Once our party regrouped, they agreed to take their knowledge and head to the Mage's College to expand their understanding. After a few days of walking, which Alex and Sebastian complained about greatly, they reached a large stone set of towers, with large blue orbs glowing in the tower top of each one. 

"The Mage's College, I assume?" Sebastian asks, his head held high. He doesn't glance at anyone or anything else, instead staring at the orbs in the towers.

"It better be." Alex scoffed, frustrated with the long walk and less than ideal conditions. He gazed at Sebastian, grateful that the boy didn't look back at him as he did.

An old man with a grey beard emerged from the nearest tower. "That it is, children. Now, what is your purpose here?" He strokes his beard and watches the group with wary eyes.

"Children? We're not-" Sebastian started, incredulous and incredibly offended, but got cut off by a quiet whisper of Kyle's voice.

"Maybe...we shouldn't argue with the man who can probably cast magic?" He says, quiet and timid. However, Sebastian quiets down.

Maria and Hailey step forward together, each glancing between each other, making a silent pact - nothing was to be kept hidden if they were to find answers. Hailey began. "We're not from this world. We heard about this...insanity plague, and we wanted to find answers."

The man stops and considers her words. "Not from this world? Then our prayers have been answered! You are not children, but heroes from another world!" He cheers.

Alex only looks more confused. "Wait, what do you mean? We're not...heroes. We're just people."

The bearded man shakes his head, grinning. "No, no, you are heroes! We performed a summoning ritual. You see, the Cortex is poisoned, and no one from this world can get too close to it - we are made of its magic, and we would be reabsorbed into the Cortex were we to get too close."

Maria speaks levelly, meeting the man's eyes. "So...you need people from another world to...cure the Cortex and end the plague? That's why this is happening?"

The man nods. "Yes, exactly that." His eyes move to Kyle. "And I see one of your party is a light-bearer. This is excellent. This is exactly what we need."

Kyle balks at the words. "A-a...light-bearer? What does that...mean?"

The man's expression softens to a warm, welcoming smile. "You, my child, can wield the magic of this world. You have the innate ability."

Kyle shakes his head rapidly. "N-no, I'm not special, I-I'm not- I'm not-" Kyle starts shaking, but tries to take a breath. "I-I...need a minute..." Then, Kyle hurried off to the most secluded space he could see - a clearing through the trees.

...

As Kyle entered the clearing, he realized he could feel the life of the world pulsing around him. An extra sensation he had been ignoring, he could feel the pulse of magic weaving its way through the very air, the magic that twined through every living being. He knew then, why he was the first to see the man with the insanity plague. He had sensed it, without even realizing. The perversion of life, the way the pulse of life seemed repulsed by the man's presence.

He knew then, too, why he had sketched that man in so much detail. The man had reeked of that perversion, though he could not tell why. The man had no signs of the insanity plague, however, he didn't feel the same as the man who had it in the first place. No, thinking back, that man felt...different. Steeped in corruption, not just touched by it. Though he had no way of knowing, Kyle had a feeling that the man knew so much about dark magic because he himself had used it. 

If he could sense the use of dark magic, and could use light magic, could he follow the trail of corruption to the Cortex? Even then, Kyle speculated about why he was here. Ever since the five of them had arrived, Kyle felt...out of place. Like more of a spectator than someone important. But now, he just might be the crux of the party's success. He wasn't sure if he was ready for that kind of responsibility.

Kyle sat quietly under a tree for a few moments, breathing in the air, the magic woven through the being of this world. He cupped his hands, and tried to focus that energy. Maybe if he could learn to use this magic, he could be useful. It took a few tries, but just as he was ready to give up, the magic in the air coalesced in his hands, becoming a small ball of light. It felt warm, reassuring, healing. It comforted him.

...

After Kyle left, Sebastian didn't want to stay and talk to this man - to Sebastian, the man hadn't tried to do anything to fix the problem other than getting others to do the work for him. Alex followed Sebastian out and to a sitting area near one of the towers.

Sebastian cursed quietly. "I hate those types. Always ready to ask other people to do everything for them, and never trying to do anything themselves." He knew his own hypocrisy, but he hated it all the same.

Alex was quiet for a moment, but then looked straight at Sebastian, notebook and pencil down for once, nothing to shield him from the energy between them. "Isn't that exactly what you did in school? I saw you, you know. Charming everyone into doing what you wanted so you wouldn't have to put in the work."

Sebastian grimaced. This was the one time in his life he didn't have the energy to lie and defend his actions as if he were proud of himself. Instead, he did the one thing he never did - chose the truth. "Yeah. It is. I hate myself for it, too."

Alex paused, not knowing what to say to that at first. "Well...don't hate yourself. Just work to change it. It's not easy, but it's worth being a version of yourself that you're happy with."

Sebastian looked at Alex, confused. "You...really believe I can change?" He thought about it for a moment. No one had ever believed he could change, not even his own mother. Everyone put him in a box and never asked what he wanted to be - just assumed what he was.

Alex nodded. "I do. I believe you can change, if you try." He watched Sebastian with a gentle expression on his face, wanting to encourage the boy to be the best he could. He and Sebastian might butt heads a lot, but in the end, Alex always wanted what was best for everyone. Even when the person was a jerk to him.

Sebastian paused for a long moment, staring at the ground. He contemplated that belief. Could he really change, if he just tried? He had never tried to fight what he thought was his nature. He had never tried to learn anything other than what he learned when he was young - a smile here, a pretty word there, and he had everything he wanted. But he didn't know if he could really be anything else.

Alex, sensing the rumination in Sebastian's silence, laid a hand on Sebastian's shoulder, breaking the cycle of his thoughts. "Anyone can change. No one is stuck as the same thing forever. All you have to do is picture who you want to be and work towards it. With every action, every word, you try and become who you want to be. It's not easy, and it takes time, but you can do it."

Sebastian, finally, nodded. "I...I think I understand. I want to try. I want to become a better person. Will you...help me?" He looked down again, his voice becoming quieter. "Help me be better? Let me know when I'm being a jerk, or trying to get out of doing anything?" He resented those parts of himself, but he didn't always know when he was doing it anymore, it had become such second nature to him.

Alex smiled gently. "Yes. I'll help you. I'll let you know when you're messing up. Together, we'll make you into someone you can love."