Ainorrh's hand swept over the gathered enlighteheir robes stirring as a faint breeze curled through the clearing. The elemental currents were so potehat Aira could almost perceive them with her eyes, not just her magical sehreads of power shimmered around them like m mist catg the first light.

  "It is rather straightforward," said Ainorrh. "All these people will join me in w with the Sourd fog our power on you. It works to magnify many skills provided by the Nexus. I'm sure it would work for your powers of distant sensing as well. It worked for me, you know, when you came to our world."

  Aira shifted, gng at the gathered enlighteheir eyes bright with tration. The weight of their collective energy pressed against the air, a palpable force that hi the power they could jointly unleash.

  "Right…" said Aira. "But why are you using all these resources to help me?"

  "I wouldn't deny there is practical reasoning behind this decision," said Ainorrh. "I told you earlier that we want you to visit other sources of power. But you don't seem to be ready to do that without Li. So, if the fastest way to set you off on your new journey is by getting you Li back, that's what we are doing."

  "Alright, if you say so," said Aira. "How do I start?"

  "Just do your usual thing," said Ainorrh. "And we'll do our part."

  Aira lowered herself beh a massive tree whose roots coiled like a veins, pulsing faintly with energy. The bark hummed beh her fingers, a steady thrum in tuh the breath of the forest. During the past few days, spreading her senses became intrinsically ected with her meditation, and she didn't have any reason to break the routine right now. Even more so, it felt like a natural thing to do in the circumstances.

  Prig awareness crawled up her spine. She was used to solitude in moments like these—whispering to the are in private, feeling its pull without an audience. Even the addition of Li initially felt like an intrusion. Now, dozens of eyes traced her every breath, their presetling on her skin like unseen hands.

  Aira pushed her hesitation aside. She knew she had to do this, not just for herself, but for Li. Her friend's safety was at stake, and she couldn't afford to let anything distract her from that.

  "It's not like it is a big sacrifice," she muttered to herself. "Just a few spectators. Whatever."

  Aira took a steadying breath and focused inward, preparing for the familiar dest into the depths of her mind. But the moment she reached for her senses, something else reached back. A slow trickle of power at first, like fingers dipping into a cold stream. It grew more and more inteh every minute. By the moment she got to the final stage of her meditation, when she had to explore her magical senses in full, this stream that was flowing toward her from the outside was like a mighty waterfall, c her fully. It felt like it provided more energy than she would ever be able to process and use.

  Aira felt the Rune on her wrist reag to that power ing through the enlightened from the Source, from the Heart of the Forest. It pulsed, finding a harmonious rhythm, helping Aira cope with this energy flow and transform it into something she could use.

  But then, a new sensation intruded. A new sensation ing through her new skill. Even while it was at a low level, as Aira decided not to upgrade it, the skill stabilized her e, the e of her Ruh the Heart of the Forest. It also made her better attuo the energy ing from all these enlightened people gathered around her.

  She started small, by expl the area near her. All the enlightened were there, in her magical vision. Their signature distinctive and easily reizable.

  Then Aira spread her senses a bit wider. C the whole of the a city. There were enlightened patrols out there. Some signatures were familiar, but most beloo people she had never seen before.

  Beyond, the valley stretched out—a winding scar carved by the river that had oested Aira and Li. She pushed her senses further, each ripple of energy revealing yers of life. A deer bounding through the underbrush. A hawk spiraling high above. The restless hum of is.

  The deeper she reached, the more the world unfolded, an endless mosaic of life pressing against her mind like an overfilled vas. Signatures of all living beings that appeared within the sing e of her skill assaulted her. It was too much, but she had to get through, sense Li at the a facility. Find out if she was doing fine.

  Aira felt the humalement by the river, from where that ranger who almost killed Li came. Hundreds, no, thousands of human signatures there. Now, Aira was able to properly see the differeween them and enlightened. It wasn't that the humans were less powerful, less eic. But at the same time, the difference was noticeable. As if it had a different color or fvor.

  Still, this settlement wasn't her goal. So, Aira extended her senses even further. Tens of kilometers, scores of kilometers away.

  She sehe mountain ridge they had crossed early in spring. With all the animals there and scarce human patrols.

  And then, she sed even further and focused her skill even more.

  It was like sinking into a vast o of raw power, currents of energy swirling around her, pulling her deeper. The Source pulsed at the ter, a great heartbeat that resohrough the gathered enlighteheir presence feeding the tide surging toward her. Her Rune began glowing on her wrist with the same flowing green and blue colors one could see when looking into Aira's eyes.

  Power… a lot of power…

  The energy strained against her grip, a wild current she had to shape with sheer will. She narrowed her focus, threading the power through the gaps in her awareness, like fitting sunlight through a needle's eye. Just ohread o lead her to the truth…

  And then, suddenly, there it was, the familiar sensation of that maery she left behind in the a facility.

  But that was that. Only ay shell filled with the aech. And no humans within.

  Aira widened her probe just a bit to ensure she could sehat far. And, yes, there were signatures of live beings there. Animals in the forest. More of them were in the mountains that surrouhe valley. And when Aira focused on the a building a bit harder, she could evehe rodents in the hidden passageways of the old facility.

  The sensations were overwhelming Aira. It was too much. Too many signatures, too far away. Too muergy flowing through her and p her skill.

  On her wrist, the Rune's glow became unbearable, almost blinding Aira when she cracked her eyes open. And it was beginning to burn.

  Aira had to make an additional effort. To find at least some clues. She had to know where to search for Li. To find out whether she was even alive.

  She began to widen the range of her sing probe around the a facility. Bit by bit. Meter by meter. Kilometer by kilometer.

  Sensations were overwhelmioo many signatures, too much ambient energy. She had to spread the ra focus her sear humans somehow.

  Aira scooped even more of the energy that was given to her.

  Then, her seumbled upon a group of people who were heading away from the building that was home to Aira and Li for several months.

  Initially, they felt like a blob of energy signatures she now knew were human. But now, Aira could lower the range and focus even more. She didn't hat much power anymore. She didn't have to burn herself out.

  One by one, Aira examined people in that group. One by one, she tried to match how they felt with what she remembered about Li and any other humans she met.

  Until… there was a familiar signature.

  But… No, the sensation was familiar, but it wasn't Li. Overexcited, Aira tried to remember aails of any enters with humans. And there it was. She didn't know how to properly read human energy signatures then, but she could probably reize one of the members of Korin's team. That person who fell down from the roof when Li tried to smuggle Aira out of Mountain View.

  These were people from Li's settlement.

  It could be just an ordinary patrol, after all. But then, there were a few people Aira hadn't checked yet. Even if she felt like she was on the brink of passing out, she had to check all of them.

  One more. Another dud. No one Aira could reize.

  Then another person. Someone familiar. Maybe also from Korin's old team.

  One by one, Aira probed them all. Until… there she was. After spending so many months together, Aira would never mistake this signature with anyone else. It was Li.

  She felt… feeble. Even through all this distance. Even while Aira could read only the energy signature of this human being, it was undeniable that it was not as powerful as the natures she just explored moments ago.

  "Li… She is there…" Aira's voice barely passed the threshold of the party chat, slipping through the link before darkness swallowed her. Her Rune flickered, then dimmed, its once-bzing glow shrinking to a soft ember.

  All enlighteood in pce for a moment, not yet uanding what just happened. Until one of them unched forward toward Aira. Alliot jumped to her and checked if she was still alive.

  "She's fine. Just exhausted," he said to Ainorrh. "I'll take her home."

  ***

  Aira groaned, blinking against the dull ache in her skull.

  "I really o stop doing that…"

  The weight of exhaustied at her limbs, her muscles sluggish as if she'd run for days without stopping.

  "I had overstretched myself just a couple of time in my whole life before I came to this world. What's wrong with me?"

  She stirred, and the faint rustle of fabric made Alliot gnce up. He sat cross-legged a few meters away, still as stone, but his sharp gaze immediately locked onto her, assessing, waiting.

  "Ah… You are back," he said. "I decided to wait here. But it took a while."

  "Yeah, it usually takes half-a-day, or so," said Aira. "If it went the same way it happened before."

  "Is it a habit of yours? Passing out?" Alliot asked. "Does that happen often?"

  "Well, it happens sometimes," said Aira. "When I overextend myself. And I really had to find Li."

  "I hear you did," said Alliot. "Ainot your st message."

  Aira jumped from her bed, the st images aions of that meditation surging back from her memory.

  "Yes! Yes, I found her!" she excimed. "I have to go. It doesn't seem she is safe. I o get to her!"

  "Hold on," Alliot stood smoothly, his stance firm. "Ainorrh's ing. We think first, move sed."

  "What is there to figure out?" Aira said, pag the room. "They are four days ahead of us. I've already lost half-a-day here. We won't be able to overtake them even if we go at full speed."

  "A few minutes won't ge things," said Alliot. "Ainorrh will be here soon."

  "Alright," sighed Aira. "It would be impolite to leave without seeing her anyway."

  While waiting for Ainorrh, Aira walked around the treehouse and eve outside. Both trying to calm her nerves and saying goodbye to this pce. It was a bit strao see how it had ged in just a few weeks. Both Aira and Li didn't have much possessions. Li even fewer, as she had lost her backpack during crossing the river earlier that spring.

  Still, the house was filled with small mementos. Objects they found during their journey and their walk through the a city. Some pieces of old pottery they fouiful and gadgets they would never know the purpose of.

  The area around the house had ged as well. With the permission of Ainorrh, they repnted some flowers to make it a bit more cozy and less sterile. As with any pnts growing here in the enlightened city, these flowers took on really well. Much better than Aira and Li had expected.

  But now… once again, Aira had to leave everything behind. Was it wiser not to get attached to anything? Or even anyone? Will she be able to find Li safe and sound?

  The whole solo journey sounded like an unsafe and unnecessary endeavht from the start. But Aira could uand the loneliness Li felt, living here among people with whom she had no way to unicate. She, as well, was torn away from her unity and from her world. Aira perhaps uood better than most what Li could have felt these past weeks before she left. So, she couldn't bme her for wanting to have at least one more ce to figure things out with her peers. Even if, as it seemed, it didn't go well.

  "Leaving this pce feels different," Aira murmured to herself. "But it's not just about the possessions. It's about the memories we've created here. That's what I o cherish."

  ***

  When Ainorrh finally arrived, Aira was fully prepared for her journey with her backpack filled with gadgets, batteries, and everything she brought to the enlightened city. She and Alliot were waiting outside.

  "I'm not going to stop you," said Ainorrh immediately. "And I know we could have talked even at a distance. But I wao be here when you left."

  "Well, I'm grateful for the things I had learned from you," said Aira. "And even more for your help with this… ritual. But I feel like Li is in more and more danger with each passing minute. I have to go."

  "As I said, I'm not stopping you," Ainorrh said. "I have only ohing to ask of you."

  "And what that may be?" said Aira. "I'd be happy to pay back for your hospitality, but I'm not going to do anything before I get Li back."

  "No-no-no, nothing like that," said Ainorrh. "On the trary, I think it will help you t Li back. I'd like to ask you to take Alliot with you."

  Both Aira and Alliot looked at Ainorrh in surprise.

  "Huh? I'm sure I'm quite self-suffit," said Aira. "No offence, but why do I need him?"

  "A few reasons," said Ainorrh. "First, it's good to have a panion in a journey like that. To use him as a sounding board if you wish, discuss your pns with him."

  "Well, maybe," said Aira. "But it doesn't sound like a reason good enough."

  "He has skills," tinued Ainorrh. "He's a good defender. And in the end, he knows this world better then you. Even if he never ventured far from Wentouk. If we don't take his mission to check up on you into at."

  "And what Alliot thinks about it?" asked Aira.

  "I follow the High Shaman's and," said Alliot. "That's my duty."

  "Alright, but what do you want?" asked Aira. "Do you have any personal goals? How would that help you."

  "Surveying humans," said Alliot, but his words sounded more like a question, not a statement. "See them in their habitat. Not many enlightened have a ce."

  "Habitat… Huh…" said Aira. "That's an iing way to put it."

  "There's one more thing," said Ainorrh. "I'm giving Alliot an artifact that will allow him to reach out to me if anything goes wrong. He's traio use it, as all our defenders. So, that's why I'm not it to you, Aira. And, of course, there are other reasons I'd like him to go. We want to learn more about you. And that's a great opportunity to see you in a. Anyway, if you are thinking about repaying me our hospitality, you take him just to do that."

  "Alright," said Aira. "I was sold when you spoke about having a partner for this journey. I don't know what I'm even thinking. I've always been a loner. But Li… she ged me."

  Aira cpped Alliot on his back, making him look at her in astonishment.

  "Let's do that!" she excimed. "Let's go! Alliot, are you ready?"