Ray - Journey (1)

When Gima came to, the riders and the other newcomers had long since vanished. Their presence was now nothing more than a fading memory. Ray was still sitting on the scorched earth, though it no longer reeked of the suffocating stench of burnt vegetation. The air remained heavy, filled with lingering smoke and ash, mingling with the fresh chill of the rising winds.

Elga emerged from the nearby forest, lost in thought. The tall trees cast long shadows over the stream. The usual two riders flanked her, their bodies marked by past labors and the creeping cold. The wind picked up, swirling around them.

Eri sat cross-legged beside Ray. His head was bowed as if lost in thought, eyes closed. He was probably cultivating. Demoa lay not far off, her gaze fixed on the murky sky. The group had waited, holding their breath, until Gima stirred again. The Sage, in particular, seemed thankful for the pause, using it to search within himself for clarity and comfort, and to strengthen his lucidity.

"Where... where is everyone?" Gima’s voice broke the silence. It was weak and trembling. She struggled to sit up, pressing a hand to her head.

"Gone. They're already gone, Gima. We only waited to see if you were lucid enough to come with us."

Ray’s tone was distant. Her eyes remained fixed on something far away, something invisible to the others.

"What are you talking about...? Oh... it's you! You listened to me! Thank you! Who knows what else might have happened?"

Gima exhaled, her eyes lighting up as she recognized Ray.

She visibly relaxed and sank back into the charred grass. Her hands moved gently over the blackened blades, as if she could draw warmth or comfort from the earth itself. Ray watched her, her expression confused.

"Why aren’t you afraid of me? Earlier... Gima, you looked like you were about to run the moment you saw me," Ray said, her voice caught between frustration and disbelief.

Gima blinked, her gaze soft and searching.

"You? No! I was trying to warn you about him, and him about you. I’m not exactly sure. Seeing you both together made me panic. There was something between you, something wrong. Dangerous. It felt like the end of the world was coming straight for me... Hm. Maybe that sounds exaggerated. Just a hunch? But it really knocked the ground out from under me and... well, you saw it."

Her words came slowly, each one dragging into the silence between them

"What do you mean by that?" Ray’s voice sharpened. Something desperate was rising inside her.

It was me! It had to be! She went half-mad because of me... didn't she?

"Gima, you pointed at me!"

"No. At both of you. Not just you. Wasn’t that clear? I know it was hectic, and everyone was tense, but..."

Gima’s voice faded as Elga stepped forward.

"You’re awake," the Sage said joyfully, her eyes shining with relief.

She knelt beside her. She and the two riders began preparing a small fire pit. Eri, returned from his cultivation yet still distant, kindled the wood with a brief shimmer of red light that swirled from his fingertips. The fire crackled gently, casting warmth into the cold air.

Ray’s thoughts drifted back to Gima’s words and gestures.

It had been those actions, that warning, that had made her burn two people alive. That had led her to scorch Demoa’s eyes and made her arms catch fire. Rage boiled in Ray, a deep searing fury she struggled to contain. She clenched her fists but forced herself to breathe, to stay calm. It wasn’t worth it. Not anymore. She had chosen another path. But still, Gima’s panic had helped bring it all about. Had nearly gotten Dio strangled by those two men...

"Here, touch this," Elga said softly, pulling Ray from her thoughts.

She handed Gima the stone from her wooden box. Her eyes held a strange blend of hope and worry.

Despite everything, Ray felt a pull of curiosity. What would Gima see? Would there be another vision, more meaning arriving in the Dream? Or had Ray been the only one to see something that mattered?

Gima frowned. She placed her hands on the radiating stone. Ray held her breath. Every muscle in her body tensed.

"There is... not much. Just blurry, distant points of light. They shimmer green..."

Her voice was quiet, confused.

A faint white glow formed around her, just like before when she had spoken to the old man by the stream. But her vision was blurry, meaningless... How could that be? Ray had been so sure. Certain that Gima carried enough light. That she, too, would become a Lucid.

Elga sighed, disappointed. Eri’s expression changed. His gaze hardened as he looked at Gima.

"It’s probably best if you go out into the world now," he said. "Olver... can you take her? Find a settlement where she’ll be safe, somewhere she’ll be comfortable. I think she’s had enough stress for a while."

His voice left little room for discussion.

"Seriously? That can’t be! I saw her light when she appeared, and..." Demoa burst out. She sounded shaken, confused.

Eri silenced her with a sharp glance, making her face turn red and her eyes drop to the ground. Gima, meanwhile, looked at peace.

"A settlement... yes. That sounds nice. I think... I’d like that. And maybe... maybe I’ll keep traveling. I guess I’ll have to get used to feeling things when I’m around other people," she said quietly, looking at Eri.

A soft, distant glow flickered around her.

"I’m sorry that you carry such terrible remorse. I hope you can let it go someday."

Eri flinched, only for a second. His face hardened into a mask of pain. Though he said nothing.

One of the nearby men motioned for Gima to follow him. He was broad-shouldered, with unruly reddish-brown hair and a face that had weathered many things. His mount, a sturdy creature with clever eyes, was tied to a tree at the forest’s edge.

The other man, who Elga had introduced as Sars, appeared to be younger. He had a blond stubble beard and a wild look in his eyes. He settled near the group, silent and distant.

Gima rose slowly. She gave a small, respectful bow toward Ray.

"Well... I don’t know your name. But I’m glad you’re no longer with that young man. I had a terrible feeling when I saw you together. Be careful if you meet him again, all right? And you..."

She turned to Demoa. Her expression changed. Another faint light shimmered on her face.

"When I look at you, I see... little baby chickens. Fluffy, cute ones. Strange, I know. Take care of them, whatever that means."

Demoa blinked, confused but silent, as Gima turned to leave.

Olver, already looking impatient, gave Elga a quick nod.

"When she’s safe in her new home, come back as soon as you can," Elga said softly.

"I will," Olver replied. His voice was rough but certain.

He and Gima disappeared into the trees. The forest closed around them.

Soon, only Elga, Demoa, Eri, and Sars remained by the stream, where not long ago so many had begun chasing their new fate.

They sat there in silence. It felt endless. Until Ray finally spoke.

"What did she mean, Eri?"

"That’s not your concern. We have to move on, Sparky. All of us," he said with calm finality.

"That sounds a lot like regret..."

"I might be wrestling with something. But you all have your own battles ahead. When you’ve faced them and won, we can talk. Until then, don’t bring it up."

His tone ended the conversation.

Demoa hesitated. Then quietly said, "As for me... I don’t really know what I want. Does anyone even know what baby chickens are? I remember something... fluffy and yellow, like Gima said, but... maybe I’m wrong. Maybe they never existed like that?"

Sars spoke without looking up.

"They do. I’ve seen them. Some people keep animals for food, for materials. The clothes I’m wearing? They’re made from a rankuh’s hide. Dangerous beast. Nearly woke me up. If Elga hadn’t been there, I’d be gone."

Elga shook her head.

"You don’t have to follow me around, though. You don’t owe me anything," she said, sounding like she had said the same words before a hundred times.

Ray ignored her and turned to Sars.

"You’re a hunter? Do you even have to eat here? I mean... aren’t we dead?"

Elga answered before Sars could respond. He stared into the fire. His face was flushed, his body tense.

"You can eat. It brings satisfaction, but you don’t need to. Still, there’s meaning in a good meal. Fulfillment. Many of us work for that. Whether we’re dead... I don’t even know. We only know we’re still here. This place, the Dream, it feels more real than anything I ever imagined the afterlife to be. I guess? I don’t even think it is an afterlife. It’s something else. A continuation. A different kind of life. More life?"

Demoa nodded slowly.

"That makes as much sense as other possible explanations. I don’t remember anything from before. I just woke up surrounded by strangers who seemed really nice. But none of them remembered either..."

Ray cut her off, voice sharp.

"They didn’t seem so nice to me."

Demoa flinched. She took a deep breath before replying.

"We’ve all made mistakes. I really thought Gima had pointed at Dio. I thought she saw him as a danger. That’s why I tried so hard to stop you from reaching him before you..."

Ray felt as if she’d been hit in the face. A cold shiver ran through her.

"Demoa... I’m sorry. Truly. I feel awful for what I did to you. I won’t pretend to deserve your forgiveness, but..."

"Don’t worry about it," Demoa said. "I’m not going to act like everything’s fine. But I don’t really blame you. At least... no more than I blame myself."

Her voice was almost cheerful, but the hesitation beneath it made Ray feel even worse.