Room ???: Magic in 4 dimensions, inter-dimensional studies.

The room the nameless samurai entered was an odd one. It was one part classroom, one part office, one part apartment. There is rows of desks and chairs, all facing a black board. In front of the black board though is a massive desk, covered in books, scrolls, and various writing implements. Off to the side is a massive fluffy bed, piled high with pillows, and a kitchen with some dishes in dire need of a wash. Echoes is sitting at his desk, surrounded by three floating silver spheres, each one is projecting a different series of blue runes. He does not turn from his work, when the young man enters.

"Hello. I don't believe I asked for any yet, but it sounds like something I would do. Set them anywhere."

Echoes finally turns his glowing blue orbs on the young man. He eyes the magic he is using, basic gravity and spatial tearing.

"Yes I am Professor Echoes. Head of inter dimensional studies, mage of time and space. Though I always thought distinguishing between the two, was rather silly. Time magic is simply space magic worked in four dimensions, instead of three. Given that I am a master of time magic, it stands to reason I have likely mastered space magic as well. There is also a chance that I have traveled to other dimensions, I have lived an awfully long time. What exactly where you hoping to learn?"

Echoes studies the young man, and says thoughtfully.

"Well if you are struggling with time travel, or long distant space travel... Your issue is you haven't gained time sight. Once you have that, you realize that space is entirely relative. Once you un-limit your perception, you realize it takes the same amount of mana to teleport across the room, or across the country."

Echoes fold his hands on his desk, and looks at Nameless thoughtfully.

"How very interesting, you are under the impression that those variant paths don't already exist. Tell me are you aware of the closest, three dimensional analogy for time?"

Echoes shrugs his shoulders.

"Certainly admirable, that you went for the scientific approach. However I was thinking more along the lines of how some people say, time is like a river. Which is incorrect. When bound by three dimensional perception, the most apt metaphor for time is an ocean. Care to guess why that is?"

Echoes chuckles lightly at Nameless's embarrassment. The boy had an odd mixture of humility and arrogance. He spoke like someone who felt like they knew much, but didn't feel comfortable speaking on it. Given that the boy had never talked to another mage of a similar vein, let alone someone more powerful, it made sense. The boy didn't know how to talk to someone, who might know more than him.

"It makes perfect sense. Extending the analogy further, see each drop of that ocean as a possibility. Each drop as a reality, and each one happen congruently. Then understand that, the entire ocean you are picturing is just one plane of existence, or dimension, or reality, whichever you prefer. Now you see why the notion, that you can create a reality with time sight is silly. Simply put whatever changes you try and make, have already occurred."

Echoes allows this idea to sink in before he continues.

"Now then I will continue this analogy, extending it to time sight. With the ocean analogy a person with time sight, is someone who breaches the surface of the ocean. Looking around at nearby drops, and seeing those possibilities. Obviously this isn't a perfect analogy, but again we are limited by our three dimensional understanding of such things. Still given what I have already told you, what then is the benefit to time sight?"

Echoes nods at the young man, he was showing promise.

"Good, but to narrow. We can learn not only from mistakes, but our triumphs. For example I can view possible futures, so I know exactly how to throw a ball to hit a target. Of course this doesn't work very well in combat, outside of reacting to immediate threats. Time sight can be view at the speed of thought, but that still takes time. Beyond this time Sight works both ways, we can see past and future. Which means the actual use of time sight, is the acquisition of knowledge. A time mage given sufficient space to work, can find out anything. Want to learn a language, explore the possible futures were you learn that language. Suddenly without ever having had a lesson you know every word. Want to know who stole your pie? View the past of the room where the pie was left. It also helps with your perception of space, and time when moving through both. When you realize that all points are in a constant state of movement, jumping becomes trivial."

Echoes leans back in his chair, carefully folding his hands on his stomach. He examines the Nameless boy carefully. An interesting question has been posed.

"Off the top of my head, I can think of a few reasons. Though until you awaken your own time sight, it will be hard to nail down the truth. The first thing you should understand, is that this is likely a fourth dimensional problem. When something exist in four dimensions it is, well not immune to time sight, it is more like an island in the ocean. It is static un-moving, and has no variation, for example this room exists in four dimensions. Well not exactly, it is covered in fourth dimensional wards, and suspended in the void between dimensions."

Echoes pauses, he was getting off track.

"The first possibility, is interference from a fourth dimensional being. You are someone who exist almost entirely in three dimensions, time magic is how you break into the fourth. As such, a being that already exists in four dimensions, will naturally be more skilled in this kind of magic than you. Another less pleasant option, is that your world no longer exists. Possibilities can under extreme circumstances be erased, though normally it is just one being you get's erased not the whole reality. Still it has happened."

Echoes feels a stab of pity for the boy. The nameless lad is still counting time, that means he still has hope, hope that he can get back what he lost. Echoes remember that period of his life, it was not pleasant, worse was the time after. It was only recently, that he had learned that hope is never truly dead. He eyes the glasses on the table, he was still working on them, but they should be finished soon.

"I can't promise anything. I can train you though, it is dangerous. The next step for you will be awakening time sight. It is dangerous, many time mage become cracked, or catatonic. It takes a powerful will, to gaze into infinite and retain hold of yourself. Even if you succeed there is no guarantee you will like what you see. Still if you wish to learn, I am a teacher."