when you create something together you sometimes forget who you are

It took them three days of non-stop weaving to finish the spell weave. As they worked the spirit beings took turns replenishing them to make sure they maintained acceptable energy and magic levels.

The weave was tight and contained several time spells and fate spells. It also contained a knowledge spell and a spell to identify time loopholes.

Jolan had seen several loopholes within the time stream below the cottage cellar. They were loopholes within the time loop caused by the magic cast creating and sustaining the whirlpool. Both he and his mother already identified the whirlpool as the source of the magic and the power that fueled the spell.

Jolan knew he could send himself and all the others out of the loop. He just needed to open a door. One of the loopholes was a key to a door that was in the space below the cottage when there was no cellar.

When the cellar was gone there was a dimensional door that opened to a portal that dissected time and fate,

Jolan had read the spell and knew only one person could enter but there was a defensive type spell within the weave that he did not completely understand.

The spell that Lase was helping him complete would show him the defensive spell's intent.

He had a feeling what it was and he had different spells he could activate once he fully understood the intent.

They both exhaled as one but their concentration did not break.

The spell moved in a vast ripple and began to sink into the ground. It spread outwards and down. When it touched the area of the cellar the island and whirlpool shook, trembled, and the ground began to crack but no fissures were formed.

Multiple spells within the weave activated and Jolan allowed time sorcery, that he had known almost from birth, flowed down and calmed it all.

Everything silenced in an instant. It was so fast that their heads hurt and their ears rang. They all stood stock still as if time had frozen. They listened to their hearts pumping furiously and felt their blood racing through their veins.

More spells ignited within the weave. Magic spread out into the depths of the island and into the center of the whirlpool. Two of these spells slowed the whirlpool and activated a loophole of the spell. The island quickly reset but not to the beginning of the loop. It reset to a point of the loop when the cellar existed.

Several doors appeared and opened around them. Then all quieted. Jolan felt his magic still working on the whirlpool and on two more loopholes. The whirlpool shifted again and the cottage phased into four versions of itself. All four versions stacked upon each other but never solidify. They stayed just out of phase with time and fate.

Lase looked from the cottage to all of the doors around them.

"I am going with you."

"I do not think you can." Jolan pointed to a large red archway with a black glossy door. "That is a way out of the time loop and off of the island. Find my mother. If you have any injuries or negative effects she can help you."

"You're just going to send me to your mother?! And what if I leave her son her to die? Why would she help me?"

"I am not going…" He never finished his arrogant declaration because Lase had leapt onto him and began kissing his mouth hard.

They only separated when they heard someone clear their throat.

Jolan had not realized that he had been embracing her so tightly until he let her go. They both breathed heavily and stared deeply into each other's eyes.

"He is right. You can not go with him. But she does not need to leave. The loop has already been broken and because you have created a four phase reality between time and fate you have stabilized the island.

"She is safe here. They are all safe here. Choose how you will enter. The entrance is an important part of the test."

They both heard every word but it took almost a full minute before their brains processed them all accurately. The spell's sentience waited patiently.

Jolan was the first to speak. "I think it is safer for you to wait outside." He allowed his eyes to glide over her.

"I am not a good healer but I can tell you still need some help."

"I know. You brought my soul together but the parts are out of sync." She sat down. "I will sit here and meditate to resolve the issue. My healing magic is innate and I have developed many sorcery spells that can help me." She closed her eyes. "Your spirit beings will protect me while you are gone."

Without a word from him all of the spirit beings moved to guard Lase and erected wards around her.

She began meditated and the spell sentience cleared its throat again. Jolan looked to it and saw that it was in the form of a minotaur. He wore a monocle in his left eye which was sapphire blue while his right eye was ruby red. He was dressed in Greek style robes and his horns were black, thick, long, and curved upwards.

Jolan nodded and looked at the doors before him. Then he turned and returned to the cottage. Three time spells surrounded him thickly and his form phased into three of him. They overlapped each other and anchored to his soul.

All of this happened as he walked to the cottage once he arrived he was done. He gripped the door knob firmly and entered the cottage.

Once he entered he immediately began falling. As he fell he sensed himself moving through time even as fate pulled at him. His spell anchored his soul to his realm, to his parents, to his sister, and to Lase. His soul kept him bound to fate.

And suddenly he wasn't falling anymore. He was standing on a vast black plane scattered with stars. The stars laid before him in a wide path. It continued forward in a straight line. Both sides were darkness. To the right the darkness was black and to the left it was gold but nothing could be seen on either side of the path.

"You chose well. That entrance bypassed all of the traps and brought you directly to the trials."

The spell sentience paused, his eyes on the path of stars.

"You do not need to start immediately. You can meditate and see what the stars give you first. There is no time here so when you finish you will return to your mate right when you first exited the cottage in the present."

Jolan paused for a moment when the spell said he had a mate then he sat down to begin meditating. "How many trials are there?"

"There are twenty-one trials. The spell and this time rift are already yours to use as you wish. After you succeed within the seventh trial you will receive full permissions for the time rift and the spell will integrate into your sorcery well. If you have any questions just ask me. My name is Tece.

"Finally you need to know that you have already earned this island, the time spells and much of the knowledge in this time rift. You do not need to start the trials today."

Jolan did not open his eyes as he responded. "And I do not achieve anything until I complete the seventh trial?"

Trece did not answer for a long while. Jolan spoke again before he said anything.

"I gain with every third and seventh trial. Correct? I will start today and try to finish the first three trials."

Trece smiled. "You have already gained much more than I expected. You can even access what I hold."

"Not all of what you guard but a lot of it."

Trece nodded and stood in silence for a long moment. He slowly faded away as Jolan's meditation deepened.