Progress has been fast, very fast. As soon as I got the Soul Lattice, progress has been speeding ahead.

  Sipping on some tea, I add more to my notes, having actually needed them for once.

  Well… and wanting to give back to the community, so I’m making my own scroll as I learn. They can always clean it up later.

  One of the cool things I learned, with Ora’s help, is that dreams are tied to the soul, and they are like one thing connected by loose threads.

  “Hm… no.” Shaking my head, I erase that line, not liking how it sounds.

  “What’s wrong?”

  Looking down at Oraxia, who’s been lost in thought and staring at the stars lately, I shrug. “Not much. Just not sure how to write down our discoveries of the soul and dreams.”

  “Oh! Can I try? I want a little break.” Her voice sounds so excited, I can’t help but nod. “Go for it, just let me write it, your handwriting isn’t good enough yet.”

  Giving me a little nod, she climbs onto my back and looks over my shoulder. “Okay! So, imagine your soul as a spider web. If you break one strand, the rest supported by it will fall, which causes major damage. That is soul damage. A dream is a bug caught by the web, and weaving it makes it more nutritious and less damaging to the web.”

  Nodding, I write it down quickly. My handwriting is a bit scrawled and sloppy, since I’m not used to writing by hand very much, though working with Lumi did help matters. Having to help her go through and mark off materials on a physical list when I first got to the city was an annoying job, but one I could do at least.

  Unlike cooking, I’d always burn or break something. Couldn’t even crack an egg right, hehe.

  Letting out a sad sigh, I focus on Oraxia again, and her instructions. “This spider web is represented by your shadow, and the dreams I pull from the surface, web up, eat the excess, and return. Trying to weave a soul is a different task, just in removing a strand of the web from the others, the ones it were connected to fall apart, preventing any work. I do have an idea to fix this, and I might be able to do this soon, but it will need other tools that are from home. Only dream weavers could get this.”

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  Confused, I turn and look back at her. “Huh? What do you mean?”

  “Where my egg was laid on Salka wasn’t this world, it was another. I can still sense the connection, with a path to get back. But I want to be sure I can’t figure it out here first.” Chittering and clicking, her thoughts are fast, making my head spin with how much she can learn. It’s impressive; I mean, she rarely has to pause to respond, just talking right away.

  Nodding, I roll up the scroll and set it in the bin with a few others. “Well, I guess that’ll do for now then… sorry I can’t help more.”

  Sensing my dejection, she pats my head with a little fuzzy hand. “You helped a lot! Don’t be sad! I wouldn’t have learned this without you, big sis!”

  Letting out a low chuckle, I stand and place her on the table. “Thanks, but that’s not the only thing eating at me. Just… homesick, I guess.”

  “...you’re longing for them again.” Her tone is accusatory… not harsh though, like it’s expected but disappointing to her.

  “Yeah.. sorry. We’ll finish learning before we head back, though. Promise.”

  Seeing her little nod, I go and lay in bed, hugging my pillow to my chest as I try to shake away the sudden somber mood.

  ‘Nothing bad even happened, but now I’m sad and thinking about them. It’s been months, can’t I just move on already? I’m sure Lumi’s doing good with the shop, with Sal there to keep her safe and accompanied. But… why does it still hurt so much thinking about the months I’ve spent away? The months spent growing apart and not together?’

  Realizing I’m crying, I wipe the tears up, seeing Oraxia in front of me on the bed as my eyes are cleared up. “Ora…?”

  “I know how to evolve… and help you… can I?”

  “...what do you mean…?” Sitting up, I pull her onto my lap, where she looks out the window and at the stars. “The webs… there must be something in my world… where I can make it more malleable. Then I can help you feel not bad. Can I?”

  Sighing, I let the bittersweet tears fall as I hug her to my chest, looking down at her cute little face. “Sure… I trust you, Ora. I trust you.”

  “...thank you. When I’m ready… we’ll go. You should get ready too… tomorrow.”

  Nodding, I lay back and cuddle her to my chest. “Tomorrow…”

  ‘It will all be better…’

  ___

  Do you trust Oraxia? Or are you wary of the little kin being?