That same week, Noah completed the first stage of the Arts of the Mind, according to Quinn West's guide. It was an advanced level, considered nearly insurmountable for most wizards who attempted it.
Had he been older, his mind would have been burdened with too many things to accept, pains to overcome, and regrets to leave behind. On the other hand, had he been younger—a child or a teenager—it would have been far too confusing, lacking the maturity to grasp what it truly meant to deal with one's own mind, tangled in misconceptions and contradictory thoughts.
Thus, when Noah completed the first stage, it was a remarkable feat. It placed him directly on a high level of understanding of the human mind, something few wizards could achieve in an entire lifetime.
The second level of the Arts of the Mind was Occlumency: the art of shielding the mind, creating barriers and mental defenses. Normally, wizards began their training directly from that stage, since in the traditional path, the "first stage" didn't even exist.
Noah, however, started already possessing an impressive degree of control over his own mind. That gave him an immense advantage. He practically skipped the second stage. After mastering the first, everything else felt so natural it was as if he had been born to study the Mental Arts.
The book mentioned that some people had natural talent—and, of course, there were the "naturals," those born with the innate ability to read minds. Noah had never heard voices in his head, so he knew he wasn't one of them. Everything he had achieved was thanks to that first stage in the book.
Creating his mind palace was incredibly easy. He used the library in his house as the central hall, where each of his old memories was separated and cataloged by importance. Naturally, not everything was perfectly precise. Even with his almost flawless memory now, that ability only applied to new memories and knowledge. The older things he had seen and lived through were partially lost—after all, no one remembers everything they've ever witnessed or done.
In truth, the brain often doesn't even store certain things it perceives. And for Noah, who literally inhabited another body in a completely different world, remembering anything at all felt like a miracle.
In the following weeks, Noah wandered through his own mind, organizing every piece of his life present in memory. It was as though his mind was his own kingdom, where his words were absolute decrees and anything was possible. "Reality" there could be molded with a mere wave of his hand. In a month, he built a complex labyrinth, with layer upon layer of protections, false memories, and fabricated emotions. Anyone attempting to break into his mind would encounter a version of Noah Gray's life entirely different from reality—but convincing enough to deceive even the most skilled Legilimens.
Of course, he wouldn't let anyone enter easily. His barriers were built on the concept of fire. Anyone attempting to force entry would have to face Noah's fire—a fire whose ideas and essence were born right there, in his mind. And even if someone managed to pass through, they would be trapped in a place where Noah was the absolute master.
It was in that mental world, while constructing his defenses, that Noah had his first thought that would one day reshape the very concept of magic. At that moment, it was nothing more than an idea, but in the months and years to come, it would grow and transform him into the greatest wizard who ever lived.
And it all began with a simple thought:
"To alter reality... isn't that the very foundation of magic?"
A thought any mediocre wizard might have, true. But as Noah reflected on it, his mind reached for something deeper, more intense. He wasn't thinking of illusions or temporary changes.
"Changing the essence of things... of the world itself."
...
...
...
With fewer worries weighing him down, Noah was able to return to Nick's lessons with a clear head. The old alchemist shared everything he knew with Noah, holding nothing back—from unique concepts of alchemical magic to personal potion secrets and recipes. Noah absorbed knowledge like a sponge soaking up water, taking in every detail and understanding it perfectly. The benefits of his mastery over the Arts of the Mind became increasingly clear.
Nick couldn't help but complain. "It's practically cheating. You think faster, and you learn with just one explanation. Even old Albus never learned like that."
Noah chuckled as he stirred a potion for plant growth. "Are you sure that's all? Maybe being six hundred years old is the problem... The young are always better."
"Better, my foot!" Nick grumbled. "Just wait until you go to school. Most of them are lazy and mediocre. Of course, there are always a few freaks like you, Albus... and me, of course," he added, raising his voice at the end.
Noah smiled and sat down in a chair near the center of the room, where cookies and tea had been left behind by Penny at some point.
"You know you don't have to keep reminding me of your genius. Look at that damned stone: immortality, turning metal into gold, even creating homunculi—though you never tried."
"I know, but can't an old man have his quirks?" Nick sat down beside him, pausing before asking, "Are you sure you don't want to try creating your own Philosopher's Stone?"
Noah shook his head. "You know I'm after immortality as well, but I want to find another path. One that doesn't depend on items or gruesome rituals."
Nick raised a brow at Noah's mention of immortality rituals, stealing a glance at his apprentice.
But as he did, Noah was smiling at him.
The old man laughed, unable to stop himself from thinking: The way he is, fragmenting his soul into an object seems like the very last thing he'd ever do...
"Did you ever offer it to Dumbledore?" Noah asked. "The Stone, I mean."
Nick nodded. "Yes... but Albus... he..." He sighed, regret heavy in his tone. "He has many regrets, ones that aren't mine to share. But prolonging his life may not be a choice he would ever make."
Noah thought for a while, wondering what Dumbledore would be like in person. He wasn't arrogant enough to treat him as some character from a children's book. Nick, sitting right there in front of him, was living proof that treating this world as mere fiction was the same as choosing to live in ignorance.
"You speak of him sometimes. I wonder what he's like. As talented as his reputation suggests?" Noah asked, standing up to check on the potion again.
"Albus? Well, calling him 'talented' would be an understatement. I've never seen anyone like him in magic," Nick paused and shook his head. "Not until I saw you..."
A smile appeared on his face as he added, "Funny thing is, the two of you are so alike. Both arrogant, both creative, both looking down on magic itself, with the idea of mastering it rather than being mastered by it."
"I suppose I should take that as a compliment. Who else can be compared to Albus Dumbledore, and by none other than Nicolas Flamel?" Noah grinned.
"I could defeat you both with one hand tied behind my back in a duel," Nick teased.
"Another one of your old-man quirks? Come on, help me here and grab a vial for me. A wooden one—I want to see how the potion ages in wood."
Nick shook his head as he stood. "I hate nerds."
"You're a nerd."
"I know, but I'm a handsome one."
"Did you hit your head? If I saw you in the forest, I'd mistake you for a mountain troll."
"Hey, I have feelings."
"Haven't they turned to dust already?"
At the lab's doorway, Penny watched with a smile on her face. The last few years had undoubtedly been some of the happiest in this house. But as always, good things never lasted long, and the days of this duo of mad scientists were nearing a pause.
"Two silly children."