Manifold Mirror Mage

"Justification" The voice repeated.

The word rang in Gio's ears like a peal of distant bells. The voice wasn't exactly threatening, but it was not particularly something he wanted to hear right now.

Well, at least it isn't a corrupted system message. So, probably not Chaos?

The word bristled against him, resonating with something deep inside and harmonizing with a feeling that he'd been exploring for a few minutes now. He grasped at the feeling, trying to trace it back to any source he could find. His eyes wandered over to a leather-bound booklet sitting open on top of his bag. The booklet contained a few pages of research primers and pre-sorted reference materials for his assignment, courtesy of Saint Baphelus.

Gio put down the rough draft of the mirror spellform, picking up the booklet with both hands.

"Saint Baphelus?" Gio whispered, trying not to be seen as a crazy person talking to his homework.

"Justification" The voice repeated.

Gio felt an extremely weak stream of mana flow into him from the booklet.

Knowledge, Curse… Undeath.

"Are you spying on us?" Gio quietly demanded the booklet.

No response.

Gio pinched the booklet with his fingers along the spine, feeling around for anything that might have been stowed away in the bindings. His fingers stopped on a tiny lump in the top seam. Summoning a sharp point of mirror with [Reflective Shard], Gio cut open the bindings, retrieving a bead of polished white bone about as large as a grain of rice.

… I don't think he's watching. He told me that I'd be on my own, and I don't think it would be appropriate for him to come to my rescue even if I was in danger. He's my mentor, not my babysitter. We succeed or fail in this dungeon of our own efforts. Then what is this for? Some kind of tracking device?

He looked at the small bone, racking his brain for a reason that his mentor would discreetly include some sort of token in his homework.

Gio instantly understood, laughing and rubbing at his temples.

This was a part of the enchantment that kept me from opening my homework before I got to the dungeon.

"Justification" The voice said, now louder. As Gio focused on it more, he noted that the unfamiliar voice sounded masculine and slightly disdainful, as If sneering the word at him in some sort of chiding tone.

"Yes, I heard you." Gio snarked, looking down at the bead of bone in his hand.

The voice in his head was definitely some product of skill feedback and mana from his mentor, but to what end, he was unsure.

An unruly skill, and mana from my mentor… I wonder.

Gio summoned a few details from his status.

[Fledgling Knowledge Seeker] - You have demonstrated talent and drive to attain knowledge beyond your ken. Attain mid-level bonuses for memorization, comprehension, and information gathering. You shall find the knowledge that you seek faster than normal.

So long as your occupation remains education-based, receive additional bonuses toward knowledge and growth-related skills.

[A Student's Diligence] - When working on subject material assigned to you by a system-recognized teacher, you work faster, retain more information, and may receive additional insights derived from your teacher's experience.

Synergy:

[Studious Charms] (Fledgling Knowledge Seeker + A Student's Diligence) -

You have not unlocked details for this synergy.

This is it. Whatever is going on with the symbol is related to the synergy that I haven't figured out.

Gio placed the piece of bone in one hand, mulling it over with his fingers. With his other hand, he traced the eye-shaped symbol, trying to activate his skills in a way that also invited [Multitask] to activate.

As the skills responded to his intent, he felt a slight pressure at the center of his forehead.

Focus. My skills respond to my intentions. I want to learn. My mentor has given me this problem to work on. Think. What does it mean? "Justification."

As Gio focused into his thoughts about the word that had been repeating in his mind, his consciousness shifted with a sickening tilt, as if someone had taken a wrench and torqued him up and out of his body, causing his body to go limp.

_____

"Rat-boy! Pay attention!" shouted a heavy-set man, slamming a meaty fist down against a dusty lectern.

Gio awoke with a startle in an unfamiliar room. The first thing Gio noticed was a wall of windows to the right of him. The only light in the room filtered through wooden shutters, where all but one window had been fastened shut. Out of the one open window, Gio saw a sprawling city of gothic architecture, with spires of ivory-colored stone adorning churches, and stately homes of wood and plaster. In the center of the panorama, a massive edifice rose above all others- A towering castle of white stone that was barely visible underneath a blanket of bright red roses. Even from across the city, Gio could smell the flowers.

The room itself was well-appointed, but dusty from disuse. Floral motifs in black and gold adorned the wallpaper, accenting the rich mahogany of the wood that made up all of the framing and support beams that outlined the space. There were a few rows of desks, of which he sat in the back, directly facing the room's only other occupant.

"By all means, take your time daydreaming. I've certainly got nowhere better to be than teaching the runt of the damn litter." The man sneered.

The large man had a mane of glossy pitch black hair that touched his shoulders, and a cavalier moustache and goatee combination that suited his gruff facial features. The black fabric of his robes seemed to conceal a body wrought of equal parts muscle and meat, as his arms were thicker than Gio's waist.

"Excuse me?" Gio spat back.

The man reeled back his hand and backhanded the air in front of him. Gio flung backward out of his seat, spilling onto the floor while holding his stinging face with both hands.

"Show some respect, Rat. Your father doesn't tolerate back-talk, and neither do I. You will address me with my proper rank, or perhaps as uncle, if you feel like acknowledging the fact that we share the same blood today." He joked.

Gio tried to get up, but found that his body felt frail. As he tried to prop himself up with an arm, it gave out underneath him, causing him to collapse back down to the cold wooden floor. He looked at his hands, finding them to be bony and thin, and his wrists were less than half as thick as they usually were.

"Oh dear. I forget how fragile you are." The man sighed.

He strode across the room, causing the floorboards to creak under his bodyweight. He put an arm around Gio, lifting him with a surprisingly gentle touch. As he leaned in close, Gio smelled an aroma of body odor and a perfumy floral musk. He deposited Gio back into the chair of a desk, handing him a handkerchief from an unseen pocket.

"Wipe that blood off your face and pay attention. We want you to learn this by sundown, before the lanterns turn on. Your father would beat me senseless if I scuffed you up too much to attend the festival." The man said.

Gio's mind raced as he patted at his bloody nose with the cloth. His eyes widened as he looked down to see that his blood was so dark that it was almost black.

What is going on?

"Now… where were we…" The man drawled.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Gio looked to his left, catching a glimpse of light. There was a windowed cabinet full of trophies. He caught his reflection in a dusty mirror at the rear. The mirror sang to his senses, drawing his attention.

The reflection that greeted him was of someone else. A man who might have been around his age with dark hair and sharp, gaunt features and a sickly pale complexion. He had sunken eyes with deep red irises and bags that showed a frequent lack of sleep.

"______, please. I don't want to hit you again. Pay. Attention." The man said.

The first word he said came out in a syllable of utter nonsense. It was like someone had taken the word and squeezed it until all meaning had drained out. Gio knew that he had heard syllables that should have sounded like something, but inexplicably couldn't comprehend them.

"Sorry… uncle? Could you please repeat that?" Gio asked.

The man raised an eyebrow.

"Did you hit your head? I said that you need to pay attention." He replied.

"Not that. The first word you said, I don't think I heard it correctly." Gio said.

"What, ______? Do you- "

The world froze, cracking at the seams. The figure in front of him froze mid-sentence as a teal light erupted at the edge of his vision, causing him to snap his head to the left. From the mirror, his reflection glowed. A set of flaming blue eyes met his, speaking with a familiar voice.

"What in the heavens are you…"

Saint Baphelus, or at least some part of him, looked around the room.

A skeleton wreathed in teal flames ripped itself out of his reflection, phasing through the cabinet and into the room. His empty eye sockets looked out the window, resting on the rose-covered castle, and pausing for a long moment.

"S-Saint Baphelus, I don't know how-" Gio stammered.

"It's true what they say about me. I tend to attract the strangest protégés." Baphelus joked.

"I don't know how this happened, I was just working on the assignment you gave me, and I didn't mean to do anything like this, and I-"

"Calm down. I'm not upset. [Knowledge Seekers] are a different breed of mage entirely. It's… quite something to behold, but I cannot say I was not warned of this. Actually, several people and spirits warned me that something like this could happen. Do you know where we are?" Baphelus asked.

"I… I think I'm in your memories." Gio said.

"Yes, indeed. The Kingdom of Red Flowers. I was caught off guard, seeing that." The lich said, pointing to the castle in the distance.

"The Kingdom of Red Flowers… so that's the Tower of Roses?" Gio asked, awestruck.

"Indeed. As of this moment, we're about ten years before the collapse of that tower. And he-" The lich pointed to the man at the head of the classroom. "-Dies that day. Viniculus the Vile. You won't find any trace of him in the history books, but he was probably one of the most potent black mages in the whole kingdom." Baphelus said, floating over to the man.

Baphelus circled around Viniculus, looking him up and down.

"There's no way he was this tall. My memory must be faulty." The lich joked.

"He said he was your uncle? And why can't he say your name? Or, at least I think that might be what he's saying… I can't make it out." Gio asked.

Baphelus pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Long ago, when I was less mature, I thought that I could escape myself by denying where I came from. To answer your first question, Viniculus… was a hero to some. To me, he was a cruel teacher and a vindictive bully. Frail as I was at this time, I defied him until he beat me senseless, never yielding to his attempts to break me into his image. As for my name… I won't tell you that. Not here, anyway. Not like this. Ask me again some other time… I am not certain how much of this I will be aware of in the real world." Baphelus said.

"Why wouldn't you be aware of me being in your memories?" Gio asked.

"I didn't invite you here." Baphelus said, while poking and prodding at his old body.

"This manifestation is of your making. It's a kneaded loaf of some strange, solipsistic flourish of forbidden-knowledge-seeking, baked into memory and topped with a butter-pat-sized amount of willful disregard for personal and professional boundaries. But am I the butter-er, or the butteree?" Baphelus said.

"I'm sorry, I… don't understand what you just said. At all." Gio blinked.

Baphelus sighed.

"Whatever skill you invoked drew upon our student-teacher bond to show you this moment. I certainly wouldn't have chosen to introduce you to… my past, at least not like this. I can assure you that this is not a fond memory. I remember this day… and I know what lesson brought you to this moment all too well. I think I nearly died on this day. I would caution you that you may want to brace yourself for the possibility that you may need to figure out how to abort this lesson, even if it means missing out on valuable knowledge." Baphelus warned.

"A lesson… so I am here to learn something in the way that you learned it, then." Gio realized.

"It seems so. I should go. If you intend to stay, I shouldn't interfere. Just know that if my real self remembers this, we will be having a conversation about the responsible use of this… concerning ability of yours. I have memories that I do not think you should witness, regardless of how beneficial the lessons they contain would be."

The Lich of the Manse looked toward the tower of red flowers in the distance for one last time.

"Sometimes, knowledge has a steep price. Remember that, Giorgio." Baphelus said, fading away into nothingness.

Time unpaused, and the brutish man resumed speaking.

"-Do you not recognize your own name? Is this some petty joke to get back at me for calling you Rat-boy? Also, I don't think you've ever called me uncle. Perhaps I should send for a healer, after all." Viniculus said, looking perturbed.

"My apoligies, Viniculus. I must have hit my head when you foolishly decided to introduce me to the floor. I am ready to learn." Gio quipped.

Viniculus smiled dangerously.

"That's Knight Viniculus to little rats like you. Glad to see you recover your filthy mouth. I promise not to smack you again unless you deserve it. Let's begin."

Viniculus raised an arm, and the bloody handkerchief flew into his hand.

"Justification." He intoned.

A glob of black blood lifted off the cloth and into the air. It began to grow branching tendrils, as snaking symbols wrought themselves into an ugly pattern in front of him.

"It is often said that might makes right. I usually agree, as I am mighty. I am strong of will and arm, and my magic bends to my will." He said.

The symbol emitted a tinny whistling noise that instantly set Gio's teeth on edge. Gio's heart started racing the instant he heard the noise, and his right arm shot up in the air.

"Oh, do you have a question?" Viniculus asked.

"What? No, my hand-"

His other arm shot up.

"Well, I have a question. Why would a sickly little thing like you be able to resist magic from a mage like me?" He asked.

Gio couldn't answer. His body refused to listen to him. His arms shook and burned, as his weak muscles were forced to tense above his head. He felt his breathing become labored, and his toes curled, digging into the soles of his shoes.

"Any thoughts?" Viniculus asked.

He waved his hand, and some of the tendrils of blood receded into the drop. Gio was finally able to drop his arms, and he instantly began to massage the soreness out of them.

"I can't resist magic like that." Gio spat.

"No? Why not? Why don't you try using the spell on me?" Viniculus asked.

"I can't- I don't even know that spell." Gio answered.

Viniculus scowled.

"Well maybe if you spent less time reading about ghost stories and more time training, you'd be at an appropriate level to cast it!" He shouted.

He pinched the bridge of his nose with his fat fingers.

"It's no matter. Your father tells me that you're learning wild magic easily enough. Throw something at me, anything." Viniculus ordered.

Gio instantly realized that he didn't have his spellbook here. Thankfully, he had drilled countless hours into mana-shaping exercises so as not to further enrage the giant man. He shot out a limp ball of force mana, barely managing to reach the man's chest.

"That's… sad. But we'll work with it. Why didn't your magic hurt me?" He asked.

"Because… you're strong," Gio answered.

"Ahaaahaahaaa! Never thought I'd hear those words from the sharp-tongued rat! But yes, I AM strong. But… you have your own strength, do you not? The older boys leave you alone because they know that you can summon things that will haunt them in the deep hours of the night! It's one of the scant few reasons we have to be proud of you. Your father was overjoyed when he heard that you made the neighbor's son piss his pants. But before you can really start working with unkindly forces, you need to be able to assert yourself. You need to find your justification." Viniculus lectured.

"You keep saying that word. I don't know what you mean." Gio said, frustrated.

His body rebelled against him. Gio stood up from his chair, and he wanted to yelp as he felt his frail form wrack with pain at every motion.

"This is a curse. Like many curses, it can be anchored to its victim with blood, but it is not what we would call blood magic. This is just a standard domination spell. I bet it feels unpleasant, especially with your… constitution." Viniculus said.

Gio felt his stomach churn. He felt bile rise into his throat, but could not swallow it back down. His sight was locked onto Viniculus, and he couldn't look away, even as his eyes began to burn.

"I want you to think. Think hard about what gives me the right to have power over you like this."

Gio was indeed thinking.

How do I get out of this memory?