Chapter 3

"What's beyond the veil."

Betrayed. That's the only word that Izuku could use to describe his situation. He felt betrayed by Kacchan. While he understood that something in their relationship became strained ever since that one day in the woods, Izuku believed, or at the very least wanted to, that Kacchan would eventually settle down and they could start anew.

But not after this. Not after Kaccha tried to take away Merlin from him. While Kacchan didn't know how much the book meant for Izuku, the very act of trying to take away the only chance that Izuku had at becoming a hero, broke something in him.

After the incident, Izuku never again took Merlin with him to kindergarten. He didn't want to risk a repetition of that accident. Apparently, the barrier that Merlin shielded Izuku with was one of the fail-safes that were written into him by his creators. It was a magnificent discovery, but it could also lead people to the wrong assumption that it was Izuku's quirk. And he didn't have one.

The last few months, since the accident, had created a routine for Izuku. Go to kindergarten with his notes about magic to study the subjects of his readings in detail, come back home, do any school-related stuff and work with Merlin to deepen his knowledge till late hours, meditating somewhere in between all of this. Sometimes he would study while watching TV, to compare various magical powers to Quirks. Times and times again, Izuku would find himself marvelled at the vast applications of magic. Although, he believed that his mom was becoming suspicious of something. He needed to hurry and finally get access to his Mana. With it, he could finally cast his first spell and openly talk to his mom about magic.

And what better time to do it, then a winter break. He didn't have any friends to go out and play with snow. His last trip outside ended with him being thrown into a snow dune via Kacchan and his lackeys. So no, thank you, but his winter break would be spent indoors with Merlin.

There were also times when he was meditating; he could feel... something. Something hid somewhere deep within him that was calling to him. Yet no matter how hard Izuku tried to focus on it, something was blocking him.

As you already know, master Izuku, there are three types of Mana. The White Mana, Green or, as elves call it, Nature Mana and Eldritch Mana.

Everyone possess White Mana. It's the easiest one to control and slowly builds overtime after a wizard or witch access their Mana. It's used to fuel any spells and rituals that one can think of.

Green Mana comes from nature. It's ever-present and much harder to control. One can harness its power by completing special training. By the use of Green Mana, all spells become more powerful as it's more potent than White Mana. However, due to some undesirable consequences, that could happen while using this type of Mana recklessly, not many try to master its power.

Last but not least, Eldritch Mana. This type of Mana comes from ancient beings like fey or fiend creatures or dragons that lived millennia. It's relatively easy to control but to be granted that power one must make a contract with such being. For its unfathomable power, those contracts often claim a price too high for mortals to pay. To sign such a deal, one must be utterly sure or thoughtless to do it.

Huh, that was interesting. Izuku looked over the pages, trying his best to understand various pictures and diagrams presented to him. While the basic explanation of the types of Mana was sound and simple, he still had some questions.

"So wh-what a-about like... e-elemental magic? Or he-healing magic. How d-does Mana ch-change its e-efficiency?" Izuku asked, wanting to visualize it in his head.

Quite drastically. If you were to recall the tale of Urgor the Storm Born, then you would be able to remember his control over lightning. While his Mana reserves were vast, having lived way past hundred years, he could scorch the land with his power. However, when he used Green Mana, his thunders could lay waste to the greatest of the mountains.

As for healing, it would depend on the state of the patient and how much Mana was poured into the healing spell. Of course, Green Mana being more potent than White Mana would significantly speed up the process of recovery. There are also some tales about mages being able to restore their youth by using Eldritch Mana; however, none of those pieces of information was ever affirmed.

Wow, so much differences depending on what Mana was being used. Izuku would have absolutely look into it sometimes later in his study. Most likely in a few years.

Copying all of the relevant information and making few footnotes, Izuku closed his notebook and hopped down from his chair. Sitting cross-legged on his bed, Izuku closed his eyes, laying his hands on his knees. It was time to meditate a bit.

Regulating his breath, Izuku tried to think of nothing. However, it was more challenging than it seemed. There was that constant, nagging worry in the back of his head. That nasty feeling that was telling him that he couldn't succeed in unlocking his Inner World, his Mana. Izuku did his best to repeal those worries. He had to believe that he would achieve it. He needed to. How else could he become a hero? How else could he ease his mom's worry? How else could he show that he wasn't a Deku?

After what seemed to be hours, Izuku finally released a tired breath. This was getting nowhere. Was he doing something wrong? He had to be.

Feeling a little hungry Izuku went out from his room to a kitchen. He could use a snack - a healthy one, of course. A banana or an apple? That was a question. No, it wasn't. Apple. Apples were always the correct answer.

"Ah, Izuku. Come here - dad's calling." His mom happily announced, ushering him to come to the sofa.

Izuku, of course, happily rushed to her, taking a cellphone from here. "Dad!"

"Hey! How's my favourite hero doing?" The man asked, stiffening a yawn.

"I'm go-good. I've b-been reading a l-lot."

"Glad to hear it. What genre?"

"F-fantasy." Izuku quickly said, trying not to frown from a lie he just made.

"Fantasy, huh? You sure take after me." His dad said, laughing a little.

Izuku smiled to himself. The prospect of having something in common with his father always brought him joy.

"H-hey, dad. Do you-u know a-anything about me-meditation?" He asked with a hope that his father might have an answer to his problem.

"Meditation? Huh, you sure are reading some interesting books, son. Hmmm... let me think... Usually, when you meditate, you sit in a lotus position or something similar, regulate your breathing and just let your mind go." The man said, stiffing some more yawns.

Well.. at least he tried. There's nothing new that he... Wait a second.

"You l-let your mind g-go? Wh-what do y-you mean by t-that?" Izuku asked, the gears in his head slowly turning around.

"You let your thoughts run freely. The human mind can't think of nothing, so the next best thing is to let your thoughts just run, letting them be. Some may cause you to ponder over them, and some are just passing through." The man explained.

That was it. He had all wrong from the beginning. Merlin even told him time and time again that magic isn't about just understanding things. It also about feeling them. And you can't exactly feel when you try to think of nothing.

"Thanks, dad. Love you!" Izuku quickly said, passing the phone back to his mom, and raced back to his room.

Sitting once more on his bed, Izuku closed his eyes and started breathing slowly. He could feel it, his mind racing with thoughts and ideas. He didn't try to contain it - he allowed them to flow freely. He thought about his father and mother - about how they loved him and how he loved them. He thought about the next book he wanted to read, pondering at its marvellous content. He thought about Kacchan, how their friendship was shattered. Actually, he should call him that anymore. As bittersweet as that was from now on, he would call the boy by his last name. He thought about magic, how his life started to change thanks to it, about all of those wonderful stories he read from Merlin's pages. He thought about All Might, the greatest hero there was and how he wanted to be like that man - to save the people with a big, fearless smile, to oppose evil. He thought about himself, about how he changed and what he wanted to do in the future, about all of those magical secrets that he would learn to make the world a safer place.

Izuku could feel it, with every thought and idea about the magic he was getting closer and closer to something. Like it was hidden beyond the veil created by his mind. There was no rush. He would get there eventually. If not today then tomorrow or the day after. He was already at it for a few months, so a day or two wouldn't make a difference. Patience - one of the things that he learned from the stories about wizards and witches. They were patient about things they did. Knowledge and power would always come.

Then he felt it. A pull from beyond the veil, like it was sucking him in. There was a momentarily panic, but he didn't fight against it. Izuku allowed it to catch him and pull towards whatever it was. He heard a shattering sound, like a glass breaking and then... nothing.

He was surrounded by endless blackness. There was no up or down, no left or right. Then there was him, standing, or maybe floating, in his birth suit.

Swallowing down his nervousness, Izuku tried to move, yet he couldn't tell if he was actually running forward or just staying in place. He tried to call out, but there was no sound. Trying to feel something, anything, around him also gave him no new information.

Worry started to overcome him. Did he do something wrong? Was it by design? How could he go back? How much time passed?

He looked around, hoping to find something in this never-ending darkness. And when all the hope was leaving him, his eyes landed on the chest. A chest that wasn't there earlier, that just suddenly appeared before his eyes.

The chest was made from dark wood with a metal fitting that had the intricate design all over it. Around it, a tangle of small chains wrapped tightly seemingly with no beginning or end to them. Inspecting it further, there was no keyhole or any lock.

Izuku touched the chains, feeling the cold metal under his palm. He tried to tug them, but there was no room to wiggle it. Putting his ear next to the chest, he heard a faint rhythmical thumping. Was... was his Mana there? Most likely, but how could he get it?

Izuku spent what felt like an hour inspecting the chest from every side, trying to find anything to help him to open it. However, he came empty-handed.

Putting his forehead against the chest, Izuku closed his eyes, feeling the tears gathering in his eyes. He was so close. Just so close to finally getting his Mana.

"Please." He thought. "Please, let me use you. I want to be a hero. I want to save people with your help. I want to stop making mom worry about me. Please... I need you." He thought long and hard, trying to convey his feelings and desires.

Straightening up, izuku looked at the chest longingly. Well, he tried his best. He would continue his lessons with Merlin, hoping to gather more knowledge and would return here when ready. After all, he decided that he would become a mage.

Turning around, Izuku thought about how to leave this place, but then he heard a snapping sound. Looking back, he saw one chain dangling around the chest, broken and rusted in some spots. Soon more of them started to snap, falling of the chest and disappearing into the nothingness.

Izuku's breath hitches as he turned fully to the now chain-free chest. Extending his hand, it hovered above it for a few moments, fearing that it would break it. Swallowing hard, Izuku touched the lid, feeling the pleasant warmth coming from it. Steeling his resolve and nerves, Izuku pushed the top up, basking himself in the brilliant, white light.

Shielding his eyes from it, izuku waited a few moments for it to pass. When he opened them again, his jaw almost dropped to the ground.

The blackness was replaced with a vast valley of green grass. Here and there were small groves of trees. There was even a little stream running along the valley. A baby blue sky has some fluffy white clouds lazily drifting around. Wait... green valley, Midoriya... Huh, a play from his name.

Looking down upon himself, Izuku was pleasantly surprised that he was wearing some clothes opposed to his birth suit. It was a beautiful dark green yukata with some intricate black markings along the material. And it had the added benefit of being soft to touch.

Spinning in circles, Izuku did his best to commit the scenery to his memory. And then he saw THIS. A giant statue of All Might made from white stone in the typical pose of the man having his hands in the air, showing his muscles. And there, between the hero's hands, Izuku saw a small green orb with pulsing energy.

Was this his Mana? It seemed to be the case. Was it enough to cast a few spells or just barely enough for one? How hard would it be to control it? He would have to ask all of those questions to Merlin. Now... how to get out?

Suddenly, Izuku was shot upwards, barely finishing his thought of going out of here. One moment he was soaring high into the sky, the next he was falling from his bed, landing on the floor. So that's how mages leave their Inner Worlds? Hopefully, it would be like that all the time, or else he would quickly get a collection of bruises.

"Izuku? Everything is alright?" His mom asked, opening the door. "I've heard a loud bang."

"Ye-yeah. I just f-fell from the bed-d." He replied, standing up.

"Be careful, honey. Now come, it's time for dinner." She said, giving a curious glance past him, then leaving a moment later.

Dinner? Just how long was he meditating? For him, it felt like an hour at most. Checking the clock, Izuku saw that it was an early afternoon, meaning that he had spent about three hours in his mind. Walking to his desk, Izuku opened Merlin wanting to tell him about his breakthrough. Instead, he was met with a message.

Congratulation on unlocking your Mana, master Izuku. Forgive me for not telling you about that earlier; however, I believed that it was the right course of action. To teach you that sometimes things won't be handled to you outright. Additionally, you have to believe in something for it to happen. Such is the will of Mana, that responds not only to your thoughts but also to your feelings. I hope that I've not wronged you in any way.

Reading the message, Izuku smiled to himself. "No, everything is alright."

Izuku put his hand on top of his chest. Focusing for a moment, he could feel a pleasant warmth and pulsation - a prove that his Mana is there.

A/N:

I AM... UPLOADING THIS CHAPTER AS I PROMISED I WOULD DO!

Hey, guys. Sorry for the wait. As I said, I'd first do chapter 62 for BFTGU, then this one. And I'm a man of my word.

I'm very excited about what is going to happen after this one because finally, Izuku will start to dive deeper into the magehood. I'm still a bit unsure about his first Word, but that will be resolved shortly.

Anyways, stay safe guys and see you on the next page!