Clef breathed slowly, purging the remaining effects of the spell from his system. He'd been meditating and executing the growth spell for three days, since the night he'd had that dream. More of a vision he reminded himself, easily picturing the ghostly figure against a gray setting that had woken him in a cold sweat. It was a sign of something to come, some one most likely, since he recalled having similar dreams in the weeks before the Magic Knights had arrived. If it meant that the three girls from another world would be returning to Cepherio, Clef wanted to be ready to help with whatever trouble they would have to face.

He opened his eyes and focused for a moment on the far wall, willing his vision to clear and sharpen. The overly large robes he had donned at the spell's beginning now fit perfectly, covering his grown form like a second skin. He'd have to tailor new robes befitting his station soon, and adjust to his heightened stance, before the Knights arrived. Clef could just imagine the look on their faces when they saw him. Most specifically it was the look on Umi's face that held the most anticipation for him.

He'd cursed himself over and over again for not being there when they'd left, for missing their disappearance from Cepherio for the second time. Clef could clearly remember the sound of her voice in his head, trying to tell him something, and he knew, just knew, had he been there watching them leave, she would have finished her statement. She would have seen it in his eyes and been able to say those words he so wanted to hear. Needed to hear.

The Master Mage of Cepherio, most powerful of all magi in the land, was in love. Not with one of his students, beautiful though some of them were, and not with another person of the realm, but with a girl over 700 years his junior and from another world. It was preposterous, especially since Clef had no way of knowing if Umi had actually be about to confess her love that time, but he was almost one hundred percent sure she'd been on the verge of fulfilling his greatest dream, his every hope, and hadn't because she couldn't see him. He would have been able to tell from her face, her eyes, even the pitch in her voice, and would have gladly shown her his love in any way possible. But he'd missed his chance and probably in doing so had gone past the last opportunity for him to be truly happy.

That was, if his vision didn't hold true. If it didn't mean the Knights were returning. He'd know soon enough, Clef wagered, since the wards of the Rune Gods were showing clear indications that the Knights were approaching. He prayed that they would arrive soon, that he would be able to see Umi again, and be seen by her. If what he'd been praying for the past few years came true, her feelings would still be the same. He'd still have another chance.

But even love wouldn't excuse his lack of appropriate clothing, and Clef hurried off to his private chamber to get dressed.





PS

Will do chapter 3 later 3:05pm