Knowledge and Power: Reincarnated Into A Society That Only Values Strength.

The door opened, but I still couldn’t see anything inside. It was so black I almost thought that too was a part of the magic.

 

 My father entered inside, dragging his hand across the wall. As he poured manna from his fingertips into the stone bricks the whole side of the tunnel began to glow. Spirals of light engraved into the stone illuminated the path. I said nothing, but I couldn't help but be amazed.

 

‘It’s beautiful…’

 

“This is just a taste of what magic can do. It's the wellspring of all life and light in this world. There are far more skilled magic users than I who can even take down dragons with their amazing power. Priests that can bring back the dead, and even others still who have their own… Unique powers…”

 

‘People like me…’

 

He suddenly took a sharp turn, berried just under a thin layer of vines was a wooden door. Despite the dusty surroundings, it shined as if it was brand new. A relic from the past, kept in perfect condition as the stone around it aged and weathered.

 

Light emanated from his hand and the door clicked, swinging open on its own and then slowly vanishing entirely like it was never even there in the first place.

 

Inside was a winding staircase. Each step I took on it made me feel lighter and lighter until eventually, I began to smell fresh mountain air. A circle lit up in the circle of air the stairs were winding around and as it split into even more circles, separating vertically, I became weightless.

 

We began to float upward and it felt like all the weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Rather than riding on a cloud, it was like I had become one.

 

‘Just like I thought. The whole point of magic is that you can use it to break the rules… Even humans can fly…’

 

We reached the top of the lift and were pushed forward onto a ledge opening up into the world. “Amazing…” I muttered. 

 

I had tried to stay relaxed, but I was too anxious. I was never afraid of heights, but who knows how old the spell was that lifted us into the air. I couldn’t explain how, but it felt different than my father's magic.

 

 Admittedly, it was hard to fully appreciate it until I was back on the ground.

 

My father grinned in a way that would have made you think he built it himself. “Wizard towers are ancient, some can stand for centuries without being noticed, this one was built by a man named Khazack over 600 years ago, long before magic became feared here.”

 

‘That explains it.’ “How did you find this place?”

 

He stepped out into the open space raising his arms to show it off. “The previous king actually found it, and entrusted it to me.”

 

The area around me all opened up at once as the fresh cold air entered my lungs and the scent of wildflowers and fresh dew from leaves mixed into the air.

 

Branches sprawled out all around us and interweaved, making the floor. It looked like it was naturally grown, yet at the same time, everything was so perfectly connected and woven to make a solid level floor that it just couldn't have been. It was like the fibrous flooring we had in our house, but even more fine and soft.

 

I almost hesitated to follow after him, afraid it was all in my head, or some elaborate illusion. As I took the first step though, I certainly didn’t regret it. The cushion of the soft floor felt as though I were walking on a new carpet, and it even warmed my feet. 

 

I gently took one step, then another, wiggling my toes and spreading them apart as the warm ground sent chills through my whole body. ‘I want to live here instead…’

 

After a moment to myself, I finally came back to reality, realizing my father had already started walking away, continuing his explanation. “Only a few know about the tunnel, and only Mara, Catherine, and I know it leads here. I don't have enough magic power or knowledge to use all of the tools that Khazack left behind, but I can operate its basic functions.”

 

My eyes were suddenly opened to an entirely new world and it felt like I was being reincarnated a third time. I didn’t know where we were going, but just by glancing at my surroundings I could see relaxing hammocks, chairs, workshop tables, bookshelves, and all sorts of magical devices I couldn't name. ‘So cool!’

 

“Wizard towers have many rooms and are a lot bigger than you would think. Some of them even have a tendency to bend space and time.”

 

“So Cool!” I said again, out loud this time. I was starting to get so excited I couldn’t even hold it in.

 

He looked back at me, raising an eyebrow before continuing on, ignoring my comment. “This one is smaller than usual and blends into the terrain so that it can remain hidden. It's still fairly massive but to the outside, it's nothing more than a tree.”

 

He stepped onto a great branch of the tree beckoning me to follow. When I stepped on as well it began to move, forcing me to lose my balance, grabbing onto him.

 

He smiled softly looking down at me. “Careful now.”

 

I quickly let go grabbing onto a railing of vines that had formed instead. ‘When he looks at me like that I almost forget…’

 

I paused for a moment before looking back up at him. With the light shining through the tree branches he didn’t look nearly as scary as when the heavy shadows from our castle were cast on his face.

 

‘Maybe everything he’s doing really has been for my good in some twisted way… He’s so stoic it’s impossible to tell what he's thinking… But I doubt he actually just likes to watch me suffer… It suddenly feels like there's so much I don’t know…’

 

The branch lowered us down just slightly to another doorway below that he walked into.

 

‘The only way to find out is by asking I guess.’ “You’re a warrior though right? how do you even know so much about this.”

 

He extended his hand to help me step off. At first, I hesitated, it almost seemed like taking it was a sign that I somehow trusted him again, but in the end, I decided that was just childish reasoning and took his hand.

 

As my feet landed on the solid stone floor we walked into another dark and ominous room. 

 

“Before I married your mother I was an adventurer, I knew an extraordinary wizard. She was a… close friend.”

His pause and solemn face made me feel like there was much more to the story, but I didn't pry.

 

“Most of what I know I learned either from her or from reading books I found in this tower. For instance, the mental block you’re facing right now, or your broken gate, as Catherine called it.”

 

“Mental block…” I slowly repeated looking around the dark circular room. ‘Right, it's because of the trauma from fighting Bhaltair and completely exhausting my manna supply. My body has actually healed, so the real problem Is psychological.’

 

“Something like that doesn't just go away with time.” He dipped his head under the archway and stepped into the chamber.

 

The entire room became lit with a dim green light coming from markings all over, just like in the tunnels. The room was a perfect circle with a moat surrounding a small platform in the center. 

 

“Come inside.” He said softly.

 

I followed him in. From the inside it was even more impressive, like an artificial night sky, each star glowing an emerald green as the manna grew so thick I could actually see it falling from the glowing lines like spurts of sugar.

 

“To strengthen the body you must break it down.” He said grimly, leading me towards the center. “To overcome severe injuries like broken bones you need time to heal of course.”

 

Without a warning he suddenly picked me up, stepped into the mote, and set me down on the platform, effortlessly lifting me across. “But once the bone has been healed you must start breaking it down again, pushing it to make it stronger.”

 

He slowly backed up, getting out on the other side. The lights dimmed and it was as if the whole atmosphere suddenly changed. The thick manna felt suffocating, and the air became chilled. “And if the bone wasn’t set right, you have to break it again, and start over.”

 

I was reminded of what Catherine's tome said about how to cure my condition. I would have to face something terrifying, and from the way my father was talking, it was impossible to not have a bad feeling about it.

 

“I won't be in any real danger though right?” ‘If it’s just an illusion I might get scared out of my mind… But if I get out of this without any more scars I think I’ll still call that a win.’

 

 “What is it that you fear the most…” The lights grew quieter until a heavy shadow was cast on his face. His tone changed again. His smile was gone, and his icey breath made me nearly tremble. The platform felt more like a sacrificial altar than a meditation circle.

 

“F-father?”

 

He looked down at his open palm, continuing as if I hadn’t made a sound. “Is it perhaps your brother Bhaltair?” At the mention of his name, I could feel myself scowl. ‘I hope I never have to see him again… But I don’t think I’m scared of him. Sure he hurt me, bad. If I wanted to though, I think I might have been able to kill him if I really tried.’

 

 “Or is it something simple like spiders? Maybe it's the dark…being alone… vulnerable… Maybe it's being weak.” He suddenly paused for a long time. He was so still that I almost thought he had left, and all I was seeing was his shadow. 

 

With a quick clench of his fist, his voice became even darker. “Your worst fear might even be death.”

 

I thought back to what the book had said. ‘The only way to fix me… Is to shock my body into using manna out of survival instinct… But that means that even if they use illusion they would feel real right? Wait, it's all about what I’m afraid of though… And right now… I’m afraid of the thing I have to face being real…’

 

“Father,” I said again. Suddenly I was afraid, not from any of the things he had mentioned though. In order for my survival instinct to kick in I would have to face death again… Not just an ordinary death, but a terrifying one.

 

Even when I was fighting the bitterweed I kept a level head, which meant whatever I was about to face was going to be worse… much worse. Real or not I almost didn’t care.

 

“Whatever your worst fear may be, you will face it here… and it will break you.” Without another word, he turned and began to walk away.

 

‘So this chamber is some kind of psychological torture room?’ It was clear that he wasn’t going to hurt me himself but seeing him leave somehow made me even more afraid.

 

“FATHER!” I yelled, standing up. ‘I don't even know what I’m most afraid of… But that just makes me more nervous. “I’m not letting you leave me again with such a trashy explanation!”

 

I walked up to the edge of the platform, but my words didn’t even phase him. ‘It’s going to break me? What does that even mean? If my mind shatters into tiny pieces does he really think I’m going to somehow get better instead of going insane?’

 

“YOU CAN'T LEAVE LIKE THIS!” I yelled, but his stride didn’t shorten by even an inch.

The mote wasn't even waist-high for him but as I jumped into it I sank down to my neck, the liquid feeling more like a slime than water. “FATHER WAIT!”

 

Driven by some mix of panic and rage I got to the other side and climbed out, rushing towards him as he approached the door, not even turning around once as he stepped onto the branch and it lifted him away.

 

“FATHER!” I yelled again as Giant branches covered the stone archway. The lights all faded and the room went black.  “Father…” I whimpered one last time. gently pounding my fist against the closed entrance I turned my back to it and slid down to the floor.

 

‘I have to face my worst fear in this room… I don't even know what it will be… At this point it might just be his soft smile, knowing something like this will follow it…’

 

I let out a long sigh. I mean, if it's just an illusion it would be easy regardless. If it's real though. Even in my past life, very few things scared me, after my sister died I didn't even fear death and just accepted it would take me when my time came.

 

I couldn't think of anything worse than losing her, but that already happened. Not only that, but I lost my parents, my friends, my fans, and even my dog when I was reincarnated. I had lost everything and died, what was left to fear? Sure, I would be sad if I lost it all again, but it wouldn’t be any different.

 

‘Maybe I’m thinking about this wrong, what is the thing I would find the most unpleasant, that's basically what fear is right? I guess in that case… My worst fear is probably being alone… In the dark… Crying in pain from a severe beating.’

 

I opened my eyes staring straight ahead of me unable to see. ‘I guess we’ve already got two out of three checked…’ “YOU FORGOT THE BEATING!” I yelled, slamming my fist into the wall one more time, knowing full well he couldn’t hear me.

 

I waited, but there was nothing. The panic settled down, and the rage turned to annoyance. Still, all I could do was wait.