CHAPTER 111: QUESTIONING THE MISSION

The group remained in the shop after Marcus's revelation, processing the cosmic scope of what they were facing. Tom, Aldric, and Sara sat around the workbench while Marcus tested the mind protection device and Palwin watched everything with obvious concern.

"The whole plan seems off," Sara said finally, breaking the thoughtful silence. "Some crazy woman with lots of power wants you to do things she could do easily herself."

Tom nodded in agreement. "Yeah, why won't she do it if she's really a good person?"

"She saved Palwin," Marcus pointed out, though he could hear the defensive tone in his own voice.

Sara's expression remained skeptical. "Yeah, to do her bidding. She rescued someone specifically to help with her agenda."

Aldric leaned forward with obvious concern. "Marcus, what are you not telling us? Is she really human with lots of power?"

Marcus looked around, feeling frustrated by questions he'd been wrestling with privately. "She says she is not human, and she is afraid if she meddles too much, the creator of Ephus might destroy her."

"So she throws us bones," Sara observed grimly.

"Yeah, bones that could choke on Malachar," Marcus admitted. "Look, if we're successful, when I come back I can produce these protection devices so we can protect ourselves and defeat Malachar's army. But first," he pointed toward Palwin, "I need to train Palwin to open a portal using just a sketch."

"Why can't she practice with Tom like before?" Aldric asked.

Sara frowned with obvious concern. "That sounds much harder than what she's done so far."

"It is. That's why I need time to work with her on techniques."

Aldric suddenly looked around the shop with confusion. "Why is no one coming to the store today?"

They had been so occupied with their argument that they hadn't noticed the morning's usual customer flow had disappeared. The murmur and quiet around the city had given way to people rushing toward the east side of Drakmoor.

Marcus felt his stomach drop. "They must have heard early sightings of the siege army."

"Light protect us," Aldric whispered.

Sara's voice carried resigned acceptance. "We are near the end, huh?"

Marcus tried to maintain focus despite the mounting pressure. "Everyone get it together. Let me work with Palwin."

"Yeah, we'll leave you alone," Sara agreed. "Tom, come with us please. Let them practice."

Tom, Aldric, and Sara moved to another part of the shop, giving Marcus and Palwin space to work on the portal techniques that could determine the success of their impossible mission.

Marcus spent the rest of that day practicing with Palwin until she was completely exhausted. He tried unconventional methods to help her open portals to locations she couldn't see, using sketches, descriptions, and even asking her to visualize places based on detailed explanations.

"Close your eyes, Palwin. Picture your room now look at the drawings. You lived here you can do it."

Palwin focused intensely, liquid black electricity beginning to swirl around her hands. A small portal opened, but it flickered and collapsed almost immediately.

"Good! You did it for a moment. Let's try again with something simpler."

They practiced with increasingly complex scenarios. Marcus would describe locations in detail, sometimes places that actually existed in the Academy or around the city, sometimes completely imaginary rooms. Palwin's ability to open portals improved gradually, but the strain was enormous.

"Portal there," Palwin said, pointing to Marcus's sketch of a simple chamber.

She managed to open a portal about the size of a dinner plate, but when Marcus tried to look through it, he couldn't see anything on the other side.

"It's working, but I can't tell where it leads. We need portals big enough for people to travel through."

Palwin tried to expand the portal, straining with obvious effort. The opening grew larger, big enough for Marcus to put his arm through, but she couldn't maintain it for long and she collapsed on the floor.

"Rest now, Palwin. You did good. I am sure we can do it better tomorrow."

But privately, Marcus was worried. Palwin couldn't open a portal large enough for him to fit through, and the idea of a half formed portal cutting his leg like in the movies made him shudder with fear.

The training revealed fundamental limitations that Marcus hadn't anticipated. Palwin's portal magic worked best when she could see her destination or when someone she trusted was guiding her from the other side. Opening portals to completely unknown locations based only on sketches pushed her abilities beyond their current limits.

It was the fundamental dilemma Marcus had been avoiding. The cosmic mission could save countless worlds, but it could also cost them the city they were fighting to protect.

"We have one more day to practice," Marcus decided. "If Palwin can't open stable portals by tomorrow evening, we'll have to find another way to complete Celestine's mission."

"Or abandon it and focus on defending our home," Sara suggested.

Marcus looked around at his chosen family, people who had followed him through impossible challenges and trusted his judgment even when it seemed crazy.

"Let me sleep on it. Tomorrow we'll know if the portal approach is viable."

As they prepared to close the shop for the day, Marcus felt the weight of leadership pressing down on him. Every decision could determine not just their survival, but the fate of countless innocent people across multiple worlds.

The mind protection device sat on the workbench, representing hope and uncertainty in equal measure. Tomorrow would determine whether cosmic responsibility was achievable or if they needed to accept more limited goals.

But tonight, Marcus allowed himself to appreciate having people who cared enough to question his plans and challenge his assumptions. Even when facing impossible odds, having family made everything feel possible.

The real test would come soon enough.