University city held around 30,000. Nearly half were students.

All wanting to
further their education at the highest level of education the world could provide. Of
course like any area where magic and machinery mix. For safety reasons the lowest
levels were the only area experimentation was permitted.
In the year 1400 of the Kingdom of Malet an honor student Ion Mills enrolled.
Over three years this short timid teen stood out like a painted wall. Only he proved to be
a genius and had a weekly tutoring class. The success of these classes was undeniable as
just one class could lead to a 20 point jump on their next test. So, no one saw his plan
coming.
He helped several students set up experiments in the lower levels. Each
experiment on its own was safe. Ion knew though that if combined they were forbidden
in several ways. He set their tests in rooms set to a very precise shape to imitate a ritual
circle. Next two day before the tests he entered the labs and sabotaged the safety feature
of the labs.
Each lab had a series of wires that drew excess mana out of the lab to the
distribution system. Without mana no spell could survive for long and reaching critical
mass, a requirement for many forbidden rituals, could never be reached.
Ion took these wire and cut the safety cables from the rooms to the distribution
systems. He then wired them together, so each lab flowed back and forth from each
other. Then all he had to do was wait.
The one thing Ion missed was the shear volume of rooms he had wired together.
Once the test went bad the alarms alerted the staff. All personnel and students were
safely in the mid-levels [still underground] and the lower levels sealed. No one died and
the school didn’t become the hell he wanted.
The note he left did show his main objective he got. The staff didn’t know the
safety wires were gone. As such the ritual reached critical levels and flooded the lower
levels. As Ion stated he would be down there till the ritual broke so he could touch a god.
He would not survive to be taken into justice.

Ten years later the situation has stabilized but not improved. The lower levels are
a storm of unstable mana that grows daily. That said the remains of the safety wires still
such the energy out at high speeds. To deal with this the mana is converted into
electricity and shared with the city.
As this doesn’t burn enough mana the University enlarged their four mana towers.
Now their blue flames burn over the city endlessly. Their light spills over the city in an
eerie fashion. It also cleans the air and regulates the temperature. Few complain about it.
Slowly they are dealing with the issue at least. Staff are working on enlarging the
safety system and draining the mana to safe levels. It will still be a while, but the ritual
will be stopped one day.

Mary Silvermead was a second year student focusing on combat magic. She had
placed first in both of last year’s tournaments. All in all, she knew she was strong. Today
she was out training and catching eyes.
Her clothes were picked for that. Her black shorts were almost a bikini bottom
and the top just a sports bra. Her black hair was pulled back in a waist long braid. Her
skin was a light almond color. Her face’s highlight was her ruby like eyes. They almost
seam to burn as she looked at you.
She was known to love to show off, be it skill, knowledge, or looks and was well
known at school for it. Even if she was really a good girl this trait got her in trouble.
Today was no exception.
A mile past the north gate travelers had been attacked by a red bear. Mary
attacked the bear and told them to run. A decision she regrated some dozen seconds later.
She had tried to block the bears’ attack only to hurt her calf muscle gave up. Now she
couldn’t dodge right or run.
She had used nearly all her magic to keep it back. Unfortunately, she specialized
in blunt force magic. Against humans the magic was lethal. Against a ten foot tall bear it
was basically a shove. Maybe if she could find something to launch into the bear it
would be different but that would take time she didn’t have.
She stepped right and struck the bear’s upper arm. She hoped repetitive blows
might cause its arm to cramp up. It responded by back handing her. She flew and landed
hard. She was dead and knew it. She couldn’t get up fast enough to avoid another attack.
She decided that at least she died helping.

‘You ok?’

Mary rose as best she could to her elbows. A boy stood between her and the bear.
He was likely a teen as he had the uniform worn by those who were touring schools on
but looked ten. He had a thin build and baby like face. Yet Mary felt his face was
generically plain. Too plain, almost like it was created by a company to be forgettable.
His hair was short and white as paper. His eyes while silver were dead and dull.
Like a doll’s. Now that she considered it was like instead of a person this was a manikin
looking at her.
Behind him the bear lay on the ground. Dead or not she couldn’t tell. Whatever
its condition, this boy was the cause.

‘I’ll live.’

She accepted his hand and let him help her up. She discovered she was at least a
foot taller than him. So what did he do to the bear?

‘Your strong, aren’t you?’

‘What make you say that?’

‘Not many people fight monster bears with their fists. Fewer actually hurt them.’

‘I hurt it?’

‘Yes it has several fractures in its arms and skull. If you had proper weapons
you’d have killed it.’
 ‘Thanks. Your kind kid. I’m Mary.’

‘Sid. Oh looks like the medical cartage is here. You should get examined. Your
leg is bad and I think you have bruised ribs.’

‘How can you tell? You have a detection skill?’

‘Prity much.’

The two parted ways.

Mary recovered in a few days and managed to return to school. She missed the
initiation ceremony but not any classes. Day three the cities sirens started up. Some
thing was verry wrong. People were being told to either evacuate the city if they could or
seek shelter in the university.
Mary only let worry enter her mind when the University and the city raised its
barrios. They only did that if a disaster was coming. A bad one. How bad must it be if
they were also evacuating the town.
Finaly the school called an assembly to explain what was happening. Walking
past other students to the hall she wasn’t sure when it happened but had somehow missed
it. She wasn’t in the school any longer. Still a stair well but not in the school. She was
also alone.
She climbed down to what she expected was the ground floor. There still wasn’t
anyone. The rooms were furnished with desks but there were no personal items or
windows. Finaly, she found the door.
She opened it to find the door led to a short path, and a massive fall. Wherever
she was it wasn’t home. Below a lightless void. In front and above the same. Yet she
could see.