Aira's legs felt lighter than they should as she bounded up the crumbling stairwell, each step pushed by the faint hum of energy coursing through her veins. After their everyday intensive training with Lila, which was occasionally supplemented by instructions from Ainorrh, Aira felt that her body was changing and becoming more efficient.

  There was no way to measure the changes precisely, as she did with full access to her System stats before her transformation. But still, every step she took on the stairwells of the ancient building was easier than during their initial climb when they first approached the enlightened city.

  Climbing had been a torment those first days after she started training with Lila. Her muscles rebelled, every step pulling at aches she didn't know existed. She'd collapsed onto her treehouse bed that night, her limbs too stiff to do more than tremble. Now, though, the climb felt different—not completely effortless, but smoother, like her body had found a new rhythm.

  That, probably, was one of the first signs of the changes in her body. Never before had she experienced that kind of non-magical training. Still, it was probably long until that moment when this change would be enough to combat the debuffs she got, thanks to her undead body and race.

  Now, Aira sat on the edge of the roof. The ruins, bathed in the golden light of the setting sun, cast long shadows that danced in the evening breeze. The old towers that survived, thanks to the magic of the enlightened, were surrounded by the other buildings of the ancient city. Most of the outskirts were covered with rubble of the fallen structures. It was a bizarre display of nature reclaiming this area covered with stone and metal. Materials processed by the humans of the old times slowly replenishing the planet's reserves.

  When the last rays of the evening sun were caressing her face, passing to her the last fleeting warmth of this spring day, Aira decided to start her ritual. It was the best way to launch her meditation with this calming and peaceful feeling.

  Habitually, she started by focusing on each of her senses one by one. Closing her eyes but still feeling the afterglow of the evening sun. The wind brought her scents of the enlightened settlement with their insane variety of plants. They were spiced up a bit by the metal and stone of the ancient city that surrounded the forest.

  When the sun finally dipped below the horizon, Aira felt the temperature drop, first with her face and then with her whole body. Suddenly, the wind's caress became chilling and not as friendly. Still, she embraced these feelings, cataloging them, adding them to the picture of her surroundings she was building in her mind.

  Not even opening her eyes, Aira brushed the roof's surface with her hands, sensing the chipped stone of the building, soil brought here by the wind over the centuries, and even some plants that were growing in this not-the-friendliest of environments.

  Now, Aira was ready to move on to the final and the most essential part of her meditation, connecting with the arcane. She began with probing the wind currents around her with her Energy Manipulation skill. She didn't intend to influence the wind, only trace its flow and feel its power.

  But not with her skin, like moments before, with her other senses.

  Aira wanted to analyze its energy and trace where it led.

  In the previous months, she tried more than once to tap into different types of energy of this world. In some cases, she was successful. Even more than successful: these interactions literally saved her life. But with the other types of energy that she now knew to be elemental, Aira wasn't as lucky.

  One of the things that eluded her was the power of the water current. She could sense the hidden energy of the rivers and smaller streams they crossed during their journey with Lila. But she was never able to access anything besides flora and fauna and occasional fires to fill her personal reserves. And yes, these past experiences included humans she killed or incapacitated during the flight from Mountain View and the defense of the ancient facility Lila and Aira turned into their temporary base.

  But the streams weren't the only source that she couldn't master yet. The power of the wind and the warmth of the sun were so easily converted by the solar panels that there was much more for her to explore.

  Aira felt ready to try a different approach. Not to manipulate or force herself onto these powers but to gently explore and move with them.

  It had to be a gentle dance, not a brute-force attack.

  Time blurred as Aira sat cross-legged on the rooftop, the wind teasing her with its elusive patterns. It brushed her cheek one moment, only to vanish into stillness the next. Hours slipped by as she reached out, her senses stretching thin like threads in a web, hoping to catch even the faintest ripple of its path. The wind was coy, playful—there one moment, gone the next, daring her to unravel its secrets.

  This meditation lasted longer than most of the other sessions Aira had ever had. For the first few hours, finding this connection with the wind was hard. So subtle it was. It blew around Aira, constantly changing direction, not allowing to figure out its source or destination. It was as if the wind deciphered her plans and just wanted to play with her, trick her.

  Slowly, Aira began to feel the rhythm beneath the chaos—a whisper of consistency hidden in the swirling currents. Each breeze carried its own weight, its own story. One danced with the forest's pollen, light and fragrant, while another barreled down from the distant mountains, sharp and biting. Aira let herself drift with them, her senses stretching outward like a leaf riding the wind, drawn inevitably toward a central force she could almost—but not quite—grasp.

  She cherished the moments when they touched her face and expanded her probing outwards, feeling where they went next and trying to trace them to their source.

  And then, Aira felt that there were multiple patterns competing with each other and sometimes complementing and boosting one another. But also, that there was another, the main one. The most powerful.

  Every current seemed to converge on a single point, a nexus hidden deep within the heart of the enlightened settlement. Aira felt its pull, subtle but undeniable, like a hidden heartbeat thrumming beneath the surface. Whatever lay there, it wasn't just a source of magic—it was alive, vibrant… aware?

  Aira tried to remember if, during these previous days and weeks of walks and exploration, they had ever wandered right to the center of the enlightened city, and it felt like they never did. Every time, they were either distracted or led away by someone or something.

  Had they been steered away from this place deliberately? Aira's mind churned with questions. The enlightened had been nothing but kind, but now she couldn't shake the feeling that something lay hidden—a secret buried at the forest's core, shielded from curious eyes.

  Content with her progress and the results of the meditation Aira woke up from her reverie. She was sitting on the top floor of the ancient building, facing west, where the sun set hours ago. Now, she felt the warmth of the rising sun heating the back of her head.

  Sensing the stiffness of her joints, Aira turned with a groan to face the first light of the new morning. The high buildings still prevented the light from coming to the enlightened forest. But all the tops of the ancient high-rises were now gleaming in the sun.

  Aira had to share the new revelations with Lila to plan the next steps. Their hosts were nothing but kind to them, and she didn't want to overstep and infringe on their hospitality. But this felt like a huge step forward in adapting her magical senses to this world. And, who knew, maybe that was the next step in her quest.

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  ***

  Aira felt a pang of nostalgia as she walked through the forest back to their treehouse. The vibrant life around her was a stark contrast to the decaying ruins of her memories. But also, it was a reminder of so many transformations she had gone through in the past few months.

  Her old life now seemed so scheduled. Her development path so straightforward and predictable. Now, she had to find new ways to approach the arcane just to survive. And furthering her quest was absolutely impossible without experimentation.

  The wind whispered secrets to her, stirring a longing for the days when her magic flowed effortlessly. But then, when she gave it a thought, Aira was sure she wouldn't want to return to being her old self. She finally started to realize that this new life was precisely what she needed. And who knew how far would it lead her? Another world? Another magical System?

  There were so many differences between the two worlds she had already experienced. And still, so many things worked alike, including relations between different factions and even people inside these groups. She found a friend here. But was it smart to entirely rely on these enlightened? Believe everything they told them?

  Yet, even this new challenge invigorated her. It was a chance to reinvent herself in this strange new world. To become more than she ever was before. Even with a limited set of skills.

  "By the roots, are you telling me there's still a corner of this forest we haven't rustled through yet?" Lila wrote back after she read Aira's note. "It's sprawling, sure, but I'd wager we'd sniffed out every branch by now. If what you've found holds water, well, that's got me sharper than frost to figure it out. I'm a ranger, you know."

  "What should we do about it?" asked Aira.

  "Best we wait and see what Ainorrh stirs up," Lila said. "By the fox's whiskers, she's got a knack for sniffing out your breakthroughs. Could be she spills answers we didn't even know we were hunting for."

  "Or maybe they are just listening to what we say here," said Aira contemplatively.

  "Or maybe that," agreed Lila.

  ***

  After their traditional morning training, it was finally time to meet with Ainorrh. This time, she wasn't alone, bringing along another enlightened.

  "By the bark, I know this one!" Lila said, eyes lighting up. "Aira, remember that… uh, ritual, or whatever it was, from a bit before? This is the one who walked me back. No doubt about it. I wouldn't mistake his amazing hair for anything else!"

  Before translating everything to Ainorrh, Aira took a moment to get a measure of the newcomer as well. For some reason, it felt like she knew him. And it wasn't only because of that brief encounter Lila mentioned. The glow of the elemental forces of Wentouk still overwhelmed her. However, following the progress of the previous night, it was easier for Aira to untangle separate signatures.

  And that was precisely what made this person familiar.

  Aira translated Lila's comments to Ainorrh, who answered with a smile: "Your friend is absolutely right. This is Alliot, he is one of our defenders and a representative of a younger generation of enlightened."

  She looked directly at Lila and continued, knowing that Aira would pass her message.

  "And it wasn't a ritual, they were just training their magic," Ainorrh said. "It doesn't differ too much from the routines you and Aira follow for practice. You can call it a game or a sport of sorts if you like."

  "Younger generation?" Lila asked, intrigued. "Does it mean that he's one of these people who naturally transformed to be an enlightened in the recent centuries?"

  "It is a bit more complicated than that," said Ainorrh, "But you are not completely wrong."

  "Would you mind adding him to the party?" Ainorrh said to Aira. "It would be much easier if I didn't have to translate our discussion to multiple people. It seems quite enough that you have to constantly keep your contact with me and Lila. We don't need to add even more complexity to our communication."

  Aira hesitated for a moment. Was it a calculated prompt from Ainorrh? She had to spend her skill points to upgrade her Two is a Crowd skill. Not much, but still. Was she testing her in some way? Also, Aira remembered well how Ainorrh mentioned that their skill upgrades went much differently. Maybe she just wanted to experience Aira's process?

  Well, she had to prepare herself for disappointment. It was pretty dull in Aira's case.

  "Sure, why not?" Aira said, "I can do that."

  --- Skills ---

  [...]

  2. Two is a Crowd (Level 1 / 24 SP to upgrade to Level 2)

  Upgrade further [Y/N]?

  Aira activated her wristband and gave the right mental command to her System interface.

  Two is a Crowd (Level 2 / 81 SP to upgrade to Level 3)

  - Invite 2 members to the party

  - Maximum distance of the party chat: [200 m x Level] = 20 km

  - Party members can share quests

  - Party members get XP for fulfilled quests (depending on their participation)

  - Party members can see each other's stats

  Upgrade further [Y/N]?

  Ainorrh and Alliot were looking at Aira with wide eyes.

  "What? Right here?" asked Ainorrh in astonishment. "You don't have to prepare?"

  "I didn't try to mislead you earlier," said Aira. "I don't have to do anything special or conduct a ritual. And this didn't change when I found myself in a new world."

  Aira stopped, not upgrading her skill any further. At least for now. There were no other people she planned to add to the party any time soon, especially as Lila didn't have access to the System at all.

  In the future? Things may change, or she may need to reserve her skill points for other things.

  --- Party Interface ---

  Maximum party invitations: 2

  Current party size: 1 (including the host)

  Invite a new party member [Y/N]?

  "Invite Alliot."

  ...Alliot invited to join the party. Awaiting confirmation…

  Alliot was obviously used to seeing skills upgraded in a ritual as well. He flinched visibly when Aira issued the command. Still, it looked like Ainorrh instructed him on what would happen after. He accepted the invitation momentarily.

  "Wow!" he said, checking Aira's stats immediately. "You are almost ready to level up!"

  "It's interesting that it was the first thing you decided to check," Aira said, smiling. "But still, the last time I gained a level was right before I came to this world. Or… was it during the transition…? Who knows… Anyway, it will take something major to cover the remaining distance. And I'm not sure I'm ready to deal with anything major yet."

  "Well, I didn't bring Alliot here to explore Aira's stats," said Ainorrh, "Now that all the admin stuff is figured out, let's talk!"

  She looked at Alliot pointedly.

  "Right, yes, hi everyone!" Alliot waved his hand, looking at Aira and Lila, and smiled. "As Ainorrh probably mentioned, I was trained as one of the defenders of this city. Our task is to sense the ambient magic and constantly check if there are any abnormalities or intrusions. Both of the magical kind and instigated by humans."

  "Humans? By the roots, really?" Lila asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

  "Yeah…" said Alliot. "That didn't happen in ages, though."

  "By the Elder's breath, I get that," Lila said with a nod. "We've got patrols for the undead too, even though it's been moons since anyone's actually seen one of your… enlightened folk stumbling away from your cities."

  "Yes, but anyway…" said Alliot as soon as he received Aira's translation of Lila's words. "Last night, we felt you, Aira, following the gusts of wind. Probing the air currents and experimenting with magic of our element."

  "I hope I didn't disturb anyone," said Aira, "I was just trying to improve my understanding of this world. And is there a better way to do that than exploring it through magic? The last time it happened Ainorrh didn't mention I should limit my exploration. Isn't that right, Ainorrh?"

  "I agree, and we don't have anything against that approach," said Ainorrh. "If anything, it's an opportunity for us to learn something new as well."

  She looked at Alliot and made an expectant pause.

  "Ah… Yeah…" said Alliot. "I'm not used to that, sorry. We understand that you felt something that was hidden from you before."

  Now, it was Aira's and Lila's turn to exchange glances. They still didn't have enough answers to all of their questions. Was it what Alliot and Ainorrh insinuated, that they just sensed Aira. Or did they indeed listen to their talks? Were they even able to understand their communication?

  "There is some power source in the center of your settlement," said Aira, making the decision to table her questions for now. "And it has the same flavor as the air magic that you practice. It is related to the Air element."

  It wasn't even a question. So, Alliot didn't find it necessary to answer it directly.

  "And it's time to show it to you," he said. "I will be your guide."

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