Doing my hair properly back in a bun, I can’t help but smile at myself in the mirror. My blond hair done up, the scar on my cheek a reminder of what I went through in that dream, and I’ve even got a tan for living here for this time.

  Standing and looking at the hand-made shirt and skirt I’m wearing, I do really feel like I belong here…

  Oraxia climbs up my back and her head pokes out over my shoulder, wearing her own yellow wraps to match my clothes. “Like we belong here, right?”

  “Yeah, exactly.” Nuzzling her cheek for a moment, I take another look in the mirror. ‘Almost there… just gotta say goodbye, then I’ll be heading back home to my family. My other family, Salka and Lumi.’

  “Yunaria, are you ready?!” Hearing Mom call up to me, I respond “Yeah, one moment!”

  Closing my eyes and letting out a breath, I look at us in the mirror… ‘Despite everything, it’s still you.’

  Finally satisfied, I walk downstairs, Mom dressed up in a nice outfit and holding my bag, along with the scrolls me and Ora wrote up. All proofread, and including one detailing our journey through that dream.

  Smiling, I step down. “All ready?” “Yeah, you just need to go out and give your big speech. But… you know, why did you decide to do this?”

  …”...it just felt right, I guess.”

  “...that’s not the truth, is it?” “No, Ora, but I can’t explain it right now.”

  Following Mom out, I see the wooden stage set up for me. And the whole village standing in front of it, ready to listen to me and see me off.

  Putting on a smile and biting down my nervousness, I step up onto stage. The stares and gasps at the sight of Oraxia on my back make me nervous, my tail lowering. But feeling Oraxia on me… helps me calm down again.

  Standing on stage, facing the crowd, Oraxia pokes her head over my shoulder and watches them, while Mom stands on my left.

  “Everyone! Listen to my dear Yuna’s message, the one to truly enter and leave the Weaver’s Dream!”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Everyone cheers, and quickly quiets down, eager to hear what I have to say.

  Clearing my throat, I speak loud and clear. And Oraxia joins, sending my thoughts to those around. “Everyone! First, I’d like to introduce myself. I'm Yunaria, daughter of this village, who ran away when I was young! You might wonder why I returned… it was because I met Oraxia here, a juvenile soul weaver!”

  Gasps sound out, alongside murmurs about the prophecy of ascension. But as I raise a hand, they quiet again. “When I returned, I was expecting to be turned away, to be hated, cast off, but instead I was welcomed, even before it was revealed who I had with me! This… hospitality, I wanted nothing more than to pay it forward, and so I have! I studied all I could, learned everything you had to offer, and so did Oraxia, pouring over all your notes and combining it with her prowess to reach new insight!”

  Again, they cheer and clap, Oraxia’s name being called out.

  Raising my hand, they let me speak. “After we learned all we could, we visited the Weavers Dream, where Oraxia’s egg was made, and journeyed through perilous danger! We braved arcane caves filled with dangerous monsters, we braved soul weavers attempting to turn us into their web, we survived our skin and flesh being torn apart!” I feel the wind brush across my scar, still a bit sensitive, and I can feel their eyes drawn to it. “And for what?!”

  “TO ASCEND!”

  Smiling, I pump my fist, and they cheer it again, and again! It’s almost empowering, but I stop after the third and continue. “Now, ascension is still underway, there is one more step to the process! And to do that, we need to leave, and return to where Oraxia and I met! But we did leave you all gifts for your good will!”

  Mom hands me the crate of scrolls, which I hold up, it feeling heavy, as Oraxia speaks out to the crowd. “Scrolls, all of our insights written down for you all to learn, and should you ever meet one of my kind, to be able to grow with them and ascend just as well!”

  The crowd roars with life, chanting our names.

  Smiling, I hand off the scrolls to Mom and grab my bag, stepping off the stage. And as my sandaled feet step through the dirt, they all cheer and part for me to leave the city. Cheering on our ascension.

  Wiping away a few tears, I leave, finally making some distance for the first time in months.

  “So… can you explain now?”

  Letting out a breath, I nod, stepping over a log that tries to bite my leg. “Yeah… it was… well, I put so much time into this. So much effort, so much… blood. Nothing else has taken like this has. So… it just felt right, to properly end it. To really… embrace my family, my heritage.”

  “...I think you did good, Yunaria.”

  Chuckling, I nuzzle her with my cheek, before leaping across a waterway. “I think so too… finally living up to my name. So… with that out of the way…”

  Exiting the forest and looking out at Blackline on the horizon, the huge bustling city it is, I finish my question. “...what exactly do we need to do, to ascend together?”

  ___

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