Ray - Journey (2)

Still, Elga urged her to continue. “Tell me... what exactly happened? I’m confused. When we saw the flash of light, I knew we had to hurry. Light flaring up so soon after the arrival of newcomers is rare, and usually, it’s a sign of trouble. But beyond that, we don’t know anything about the situation.”

Ray sighed. She kept her explanation as brief as possible.

“Gima could see and feel things in the people around her. What she saw caused tension and problems. Damn it, why did she have to blurt everything out? Just now, she didn’t even seem to understand what she was doing herself…”

“Easy now, Sparky,” Eri said gently. “Even if Gima wasn’t lucid enough to accept the light and grow in its beauty, there was still something special about her.”

“And what exactly was that? What did she do?”

“That... I can’t say. I believe even we are only beginning to understand lucidity. Some try to test its limits, but true insights rarely come from within the Dream. Everything new, as far as I know, comes from outside. It’s brought here by people like you, Sparky.”

Eri’s gaze was calm but serious.

“Stop calling me that. My name is Ray.”

Eri smiled slightly.

“A name of light. Another sign. All the more reason for you to go and find yourself. You need to understand your connection to the Light. It’s strong, but in strength there’s always danger.”

“So you keep saying.”

“So I keep saying.”

Demoa, who had remained quiet until now, spoke almost in a whisper. “Excuse me, Eri? I’ve been wondering... the circle Ray saw, the one Elga can also create... why is it so special? Do you know? I feel strange whenever I think about it. Peaceful. Almost like I’m floating.”

Elga nodded.

“The stone you all touched has been used by Sages for generations. Some say Vac himself unearthed it. The light it carries is pure and focused. It can summon images more clearly than anything else we know. It gently shakes your mind and shows you the light within yourself. Normally, you see only faint shapes, maybe blurry impressions. But what you witnessed, light that clear, is extremely rare. A blessing.”

“I see... That might explain why it’s stayed with me,” Demoa murmured, eyes drifting toward the fire.

After a pause, Ray spoke again.

“One more thing... How often do new people arrive here? And how did you even know we’d come? You showed up just in time to save me.”

“All across the Dream, Sages dwell. They can sense when something stirs. Everyone can, to some extent, but they are the ones who feel it most. That gives them enough time to gather others from the settlements to help the newcomers, to guide them or give them a place to begin. Still, it doesn’t happen very often. Maybe there’s some kind of balance. Once enough people awaken, new ones appear?” Elga answered softly.

“You mentioned it before. Awakening. Does that mean death?”

“No. Merely another kind of life, I think. We’re inside the Dream, so naturally, we leave it by waking up,” Eri replied.

Ray looked at him, doubtful.

“Do you know that... or believe it?”

“Both. In a way. I believe we go back to wherever we came from. Maybe to gather new memories. Maybe to carry them into this place when we return. The Dream is stable, but when newcomers arrive, new things appear. Trees, plants, little details no one’s seen before. Never anything huge, but enough to change the Dream. I like to believe that what came before, our other life, prepares the ground for this one.”

“But... you also know it?” Demoa asked quietly.

“Not really,” Elga answered for him. “Eri believes in old rumors. There aren’t many travelers. Most people here do the same one or two things every day. Their thoughts get soft, as if the Dream dulls them. But some say people who once awakened eventually returned, after a long time. But they’re stories, nothing more.”

“They sound believable! Why should that not be how it works? And those stories are more comforting than the idea that we only get one shot, and if we fail, we disappear forever. Mistakes happen here too. Even terrible ones,” Eri said, his voice low. He stared into the fire.

Yes... mistakes happen.

Ray sighed and looked away, pushing her guilt aside once more. “That’s a nice thought. But I’m not convinced. If Dio were here, he’d probably argue. But he’s not...”

Elga’s gaze softened. “You’ll see him again, Ray. I’m sure of it. But focus on yourself first. Before you enter any kind of relationship with him, make sure you’re whole. You can’t carry a burden like that into someone else’s arms. Who knows what the two of you brought with you, without even realizing it.”

Again, silence settled around them. Only the fire spoke, its quiet crackling like whispers through the dullness of the gray skies.

“I hate to admit it, but you’re right. I don’t even know who I am. Or what I’m capable of... good or bad,” Ray said at last.

“Me neither,” Demoa added, and though her voice was light it sounded uncertain.

She looked cautiously at Eri. “And you, Sage?”

“Oh, you misunderstood. I am not a Sage yet. I’m still walking,” he replied. “Still searching. I’m a Pilgrim. Elga, though, has settled nearby. She helps me with the newcomers. It’s rare for any to arrive, but it’s important to test their lucidity early. If you don’t, two Awakened might not be the only damage, like in your case.”

Ray’s cheeks flushed. The weight of it all stirred again in her chest.

“To be honest... I thought Eri was your teacher,” she said quickly, turning to Elga.

Elga let out a sharp breath, half-snort, half-laugh. “No, he has been here way longer than I have. He even welcomed me a long time ago. I could teach him a thing or two about forests, though, about quiet clearings and strange flowers. But if you told me he was the wiser one, I wouldn’t disagree.”

“Not wiser. Merely more well-traveled,” Eri said, frowning.

“That’s true. He’s been wandering since before I arrived. And that feels like forever ago. Some even call him the Lone Wanderer, because he never stays in one place,” Elga explained.

Even Sars, who had kept to himself until now, glanced at Eri with quiet curiosity.

“I hate that name. Please... don’t use it,” Eri said flatly.

“As you wish. But your reputation remains. When I started my own Pilgrimage, I saw wonders. But eventually, I had to settle. Eri didn’t. He kept walking. Always onward.”

Again, silence came, this time for longer.

“So... you’re still looking for yourself? What if I search that long? Or longer? Will I never see Dio again...?” Ray finally asked.

Her voice had grown small.

“Don’t worry, Sparky. That’s unlikely. I’m an exception. My journey began even before I sought the light,” Eri answered.

But his voice was too even, too solemn. It only made Ray more afraid. Elga pulled a face, lowered her voice, and rasped playfully, mimicking him until she coughed.

“And some say he comes from another realm... wandered through distant deserts in searing winds…”

She laughed, then fell silent. Eri’s expression had turned cold.

“I’m sorry, Eri. I didn’t mean to make fun of you. I just wanted to make sure Ray and Demoa weren’t afraid of their own journeys.”

He did not answer.

“A Pilgrimage... wait, did you say ‘another realm’? What’s that supposed to mean?” Ray asked, intrigued.

“Nothing,” Eri said a bit too quickly.

But Elga wasn’t finished.

“We don’t know how far the Dream stretches. Some say it’s infinite. But our part of it has boundaries. The Voids. Impassable places. Mountains that cut the sky. Fog-hidden seas. Deserts no one has crossed. Still, some try. Sometimes loneliness pushes them. They step into the unknown, hoping to find someone who will feel close to them. Maybe some bonds stretch between realms, maybe not. But some believe they do.”

“That sounds terrifying,” Demoa whispered.

Ray nodded slowly. “Have any of you actually spoken with someone from another realm?”

“No,” Eri said. “Anyone who claims to is lying. It’s foolish and dangerous to cross a Void. That’s why I hate the rumors. I didn’t cross one. I’m not a madman. I just... it doesn’t matter what I am. What matters is that we don’t know what the other realms look like. There are only glimpses, seen in deep cultivation when minds wander too far. People say they’ve seen floating islands, impossible cities, sterile towers. And some speak of darker things, realms filled with monsters, creatures of hate and madness. But it’s all mere fragments. Nothing proven. This realm is big enough. I’ve traveled through it since forever, and I haven’t seen even half of it. The voids are a waste of time.”

He closed his eyes. His body swayed slightly. A soft hum left his lips, coarse and somehow old.

Ray couldn’t tell if he was trying to block out the thoughts or slip into unplanned cultivation.

Probably both.

The fire was dying. Only embers remained.

Ray knew Eri could have reignited it in an instant, but he didn’t. He didn’t seem interested in saying anything else.

Who are you, Lone Wanderer?, Ray thought, but knew it was not her place to ask the question aloud.