"I've been checking my stats and saw that my XP was bumped by thirty thousand or so," said Ainorrh. "I definitely didn't do anything to earn that. I hadn't done anything to earn that much XP since the war with humans ended. So, what had you done?"

  Ainorrh's brow furrowed, and she exhaled sharply. A sudden pulse of energy coiled through her, like a breath of wind rushing through the Nexus. "Something's off. I just checked my stats—thirty thousand XP out of nowhere. And I haven't done a damn thing to earn that."

  "I just complained to Alliot recently that it will take a lot of time to get to my next level," said Aira. "Well, check my stats. All of a sudden, I'm much closer to that point! It would be nice to finally know what perks it brings in this version of the System…"

  "But how?" Alliot asked flatly. "No training. No fights. No war. Just your average daily XP. That's not how it works for us."

  But this time, Aira decided not to show her hand right away. Even more so, because Ainorrh was listening in.

  "You've seen my Rune connecting with the elemental power of your Heart of the Forest," she said. "And I feel that it changed me in some way. It seems that this boost was partially enabled by this process. Your Nexus seemed to like it."

  "That explains, well, sort of, why you benefited from it," said Ainorrh. "But why did I get these points?"

  "I got them too," confirmed Alliot. "I just checked."

  "Oh, that's much easier to explain," said Aira. "You can even read it in the description of my Two is a Crowd skill. That's just the consequence of you being members of my party."

  In parallel, Aira was translating and explaining to Lila what was happening. The human's eyes widened in understanding.

  "If the System's throwing XP at you like leaves in the wind, doesn't that mean you're on the right trail?" Lila asked, crossing her arms. "Isn't that what you told me? That it pats you on the back when you do what it wants? Maybe—just maybe—it's nudging you toward something big. Your way home?"

  "Yes, I believe Heart of the Forest holds the key," said Aira. "But let's discuss it later. For now, I can say that the power of Heart of the Forest feels ancient and vast. And if I can learn from it, I might be able to unlock the secrets of the Rune and find a way back home. But we also should seek other sources like that. It seems we have the next goal in our quest: to visit other enlightened cities."

  Suddenly, Aira was overwhelmed with feelings. Just a few months ago, she was sure she'd die without ever experiencing magic again. Then, she reconciled with the idea of living on this strange planet for the rest of her life. And now, she's been training, learning more and more about her new and old powers. Finding new paths to move forward.

  The realization filled Aira with a renewed sense of purpose. She went far from the initial point where she appeared in this world. But her journey was far from over.

  Now, she had a clearer path forward. It wasn't yet defined by a clear message in her System interface. But Aira knew she needed to explore other places of elemental power. To learn from them and harness their energies.

  Aira finally had a clear direction.

  "We need to find more places like this," Aira said to Alliot, her voice trembling a bit. "Heart of the Forest is just the beginning. Ainorrh mentioned there are other sites of natural power, places where I can further connect with the elemental energies of this world. That's where we have to go next."

  ***

  The forest swallowed their footsteps, only the distant rustling of leaves filling the quiet. Aira barely noticed the path beneath her boots, immersed in her observations, and continued probing the magic and energies around her, exploring the newfound attunement of her Rune to the forces that powered this whole enlightened city. Alliot walked a step behind, his face unreadable, but the stiffness in his shoulders spoke volumes. Lila kept glancing between them, her lips pressed into a thin line.

  Heart of the Forest acted like a nuclear plant of ancient times. Aira read about that kind of tech while they were doing their research at the old world facility. And it powered everything it could reach. Exactly like it appeared to be in Wentouk. The glow of the elemental energy reached the furthest outskirts of the ancient city.

  But the most critical part was that with the new knowledge and understanding of the Rune, Aira could finally untangle the intricate flows and hidden currents of the elemental powers. Now she could easily see that Alliot, indeed, was that person who spied on them weeks before. And that he had led them to Wentouk.

  Alliot, in turn, was trying to reevaluate his whole life. Never before had he seen a connection with Heart of the Forest of that magnitude. If that wasn't enough, the connection was established by someone who wasn't even a proper enlightened.

  All this preposterous talk about the undead. Lila's insinuations of the enlightened being some sort of non-living abominations.

  Insane!

  But then, even that wasn't the end of it. Alliot saw Aira's body react to Heart of the Forest as if it was a key. What did that mean for all of the enlightened? How did Aira compare to their High Shamans? Would she break the balance between the different groups who followed other flavors of magic and other elemental affinities?

  Still, what hurt him the most was that instant acquisition of 500,000 XP. How would the Nexus even allow that? Who was this woman? An outworlder, as Ainorrh insisted. But what did that even mean? No one could explain it to Alliot. Or, at least, no one would explain it to him.

  Five. Hundred. Thousand. XP. The number hung in Alliot's mind, heavy as a storm cloud. No fights. No training. No deaths. Just… there. What was she?

  It was hard to imagine the impact of such an advance. It took Alliot several hundred years to gain his three million points. And for Aira... Could it happen in less than a second…?

  There was something about that… undead… that wasn't natural.

  Lila also had a lot of concerns. She still thought about Alliot's words. Somehow, they hit her hard. Every day, she explored the forest. Sometimes, she was allowed to join the activities of the enlightened. It brought her at least some feeling of being a part of a community. And, of course, talking to Aira helped. But then, everyone around her had a completely different context and different experiences compared to her past life.

  Even while they shared much more with Aira now than during the first weeks and months of their companionship, more often than not, the woman felt absolutely alien. Somehow, she didn't have the same loyalties to humans as Lila did. Aira sorted everyone around her into friends, enemies, and possible enemies. And only with Lila's insistence agreed to treat human lives as something deserving of high value.

  Yes, they had to defend themselves in the end. Each time her fellow rangers overstepped, there were deaths on their side. Still, Lila had spent her whole life protecting humans. It was unnatural for her to act as if a switch was turned in her head that could make her consider them enemies by default.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  This mental gymnastics may not be a problem she had to care about for quite a long time anymore. If Aira had her wish granted, they would continue their journey soon, visiting even more enlightened cities. Cutting Lila even more from her fellow humans.

  This alone made her feel very lonely. Lila knew she had to agree to continue being Aira's companion. She wanted to do that. She still wanted to explore the world and learn more about its hidden and strange powers. At the same time, living among the enlightened made her mourn her old life.

  Maybe not the life itself, but the people who were ordinary. Who could talk to her, read her notes, and not burn others with strange energies coming from within.

  Lila caught the sideways glances. The way the enlightened barely acknowledged her when she walked past. It wasn't outright hostility—more like she was a shadow, something half-seen and quickly forgotten. The air in Wentouk was charged with magic, but it had no space for her. As if the enlightened had this opportunity to become better beings, but she was a part of the old world that wasn't needed anymore.

  Just moments ago, Lila noticed that expression on Alliot's face when he looked at her. Was it contempt? Disdain? Was it just something absolutely alien that didn't have anything with ordinary human facial expressions? Lila didn't know and didn't have any chance to learn.

  Lila wandered through the forest, her thoughts in turmoil. She paused by a small stream, watching the water flow over smooth stones.

  "I need to figure out where I belong," Lila whispered to herself, feeling the weight of uncertainty pressing down on her.

  ***

  Alliot left as soon as they reached the treehouse. He mumbled some excuses over Aira's party chat, asked to allow some time for him to talk to Ainorrh before Aira approached him, and disappeared into the forest.

  Deep in thought, Lila had also gone for a walk, leaving Aira alone.

  Aira didn't even notice all of that, so immersed she was in her thoughts and exploration of the new avenues for her magic.

  It was hard to tell how much time had passed by the moment Lila returned. But the sun had already passed its highest point in the sky and began its descent towards the evening when Lila joined Aira at their usual training spot.

  "Aira, I've been thinking..." Lila started, then sighed and ran a hand through her green hair. "Storms and shadows, I feel like I'm slipping through the cracks. Like I'm losing who I am... what it means to be human."

  "What do you mean, Lila?" Aira asked, looking at Lila with concern.

  "I hope you know I'm still in this with you, Aira," Lila said, crossing her arms. "But before we charge ahead like a river in flood, I need to go back. I need to see home—what's left of it. Get closer to my roots."

  "Alliot's words got to you?" asked Aira. "I can't pretend to be your best friend, even if we shared a lot in the past months. But are you sure it would be safe for you to go there?"

  "I know," said Lila. "But…"

  "Please, let me finish," said Aira. "We discussed that before, and you thought they might not be too happy to see you again. They were aggressive during the last meeting with Korin. It wouldn't be better now."

  "I know it's reckless, but I need this," Lila muttered. "Feels like I'm tangled in vines, caught in some story where the monsters from Nana's tales turn out to be the wise old sages. Everybody knows they are supposed to steal naughty children, but they suddenly appear to be kind."

  She made a gesture, preventing Aira from arguing.

  "Roots and rivers, Aira, just—let me have this," Lila said, voice firm. "I need to untangle my thoughts before I get swept further downstream. If not Mountain View, then at least the old facility. Maybe that'll be enough to shake the dust off my mind."

  "Do you want me to go with you?" asked Aira. "It should be safer if we go together."

  "No, I need to do that alone," said Lila. "Talking to you keeps me sane, Aira, but it's not enough. I need to hear voices that have relevance with my past. I'll be back, I swear it."

  "But how are you going to cross the river?" asked Aira, grasping for the last hope to make Lila stay. "I'm sure by now the ice has thawed."

  "I found some old crossing points on the maps," Lila said, pointing vaguely in the direction of the river. "Didn't seem worth checking when everything was frozen, but now? Maybe there's a path. I can also ask the enlightened—if they'll talk to me."

  Lila looked at Aira before continuing. "If you help me with that last part."

  She smiled self-consciously.

  "Let's take a night off and discuss everything in the morning," offered Aira. "It was a tough day and maybe Alliot and Ainorrh will have something for us in the morning."

  "Right," said Lila. "What you said."

  As Lila hugged her tightly, Aira felt a mix of pride and sorrow.

  Aira held on a moment longer than necessary, feeling the warmth of Lila's embrace. "Don't do anything reckless," she muttered. "If you get yourself into trouble, I swear, I'll…"

  She pulled back, shaking her head. "Just come back, okay?"

  Without waiting for a reply or saying anything else, Lila retired to their treehouse, leaving Aira alone.

  "As if we didn't have any other major problems," Aira thought with a sigh. "This Alliot had to trigger Lila at such am inopportune moment. We have learned so much today!"

  She turned around and went to look for a good meditation spot to consolidate everything new she discovered during the day. Aira needed to build upon her recent discoveries.

  Still, while she tried to meditate, her thoughts of Lila kept intruding.

  "Please be safe," she growled into the night.

  ***

  As soon as Aira returned to their house in the morning, Lila approached her with her backpack prepared for the journey.

  "I was only waiting for you, Aira," said Lila. "I miss home. I miss people. Not that I don't see what we've gained here, but... I feel like a branch without a tree."

  "I understand, Lila. I understand it even more because of my own experience," said Aira. "I'm sure even you feel that this place is magical…"

  Aira realized she made a blunder when she saw Lila's expression change.

  "I'm sorry about that," Aira said. "But you know what I mean. You sensed it during your sessions with Alliot and other enlightened. And I saw you feel it yesterday."

  "Yeah, you are right," said Lila. "I sensed it. But I felt other things as well. It may be unfair to complain. After all the things you had to experience because of the actions of my peers. But… I need to have this… human… time."

  "I get that. I get that this place is very different from what we're used to," said Aira. "Even for me. Just… be careful on your journey. Do you still want me to check the route with Ainorrh?"

  "If you could just double-check with Ainorrh, that'd do," Lila said. "I think I've got a solid path across the river. No need for a wild goose chase when I can keep my footing."

  "The other thing is that we won't have any way of communication," said Aira. "The radios have a limited range. You won't be able to signal me if anything goes wrong."

  "I'll be safe, Aira," Lila promised, flashing a grin that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I just need some time to clear my head. You keep unraveling your mysteries—I'll be back before you've even cracked the next one open."

  ***

  At Aira's invitation, Ainorrh and Alliot also came to see Lila off, bringing some additional provisions for her journey. The same fruits and vegetables Lila had to eat during the weeks of her stay in Wentouk.

  "You know what's the first thing I'm doing when I step out of this oversized garden?" Lila grinned, eyes flashing. "I'm hunting down some real food. If I see another leafy meal, I might just start growing roots."

  "Who'd have thought, you had almost called me bloodthirsty, but in reality, it is you who wants to taste some blood," said Aira. "I'm not going to translate that to our enlightened friends. They seem content not consuming any meat."

  Ainorrh confirmed Lila's route. And that seemed to be the last thing that kept the human from beginning her journey. The forest around them didn't seem to notice that somebody was leaving. The enlightened community continued attending to their everyday duties. But for Lila, there wasn't much opportunity to interact with the people or with the magic anyway.

  As they stood at the forest's edge, ready to part ways, Aira gave Lila a reassuring smile.

  "Take care of yourself, Lila," said Aira and hugged the woman.

  Lila hugged Aira back, squeezing just a little tighter than necessary. "Thank you, Aira," she murmured. "You've shaken up my world like a storm in the canopy. I'll see you soon—don't go breaking the sky without me."

  Ainorrh didn't wait long after Lila made her first steps before speaking to Aira through the party interface: "Alliot mentioned that you wanted some advice."

  "You are not losing any time," said Aira. "I did want to ask you about other sources of elemental energy. But I don't plan to go anywhere before Lila comes back. She's an important participant of this journey."

  "Don't worry, we are not pushing you or her away," said Ainorrh. "If you decided to keep her, that's your right. But it would be wise to prepare everything. So that when Lila is back, you are ready to take the next step in your journey without any further delays."

  get one additional chapter!

  The Dark Lady's Guide to Villainy :)

  you can read 9 chapters ahead for only about $3.50! I'll even throw in a couple of interludes in the mix :)

  https://discord.gg/TMRUtjEXFz