?Jack shivered, the lingering heat on the back of his hand accented by the high-pitched ringing in his ears. The machine fell silent, and the next pulse never came. A steady grip landed on his shoulder, anchoring him as the world slowly stopped shaking.

  ?“Take a second and sit up. We are going to take a little break, just take the time you need to adjust again.” Turrel patted Jack’s arm, his brow furrowing slightly.

  ?“Farrr out, what was that?” Jack sat up, groaning as his spine realigned.

  ?“Everything was fine until it started to burn. You didn’t say it was going to be dangerous. Dude, what the hell?” Jack whinged.

  ?“Hmm, there is a lot to unpack here, Jack. I honestly mentioned it as a joke but… Well you are a very unique individual. I need a moment to work out if this is potentially amazing or absolutely terrible.” Turrel scratched his head, eyes fixed on the screen.

  ?“What do you mean, is it like a prism thing? Am I going to be super powerful? It was hot. What mana frequency was it… it was fire wasn’t it… Wow, I’m going to be able to make fireballs… this is amazing!” Jack rambled, words tumbling out faster than he could breathe.

  ?“Calm down Jack, please, one at a time. Just give me a moment to think.”

  ?“Firstly, no it wasn't a ‘Prism’ thing, this was a ‘Prime’ frequency thing.” Turrel paused, his head bobbing from side to side. “Being super powerful, maybe… but wh...”

  ?“Oohhh no. No buts, I like the super powerful part; let's focus on that. Also what is a Prime frequency?” Jack interrupted.

  ?“What it is, is less important than what type of prime frequency it is. That was an amplification frequency, and yes, before you ask, it is very rare, much rarer than a prism. There are many different prime frequencies. But of them, amplification is one of the rarest that we encounter in our testing.” Turrel held up a finger to silence him, putting a halt to Jack's improving mood.

  ?“It is rare because most people who have it don’t make it to testing. They tend to… well umm… overload their bodies.” Turrel fumbled for the words, his hands painting a violently explosive picture. It managed to erase the last of Jack's heroic dreams.

  ?“Now that leads me to your next question. No, that wasn’t a Fire frequency.”

  ?Jack's shoulders slumped. His vision of becoming a fire mage crumbled. He stared up at the man, widening his eyes in a silent plea for good news.

  ?“However,” Turrel continued, pausing at Jack's expression. “I think it might be the best frequency for you... and is likely the only reason I might consider continuing your training.”

  ?Jack waited.

  ?Turrel stared back.

  ?Jack’s eye twitched. He forced his face to remain neutral.

  ?Turrel’s lip slowly began to curl upward at the edge.

  ?Jack’s whole body vibrated with the effort of holding still. It was fine. He was a 34-year-old man; he could be patient.

  ?Turrel stared at him for a moment longer before he opened his mouth and said one word.

  ?“Life.”

  ?“Life what?” Jack sputtered. “Life, like… like. I don’t know, come on man what does that even mean?”

  ?“Jack, the frequency was Life. It is a very hard one to describe and again... Yes, it is one of the rarer frequencies to be able to manipulate. It is things like growth, nature, healing, body enhancements, that sort of thing.”

  ?“So… a healer. Like a Druid?” Jack slumped back against the machine. “Magic is real and instead of fireballs and lightning, I get to grow plants and heal people… Can I at least summon rocks and stuff?” He tried to salvage something from the wreck of his fantasy.

  As the disappointment faded, the mark on his hand throbbed. He remembered the sensation of sun on his skin, the heat flowing through his veins hot enough to sear.

  ?A wry smile spread across his face. Maybe he wouldn't be throwing it around any time soon, but what was the sun if not a giant fireball?

  ?“Jack, can you stop for a second please.” Turrel took a moment to collect himself, waiting for Jack to settle.

  ?“I know you have a lot of questions, and I am happy to answer them all, but I just need to stress something here: this is a very unusual situation. A confluence of small irregularities and oddities coming together, creating a very interesting, unique and terrifying situation.”

  ?Turrel paused, sorting through his thoughts. Jack had only known him for a couple of days, but every interaction had painted Turrel as confident and knowledgeable. Seeing him lost for words, even temporarily, reinforced the gravity of the conversation. Jack fell silent.

  ?“We are done for the day. I think it would be best for you to take some time and rest up. Your life has changed immeasurably in recent days. I understand the desire for power and to grasp at things unknown.” He looked seriously at Jack.

  ?“My job is to ensure that inductees have all the information available to them to understand the consequences that come with the decision to learn how to manipulate mana. It is a serious consideration that normally follows a conversation well after the testing and after a lot more information is given. There are fundamental changes to people that happen if they undergo the process and connect to the Origin.”

  ?The seriousness of his words hung in the air, a physical weight pressing against Jack's chest.

  ?“Unfortunately for you Jack, while there is normally a choice, you do not have one. If you walk away, your prime frequency will kill you.” Turrel paused, ensuring Jack’s attention was absolute.

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  ?“Mana has a tendency to affect people in different ways depending on the frequencies they use. Sometimes it is simple, changes to peoples' hair colour,” he mentioned, gesturing to his own.

  ?“This happens due to a modification process that occurs when you connect to the Origin, which is the source of mana. The only way I see you being able to survive and move on is to undergo that modification. It will adapt your body and reduce the chance of you overloading. You will still need to learn to control your amplification, but you can't do that efficiently until after.”

  ?Jack stared at Turrel, trying to understand the threat. If he was honest, he hadn't really processed everything yet. He still felt like a passenger. But beneath the confusion, a spark of excitement—a passion he hadn't felt since arriving—began to burn.

  ?He should probably be worried about the death sentence, but none of this felt real.

  ?He cursed his luck. “Wait, so does this just happen to anyone with this ‘Prime’ frequency? They just learn or... or overload?”

  ?Turrel motioned for Jack to stand and began walking back towards the dorm building, draping a heavy arm around Jack’s shoulder.

  ?“Maybe? It is difficult to get a gauge on really. For most people, which again is a very limited subset of people we test, there is a big difference in their level of amplification. If we imagine that a person's body is like a solar panel and is able to absorb mana from the world around them like sunlight. We could say most people's efficiency to absorb that mana into their body is around 20–30%.” He gestured to the air.

  ?“An average person's body naturally purges whatever they don't use faster than they absorb it, so they stay balanced.”

  ?Turrel stopped and faced him.

  ?“Your body is extremely mana conductive. So far the tests have your absorption at 70% efficiency. Now, normally, your body could still purge that amount without issue. The problem isn't the absorption, it's how it interacts with your Amplification.” Turrel tilted his head, hands weaving in explanation.

  ?“Most people that get to the point of being tested with an amplification prime have a low level, in the realm of 5–10%. This generally doesn't impact on their ability to self purge and they can go about their lives.”

  ?Turrel scratched his head again.

  ?“Your amplification looks to be at a very high rate. The test wasn't long enough to confirm, but it is easily upwards of 50% which would put you in the upper tier of anyone that I know of in a similar situation.”

  ?He sighed.

  ?“That is normally with an absorption rate that is at least half of yours. Let's look at the maths. A normal person absorbs 0.3 units, amplifies it by 50% and then outputs 0.45 to purge and is fine.”

  ?He looked at Jack.

  ?“You on the other hand would absorb 0.7. You amplify that by 50%... which leaves you holding 1.05.” Turrel’s face mixed excitement with dread.

  ?Jack frowned. Not knowing the ins and outs of mana, he tentatively asked, “Wait, so amplifying to more than 1 is a bad thing?”

  ?“What is the most valuable resource on your home planet?” Turrel asked.

  ?“Probably gold? Maybe not but that's the one people use as a currency. Why?”

  ?“So imagine for a second, someone told you they could take 1 unit of gold and turn it into 1.05. No strings attached, they could just do it. Then they say ‘well actually I can do it again, all day.’” Turrel stared directly at Jack.

  ?“Mana is the most valuable resource in our world, Jack. While this is potentially dangerous for your health until you manage to get it under control, this is potentially dangerous for you in general.”

  ?“Jack, I have someone I need to contact and a lot to organise. I am sorry, I know this is a lot but go take some time. Get some food and rest. Tomorrow we will start training,” Turrel said. He turned and jogged away, leaving Jack stunned and alone.

  ?Lord Montarg - Mana Rift

  ?Montarg stepped back, his armoured forearm deflecting a stinger aimed at his head. Over thirty wasp-like creatures buzzed around his crew. They were the size of small children, their stingers as big as forearms tapered to sharp drill-like points.

  ?He stepped forward, drawing in the abundance of life mana. He sought the nest and the Queen. Channeling mana into his boot, he stomped down activating his [Shockwave] ability. The blast centered around his foot, clearing the immediate area and drawing the swarm's attention.

  ?Scanning the chaos, he spotted two wasps drawing in mana. He activated his prime frequency [Absorption] and forcefully ripped the mana from their bodies into his own. He pushed it out, feeling the roots of the nearby trees.

  Using ?[Growth] he sent the mana into the roots, and they erupted from the ground, forming a wall. Two wasps impaled their stingers in the wood. He reached forward and triggered a [Shockwave] at the end of his punch and crushed them both.

  ?A glance over his shoulder showed his crew holding the line. But if the wasps kept spawning, they would be overwhelmed.

  ?He scanned the area again. A large pull on the ambient mana pulsed in the distance. He moved, using [Absorption] on any wasp foolish enough to activate an ability near him. He funneled that stolen power back into himself, strengthening his body with [Enhancement].

  ?His speed surged. He raced through the forest, each footfall propelling him forward, destroying the undergrowth. He burst into a clearing to find the source: the Hive Queen, hovering high above, ready to defend her spawn.

  ?The Queen shot a projectile. Montarg raised a wall of roots to take the impact. Knowing he needed to end this quickly, he drew a deep breath and activated [Absorption] at full throttle. All the mana for hundreds of meters rushed into his body.

  ?He flooded a tree to his right with the excess energy. [Growth]. A branch as thick as his arm shot out. He snapped the six-foot limb off with his enhanced strength.

  ?He activated multiple abilities as he shifted the branch in his grip. [Shape] smoothed the wood and sharpened the tip. [Imbue] filled the makeshift spear with life energy, hardening it like steel.

  ?He locked eyes with the Wasp Queen. Time for the trump card.

  ?[Frequency Shift] pulsed through his mana heart. The mana in his system vibrated, struggling against the change. Then, in a single heartbeat, the Life mana transmuted to Air. The conversion cost was massive, burning ninety percent of his reserves, but it was enough.

  ?He tossed the spear into the air, adjusting his footing. As it fell, he caught it at full extension. [Imbue] again, this time filling the wood with Air mana for speed and piercing power. He burned half his remaining energy.

  ?He stepped forward, hips and shoulders uncoiling like a spring. He poured every last drop of mana into a focused [Shockwave] at the end of the spear the moment it left his hand. A second blast exploded out; a sonic boom launched the projectile at the Queen.

  ?It happened in seconds. The Queen was nimble, but she couldn't outrun a thunderclap. Strengthened by Life, empowered by Air, the spear pierced straight through her head.

  ?It faced no resistance. It continued its path, punching a hole in the enormous tree behind her. The shockwave following in the spears' wake tore the Queen apart from the inside, blasting her into paste against the bark.

  ?Montarg turned back. With the Queen dead, the remaining wasps were stunned—some dropping from the sky, others freezing in place. He felt his body enhancement fading. He ripped a few large roots from his makeshift wall and took off back towards his crew, practising his aim on the stragglers.

  ?Hours later, the rush of battle had faded. The crew—all alive—sat around a fire, eating and drinking. Another rift down, only Tier Two, but enough core shards for at least one each.

  ?A flash from his tent caught Montarg's eye. He wasn’t expecting messages. He stood and checked the device. Confused, he noted the sender: his original mentor. He wanted to finish the rift, but he owed the man, and the request was intriguing.

  ?He sent a response back.

  ?“Turrel, good to hear from you. I would be happy to help.”