After arriving home, Julian was greeted by his sister Victoria, whose face lit up with joy at his return. He took off his work clothes and sat down to have dinner with her. They began to talk.
"Victoria, how was your work today?"
"Amazing..." Julian replied. "I saw someone using magic today, and I learned many new things!"
Victoria looked at him hesitantly. "Julian, I want to tell you something."
"What is it?"
"I am very afraid for you in this job... I'm afraid of losing you."
Julian stood up and held his sister's hand, which was trembling violently. He said firmly, "Do not fear for me... only fear for yourself."
He went to his room and fell into a deep sleep after long, exhausting hours of work.
Julian woke up feeling energized, his eyes burning with excitement. He got dressed, took his keys, and left early, heading toward Nexus's office. He stopped a carriage and said to the driver: "To First Pyramid Street." With a sly smile, the driver replied: "As you wish."
In the middle of the road, while Julian was watching the people outside, he turned his head toward the driver and was shocked—the driver had vanished! Suddenly, the carriage exploded. Julian fell out, wounded and bleeding. Suddenly, Alex rushed toward him to check on him: "Are you hurt? Go! I will handle this!"
Men took Julian to another carriage and rushed him to the office for treatment.
At Lusador Street, Alex was searching for the criminal. Suddenly, a figure appeared from behind, trying to cut Alex's head off. Alex dodged the attack at the last second, though his face was slightly scratched. Furious, Alex shouted: "You will die!"
From above Alex, a long, sharp spear emerged, plunging down and severing the criminal's thumb. Suddenly, several people appeared from the void, trying to assassinate Alex from behind, but he blocked every attack.
"Blood Threads!" Alex roared.
Numerous threads erupted, grabbing everyone and tearing them into pieces in a single second.
Meanwhile, Julian was in the carriage, rushing to Nexus's office. Two people emerged to block the way, but Detective Natalia appeared, using her wind magic to blow them into a narrow alley, clearing the path. They arrived at the treatment hall.
Doctor Nicholas asked, "What happened to him?"
Margaret replied, "He was caught in an explosion. He has deep wounds in his body."
"Use second-grade healing magic!" Nicholas ordered.
Julian was treated and became able to stand again. Nicholas told him: "Go see William in the laboratory, Room 17."
Julian left the room and headed to the lab. On his way, he marveled at the massive size and beautiful decorations of the office. He saw the laboratory door open.
"Nicholas told me to come to you," Julian said.
William brushed his yellow hair away from his face, looking at Julian with his purple eyes. "I want you to sit and tell me your biggest obstacle right now."
Julian sat down, speaking with disappointment: "My biggest problem is that I cannot use magic. I want to use it."
William walked with his hands behind his back. "Sit down. I have a solution."
Julian waited, looking at the lab filled with magic potions and books of science and history. Suddenly, a hand touched his left shoulder. He jumped in fear, but it was just William. "I have brought what I need. Sit on the ground."
Julian sat, and William began drawing strange circles and shapes on the floor, which amazed Julian. Suddenly, William said: "Transfer!"
Julian opened his eyes to find himself in a very dark place. There was no human, no animal, nothing. He blinked, and when he opened his eyes again, he was in a vast ocean, drowning. He struggled to breathe, suffocating. As his eyes began to close, he saw a blinding light approaching at the speed of lightning. Then, he returned to the dark place.
In the distance, he saw a black figure with no features. Julian trembled with fear, but his body moved toward the figure as if being pulled by a magnet. Just before he reached him, the figure vanished. Julian jumped in fear, but the figure suddenly grabbed him.
"I am you..." the figure whispered. "You are the outside, and I am the inside. Do you want power? You want power to protect those you love, right?"
The figure let go and stepped back. "Face me to take the power!"
The figure lunged at him, knocking Julian to the ground with a punch. Julian stood up, trying to gather his thoughts, but before he could think, a flaming dragon charged at him. Julian dodged it at the last second.
"You are lucky," the mysterious figure said. "If you hadn't dodged that, you would have died in reality!"
Julian noticed that the figure only attacked after shouting the ability's name and raising his hand. He took the opportunity, pulled a knife from his clothes, distracted him with his hat, and cut the figure's tongue. The figure screamed in pain. Julian knocked him down and held the knife to his head.
"You won..." the figure muttered. "But... there is one last test!"
Suddenly, Julian was transported to a familiar place—his home. His deceased father and mother were standing there, alive. He ran to them and hugged them with joy. Suddenly, a loud voice echoed: "Fool! You chose the hardest path!"
In the real world, William watched Julian's body shaking violently as the room trembled from Julian's unstable power.
"Control it or you will die!" William shouted. Everyone in the office felt the massive earthquake.
In his inner world, Julian realized he had made a mistake. Those weren't his parents—it was a trap. He broke the embrace, and the world changed from a bright place to a destroyed wasteland with blood on the ground and people suffering. Julian was shocked: "Where the hell am I?"
The mysterious figure grabbed his shoulder and said: "You passed the test. But you must know... your father did not die normally in the war. He was assassinated. And your mother was murdered. Farewell!"
Julian snapped back to the real world, trembling from what he had heard. William walked over and said:
"Congratulations. You carry Water Magic, and you have the Seventh Sequence: **The Dream World**.