A few weeks had passed, and Leo was done learning the basics needed to control the magic correctly. He studied some hours in the morning, while he trained his body in the afternoon. As days were longer he still had time to spend with Ly, even thought they did nothing more than chat, as Leo was tired from the training.

But that day was the time when he would start practicing with magic. They got up when it was still dark, and took some time to clean up, get dressed, and eat breakfast. When they were done preparing the bags (they were leaving to a deserted area to do the practical magic training), it was already getting lighter outside. Andur, followed by Ly and Leo, guided them through a forest, around a mountain, and another forest, until all life seemed to suddenly end, changing into a red desert of earth. Andur told him some disaster took place in it in ancient ages, and they didn't know what was it because either no one documented it in written form, or no documents were ever found.

The place was like a big crater, a few kilometers of diameter, full of red earth, dry and cracked. There was no plant or animal to be seen, and Leo understood why, once they stepped into it.

Suddenly, a strong feeling filled his body, like if some strange power was oppressing him, and telling him to turn around and leave. He looked at Ly and saw her with a hand over her heart, like holding it. Andur, unlike them, didn't seem to feel that.

- What's this... feeling? I can't... breath well...

- This is the place I told you, the place of initiation. Even though you managed to open your eye on your own, and use your magic, it was because of necessity, rather than choice. The first step of the practical training, before you can do anything on your own, will be to reach the center of this crater.

» There's an object in the center, that you will have to get. As simple as it seems, only a few people are able to finish it successfully. If you fail, you will still be able to use magic, but you will not learn it for me. Only those who pass this test can be considered worthy of my knowledge. Now go, you have already rested enough as it is. Show me that the past weeks of body and mental training haven't been in vain.

Leo started to walk towards the center of the crater, at the beginning it wasn't hard, he could hold the pressure and just walk, but the more he walked the harder it became... slowly.

When Leo was far enough not to hear them, Ly walked to his father.

 - Father... why do you make him take this test? I thought... after what happened the last time...

 - What happened that time was partly my fault. He wasn't ready for it, but Leo is. Also, I said I wouldn't do the test anymore, but that didn't change the condition, if anyone wants to learn from me, he has to do the test.

- I hope you are right... I... I would hate you if something happened. 

- He is ready. I'm sure of it. He survived in the cave, and went out with less damage than you, and on top of that, he still had enough strength to open his eye, leave his body, heal your spirit, and return to his body alive. He is indeed special, and not only for his spirit color. So I do know, he will come back safely. Trust me.

Leo was still walking, one step after the other, barely holding up. He didn't even want to think, as any action would mean less energy to hold up and do the next step. Even though the sky was clear, the world seemed to collapse around him. He could see less every step he did, like if the energy of his body was being drawn away. His ears already didn't seem to work, as he could only hear his own breathing, and his heart beating, steadily. He continued to walk, one step after the other, only with one thing in his mind: Liien.

One step, and the space was reduced to only a few meters around him.
One step, and he almost tripped over.
One step, and a pulse of pain hit his heart.

He fell into his knees, barely breathing. He could hear his heart, now beating slower than before... tired.

A thought flashed into his head: would he die in there?

He couldn't die. He couldn't leave Ly that way. He thought she would be disappointed at him for failing. He needed to hold up. He had to find strength somewhere...

The eye, he had to open it. That was probably the test. He searched inside him, he wanted to find that feeling, the trigger. but it wasn't there. He wasn't able to recall it. He had to remember... but it was so hard.

He thought... he saw the cave... and Ly. He saw the mana, and remembered. The pain... the pain that was stronger than any other pain. That energy, coming from the mana, and Ly. Ly was suffering... he couldn't do anything... he was useless. He found it.

It was the trigger. He wanted to protect her, to save her. Now he had to change it... not for Ly, but for him, he had to save himself. He screamed with his mind, to his spirit.

- Open... open... open! Let me see, now!

Suddenly a wave of energy flowed through his body, filling everything before leaving through even the smallest holes into the air. That energy gathered around his body, making a big aura around him. An arura that was growing every moment, until it reached his limit. And he saw.

Leo walked, now free of everything, free from the pressure. His energy was bigger than the one in that place. He beat it. After that, he saw he was near the center already, so he walked to it. In the center there was a small altar, with a ball in the middle. The ball was transparent, like crystal, but shined with a white glow.

He was about to grab it, when a hand touched his shoulder.

- Don't. You have already passed the test, in my eyes. You were supposed to give up. The energy was supposed to be bigger than your spirit. Normal students would have given up. If they came back with their eye open, they passed the test. But your spirit is way too strong. It's almost at my level. But not even my level is enough to touch a tear and survive. You can't just touch a Tear of Fantasy.

After that, Leo and Andur walked back to where Ly was.

- Hey Leo... you went far. I was worried about you... until your aura started to shine. It was beautiful... your aura.

- Thanks.

When they stepped out of the crater, Leo felt relieved. His spirit stopped flowing with energy, and his eye closed. When that happened he remembered how he was physically exhausted, and didn't have time to think anything else before fainting, and falling into the ground.