overzealous attempt.
He opened the middle notebook and let his fingers trace the outline of his latest obsession. The Spark Rune had filled at least one part of Alex's mind every moment since his incident earlier in the week. He and Evan had spent the last two days refining the pattern. Even though the young Hunter's Association enchanter could create a functioning Spark Rune already, his advice and guidance were helpful to Alex. Even if he was still skeptical of Alex's theory.
The progress felt slow, but Alex knew that in the grand scheme of things, almost having the ability to make a functional rune in only two weeks of practice was unheard of.
Alex reached into his pocket and set his pocket watch on the table within view.
Closing his eyes, Alex activated [Parallel Mind]. The now familiar sensation of his consciousness splitting took over. In one stream, he reviewed his notes on the Spark Rune. In the other, he began thinking about new variations of potentially modified ritual schematics that would be able to contain the rune in a catalyst node.
Time seemed to blur as he worked, scratching at the thick paper with his pencil. It reminded him of a time before monsters and magic. Where he would sit at his desk in the apartment and zone out for hours while sketching or drawing repetitive patterns.
After hours of work, the sound of his pencil was interrupted by a gentle knock at the door from the corner of the building. He barely registered his friend entering, but the scent of fresh coffee and warm pastries cut through his concentration.
"Alex?" Sarah's voice pulled him from his deeply focused state. "I thought you might need a little pick-me-up."
Alex blinked and canceled his [Parallel Mind] skill, feeling the two halves of his consciousness re-zip. "Hey, come in." He stretched his neck and shoulders, feeling stiff from his time spent bent over the table.
She came the rest of the way in, balancing a small plate with two steaming mugs and a plate of what looked like freshly made treats from Gabby. "Wow, this place is something else," she said. She sat on the tray and did 360° turn to take in the massive changes.
"It's still pretty incredible to me what can get done in just a few days if you're willing to pay." Alex grabbed a small cup of black coffee and took a grateful sip. "Thanks for this."
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Sarah pulled out a stool across the table from him and reigned in her focus to look at him. "So, how are you feeling? After everything that happened… I’m really sorry I wasn’t there."
Alex took another sip of his coffee and gently pushed Valtherion's nose away from the plate of pastries. "Don’t worry about it. I’m doing better. It’s pretty easy to keep busy and just focus on something else. I’ve got a lot that I want to work on right now anyway."
"I can see that," Sarah nodded and gestured at the scattered papers in front of Alex. "Where's Evan? He's been here nonstop for the past couple of days, right?"
"Yeah, he's headed home for some rest. We're making some good progress, but it's a lot of work and he doesn't have [Parallel Mind] or [Sleep Resistance]."
Sarah took a bite of one of the sweet treats and quickly wiped her mouth with one of the napkins from under the tray. She studied Alex for a moment before speaking up. "Alex, your aura. It's… off."
"My aura?" Alex set down his mug. "What do you mean?"
"I can see a small crack in your aura, and I’m almost positive that it wasn’t there before your incident."
"That sounds cryptic… and… not good?"
"Yes. Not good." Sarah sighed and leaned forward. "It's complicated. We've been studying auras at the Association. We think it could be a mix of three things. We are certain that emotion and mana are involved. However, we're not entirely sure about the third component. We believe it may be a partial representation of someone's soul."
"Shit. Are you saying that my soul is cracked? From what? The System taking my skill or something? Nothing that traumatic happened." He couldn't help but run his hand over his face.
"Nothing that traumatic? You combined two skills to the point that your mind uncovered magical properties for a ritual that was B-Rank. Maybe, that? I don't want to freak you out or anything, nor am I still 100% sure, but it does worry me to still see that you haven't recovered even with Sam's healing."
"That's… a lot to take in," Alex murmured. At the mention of his young friend, Alex felt a pang of sadness. Sam had yet to fully forgive Alex for the dangerous experiment from Wednesday morning and with the last two days of him being at his parents, the large mansion just felt a bit more gray.
"There's someone I think you should meet," Sarah said carefully. "A client of mine with the Hunter's Association, Jonathan. He has the biggest aura I've seen so far of anyone I've met, and that even includes your own. He might be able to help you understand what's happening, and we could work on figuring it out together."
Alex hesitated. "I don't know, Sarah. I’m still a bit wary of the Hunter's Association…"
Sarah let out a humorless laugh. "It's a bit funny that you say that, actually. Did you know that yesterday someone anonymously reported me for working closely with the Guild? Now my boss has banned me from participating in any other Guild events or Rifts not sponsored by a government team."
"What?" Alex's eyes widened.
"Ridiculous, right?" Sarah shook her head. "First, Elana and Olivia thought I was spying on them for the Hunter's Association. Now, my own colleagues think I might be working for the AG. I can't win." She took a long sip from her ceramic cup.
"I'm sorry. That's ridiculous, who would even report something like that?"
She shrugged, but Alex could see the tension in her body language. "A jealous co-worker or something? I don’t know. It's more than just me, though. Tensions between the Hunter's Association and the Guild are still growing. The HA is pushing for more regulations, and the Guild doesn't want to take it lying down."
Alex slouched further on his stool. "Then… where does that leave us? There's not an issue with you coming here, is there?"
"It's definitely a complicated position. That's part of the reason I think you should meet Jonathan. It would be great if someone else in an even higher position within the Hunter's Association got to meet you, and it's an even bigger bonus that we might understand what's happening to your aura."
Alex nodded slowly, and while he still felt uncertain, he trusted Sarah. "Alright," he finally said. "I'll meet him. But, just be careful, okay? I feel like this political stuff is going to get nasty."
Sarah nodded, and he could see her gaze drifting over the scattered papers on the table. Her eyebrows came together as she noticed a diagram that was more detailed than the others.
"Alex, what's this?" She pointed to a circular pattern.
"That? That's the best version of the project I've been working on."
He grabbed the page and looked at it before sliding it across the table for her to see. The diagram featured two concentric circles forming a rail-like structure along the outer edge. Inside the rail, two intersecting triangles sat within a hexagon, creating a precise, symmetrical pattern. What stood out the most, though, was the empty circular node positioned at the bottom of the rail, at the 6 o'clock position.
"What does it do?"
"You see that empty node at the bottom of the pattern?" Alex leaned across the table and tapped the sheet of paper. "That's where I plan to place the Spark Rune. The goal is to create a modified ritual circle with an electrical effect with no need to actually add any reagents."
Sarah's mouth made a small "o" shape, and Alex wondered if she actually knew what he was talking about. "That sounds… ambitious? How does it work?"
"At the moment? It doesn’t. Most of this is still all just theory, and I haven't been able to find anything else like it. So, I’m just making it up as I go. I feel like I’m really close to a break through, but it keeps fizzling out, so I’m trying to mess with the modified ritual circle and adjust the shapes to hold and allow the mana to flow better." He rubbed his face again, wondering if he was tired enough to sleep or if he still had enough gas in the tank to continue working. "I told you about that spirit item that the System gave me. Even the spirit within the amulet thinks that I won't be able to make this work."
"But?" Sarah drew out the word, making it clear that she expected there to be an additional statement.
Alex shrugged. "But I still think it can work. If it does, I'm calling it 'Spell Circle Magic.'" Alex thought about how great it would feel to show Maelis that it could work. He got more excited as he talked about the prospect of his magic’s potential. "The idea is to let the ritual circle handle the mana flow, guiding and directing it through the structure. Then, the rune would be there to provide more power and define the circle's effect."
"So, you're combining the ritual circle's adaptable structure with the meaning of the runes?" Sarah asked. "Does it actually require any spellcasting? Seems a little funny to call it 'Spell Circle' if it's only using rituals and runes, doesn't it?"
Alex gave a low chuckle, impressed and a bit surprised by Sarah's knowledge of magic. "Well, dang. I didn’t know you were familiar with any of this. But, yeah. It is a little funny to combine two of the three kinds of magic and name it after the third… But the hope is that by combining the two, it will create a more spell-like effect rather than an actual ritual or enchantment."
There was a clear bit of concern on Sarah's face, and she crossed her arms while studying the sheet of paper. "Alex, after what happened a few days ago, when you tried to combine two skills… it makes me nervous that you're about to try and combine two entire types of magic."
He nodded slowly. "I get it. It's part of the reason I haven't tried it yet, though. Something still doesn't feel quite right. I think I have the Spark Rune down pat, but the moment I start to put it into the current version of the spell circle, it just feels too shaky to contain the mana I start to put into it. I want to practice more before I attempt the full thing."
They went back and forth for a bit, Sarah asking various questions. Alex did his best to answer them and switched between using the physical version of his threads of mana and various paper drawings to demonstrate his concepts.
After a while, Sarah gave a yawn and stood. "Sorry for asking all the questions; I hope that wasn't too annoying."
"Nah, not at all. I was just talking with Evan about how trying to teach something to someone is a great way to get a better understanding of it."
She gathered up the few dishes that she brought with her and prepared to leave. "Well, sounds like you've got your work cut out for you. I'll text you later, and we can try and set up a time to meet with Jonathan, okay? I think it could really help. Don’t forget to sleep, alright?"
Alex nodded and stretched before standing to walk her out of the workshop. "I won't forget. And hey, thanks for checking on me and encouraging me with this project. Everyone seems to think it's going to fail, but I really do have a good feeling about it…"
