Li gnced back toward the treehouse. It wasn't visible anymore, so many turns she had already made in this bizarre forest. But still, she felt as her steps faltered, as if she was tethered to that only anchor she had left. Her st friend. Li's arms crossed tightly over her chest, and she let out a slow, shaky breath, the forest's quiet amplifying the emptiness she felt since leaving Mountain View.

  However, looking around her and taking in the postures of the enlightened, she realized that these people were startled han she was. As she watched the enlightened move in unison, their gestures strangely precise yet fluid, Li couldn't help but wonder—were their wary g her echoes of the same stories she'd grown up with? If she oisoned by decades of indoation against the undead, was it possible they had the same treatment here? That they had the same stories distorted by the turies of flict?

  The way one of them flinched when she shifted her weight… Maybe their fears weren't so different after all.

  After a short break, the enlightened before Li resumed their trance-like movements. They were… ordinary. The more Li looked at them, the more it seemed they were just some normal people. In just a few minutes, she even stopped notig the eerie glow of their eyes. The same glow she's got so used to seeing in Aira's eyes.

  Some of the enlightened seemed to remind her of the people she met before. Even some of the townsfolk from Mountain View. Others looked utterly unfamiliar… just like humans, she had never met before.

  The group included people with all shades of skin and hair Li expected to see in any average group. Nothing unusual at first gnce. However, the more Li looked at these people, the more she found some miails. Peculiarities not seen in humans that appeared in the enlightened.

  One of the men attracted her attentioood a bit further away, and Li couldn't see his facial features immediately. But what attracted her attention the most was that his brightly purple hair had color only he ends, turning bright white closer to the roots.

  Momentarily, Li remembered Aira's questions about her green hair. Was it what the undead woma when she found herself among strange people? She mentiohat green hair wasn't typical in her world. That they used… dyes? ic? Whatever they used to get these colors, it was something straherworldly.

  So, what was the deal with this guy?

  "Do they think differently?" asked Li, not even notig she did that aloud. "Elder's beard, I 't even know how they talk. I have to rely on Aira's transtion…"

  Of course, she wasn't able to uand if they were unig or coordinating their as in any manner. But the air around them shimmered and was transformed in mysterious ways. ging color and even… it seemed that at some moments, it became denser, dispersing and dissolving seds after.

  With Aira's magic, her as were often very… kiic. Things blew up, and there were visible discharges of energy. In short, her powers were usually quite loud and spectacur.

  The se in front of Li was enting in a different way. The beauty of the ritual was undeniable, and while Li didn't feel influenced by it, she couldn't help but be captivated by the sight.

  Seeing that she wasn't distrag the partits of the ritual anymore, Li sat at the edge of the clearing, pletely entranced by the se. The enlightened were synized in their as, following some silent ands. Still, every one of them was expl their own chraphy as well.

  After one of them fiheir sequenovements, a kaleidoscope of colors assed to the person. But the spectacle shifted and morphed, ging acc to some are rules. Still, Li wasn't sure whether it was a mystical ritual or something else. It reminded her of some of the sports they were practig during their raraining ames children pyed ireets of Mountain View. But then, everything ged once again, and other stages almost had a religious seo them.

  It tinued for some time. The enlightened were immersed in their mysterious practice. And Li was the sole spectator, sittihe gde's edge. The hypnotizing dance allowed her to finally find some pead hope for some ban her life, in her world.

  Then, suddenly, when there was a brief pause in the movement, one of the enlightened gestured for Li to e closer. It was that guy with purple hair. Did he notice how Li scrutinized his appearance?

  Hesitantly, Li looked around herself and saw there were no other people nearby. There was no mistake, and he gestured again for her to e closer.

  Moving very slowly, she did.

  Ritualists, or… pyers…? actors? They moved around Li, positioning themselves so that she was right in the ter of a circle created by the enlightened. All the worst stories about the undead flickered through Li's mind in one fleeting moment, but she braced herself so as not to back out and not to show any fear.

  Li was never oo shy away fr something new. And now, even though she was out of her depth, she was determined not to back out. This portunity to learn, to explore something she had never expected to be a part of.

  Li and Aira were guests here. Hopefully, the enlightened wouldn't harm her.

  Wouldn't they?

  "Root me sideways!" Li excimed. "t me in!"

  A shimmering dispy resumed, ealightened morphing it and sending it to the person, tinuing the magical movement around the circle. In Li's experieneither the teology of the a humans nor the natural phenomena could create that kind of effect.

  Then, without any warning, the people surrounding Li fiheir exge and turo face Li all at the same moment.

  The strands of shimmering air started moving in the dire of the ter. Right to the spot where she stood!

  Li squeezed her eyes, straicipatioaking her. And then an odd sensation overwhelmed her. It was like experieng all seasons at o was humid, and then dry, cold, and then warm. She sehe sts of each season. The calming breeze of a summer m and the dry cold wind of winter.

  After an initial moment of startlement, Li rexed and embraced the experience, immersing herself in it pletely, unreservedly.

  It was… tering and f in a way Li had never felt before. The swirling colors danced like whispers of wind and water, ing her in a co of shifting warmth and ess. Li's breath slowed, her thoughts untangling with each pulse of shimmering light. It was as though the forest itself was cradling her, whispering that she could rest, that there was bance even in chaos.

  She finally saath to reg herself and reg with all this new informatio from Ainorrh. With everything she had learned from Aira in the past months.

  Li opened her eyes and found herself in the middle of a shimmering cloud. Smiling, she turned around, seeking the gazes of each of the enlighteanding in a circle around her. It was impossible to read their emotions. The years of separation and flict made these people absolutely alien to her human sensibilities. But somehow, Li felt that they ehe process.

  They couldn't speak to each other, but they found a new way to unicate, sharing this experiend the mood of this enting moment together.

  ***

  After a few moments, the enlightened broke the circle a away without a sed gnce. Only one person stayed with Li. The same purple-haired guy showed her dire, and she followed.

  This time, she walked much slower and had an opportunity to look around and experiehe enlightened city anew. Surprisingly, they didn't have to go far before they reached the treehouse given to Aira and Li. Her escape was like a blur of emotions and impressions. Sudden iion with enlightened. But that robably just a result of her being so overwhelmed.

  On the way back… she was able to just enjoy the forest in its full primordial beauty.

  Aira was still sittihe house. She stood up as soon as she noticed Li and her guide. Smiling, they embraced each other.

  As soon as the two womeed, the enlightened guide o both of them a for the forest.

  "I uand, Li, that all of this is overwhelming," Aira transmitted habitually through Li's radio. "Believe me, I do. We came here to find answers, and now we have some. It may not be what we expected. But it's up to us to decide what to do with this knowledge."

  Li took a deep breath. Her walk through the woods finally allowed her to think about the past months and the ret events aions. And now she came back to Aira almost ready to explore more.

  "Root me sideways. How do you really feel about all of that, Aira?" Li asked. "All this... doesn't it twist your roots even a little?"

  "I'm o this world," Aira said, smilily. "When I just came here, I thought that I'd lost everything. Then, I found a way to ect with the System and found a path to follow. I've learo expect the ued. Anything is possible here, and I'm ready to accept whatever es our way. It's all part of the adventure."

  "Really, Aira? Your expnation is that it's just easier for you?" Li raised an eyebrow, her tone sharper thaended. "Elder's breath, that's way too simple! You 't just brush it off like that."

  "Well, it probably is easier for me now," said Aira. "I sort of gave up on it being normal. However, Ainorrh had some surprises reserved for me as well. She shared some of their ideas about the ws of the System. And I'm still unsure how to fit it within my uanding of the are powers. Still, just a few months ago the mere cept of travelliween the worlds wouldn't even e to my mind."

  Li nodded, finding some fort in Aira's calm acceptance. "Well, bark and brambles, at least I'm not the only one who's lost here," Li muttered, running a hand through her green hair. "You're right—this pce is full of surprises, but it's twisting my roots! I've had questions my whole life, Aira, and every time I tried to dig for answers, someone yanked me back. And now? Now it's like everything I thought I knew is worse and more tahan I ever imagined!"

  "Yes, but we'll get to the bottom of this," said Aira. "We will, right?"

  "We will," said Li with a sigh. "Not that I've got an easy way back. They probably think I'm either feeding the worms or a full-blown traitor. Either way, I'm out of the picture."

  "Well, their loss," said Aira. "I have an idea. All this time, we were training separately. My routine is more focused oation and yours on physical training. Throughout my life, physical training wasn't something that I gave too much attention to, magical boosts allowed me to have what I needed anyway. Only after arriving to this world and feeling the effects of some sub-par stats, I realized that it may have been reasoo have more focus os of the routine besides meditation."

  "Wait, hold up! I have to tell you about what just happened!" Li's eyes lit up as she leaned closer. "It was wild—almost like what you told me about your meditation. But… different, you know?"

  Without any deys, Li described her experieh the enlightened ritual.

  "They had to be using magic," Li said, her voice full of wonder. "But it wasn't anything like the fshy stuff you do. It was… deeper, quieter. I felt it in my core, like the whole thing ed around me. I've never experienced anything like it."

  "That…" said Aira. "Really sounds like a peculiar experience."

  "So, what's the deal here?" Li asked, tilting her head. "I mean, I 't do magic, so what's in it for me? And sure, we're evenly matched in speed, but I've seen you outst me by miles. There's no way I keep up with that!"

  "I'll train without gadgets," answered Aira fidently. "That will mean that I won't have any System boosts, creating a more even ground for both of us. I hope you will include me in your training routine. Iurn, I'll teay meditation. Together, we create something new. And who knows where it would lead us."

  "But hang on," Li added, frowning. "What about the magic parts of your meditation? I 't tap into that, so what's the point? Seems like I'd be skipping half the routine."

  "That's true, but only in part," said Aira. "That st stage allows me to solidate my skill gains and improve uanding their meisms even more. Still, most of the routine isn't about using magic, it is about tering yourself and feeling your p this world. It may help both of us iumultuous times."

  "I'm in!" excimed Li. "Anything to untahis mess in my head."

  "And maybe we ie some of the routihose enlightened used," said Aira. "We'll have to ask Ainorrh what that was."

  Their minds set, Aira and Li didn't want to wait before beginning to work on their joint training routine. But first, Aira left all her gadgets at the treehouse to remove the boosts they provided. Momentarily, she felt a signifit drop in her abilities, and her undead nature especially affected her agility. But it wasn't only that. It felt like the whole world dimmed for her momentarily as she lost the magical sensations of the enlightened forest.

  Aira didn't realize how much she got used to stantly spreading the probing strands of her Energy Manipution skill around her, feeling the are currents of the ambiance.

  Now, it was just an ordinary forest, if only untypically lush for a moment that early in the year.

  Aira growled.

  "What is it? "asked Li.

  However, as soon as Aira prepared to transmit her ao Li, she remembered that it wasn't possible anymore. All her magical abilities were absent at that moment, including her powers of influeng the gadgets.

  She could only growl a bit more, pointing at the p her arm where the wristband was just moments ago and Li to follow her.

  They came to a nearby clearing where the lush foliage provided a serene backdrop for their training. The afternoon air was cool and crisp, filled with the st of blooming flowers and fresh earth.

  For Aira, it was like the world shrunk to her closest viity, with her most potent senses inaccessible. Since she regained access to the System during their break-out from Mountain View, she was anxious to lose her gadgets and that renewed e. She was afraid of returning to the state she was in during her first weeks in this world. These moments whehought she'd never be a mage again were some of the most traumati her life.

  But now, Aira made a scious decision to cut herself off. The absenagic was jarring, like stepping out of a warm room into a biting winter wind. Without the steady hum of are energy, every sound seemed sharper, every shadow more pronounced. She stretched out her fingers, instinctively searg for the strands of power she was used to weaving, but there was nothing—just the quiet rustle of leaves and the distant chirp of birds.

  This disect gave her an opportunity to appreciate the ambient magid es she had with their surroundings.

  Somehow, she uood the fvor of magi the enlightened city much better now. The absence of the are made her uand the pce it occupied in this world… in all worlds… in a much more profound mahis hole she could almost touch, feel its shape with her hands, drew an even clearer picture than the full immersion she experienced just a few moments ago.

  With a bow, Aira invited Li to begiraining.