Forged in the Light of New Stars

Brian

The seething turmoil that was my thoughts quieted when I stared at the creature that had attacked us. As soon as we entered the room, my skin tingled and the scent of ozone filled my nose as soft, quiet notes of a bittersweet melody reached my ears. There was an energy to the room, an energy similar to what I had felt on the beach, but stronger, more vivid. I tensed involuntarily and Ellya looked me in the eye, nodding quietly to let me know she had noticed. Gwe– Lin didn’t seem to be affected. He still had that stupid grin on his face like a kid in a candy store, that cute…no, ridiculous dress swishing back and forth as we walked along. 

He was the reason my mind was full of confusion. Lessons received at the end of a belt and the voice of paternal authority told me that what Lin claimed to be was wrong, impossible. Everyone knew that who you truly were was locked in before you were even born. The universe is ordained, a story already told, we just play the parts and pretend that the lines are of our own choosing. Least, that’s how Dad and the pastor explained it. Yet Lin looked so fucking happy. And this spider woman, Ellya, she acted like this was all cause for celebration, a wonderful yet natural thing. Was she just going along–? No, she was the same, wasn’t she…well. I wasn’t stupid. Saying something would just make them both angry with me and I didn’t want that. 

Fuck. Ellya had been talking and here I was, lost in my own head again. I slapped myself in the face, hard, to Ellya and Lin’s startled dismay. Holding up my other hand to show I was okay, I took a deep, shuddering breath. Focus on the moment. My eyes fixated on the creature suspended in a transparent tank full of shimmering liquid, a thin pane of glass between us and its rippling form. I licked my lips and spoke. “Apologies, Ellya, I was a bit preoccupied. The creature is rather unsettling, so I didn’t hear you. Could you repeat what you were saying?”

Ellya smiled patiently and one of her arachnid limbs touched my shoulder gently, in a comforting motion. “Of course. I was explaining just what a fluxbeast is: a creature created by or warped by the tides of wild magic that flow from fonts under the sea or from the land itself. The former we call Primal Fluxbeasts, the latter are Twisted Fluxbeasts. Twisted fluxbeasts can sometimes be healed, restored to whatever they were before being affected by wild magic. Primal fluxbeasts are wild magic incarnate and often far more destructive, attacking anything they can reach to try to drain their mana.” 

She walked closer to the tank, beckoning us to follow. Lin followed immediately, while I found myself frozen in place for a moment as I gathered my nerves. When I did finally join them, she continued. 

“Something is different about this one, however. Primal fluxbeasts don’t take to captivity well, thrashing about and testing the strength of their cages. This one is…quiet. Calm. Look.” She softly touched the glass with her spider limbs and the creature’s form ceased shifting, settling on a dog-like shape. It drifted close and examined the spots where she touched, tilting its head to the side in curiosity. After a moment, it shook its head and turned away. It had no eyes or even a face to determine its mood, but if I had to guess, it had gone to sleep. Ellya sighed thoughtfully. “I’ve never heard of one doing this. Something is different and I don’t think I have the tools to get to the bottom of this.”

“Brian? Are you alright?” 

Ellya looked at me with concern and I realized I’d been walking slowly towards the tank, my hand upraised. A nameless feeling stirred within me, connecting me to the creature. It was faint, but I looked closer and could tell that it was truly asleep. Some part of me was certain of it. Lin was also looking at me funny, his eyes unreadable as his bangs covered them in a rather pretty way– that is, it would have looked pretty on a girl. Right. Gotta focus.

I cleared my throat and pretended to adjust my shirt. She’d just laugh at me if I told her what I felt. “I’m fine! Don’t worry about me, I was just a little curious about the creature, that’s all. You were saying?”

Her numerous eyes narrowed in an expression that was at odds with the comforting smile she made. She held that look for a moment before continuing to speak in a relaxed tone. “Well, as I was saying earlier, I wanted to ask the two of you if you would be interested in traveling with me. I’m sure you would enjoy seeing more of our world and my colleague, Thalassa, will be delighted to meet you.” Ellya looked over at Lin as she continued. “Ey is the one I was referring to before who would be well suited to helping you with transitioning, if you so desire. Ey is an accomplished alchemist and has personal experience with body shaping.”

Lin’s face lit up with more excitement than I had seen in years and I felt a twinge in my gut, emotions I couldn’t put to words churning within me. His bizarre declaration was still too recent and I hadn’t processed it fully. My mind was so occupied that I missed the first part of his response. 

“--would really help someone like me? I don’t have any money and surely there are plenty of other people who would be better suited to–” Ellya stopped him with a hug. 

She spoke quietly. “I don’t know what your world is like these days, but I can tell that it has not been kind to you. Do not worry, Gwen, you are not alone here. Ever. Whatever you need, I will help you. Sisters look out for each other, right?” 

I looked away in embarrassment as tears fell from Lin’s face as he nodded in response. Sisters? The notion was appealing, I guess, but he had to know that no matter what he did, we were both men deep down. Right? My father’s words echoed in my head. “Son, whenever you meet one of these deviants, it’s best to just humor them. They ain’t right and they know it; you tryin’ to tell them so will just piss ‘em off. Smile and wave and never once give in to their lies. You hear me, boy?”

Right. I’d never make that mistake again. If Lin wanted me to call him ‘Gwen’ and treat him as a girl, I could do that. He’d realize that it’s hopeless, eventually. He had to. Still, this world seemed all too willing to feed into his delusions. I looked over at him, with that stupidly pretty dress and his soft hair and bright eyes. Sure, I’ll admit that if I didn’t know any better, he’d look like any other cute girl on the street. But I did know better. Have to remember that, always have to remember that, Brian. 

Lin and Ellya stopped talking after a moment and looked over at me with those concerned looks again. I shook my head. “What?”
Ellya muttered something under her breath before coming closer and putting a limb on my shoulder. “I’m sorry, Brian. This is a lot to take in and I haven’t given you enough time to process. I have a few things to work on here; why don’t you and Gwen get some rest. Feel free to wander the house, the little sisters will guide you if you need help finding anything. There is plenty of food if you get hungry, just let them know. I’ll catch up with you later. Apologies for overloading you with so much after you just got here. I know it all must seem so strange.”

Why was she being so nice to me? It was weird. Maybe Tellarans are just built different. Whatever, it was better than the pitying looks Lin was flashing my way. I pushed Ellya away and turned my back. “Yeah, that sounds nice. Some time alone would be great.” A thought occurred to me, filling me with dread, as I looked over my shoulder. “Wait, are the spiders always watching us?” 

Ellya chuckled. “No, no, not at all. Your rooms are private and if you should desire solitude elsewhere then just say so and the sisters will leave you be. There are sigils near the doorways around the house, tap them if you require anything and they will respond shortly.” 

Lin pulled Ellya into another hug. “Thank you, you’ve been so kind. A little time to process would be wonderful. Besides, I think Brian and I have a little bit to catch up on.” Ellya nodded as Lin pulled away and took my hand. 

My face grew hot with…embarrassment. Why was he holding my hand? Why was his hand so soft? Did he put lotion on it or something?

He paid no mind to my discomfort and led me back up the stairs. Before I knew it, we were standing in his room again and he flopped down on the bed with a satisfied sigh. “Can you believe it, Brian? A whole new world of magic and we get to enjoy it! No more dead-end jobs and dealing with small-town bigotry. It’s incredible!”

I looked away, pretending to study the tablets on the nearby shelf. “It’s…nice. A bit too nice, maybe. Ellya is pleasant and I’m glad she’s welcomed us with open arms, but that thing downstairs…it makes me uncomfortable.”

“That makes sense. It gives me the creeps too, but if I understand Ellya correctly, you’re the one it drained mana from. I imagine that feels a bit more disturbing than the wounds it inflicted on me.” A soft snapping sound behind me told me that Lin was biting his nails again, a nervous habit of his. “She was right, it is a lot to take in. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited, however. This is the kind of thing I’ve always dreamed of.” The snapping stopped and a girlish giggle made me flinch. “She’s okay with me being a woman, Brian! More than okay with it! Do you know how happy I am about that?” 

My hand gripped the shelf tight, nails digging into the smooth, alien material. I gritted my teeth and composed myself. Smile and wave, smile and wave. Turning back to Lin, I fixed a supportive grin on my face. “Of course! Happy for you! Still, I’m a little worried about all this fluxbeast stuff. And now she wants to take us to a city? How will we get there? I don’t know if I can handle a cross-country journey on foot. Do you think teleportation is a thing here?”

“Hmm, maybe! Then again, she made it sound like it would be a journey. If she could teleport, why not just pop over there right now and pop back?” 

I nodded, not meeting his eyes. It was hard to look directly at him, that dress he was wearing was distracting. “I suppose so. And what’s up with this Ey Thalassa person? Is his name Ey or Thalassa?”

Lin gave me a funny look before doubling over with laughter. “Oh! You wouldn’t know, would you! Ey isn’t a name, it’s a pronoun. I guess Tellaran has neopronouns, or the translation magic is picking the closest match we have in English.”

Was he teasing me? I growled. “It isn’t funny, you know. Start speaking sense.”

He stopped and grimaced apologetically. “Sorry, I forget sometimes that you don’t run in the same circles as I do. Well, you know pronouns like he and him, she and her, and whatnot?”

I nodded. 

“Well, ey and eir are the same sort of thing. Some people like terms like that instead of the more common sets. Sounds like Thalassa is one of them.” Lin shrugged. 

A chill went through me as I finally comprehended what he was saying. Ah. It was one of those queer things, wasn’t it? Absurd. Whatever, just smile and wave. I’d just have to wait and see what this Thalassa looked like. Man or woman, Thalassa would have to be something. This whole conversation was making me uncomfortable. “I think I’m going to go lie down for a bit.”

Lin got up and gave me a hug, surprising me. “You okay?”

I sighed as I tried to wriggle out of his grip. “I’m fine! I’m fine…just tired. This pronoun business is just as confusing as the rest; just give me more time to process, okay?” Close proximity made me realize that Lin smelled nice. What was that…something floral? It was weird. Guys shouldn’t smell like flowers. 

Lin finally pulled away. “Sorry, you’re right. Get some good rest, okay? You’re my best friend and as happy as I am to be here, I’m even happier that I get to share this experience with you.” His smile made my mouth go dry, my heart pounding in my chest. What in the world was going on? Lin had never had this effect on me before. 

I stammered a goodbye and fled the room. Father was right, people like Lin were dangerous. I’d known him almost my entire life, best bros through and through. One dress and everything felt different. I reached my own quarters and grumbled that I couldn’t slam the sliding door. I needed something, some way to vent my feelings. Searching around, I spotted the sink. Perfect. 

It took a little time to fill up high enough, the basin being rather deep. That suited my needs, so I couldn’t complain. Once it was ready, I plunged my head under the water and screamed. My lungs burned and the warm water made my eyes and nose sting. I kept screaming. Let it all out, feelings can’t hurt you if you just get rid of them. 

After a few rounds of coming back up for air so I could scream again, I was done. I stared into space and took deep breaths, letting my heart settle. A light tapping on my shoulder made me aware of how long I had been staring. I looked over and saw a tiny little spider waving at me. I flinched instinctively, before remembering that spiders here were Ellya’s friends. A good thing I had exhausted myself, or I might have tried to squash her without thinking. 

Something about the little creature comforted me. Which was weird; I was terrified of spiders. But her little eyes shimmered in the light and her front limbs waved back and forth in soothing gestures. I gave her a tired smile. “I’m okay. Just had to calm myself down, that’s all.”

The little sister, as Ellya had called her, sat for a moment, then jumped up and tapped my cheek lightly, before landing and nodding in understanding. She gestured towards the sink and I looked to see the basin of water was glowing slightly and the mirror had a crack in it. Oh.

“Did…did I do that?” 

The spider nodded. 

“Sorry, I’m not sure how I did it.” The energized feeling I’d had since waking up was duller and I put two and two together to realize that I had just used a bit of magic, like Ellya had talked about. Fear shot through me. She’d said that was dangerous to use if you weren’t a mage. I looked down at the spider. “Could you…can you relay a message to Ellya? I’d like to talk to her, alone, if I could.”

The little sister saluted with one of her forelimbs and leapt on to a nearby strand of webbing I hadn’t noticed until now. She scurried up and vanished into a hole in the ceiling. 

Looking around, the hospital style table that had been here previously was gone and a soft, comfortable bed had taken its place. I collapsed into it, sinking into the plush cushions and soft sheets. My fingers idly ran along the fabric and I realized the sheets were spidersilk. Of course they were. I chuckled quietly, less out of amusement and more out of bewilderment. This place was so strange. 

The fantastical elements didn’t really bother me. After all, I’d dreamt of such places since I was a child. No, what upset me was Lin. Something about all of this girl stuff felt familiar, but my memory refused to connect the dots. Well, nothing to be done for it. I’d screamed my feelings out and now I could bury them. A little trick my mother had taught me, years ago, when I was in high school. Bottling your emotions up was dangerous, but screaming them out was healthy. Healthier, I guess. My throat hurt a little bit. 

The glowing water and cracked mirror were troubling. A part of me was giddy over the idea that I could use magic. Real magic! Another part of me remembered Ellya’s words and was terrified that I had already gone too far and my body would change. I tried to imagine what would happen if I kept using magic like that…what would I look like? A vision danced in my mind, a vague silhouette of my body changing and twisting about. I tried to focus on the image, make out what it was, but my mind recoiled from it, sliding away like butter on a hot skillet. 

No matter, Ellya could fix it. She could do anything…

My eyes felt heavy and I closed them, just for a moment. A little rest, that’s all I needed.

****

The ephemeral visions of my dreams frayed into nothingness as I opened my eyes slowly, waking up in response to someone shaking me softly. I looked up to see Ellya smiling at me, her silver hair tied back in an elaborate braid. So pretty; I wonder if my hair could do that. Reaching up before I could stop myself, I was stopped by her taking my hand and pulling me slowly into a sitting position. 

She brushed my unruly hair to the side and I wondered if she had picked up on what I was thinking. The room was dim with soft purple light and I couldn’t tell how long I’d been asleep. Ellya spoke quietly. “Sorry to wake you up, you looked like you needed the rest. Aria was worried about you and said you wanted to see me?”

I yawned and noticed a welcome glass of water beside me. Taking a few sips, I gathered my thoughts. Aria must be the little spider. Cute name. The sink was still full of water, but it no longer glowed. The mirror shimmered with silken strands that slowly vanished, leaving the surface repaired as each piece dissolved into light. 

Ellya followed my gaze and patted my hand. “Don’t worry about the mirror. It’ll be fine in no time. You’ve been asleep for a few hours, I thought it best to let you nap. Your body is unused to wielding mana and I imagine that must have taken a lot out of you.”

“Am I…am I going to be okay? You said using magic like that is dangerous, I didn’t mean to, is something going to happen to me?” I sipped the water slowly, trying to stay calm. 

She continued to hold my hand as she replied. “You’ll be fine. I’m sorry if I scared you with my explanation of magic earlier. You didn’t do anything wrong. Old magic can be harmful to non-mages, it’s true, but the danger lies mostly in trying to actively use it. What you did is harmless. Happens to children all the time. If you aren’t used to it, mana has a habit of leaking out when you are upset. Learning how to stop that from happening is simple. I’d planned to teach you on the journey, but you’re an eager boy, aren’t you?” She smirked, letting me know she was teasing. 

I sighed in relief before cursing myself under my breath. Of course, I didn’t keep my emotions in check and it caused trouble for others. Wasn’t the first time…but I thought I was better than this. “I’m sorry, Ellya. I’ll do better.” 

She looked at me for a bit, staring right into my eyes as her own glowed with silvery light. I felt uncomfortable after a moment, feeling oddly naked before her. She bit her lip thoughtfully before speaking. “It’s okay, Brian. Truly. I may have, in my excitement, tried to share too much of my world with you, before you were ready. The records warn that otherworlders often arrive here with heavy burdens weighing on them. I should have taken things a little slower.” She held my head gently with two of her arachnid limbs. “I’d like to do something to help you, but I would like your permission first, if that’s alright? Your body is still adjusting to the flow of mana here, using reflexes you didn’t even know you had. I’d like to send some mana into you, to help you relax, but doing so requires me to use magic on you directly. Is that okay?” 

I pondered for a moment. “Wouldn’t that be as dangerous as using magic myself?”

She smiled. “Not at all, though I’m glad you are paying attention. Remember, the danger in old magic is shaping the mana yourself. I’ll be doing the shaping, so the magic that flows through you will be safe. If that is okay?” 

I nodded. “Okay then, I trust you. If it’s safe though, why ask me at all?” 

Ellya responded by humming with her eyes closed, her limbs glowing dimly as I felt a soothing chill move through me. She opened her eyes with a soft smile. “Consent is important. You’ve just had a scare involving magic so if I’d just used it on you without warning, I would be inconsiderate of your feelings.” She let go and I sat back a bit. “How do you feel?”

I tilted my head from side to side and stretched my arms behind me. “Better.” I told her honestly. “Really good, actually.”

“That’s wonderful. Now, let’s talk about what happened. Aria said she found you screaming into the sink? She also apologizes for entering your room without warning, by the way.” 

“Oh, it’s okay. I’m sorry for troubling her. Spiders scare me a bit, but she’s nice.” I stared down at the rumpled fabric of my shirt, focusing on the swirling designs. “Sometimes, when things get too much, I have to let it out. Screaming into water…helps.”

Ellya listened thoughtfully and squeezed my hand gently as I spoke. I opened my mouth to tell her why I was upset, but found I couldn’t speak. She was like Lin, after all. How could she understand why I was so bothered? Then again, was she like Lin? She said she was, but she wasn’t anything like my parents had talked about. I could remind myself that Lin was a man like me, deep down, because I’d known him for so long. Ellya was, without a question, a woman. The idea that she was some kind of deviant like him was hard to imagine. Was she just being nice to Lin? She was being so nice to me, after all. Not that I deserved it, I’d only caused her trouble since we met. 

I looked up and met her gaze. “I just started thinking about my family, what they might be thinking when I don’t come home on time. They’ve no idea that I’m here and they rely on me to pay the bills.” I lied through my teeth. “Not that I’m not excited to be here, I am. Just worried about them, that's all.”

She nodded. “I understand. You aren’t alone in that, I was doing a little more reading about otherworlders like you…your reaction isn’t uncommon. It can be a lot, finding yourself in a strange place so unlike what you know. But I hope it is a comfort when I tell you that all the accounts I could find agreed that coming here was always a good thing. Whatever pulls people from your world to ours, I think it tries to find those who would be helped by the journey.”

I thought about the strange woman who had beckoned us through the portal and wondered if she was some kind of mage or goddess, pulling people into Tellara. Her face had been kind and I’d not felt any fear when I accepted her offer. Thinking about my family was making me worried now, but maybe Ellya was right. Maybe coming here was a good thing. They could fend for themselves without me, for a while.

“That is a comfort, thank you.” I fidgeted a bit, suddenly nervous. “Ellya, can I ask…why have you been so keen on helping us? A pair of strangers dropping right on your doorstep out of nowhere…that has to be a bother. I’m sure you are very busy and we’ve just been taking up all of your time…I’ve been taking up all of your time.”

She patted me gently on the head as she stood. “Not at all, Brian. My duties here are easy enough and you two have been no trouble at all. Besides, my goddess always taught us to build connections with each other. A web of community, to shelter all from the storms of life. You and Gwen needed help, I am able to provide it. That is all there is to it.”

That sounded too good to be true. She must be expecting something in return, surely. “Well, I’m indebted to you. Tell me how to pay you back and I’ll gladly do it. You’ve given us food, shelter, safety, that has to cost something.”

Ellya frowned. “Is that how it is in your world? If someone is starving or hurting, do you not help them?” I shrugged wearily as she continued. “I’d read something about this, but I didn’t want to believe it. Earth is a terrifying place, it seems. Well, Brian, something you should know about Tellara is that we consider the basic needs of survival to be something everyone is entitled to. The world itself was shattered and in that dire time, we came together to survive. All we have is each other. The notion that someone could starve, could die, because they don’t have enough money…that’s horrifying to me. We use currency here, but only to help organize resources a little. In many communities, it isn’t necessary at all.”

My mind reeled. “What, is this place some kind of utopia?” I scoffed.

She shrugged. “Tellara is not perfect; we have our own conflicts and struggles. Arguments among various parts of our society, dangers from fluxbeasts and wild mana storms…these things happen. But you have to realize, we are a society that barely survived disaster. The troubles of your world, as I understand it, are similar to the ones we faced before the cataclysm. Experiencing such an event affects your entire world...it leaves scars. And it changes things. You’ll find that every person has felt the echoes of that event in some way. Some people were there for it, others lost family and friends.” Ellya looked at me with a fierce gleam in her eyes. Her voice was thick with emotion. “Kindness and compassion are not resources to be hoarded. They must be freely given and you’ll find that I am not unique among my people in my willingness to help. You needed me, so I was there for you. It is that simple.”    

It was that simple, huh? I didn’t know how to respond. My family had always told me that nothing was free, everything had to be earned. When my parents lost their well-paying jobs, it was my duty to keep the family afloat. That was my repayment for them bringing me into the world, a debt I must continually repay. For Ellya to refute that entire concept, to give freely of what she had for someone without knowing anything about them…I didn’t know how to process that. Had anyone ever treated me like this? I guess Lin, but we were best friends, that was just how things were. My memories whispered that there was someone else, long ago, but I couldn’t recall their face or name. All I could remember was feeling as safe around them as I felt around Ellya now.

My eyes were hot with tears and I realized I was sobbing. Shameful. I tried to compose myself, but all of my weariness just flowed out of me as she walked over and held me. 

“It’s okay, Brian. Let it out. You’re safe here,” she crooned gently as I cried. 

I decided right then and there that I would do anything to help her. Kindness deserved kindness in turn. Even if she didn’t consider there to be any debt between us, I did. I would do anything to repay her. 

With a deep, shuddering breath, I pulled away and smiled at her. “Thank you. For everything.” A shimmer caught my eye and I realized that my tears were lifting off of my face and floating into the air, glowing softly. 

Ellya smiled and tapped one of the tears, watching it burst into nothingness, leaving behind a slight scent of ozone and ocean spray. “You feel things strongly, don’t you, Brian? Your magic can’t help but leak out, whether in joy or in pain. Never fear, I’ll teach you everything you need to know. Let’s start with a simple lesson. I want you to hum along with me.”

I did as she asked, following along as she hummed a simple melody. 

“Good, good, now keep humming that tune. I want you to visualize a bright orb at the center of your being, vibrating along with the song.” She resumed humming as I did so. 

With my eyes closed, I could distinctly see an aquamarine sphere that rippled with the sound as I focused and hummed. A feeling of peace washed through me as everything attuned to the simple rhythm. 

“You’re doing great, Brian.” The orb wobbled in response to hearing my name, but I refocused as she continued. “Now, I want you to open your eyes and focus on the tears. Recognize the energy within you and the energy within them as the same. Pull them slowly to you until they rejoin the orb, okay?” 

It was surprisingly easy to do as she directed. The song I had been humming resonated with the tears and they floated back to me in unison, passing through my shirt and sinking into my chest. The orb ceased to ripple and its smooth surface sparkled in time with the song. I looked up at Ellya. “That was easy!”

She patted me on the head, a teacher proud of her student. “You’re a natural. That orb is your soul, the energy within a reflection of your mana reserves. Anytime you feel anything leaking out of that orb or if you feel anything pulling into it that isn’t your own energy, I want you to hum that song and focus on making the orb smooth like it is now. A calm soul is a bastion against the tides of mana around you. With practice, your soul will build up a barrier that will keep you safe and allow you to use mana only when you wish to do so.” She flashed a teasing grin at me. “I hadn’t expected your soul to look like that, it’s cute!”

I blushed. “What do you mean?” 

She laughed. “Souls are reflections of ourselves, the nature of who we are. They are complex, unfathomable in their depths and nuances, just as people are. But the outer surface of a soul is a little insight, to the eyes of a practiced mage. Don’t worry, seeing your soul like this is only possible because you are untrained. But looking at you is like looking at the sea. Such brilliant hues, shifting and swirling around. It’s rather pretty. I’d been rather curious to see what an otherworlder’s soul looks like. I assume that people on your world cannot see such things?”

I looked away, still blushing. Pretty? Me? Preposterous. I covered my reaction with a snort. “People talk about souls back home, but nobody has ever really seen one or measured it. Souls are just something we all assume exists, I guess. Or doesn’t exist, depending on who you ask.”

Ellya clapped her hands in delight. “Fascinating, fascinating indeed. You’ll have to tell me more sometime.” She glanced up at the wall and gasped. “Oh dear, we’ve been chatting longer than I thought. Gwen will be waiting for us in the kitchen. Let’s get you some food, shall we?” 

My stomach rumbled in response and I chuckled. “Yeah, that sounds good. Thank you, Ellya, for everything. And that trip you mentioned? I’m up for it. Whatever you need from me, just ask.” 

“Thank you, Brian. I think you’ll enjoy it. Now, I’ll give you a little privacy to clean up. Aria will be waiting outside to guide you to the kitchen, whenever you are ready.” Ellya waved to me from the doorway as she left.

“Pretty…” I muttered as I rinsed my face and combed my hair with my fingers. My reflection looked back at me mockingly. I sighed. “Well, she can think as she likes, I can’t stop her.” 

The mirror continued to mend as I dried off with a nearby towel and left my room, following the little spider I was growing quite fond of as we made our way to the kitchen.