This world has Magus, it has a king, and it has the Magus Order. Basically, it fits perfectly with all the usual fantasy things you'd find in a novel.
But what did that mean for Tyler? How did it help him escape?
It was simple, really.
Now that Tyler had discovered the existence of Magus, and somewhat understood who they were and what they could do, he knew what he needed to do if he wanted to escape?
He had to become one of them. That was the only way he could break free from this prison.
From what he understood through the consumption of fantasy materials, a Magus was someone far beyond what could be called normal. They were beings who had stepped past the limits of humans.
King Elias himself had once said that the Magus Order had more power than kingdoms.
If that was true, then just imagine how strong such an Order must be to stand above a kingdom that had existed for generations and seen fifteen different kings.
Very powerful, Tyler thought. And if that was true, then he wanted to walk that same path.
He wanted to become a Magus.
The idea wouldn't even have come to him if not for the voice in his head that guided him toward it.
[I know, I know, I'm awesome]
The voice said with pride.
[You can say that again. In fact, say it as many times as you want]
Tyler rolled his eyes. His inner voice, Ty, as he called it, was clearly enjoying itself.
It was strange to think about it. Tyler was talking to his own mind, yet somehow, that same mind was acting like a completely different person.
[I've shown you the way out, when do you plan to use it and break out of this pit?]
Tyler sighed.
It wasn't as easy as the voice made it sound. Sure, he now had an idea, but that didn't mean he knew how to become a Magus. He didn't even know if it was possible while he was trapped here.
Still, he had one way to find out.
He planned to ask the maid, the one who brought him food every day.
It wasn't much food, but it kept him alive. One meal a day, just enough to stop him from dying before they needed more of his blood.
Normally, Tyler never spoke to the maid. She didn't speak to him either.
She would come in quietly, feed him spoon by spoon, and then leave. That was it.
But today was going to be different.
The door creaked open, and the maid walked in with the same meal she always brought, rice and stew.
Tyler had grown tired of eating the same thing for months, but what choice did he have? He either ate or starved, and in his condition, starvation wasn't an option.
"What will happen to me from now on?" Tyler asked suddenly as she fed him.
The maid froze for a brief moment but said nothing. She simply lifted another spoonful of rice and brought it to his mouth.
He opened his mouth, chewed, swallowed, and then spoke again.
"At the very least, I should know what fate awaits me. I'm human, you know. I can't just stay locked up here without something to hold on to. Don't you agree?"
The maid remained silent.
Tyler frowned.
It looked like trying to get her sympathy wasn't going to work.
He changed tactics. "You're not a Magus, are you?"
Still no answer.
He smirked slightly. "I figured. There's no way they'd give a Magus a job like this."
She stayed quiet, feeding him as usual.
Tyler continued talking anyway. "I'm the one locked up here, but even I can tell that your job is miserable. I wouldn't want to do it either."
Again, nothing.
He sighed dramatically. "If only there was some way to make you a Magus. Then you wouldn't have to do this ever again."
To his surprise, she spoke. "I wish."
Tyler's eyes widened a little. Finally, she talked.
Now he just needed to carefully pull the information he wanted without making her feel suspicious of him.
"You can't just ask any Magus how to become one?" he said, pretending to be curious. "Surely they'd tell you."
She shook her head. "It doesn't work that way. Even if you know the process, it's useless without something called Aptitude."
Tyler blinked. "Aptitude?"
"Yes," she said, her voice low and tired. "I've tried to become a Magus. Everyone has. Every maid, every servant, everyone wishes they could. But you can't become one without the right Aptitude."
"So it's not about wanting it," Tyler said slowly. "It's about whether you have… what it takes?"
The maid nodded faintly. "Exactly. Without Aptitude, you can't even take the first step. It's not a choice. It's something you're born with, or not at all."
Tyler stayed quiet for a moment. That word Aptitude kept echoing in his mind.
Aptitude.
It sounded like the key to everything.
At the same time, it was apparent that it would be the one piece to decide if he would stay locked in here forever, or if he had a shot at being a Magus.
Quite the heavy risk that was, but again? Not much of an option to go with here.
"I see," he finally said. "So what exactly is this Aptitude that keeps you from becoming a Magus?"
The maid stopped moving. Her hand froze, the spoon hanging just two inches from his mouth.
Her eyes lifted and met his, a long, piercing stare that made Tyler's stomach twist.
For a moment, she said nothing. She just looked at him, as if trying to read his thoughts, trying to see through him.
'Did she figure me out?!' Tyler's heart pounded. He had to stay calm. He couldn't afford to scare her off now.
She can't figure him out now. Not when Tyler had barely scratch the surface area of the information he wanted from her.