So soon, I explained the whole shenanigans of space magic and supernatural existence, this nirvana-like experience I had.

  At first, I feared that Houonas didn't understand anything I said. But then it started clasping its palms and moving them like some sort of cartoon villain planning a new evil plot. I pray my gut is right, and they got what I was talking about.

  "Thine concept of existence is most wondrous," Houonas began, "to view the connection to existence as stars in the night sky. Just beautiful!"

  However, it seemed that Houonas could tone down their enthusiasm a bit. "Mine concepts diverge from thee. As most of mine kind, my connection to existence itself is one of faith—our singing mind chorus, each verse a fragment of existence, a way to understanding and power if one so desires."

  Houonas whispered this last part more to themselves than to me: "A shard..."

  Slowly, the creature pulled out a gemlike crystal from its vest. It looked exactly like the one I had received before—bluish light emanating from it. But now, I felt something different coming from it.

  "Plead thy mercy," Houonas said softly, "but I could not control the urge to appraise such a shard. To learn its story if it desired so."

  "Such tiny things engrave their existence in something so raw. They can be used for more than just being consumed by ones like thee to increase connection to existence and search for power. Used as raw materials, their existential energy creates something more—released to their proper form, whether an item reborn or a mimicry of themselves."

  Houonas handed the shard back to me gingerly, its palm grasping mine as it released it.

  "This one is just in its simplest form," Houonas continued. "Its existential energy can help thee connect better with technology and science—or any other purpose thou wishest for so long as they be aligned with existence."

  Hm, interesting. Does this work like some of those pills in movies that unlock beyond the 10% brain processing? Later I learned it was fake science, but who knows—maybe it will work.

  "So, what do I do with it?"

  Houonas tilted its head to one side, and its unnerving eyes focused on me. "It saddens me," Houonas said softly. "The last of mine shards had been used in our process of synchrony. The process is not hard by itself but helps if thee already learned how to resonate the choir with reality, thus creating the supernatural itself ."

  A bunch of fluffy words, but that kind of remember me something.

  "Do you mean the spell from the Spellstar?"

  As soon as I finished speaking, Houonas started fluffing its antennae. Sometimes that thing grows numb with all this touching.

  An image is better than a thousand words, and action is better than a thousand videos—the phrase didn't work on my social media but works for me. Time to get out of the basin anyway.

  I'm not looking forward to cutting myself or boiling alive, so I'll start with the Divine spell.

  The process was simple as long as you knew how to do it. It felt like learning to feel something entirely numb in your entire life—be that because it didn't exist before, or because you never got a feeling for it.

  Like some sort of gaseous or liquid substance percolating through my being—if I let myself feel, I could sense it.

  Instead of letting my body work on this automatically like breathing, I took control and did it manually. For me, that's what it felt like—so I did just that.

  With the knowledge from my connection with the Spellstar, I used the spell. It felt raw, expensive, slow, inefficient—like using a C4 to break a nut.

  Nevertheless, I think it will work.

  Pocketing my shard, I focused on the spell. From the middle of my right palm, a drop of blood appeared. I cleaned it with my other hand; there was no wound or scratch.

  I showed my left hand to Houonas and did the spell again. Soon, the drop pooled together under gravity's pull and flowed downwards onto the floor.

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  It felt like the dumbest magic ever seen—like some stigmata bullshit.

  Ha! But it doesn't stop here.

  Houonas took some distance, much like I did, seeming to anticipate what I was about to do. However, they moved farther back than I had. So I obliged and did the same—whether they were a religious fanatic or a charlatan, they at least knew more about these existential shenanigans than I did.

  Taking hold of the connection I had with the blood pooling on the floor, I channeled my energy and willed it to burst into flames.

  Soon, crimson flames erupted from the floor like a flaming bomb, the size of a watermelon. The air shifted, unbalancing me, and the heat stung my face and body—not enough to singe, but enough to bring tears to my eyes.

  It felt hotter than the gasoline-fueled bonfires I’d made with the guys.

  Taking a few steps back from the blood, I lost some of my energy—if my reservoir is my body, I lost my hand and wrist of energy.

  Sadly—or happily—the flames stopped after a few seconds. They had run out of fuel. For a moment, I thought the spell was simple in imagination until I saw the scorched floor—some sort of woody brown stone that became blackened by the fire's heat.

  Yes, little Henrique—we have a shot at becoming a fucking magician. Let someone try to reveal it as just a trick.

  Back on topic: my crimson flames made me lose more energy—an arm or shoulder length worth. A cool crimson flame for an arm of energy? Worth it—I didn't even need to hurt myself.

  Houonas finally stopped and looked at the now-extinguished flames, "Intriguing," Houonas said with a smile. "To be pleased with a synergy of choirs in just thy first act! Thou showest promise."

  Makes sense—the energy part.

  I took out the shard again and focused on it. If I lost some energy, maybe taking some from the shard would give it back.

  It soon started; the energy rose in my hands but vanished as soon as I thought it would recharge me. Soon, star clusters appeared like a daydream.

  The energy wanted to flow—but no—it was more than just energy; its essence needed guidance.

  I guided it toward the constellation I chose from the technology cluster. A new connection formed—a new star—and the energy flowed in an instant.

  No signal of the star—though I felt the connection, and it worked.

  Soon as it finished, I returned to normal. The weight of the shard vanished with its essence itself.

  Cool—I didn't feel like in a trance or endorphins pumping through me; just breathing naturally, doing what I was meant to do. Yes—that felt right.

  Houonas made another creepy smile and said nothing more.

  So now I'm a magician with a shotgun—time for some heroic shenanigans.

  "I don’t want to be that guy," I'm trying that is, "but... Houonas, do you have any shards to lend me? I need them to save people from the weirdos in black robes—the kidnappers."

  Houonas finally made another face; its mouth curved downwards like a sad clown.

  "Just said mine last shard has been used for our synchronization," it replied while touching its antennae. "Such an incident that happened to thy kind must be due to invaders—newcomers to this domain. It saddens me their work bears fruit already."

  "Nevertheless, the stalemate is broken—the nine heirs shall soon commence the final battle against these invaders—a mist ever obscuring them."

  "This is thy chance for supremacy! Seize the Palace!" Houonas shook its hands like a motivational coach with extra humph from all those arms.

  Fanatical clerk coach—ha!

  Still, I need all the help I can get. Time to beg again: "Do you have anything that could be of help? Like some food, water, or a map?"

  Houonas suddenly stopped still and went to search cabinets and storages around the place. While waiting for them to find something useful, I tried not to feel anxious.

  Soon, Houonas showed up with a weird granite tile—some writing in an unknown tongue was etched on it.

  "I present thee one relic of this palace," Houonas said softly. "Use thy energy, so its blueprint appears before thee. Do not be afraid of consuming it—it is no shard."

  I took the granite tile, and as Houonas had said, using my energy made the thing work—though magical by nature, it looked like a tablet with shades of black, gray, and white but still useful.

  As soon as I used it, the language changed to mine: Portuguese, English—even Mandarin. Not that I knew much of the latter.

  I only had one word for this place: enormous.

  The Palace itself was vast—rooms upon rooms, saloons, gardens—a gigantic cooking complex, armory and warehouse, training grounds, a library, throne room, sewers—and even cave mines!

  Each area had its own weird symbol of skulls with long fangs instead of teeth.

  As I glanced at Houonas again, they spoke: "Thou must have noticed the heir emblem—each an heir candidate bound to this palace. Thine is one of many rooms hidden from all but thee—a sanctuary for three days."

  Houonas touched its antennae and continued softly: "Thus rarely shall they waste their time in such enterprise to look at you, when so many heirs draw breath. Nevertheless, such occasion will arise—when limited by physical means, the palace sends you here where your inheritance is contested."

  "Till only an heir remains—the succession continues. Do not believe or trust anyone who does not swear fealty to thee and synchronize with thy existence; seek ones that be of help—and they shall aid as do I."

  Houonas lowered its head, voice husky: "Nevertheless—do not lose hope. I am the last of my colleagues to reach these venerated grounds—all others are servicing an heir. With intruders' success, none will survive—their vile desire to rule and dethrone the blood's will. Even if my fellows accept losing what they gained and synchronize with thee—be cautious.'

  "Do you have anything more? Where is the best place to get supplies?"

  "As one summoned not long ago, to keep the natural order against the ones that desire to subvert. I did not dare leave the premises of this place as I shall do my duty thus. A duty to thee."

  "Alright, thanks," it seems that is useful as Houonas will get.

  For someone so big, I hoped they would volunteer to fight at my side. Whatever.

  Now it's time to act.

  Changing into my old clothes and taking Marlene for a stroll, I psyched myself up. Time to put the army training into practice—remembering almost nothing about it except basic stuff. But now—I'm a magician. Time to get freaky.