The creeping feeling pervaded the Lyft’s cabin, despite the world outside being blocked out by the HoloGlass. Peyton knew for a fact that nobody outside could see within, but no matter how much he searched and attempted to assure himself, he couldn’t shake it. His gut had gotten him out of more rough situations than he could count, so he believed he was missing something.

Thankfully, the ride ended. The doors opened without a sound, revealing the Magi Counsel’s enchanted steel spire in all it’s monochrome glory. Magificers changed the world, advancing the world in leaps in bounds in the past thousand years.

Prior to the combination of tech and magic, the spire’s existence would’ve been impossible. Its likeness akin to a needle, it pierced the clouds. In the Kamii bars he frequented, at any point in time students of Fadnier Academy debated the spire’s height. These simple, scholarly debates would get heated, each party claiming to know the truth. The most popular guess - a rumor stirred by Peyton himself nearly two decades ago - was that its massive height stood over twelve thousand feet. However, those with eyes would argue that it was near double that.

Peyton knew they were both right, but also both wrong. Lamenting the past, he added acquiring more Faerie Dust to his to-do list. Now that he started, Peyton couldn’t stop the spiral. He considered a life where he became a Magificer instead of a Delver. A recurring thought, haunting him at every opportunity, but also a thought that he entertained every time it appeared. The biggest allure of becoming a Magificer? Proximity and shared professional interest with Madison. Next to that, the comfort and safety of Wanda and the Mage societies.

You’d never see a Magificer Delving into the unknown. To risk life and limb was a Delvers duty. Magificers supplied them with the tools to Delve, but otherwise were seen as treasures. An innovation by a Magificer could advance the entire world forward by leaps and bounds, so it was reasonable.

But Peyton found the whole thing ironic. His talent for Magificing was above average, but his potential for Delving? That was unrivaled. Unfortunately for him, Madison wasn’t the only genius amongst his Cycle’s talent.

Speaking of Madison, she waved him down as he approached. A beauty unlike any other, her silver hair augmented the pure blue depths of her eyes - staring back at him with acceptance and care. Before he knew it, her arms wrapped around him.

Wetness seeped into his shirt, “I missed you.”

He hesitantly wrapped his arms around her, “Mad, you’re making a scene.”

“I don’t care, silly.” She only squeezed him harder. “Even if things are… unsteady with us, I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”

He grunted, “Like any monster could take me down. If I recall, a certain someone likes to correlate me to the Venician Leviathan.” He furrowed his brow, smirking.

“Just as stubborn,” she said, rolling her eyes, “and I won’t take it back.”

Staring down at her, he cupped her face in his hand. There were so many things he wanted to say, his chest felt like it would explode. Emotions weren’t something he was proficient in, but she knew that.

“It’ll be okay, Peyton,” she whispered. “I know it’s hard, but I’m here for you.”

Many moments passed. The traffic around them continued, Mages flitting in and out of the spire. Neither Madison nor Peyton worried about any of them. If Peyton didn’t need to report to the Archmage for his debriefing, the likelihood of them leaving for the day increased exponentially.

However, it was but a fleeting thought. A world of dreams crashing in the face of reality. “I’ve gotta go, Mad.”

“Five more minutes,” she muttered, grumbling inaudibly when he shook his head. “Fine. But the least I can do is walk you in.”

While others rushed to and fro, they meandered toward the spire. He still had plenty of time before he needed to appear before the Archmage, but the constant nagging at the back of mind made it impossible to appreciate Madison’s company.

If he had one weakness, Madison was it. Having her around without knowing the source made him want to start blasting at anything that looked their way.

Moving inside was a comfort, despite his inherent dislike of the Magi Counsel. Their attempts to convert him to their administration staff left him resenting them and their persistence.

Their persistence rivaled the hidden entity. When he stepped into the spire, he expected his follower to take pause until he escaped.

They didn’t.

That dashed his plans to take the subterranean rail systems when he left. Looking at Madison, he contemplated asking her for help, but he didn’t want to involve her in whatever this was. If she got hurt, he wouldn’t forgive himself.

So he resolved to deal with it alone. He’d have to wait, mentally postponing the task for right after his appointment with Archmage Buller, as his responsibilities took precedence over his paranoia. Though, his gut had never steered him wrong before.

Stepping to the Internal Relocating Hub - an assortment of short range teleporters limited to the inside of the Magi Counsel’s spire - he found the one that would take him up to the eight hundredth floor.

Madison wrapped her arms around him again, “Come over to my place later.”

Responding with a simple nod, he broke away from her and stepped into the Relocater.