Symphonic Odyssey
: Vol. Two: Beneath the Hawthorn Tree: Verse Fifty-Three

Alvin reached into the chest again and pulled out a small green book that seemed to glow with a faint light. The book was loosely wrapped in a silk cloth and was no larger than his hand. It also didn’t seem to hold many pages. Cypher wondered how something so small could be helpful.

“This is a rare tool known as the Architect’s draft and is used for forging a proper and ordered mental space. Not many Conductors are as lucky enough to have access to it, even among noble families. I’m sure that not even the Galvans should have access to one.”

“Normally it takes years to begin molding one’s mental space, and many more to craft it into something orderly and useful since it can take the form of anything you desire. Most Conductors use the standard methods, but they take decades of focus, and even then the end result is less than perfect.”

“With this, however, you can speed up the process exponentially. It is the first volume in a series of three, and will allow you to build your mental space into what is known as an Athenaeum.”

Alvin handed the book to Cypher and he took it, running his hand along the cool, glass-like spine. He moved to open it but Alvin shot out his hand and stopped him, a cautious expression on his face.

“Hang on, before you open it, you should know that while this will allow for faster growth of your mental space, it is extremely painful. This and the other two volumes are only the first in a set of twelve that ultimately lead to a Rank-four mental space. Once you start down this path you cannot simply abandon it. You will be forced to see it through to the end, and the pain, as well as the difficulty, will increase with each set you complete.”

“Why does it hurt so much? Isn’t it just information? What’s the harm in that?” Cypher asked, careful to keep his questions on the topic to avoid annoying Alvin again.

“Your mind is a product of your brain. Simply put, your brain contains billions of nerve cells arranged in patterns that coordinate thought, emotion, behavior, movement, and sensation as well as countless other bodily processes.”

“A complicated system of nerves connects your brain to the rest of your body so that communication can occur in split seconds. Your mind is a product of this and would normally continue to develop at a steady pace until a certain point. However, Conductors are different. In the middle of our brains is a small, almost invisible sphere formed of Zight.”

“Learning a spell is the first step in creating this small ethereal sphere and usually it takes a few years to do so. There are a lot of students here who are still in the process of learning their first spell. Most of them are just starting to take the first steps in creating a mental space, so you’re lucky in the fact that you have already completed this first crucial step. As you expand this sphere, it grows slowly with your brain and eventually encompasses it entirely,”

“This book will force your sphere to grow rapidly, and as a side effect of such quick growth, you will have to endure terrible pain the likes of which you have never experienced before as your brain itself is reconstructed. The rewards for finishing these three volumes though are great indeed. When you are finished, you will have a mind at the first rank and be considered a Rank-one mage as well. I offer this tool to you, but you aren’t required to use it if you don’t want to. We can proceed just fine if we take the normal route. It is quite dangerous to use this tool, but the choice is yours and I will respect whatever you decide to do.”

Cypher thought about it for a moment before a question came to mind, “You say this is painful, but are there any benefits to using this method? I can’t imagine that such a drawback wouldn’t come with some impressive gains beyond just a faster growth period. How much time is saved by using this method?”

Alvin smiled grimly, “I was afraid you might ask. Truth be told I really don’t want to use this method on you. However, you deserve to have access to all the available resources I can provide as your sponsor,” Alvin paused and took a deep breath before continuing.

“The mental space created by this book will enable you to store and access your spells as well as evaluate your reserves of mental energy more effectively than forging one on your own. It will also make your senses sharper, though that’s mostly due to the increase in the rank of your mind, and the overall expansion of your mental space will be much easier giving you more of an edge against your competition.”

“As for the amount of time you’ll save, that depends. Normally, using orthodox methods it takes a person with the proper instruction about fifteen to twenty years to fully realize their Rank-one mental space. With this method, that time is cut down tremendously. It should only take you about six years. Again though, once you start you have to see it through to the end. The Architects Draft and its successive volumes will be the only way you can improve or grow your mental space.”

Cypher hesitated for a moment, thinking about his options. On one hand, it seemed that building this Athenaeum would greatly increase his abilities in the long run. It would even save him some time on his path to the first rank of the mind.

On the other hand, the process sounded extremely unpleasant and even dangerous. On top of that, he’d be locked into this method moving forward. The question that he had to ask was if he was willing, or even able to endure the pain Alvin had warned of.

“There are no shortcuts on the path of Conduction and as with anything worth doing, there are risks you can either choose to flee from or face head-on.“

Sequinnen’s words echoed through his mind, they were still as clear as when he had heard them the day before, and in that instant, he knew what he would do.

“I will use this. I might not be able to endure the pain, but if I don’t try I might come to regret it later on. How do I begin?” Cypher’s declaration only served to worry Alvin even more, but the man stroked his short beard and nodded, ready to accept his pupil’s decision.

“It is, as you can see, a book so you simply read it. There are five pages, in this volume, ten in the next, and fifteen pages in the final Rank-One set. Each page has a special diagram written upon it that will carefully build and expand your Athenaeum,”

“It is extremely important, however, that you do not attempt to read pages further in before you complete the ones before. If you fail to heed this warning you could shatter your mental space leaving you brain dead. If that happens, no healer in this world could mend the damage. Your body would be alive, but you would be left in a coma never to awaken and that’s in the best-case scenario.”

Cypher seemed to hold the book with more care then. The threat of shattering his mental space and losing himself scared him, and he almost changed his mind right then and there. However, he reassured himself and nodded, resolved to follow this path. Danger shrouded the road of every Conductor and he would not allow this to stop him so early in his journey.

“Whenever you are ready, you may begin. The first page is the most intense but it is also the quickest to finish. You should be able to learn the diagram before the day ends. I don’t have much to offer you in the way of advice, it is different for everyone and it’s better to experience this first hand. I can however say this, don’t give in to the void, fight it with everything you can muster. If you do that, you should be just fine. If anything goes wrong I am here to assist you as much as I can but honestly, you’ll have to do this alone.”

Cypher nodded again, slower this time, and took a deep breath. His hands were shaking, and sweat formed across his forehead but he would not waver. With careful trepidation, he pulled away the silk cover and opened the book to the first page.