The Schism (The Broken Prism Book 4) by V. St. Clair Page B

a few of the larger ones are still holding themselves open, including one at Mizzenwald.”
    “What?” Hayden asked in shock, dropping the drizzling spoon for his honey cakes onto his plate with a clatter. “There’s a schism open at Mizzenwald? What were the odds of that happening?” He was beginning to think that there was some cosmic force that just hated seeing him happy.
    “Actually, fairly high,” it was Asher who answered him. “Schisms are breaches in the boundary between our world and its inverse plane…a magic-induced breach. Because of that, they tend to be drawn to places where magic is highly concentrated, which is why we saw so many of the small ones—and a few of the not-so-small ones—opening around the Forest of Illusions after it finished moving earlier in the year. That also makes magical strongholds like the Great Nine schools and the Crystal Tower of the Council likely targets for schisms to open.”
    Hayden frowned thoughtfully.
    “But you said most of them have closed themselves?”
    “Yes,” Willow explained patiently, “Schisms are usually fairly unstable themselves, since holding a door open between our world and the realm of anti-magic is quite difficult and energy-intensive. The larger a schism is, the more stable it becomes. Unfortunately, this just means that the schisms that are still open are going to be a nightmare to force closed.”
    “But it can be done?” Hayden asked a little desperately. He felt that it was at least partially his fault that the schisms had even come to exist in the first place, since he blew up the Forest of Illusions due to a flux in his Foci when he wasn’t wearing correctors. “They can be forced closed?”
    “Usually…” Master Willow trailed off with a note of uncertainty, exchanging a meaningful look with the others.
    “What is it?” Hayden pressed. “How does one even go about closing a schism in the first place?”
    For some reason the others looked to Asher to explain, and the Prism Master sighed and set down his fork, meeting Hayden’s gaze.
    “Schisms are a…tricky business, to say the least,” he began, before changing his mind about something and shaking his head. “It’s hard to explain to someone who has never been inside one before—give me a second to think.”
    “You’ve been inside a schism before?” Hayden blurted out without thinking, but Asher simply waved a dismissive hand at his shock.
    “Briefly, yes. You see, to force a schism closed, you have to do it from both sides at the same time,” he began again. “Someone on this side of the opening uses magic to perform a Closing spell, while their counterpart does the same from the other side of the schism.”
    “Oh no,” Hayden felt the color leave his face. “You mean that someone has to stay behind inside the other realm and sacrifice themselves just to close it?”
    “What? No!” Asher looked astonished that he would think such a thing, and Hayden felt his momentary surge of adrenaline subside. “Or at least, not unless the person on the other side of the schism is terribly slow about things,” he amended. “I suppose it has happened before, but usually the person inside the other realm is quite eager to get out and doesn’t slack at their job.”
    “But if you work a Closing spell from both sides…” Hayden persisted.
    “A schism large enough to require someone to enter it is very stable, like Wil said.” He nodded to his colleague. “Even with dual Closing spells, it takes almost a full minute for the gateway to fully shut. That’s why it’s important to use mastery-level instruments to do the spell-work, so that your instrument isn’t fully consumed before the schism is good and closed.”
    “Oh, okay then…” Hayden trailed off thoughtfully. “Well, that doesn’t sound so terrible.”
    “Spoken like someone who has never seen the inside of the other realm before,” Asher agreed cheerfully. “You’ve seen the sort of creatures that