Sunlight streamed through the large windows of the restaurant. The buzz of conversation and clinking silverware filled the trendy breakfast-brunch spot. Young professionals hunched over their laptops while others lounged, shared plates, and drank mimosas and Bloody Marys.

Alex’s cloak shifted slightly on the back of his chair, and he reached back to ruffle it, gently shaking it back and forth with his right hand. “Be still,” he muttered. Val had been restless all morning, having gotten almost too much sleep the night before, and Alex knew that the amphiptere hated staying in the cloak illusion for extended periods of time.

“So,” Mark said, taking a bite from the omelet on his plate. “Why’d you drag us out here at the crack of dawn?” He grabbed his cup of coffee and took a sip.

Alex shifted in his seat. “Well, for starters, it’s already 10am… so no one woke you up at the ‘crack of anything. ’ Second, I just didn’t want to have this conversation in the HA rooms.” He tapped his thumb on the table. “The rooms were assigned to us, and I’d rather not take any chances of them overhearing.”

Sarah’s fork paused halfway to her mouth, and he gave her an apologetic smile.

“You think they’re monitoring us?” Sam asked.

“Eh,” Alex shrugged and gave a slight wince to Sarah. “Sorry, I know you work for them. I’m probably just being paranoid, but-”

“No, being careful is smart.” She set down her fork. “The Hunters Association is in a time of tight control, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they had some way to monitor certain rooms… either from technology or skills.”

Sam took a bite from his biscuit and asked past stuffed cheeks, “Better safe than sorry. Besides, the food here is probably better than whatever they’re offering. The hospital food always stinks.”

The edge of Alex’s cloak suddenly snaked forward, snatching a piece of bacon from his plate.

“Val!” Alex hissed. But the mana-evolved wyrm had already retreated, leaving only a ripple in the fabric and feelings of satisfaction running through their bond.

Sam stifled a laugh while Mark and Olivia both rolled their eyes.

“So, then… What’s got you so worked up?” Mark chimed back in. “You’ve been practically vibrating since we sat down.”

Alex stopped his thumb from tapping the table and couldn’t hold back his grin. “Remember how I’ve been working on completing my magic? Creating the spell circles?”

“Well, yeah. That’s the whole reason we’re here, right?”

“Well, I finally cracked it last night.” Alex lowered his voice and leaned forward despite the noise of the restaurant. The others leaned in closer to listen as well. “I finished creating the circles last night. I still need to test them a lot more, but that’s beside the point and not even the best part… I got a unique title and I was offered an Epic class evolution.”

Sarah’s eyes widened. “Epic? You got it? That’s incredible, Alex!”

Mark shushed her to keep her volume down. “Holy crap, dude. What kind of class? Show us!” While his tone was still excited, it was a comical form of a loud whisper.

Sam beamed. “Is it something new? Did you get cool skills with it?”

“Alright, alright.” Alex laughed and sat back a bit. “I wanted to wait like we did with Sam, so I haven’t accepted the evolution yet. I wanted to check it out with you guys.”

Willing the advancement and evolution options to appear in his vision, Alex selected the Evolution option. He watched greedily as the window shifted, and he saw the offered benefits of the Spell Weaver.

“Sweet, baby Jesus…” Alex said to no one in particular. He stared at the screens hanging over the table, and his knee stopped bouncing.

Alex read the windows again.

And again.

“C’mon, dude!” Mark said with anxious excitement.

Alex sputtered before laughing in disbelief and discreetly sharing the windows with his team.

Mark whistled low while Sarah and Olivia both studied the text with interest. They all seemed excited to share something with Alex.

“This is huge,” Olivia said. “Like… holy shit. This is really huge. There’s so much testing to do with both of these.”

“You’re telling me,” Alex said, feeling a bit tired at the idea, despite his excitement.

A sharp ringtone cut through their conversation, and Alex reached for his phone, ready to silence it. However, as he did, he saw the name on the screen.

Jake.

His brother’s words from the day before echoed in his mind.

Alex’s thumb hovered over the screen as his friends watched him curiously. After a moment of hesitation, he accepted the call and lifted it to his ear.

“Jake?”

“Alex! Hey. Glad you answered. Look, this is important. I think I have a way to help you guys with your tracking situation.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I don’t know the details of what’s happening. I showed up so late yesterday only because I heard people talking about some guy with a yellow eye and a scar intimidating people upstairs.”

Glad to know what people think of me…

Alex thought a bit sourly. “What about it, though? I don’t think my magic has anything to do with your job. Right?”

“Well… no. But my job is recruiting talent for the Hunters Association. I’m telling you, if you need something found, this guy can do it.”

It sounded intriguing, and Alex could appreciate the fact that Jake was trying to do something to help. “What makes you think he’ll help us? Does he work for the HA?”

“No, he doesn’t. But I think that’s exactly why he’ll help you. I’ve tried to recruit him a half dozen times, and he always refuses, saying he’ll never work for Uncle Sam again.’ Since you guys aren’t actually affiliated with us, I could introduce you as family, and you can explain what you need.”

“Hmm… can we trust this guy? What does he need to know?”

There was a pause and some static over the line. “Yeah, I think you can. He’s a bit of an odd old guy, but he seems trustworthy enough. Word from nearly everyone who lives around here is that he’s helped most of them find something that they’ve lost for little to no cost.”

Alex looked at his friends and thought of bringing it up with all of them, but realized this was the exact kind of situation that they’d been looking to him to decide on. “Alright, where is he at? Can we set something up for today?”

“Yeah. I’ll text you the address and can pick you guys up in an hour from the headquarters. You, Mark, Sam, and Olivia can pile into my car. Sarah will have to stay, though. He’ll know that she’s with the Hunters Association if she comes.”

“Really? What, is he going to smell it on her or something?”

“No, but his dog will.”

“Riiiight…” Alex said skeptically. Static crackled over the line, and he could hear Jake doing something on the other side of the line. “Jake?”

“Sorry, gotta run. Meeting is starting. I’ll text you- be ready in an hour.” The call ended as Jake hung up.

Alex set his phone down and looked at his friends. “So… that was interesting. Guess we’re going to meet up with Jake.” Mark and Sarah both looked surprised. “He says he’s got someone who can help us track down the elves.”

“Hold up,” Olivia said with her hands raised. “We’re not glossing over this evolution. This is huge, Alex. Spell Weaver? I’ve never even heard of a class with a description like that.”

Mark nodded as he wiped his mouth. “Yeah, and those skills? [Spell Storage] sounds insane. You could basically double-cast anything that you had the mana for, right?”

Alex couldn’t keep the smile down any longer. “I think so. Both of the class skills will take a lot of testing. [Spell Storage] definitely seems strong, but I’m actually a bit more interested in looking into the passive. If [Spell Weaving] does what I think it does… then it could help a lot with my lower Intellect.”

“The title sounds crazy to me,” Olivia said.

Alex nodded, unsurprised that she was the one to see its value. “I’m also shocked. I had no idea a title could give something like extra slots. I’ve actually been charging up the amulet since yesterday. I want to ask Maelis about it. Do you guys mind if I ask him now before we head back?”

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The group’s reaction was a mix of shrugs and general encouragement.

Alex pushed the last bit of mana into the amulet and ended his [Parallel Mind] skill while reaching out with his mind. He could feel Maelis’s consciousness being stirred and was greeted by the runic master’s cheerful personality.

“What now?” Maelis’s gravelly voice said.

“I finished spell circles last night,” Alex said without ceremony. There was a brief silence, and the grin on his face grew wider and wider with each passing moment of the spirit's shock.

“You… What? How?”

Alex explained briefly about the control nodes and combining the different types of magic and how he stabilized the modified ritual circle base and finished creating the magic system. His friends watched with growing amusement as the amulet spoke to Alex.

"Impossible," Maelis muttered. "You're telling me you managed to merge ritual magic, runes, AND spellcasting? You? Some... some child who barely—" He broke off, and Alex could practically feel the spirit's indignation warring with curiosity.

Alex relayed the conversation to his friends, still grinning like a fool. “Oh, and I got something called a planetary title for it.”

The amulet’s mind went completely still, like a deer in headlights. When Maelis spoke again, his voice had lost all of its normal, tired, condescending attitude. “A planetary title? This early in your world’s integration?” He paused again. “Did you receive another title for being the first to earn one?”

“No, why? The silence that followed was heavy with some implications, and Alex used the time to explain to his friends. “So, that means someone else already has one?” Alex mused aloud.

“It doesn’t matter that much. I’m surprised you’re already getting one of these titles at all…”

“Maelis,” Alex asked,” what exactly are these cards?”

“They’re recognition,” Maelis explained while Alex repeated his words to the group. “While the title and card grant certain benefits, the card often acts as a literal calling card. Proof of great achievement that’s recognized across worlds. Though,” he added dryly, “that’s hardly relevant for your planet at this stage of integration. You shouldn’t be going off-world for a decade or more.”

“Wow… off-world?” Sam said. He and Mark looked at one another with wide eyes.

“Well, I can just hold on to it until then, right?”

“Yes and no,” Maelis answered. “You could hold on to it, but these titles are unique in that they can only be held by one person on your world at one time. There are different titles for different things, but right now, you’re the only…” he trailed off, prompting Alex to show him the title or tell him the name.

Alex pulled up his system window so Maelis could see through his eyes.

“Right, so you can be the only Magician. If you stop your progression, though, and someone else was to achieve something of more value for your world and its progress, then you could lose the title.”

“Lose it?”

“That’s what I said, isn’t it? Don’t make me repeat myself. Listen, the titles are normally pretty volatile in an integration because there are all kinds of large steps in progress being made for the integrated world. I’d tell you not to get your hopes up on keeping it, but I can tell just through your emotions that you’re going to do whatever you can to hold on to it.”

“Of course, why wouldn’t I?”

“Don’t get me wrong. You should… but… have you ever run a race? If you’re out at the front in the start, it can be a lot harder to hold on to your lead. There’s no one to chase, no one to strive for. If you want any hope of holding on to that title, you need to push yourself and pioneer the way of magic for your entire world…”

Alex repeated the words to his friends and let out a breath.

That’s a large task.

“No kidding, kid.”

Wait, you can hear my thoughts? Why have I been talking to you out loud this entire time, then? I specifically asked if you could when we first met…

“No, I don’t think you did.”

No, I definitely did.

“Ask him more about the skill part?” Mark asked, interrupting the internal back and forth. “The one that makes some kind of card?”

Alex described the card to Maelis, but before he was even finished, the spirit interrupted him. “Yes, yes. Its most frequently used function is to identify that you are, in fact, The Magician for your planet. It can’t be faked or copied, and the System will allow it to be identified as the real thing.”

Alex kept his face neutral and nodded, relaying the information to his friends. “Maelis also says that people try to claim titles like this often for the reputation, but this prevents that.” Something about the way the spirit kept answering his questions made him wonder if there wasn’t more to it. He decided to wait and push the issue more when they had some time.

“Nice,” Mark said.

“Guys, you had better get ready to head back if Jake’s picking you up in an hour or so.” Sarah looked chagrined for interrupting the fun talk of Alex’s progression, but he just waved her away.

“No worries. We should get moving.” He directed his thoughts toward Maelis and asked the spirit if they could pick up where they had left off on the warding lesson. There was still more to learn about the pattern of the Barrier Rune before he could attempt to start practicing it.

When Maelis agreed, Alex used [Parallel Mind] once again to split his consciousness and begin learning while they made their way back to the Hunters Association HQ.

The gravel crunched under Jake’s assigned SUV as they pulled up to a small log cabin. The thick forest surrounded them and created a natural barrier for the property from the rest of civilization. A weathered pickup truck sat, backed into the end of the driveway.

“Let me do the talking first,” Jake said, killing the engine. “And uh… maybe stay back a few steps.”

“Is he really that dangerous?” Sam asked while peering through the window at the cabin.

“Not really dangerous,” Jake replied. “Just particular about his space and his privacy.”

Alex studied the cabin while they all climbed out of the car. Smoke curled from the chimney despite the increasingly mild weather. Mud tracked around the house and up the small porch. He could just barely make out the side of a garden patch on the far side of the house, filled with green growing plants.

The wooden steps creaked under Jake’s feet as he walked to the door alone. Before he could knock, a deep bark echoed from inside, followed by the sound of heavy paws thudding on the floor. Alex noticed Sam get excited by the sound, happy to see a dog.

The door creaked louder than the stairs as it opened, revealing a tall, lean man in his mid-sixties. His face looked weathered and had the marks of someone who spent most of his time outdoors. He had short-cropped gray hair that looked militaristic to Alex. Scars marked his skin, standing out as white on tan skin, visible beneath rolled-up sleeves. He held a shotgun with casual familiarity and pointed it directly at the stunned Jake. A massive bloodhound came up and stood next to its owner, giving several barks that turned halfway into howls.

“Told you last time what would happen if you came by to try and recruit me again, boy.” His voice was gruff and confident. The dog bark-howled at them once more as if to punctuate the point.

Jake raised both of his hands slowly. “Not here for that, Mr. Hume. This is my brother Alex, and these are his friends. None of them work for the same group that I do, and they don’t have any affiliation with the government. They need your help finding something, and I told them that you’re the best.”

The bloodhound’s ears perked up, its nose working overtime. The old man gave a frown and looked down at the dog as its eyes lit up, and it looked directly at Sam. Then, his tail began to wag, causing the owner’s eyebrows to rise. It’s hazel eyes. set into the loose folds of his skin, looked first at Alex and then fixed on Sam with interest.

The man’s eyes came up and surveyed their group before landing on Alex. They locked eyes before Mr. Hume continued to assess him, looking at the scar across his nose and the golden eye. “That right? My name is Craig.” He lowered the shotgun slightly. “Duke seems interested. That doesn’t happen often.”

Sam knelt slowly, angling his body and head away, while holding his hand out to sniff. The dog glanced at Craig before padding forward to sniff Sam’s fingers. As it got close, it looked at Alex several more times as if ready to bolt before moving out wide to approach Sam from a different angle. When he reached the young man, his tail began wagging in earnest.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Craig muttered, his stern expression softened slightly. He studied Sam for a moment longer, then looked back at Alex. “Your friend here… he’s got a way with animals?”

“He does,” Alex nodded. “And we could really use your help if you’re willing to hear us out.”

Craig reached up with a free hand and scratched the stubble on his cheek while watching as Duke leaned into Sam’s kneeling form. The old tracker’s posture relaxed some more, even though his eyes remained sharp and critical of the group.

“Jake, you can wait in your car,” he said finally, while lowering his shotgun to point at the ground. “Rest of you, come in. But make it quick. I got things to do.” He stepped aside, revealing a sparsely furnished but well-kempt interior.

The inside of the cabin smelled of wood smoke and coffee, with hints of gun oil and leather. There were a few maps hung up on walls and various different packs and herbs spread on the counter.

“Coffee?” Craig asked, though he was already moving toward the pot on the stove. Duke settled down near a single chair that Alex assumed was Craig’s usual spot. Sam smiled happily at the pup, content to let it rest near his partner.

“No, sir. Thank you.” Alex shook his head but noted the military insignia of a blue circle on a red rectangle with two A’s in the center. “Jake mentioned you might be able to help us track something.”

“Someone,” Olivia corrected. “Multiple someones, really.”

Craig’s eyebrows rose as he lowered himself into the chair that had clearly molded to his form. “That so? Your people get lost or kidnapped?”

Alex raised an eyebrow. “No… does- does that happen often, though? People getting kidnapped?”

The older man shrugged as if he wasn’t affected, though his eyes remained hard. “I’ve had the request a few times.”

“We’re from New Jersey, and… well, we are trying to track a group that comes from a Rift Break.” Alex wasn’t sure how much to share. “I know how it sounds, but we want to find some really strong monsters that are loose. If we’re not able to track them down, there’s a real chance that they kill or harm innocent people.”

“Monsters, you say? What kind of monsters? It does matter.”

“Elves.”

“Elves? Like something out of a fantasy book or like Santa’s little helpers?” He gave a bit of a chuckle, but no one else in the room even cracked a smile.

“The world’s different now, Mr. Hume,” Olivia said. “I’m sure you’ve seen it yourself.”

“That I have.” Craig’s eyes drifted to his dog. “Got myself a proper bonded partner out of it, too. System gave me some skills that enhance what I already knew about tracking and working with dogs.” He scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Why come to me? Surely, there are others closer to your town.”

“We’ve tried other methods. Jake says you’re the best, and right now, we need the best. We need someone who knows how to track, and now that I see you have Duke, I’m guessing that you track through scent. We have a piece of cloth from one of their cloaks…”

A smile crept across Craig’s face. “Flattery’s not necessary, son. But I appreciate the honesty.” He stood and walked to the maps on the wall, clearly contemplating the offer.

“I can pay you,” Alex offered, unsure of what was holding the older man back.

“I don’t want your money.” He shook his head. “The only payment I ask people for is a favor in case I ever need it.”

Something about the offer worried Alex. He hesitated and glanced at his friends. “Alright… You can have a favor from me, but with the condition that I can say no. If you ask me to go slaughter children, I’m not going to do it.”

Craig chuckled. “I’d never ask for something like that, but I take your meaning. That is fair.” He looked over his shoulder at the group, only to find Duke sitting with his back to Sam, staring at his owner.

The dog was panting happily while Sam scratched behind his large, floppy ear.

“Dog’s a good judge of character,” he said finally. “And I haven’t had a proper challenge in a while.” He nodded to himself. “Give me twenty minutes to pack some gear. Duke and I will help you track your elves.”

Relief flooded through Alex. “Thank you, Mr. Hume. We really appreciate this.”

“Call me Craig, damn it.” He continued to grumble as he walked into the side room of the cabin.

Outside, Jake was leaning against his SUV, scrolling through his phone. He looked up as they emerged and tromped down the creaking stairs.

“He agreed?” Jake asked in mild surprise. “Damn. Usually takes me three visits just to get him to open the door.”

“I think Sam did most of the heavy lifting in there,” Alex said.

Olivia lightly punched his shoulder.

“We need to figure out seating, though,” Alex said while doing a quick count. “With Craig and Duke, plus their gear…”

“I can stay behind,” Mark offered, though his disappointment was clear. “I’m not exactly the best fit for tracking through the woods anyway.”

Alex clapped his friend on the shoulder. “Thanks, man. I’ll keep you and Sarah updated, okay?”

Jake jerked his head toward his car. “I’ll let you guys take the car up North, but the whole branch is on the move right now. I should stay put. I can drive us all to the HQ, and Mark and I will hop out once there. Just… uh, take care of it, okay? I just got a new one when I came down here, and I don’t want them to issue me the old one again.” He gave Alex a charming smile and hesitated. “Good luck with whatever this is about. Maybe fill me in some time?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I will.” Alex returned the smile and felt a warmth toward his brother that he hadn’t really experienced in years.

Craig emerged from his cabin with a well-worn military green pack and what looked like rugged outdoor tracking gear. Duke trotted at his heels without a leash, wearing a vest. The old tracker locked his cabin before moving down the stairs with a grace that belied his age.

“Well?” he called gruffly. “We’re burnin’ daylight.”

Sam grinned and opened the back door, patting the seat for Duke to jump in. The bloodhound complied eagerly, and Alex couldn’t help but smile at how quickly the two had bonded.

As they prepared to leave, Alex caught Craig studying him.

“Something wrong?”

“Nah,” Craig shook his head. “Just thinking, you remind me of someone I served with. Same look in the eyes.” He unslung the pack from his shoulder and tossed it in the backseat before climbing in himself. “Let’s go find your elves.”