Lesson One - Spirit Summoning

"Reach beyond the veil," Orlin instructed. "Feel for the lingering spirits. Call one forth."

Easier said than done.

Kai stretched his magic into the unseen. The spirit realm felt like reaching into cold water, filled with shifting currents and whispers that sent shivers down his spine. He drifted, weightless, as the veil between life and death parted around him.

As he pushed further, the whispers sharpened into wails. Cold fingers grazed his thoughts, desperate hands pulling at his mind. For a moment, he felt his own memories slipping, replaced by fragmented lives that weren't his.

A child crying for their mother. A warrior begging for another chance. A woman lost in endless confusion. Kai gritted his teeth, pushing past them. He couldn't get swept up in their despair.

He wrenched himself free, heart hammering.

Then, a name surfaced in his mind.

The Collector.