I looked back up at the palace for a brief moment, thinking how even my principal, who was most likely much more skilled than even my best teachers, was struggling to cast spells that would normally be trivial for him. Midnight continued: "The intensity of the barrier only gets stronger as we progress towards the top of the palace." As he was about to add to this, however, we both began to fade from existence. "I've been expecting us to wake up any instant now," he concluded. This was the final thing he said before I was transported to my bed once more.
Waking up, I realized that my muscles, although I was being overly careful not to injure them in any form during Midnight and my run, were now aching to such a degree that yesterday's outburst would have been easily controllable. Even getting out of bed required me to combat my pounding head and numerous other pain-filled body parts. As I turned over, I reached for an object on my nightstand; anticipating this moment, I had laid out one of the golden pills that Midnight had given me, as well as a sufficient amount of water inside a glass cup. I didn't expect the amount of strength that was drained from me, though; picking up the glass of water and even the pill was difficult due to the extreme amount of strength that had been sapped from my body. Still, I gave thanks to my past self and eagerly swallowed the pill, almost choking on the supplemental clear liquid. As soon as the pill started falling comfortably down my throat, I flopped back down onto my bed, not intent on moving until I was cured.
Fortunately, the pill began to work extraordinarily quickly; I felt the pills dissolve in my stomach, resulting in a probing sensation much like when the medical student had operated on me earlier inside the infirmary. However, this felt much more gentle and precise, almost too much so. No more than ten seconds later, I began to feel all of my symptoms being tackled all at the same time. I couldn't help but moan in pure bliss as my muscles began to repair themselves at an astonishing rate, among numerous other positive things. After the intense feeling ceased, I felt well-rested and physically unhindered, ready to tackle anything that the day could throw at me. Looking inward, I also noticed that a bit of magical energy had been added to my reservoir. Stretching, even though I had no reason to do so, I made a mental note to thank Midnight the next time I saw him and began to prepare my breakfast and follow my ordinary morning routine before heading to school for yet another day of lessons.
I waited for Mr. Grey to come over to me after my teacher gave the rest of the magic class a lesson on a certain spell. After he did so, he approached me and began speaking. This time, however, it wasn't his usual spiel, which overviewed the kinds of spells that I would be taught for that day. Instead, he sighed. "Although I spent quite a bit of time laying out a plan for the next few lessons, Midnight decided to intervene this morning. I'm sorry, Feste, but you will be taught by Midnight indeterminately." He continued, his voice beginning to shake. "I enjoyed teaching you, Feste, and I hope to do so again if Midnight gave me another opportunity to do so."
This prompted me to recount the several elongated hours that Mr. Grey and I had spent with each other for, the time that I had seemingly taken for granted. However, I reassured myself, thinking that I could just visit Mr. Grey after school if I wanted extra help with a certain spell. I shook my head. "Do you know where Midnight is now?"
Mr. Grey blinked a few times. "Your principal permitted me to teach one final lesson before you were transferred. However, he gave me a set of two spells for you to learn, plus some review." I nodded and Mr. Grey slowed time once more, something that I gained the ability to sense due to my notable growth in skill.