Elga blinked at Dio, confused.
"I need to know what you see!" she said, her eyes narrowing with unease for the first time.
Dio stared at her, then dropped the stone back into the chest.
"Nothing. I see absolutely nothing."
Slowly, a look of fear spread across Elga's face, seeming strangely out of place. She threw a glance at Eri, then back at Dio, and repeated her question with greater urgency.
"What… what do you see? A glow? Distant shapes? Colors? Anything?"
Dio now studied her carefully.
"No. Nothing. Are we done? I don't mean to be rude, but I'd like to get back to Ray..."
"Tell me what you saw! NOW!"
Eri suddenly lunged forward, storming toward Dio.
For a moment, Ray thought he would burst into flames again, but the man simply stopped and stared at Dio with his piercing eyes.
"It was nothing! I saw nothing!" Dio said, nervously raising his hands.
"So... darkness?" Eri hissed.
Ray noticed a reddish aura rising from the man. Dio seemed oblivious to it, only looking confused.
"No, not darkness. Nothing. How many times do I have to say it? I see neither darkness nor light. Neither colors nor shapes nor anything else. I don't even feel anything. It's just a beautiful, glowing stone. It's almost like being blind… and honestly, it's a little unsettling..."
The red mist around Eri faded.
Now he looked more confused than alarmed.
"Forgive our... outbursts. I thought you carried darkness in your heart. I've never actually heard of something like this actually happening, but a friend of mine has speculated about it. Because if one can see light within these stones, then couldn't one also..."
He shook his head.
"But that's irrelevant. It seems you have no connection to the light. You cannot possibly be a Lucid. What I don't understand," he added, pointing toward Ray, "is that your friend over there carries the brightest light I've ever seen... and even more confusing, she describes you as connected to her..."
"What is that? What does it mean to be 'connected'?" Dio asked curiously, though he subtly stepped a little farther away from Elga and Eri.
"It's not very common, but it does happen. Two people are bound by an invisible thread. Soulmates, so to speak. We don't exactly know why. Maybe they knew each other before? Or they share something strong? Whatever it is, they sense each other's presence when they're near and give each other a feeling of safety… or so it's said. Sometimes there are other positive impressions, too. A bond can also be created with time, but it's never as strong as one that exists from the beginning. I haven't been able to gather much information about it; there were more important things to focus on during my travels," Eri grumbled.
"Yeah, that fits perfectly! That's exactly how I feel around her," Dio confirmed.
"That can't be. People who arrive already bonded usually have almost equal talent for Lucidity. You have none. And our little Sparky over there..."
He let the sentence hang, as if he didn't need to say more after what Ray had done earlier.
Dio stared at Ray in disbelief. She too was utterly confused.
The feelings of closeness that Eri described matched exactly what she felt toward Dio.
He was her home, her safety.
Her light.
Those thoughts had driven her to burn two people and gravely wound Demoa...
It's impossible that he and I aren't connected! Impossible!
"There must be a mistake, Eri! I can feel his presence from over here, even with my eyes closed! He's there! I know it!"
"Maybe you just got used to him when you woke up?" Elga murmured, already moving toward the last two men by the stream, who were watching Dio and Ray with distrust.
"He was probably the first thing you saw here. The first person. That can have a strong influence. Maybe that alone was enough to forge a new bond?"
The men, too, were not attuned enough to the light and, like the others before them, had decided to join one of the rider groups.
"What about her?" Dio asked cautiously, glancing at the still-unconscious Gima.
"She seems to be in shock. She's retreated deep within herself. I can understand that; the light that came from Sparky is overwhelming, and her potential is... almost frightening. We'll wait here until that woman recovers. Then we'll continue, with her... or without her, along with Demoa and Ray," Eri decided.
"I'm coming with you as well!" Dio said firmly, narrowing his eyes.
"No," Eri said, fixing Dio with a piercing stare.
"Yes, he's coming with us. I won't be separated from him! If he stays, then I stay here too!" Ray countered, carefully rising to her feet.
Her legs still felt wobbly and useless, but with some effort, she managed to stand.
"I wouldn't recommend that," Elga said cautiously as she approached, slowly lifting the lid of the chest again.
"What if you hurt someone like Demoa again? Or... something even worse?"
Ray felt blood rush to her face. Inside, she cursed herself. The danger within her was undeniable. Without caution or help, she might eventually harm someone at a critical moment. Maybe even Dio.
What if she burned him with her light in a dark moment?
What if she was his greatest threat?
"Take it," Elga instructed her gently but firmly.
Ray swallowed and looked at the smooth, glowing surface of the crystalline stone the sage held out to her. As she reached out her hand, her fear melted away and was replaced by a soothing warmth. The stone felt right in her hands, neither too hot nor too cold. She finally looked into it. Lights danced within, and she sensed something down in her mind, something quickly rising from the depths of her subconsciousness.
Then it appeared before her, bright and clear like nothing she had ever seen before: A circle, pure white and flawless. Awe flooded her, followed by pride and joy. The shape floated before her inner eye, growing brighter with each moment. The whole world seemed to fold into this circle, and all she felt was happiness as tears streamed down her face.
"A circle. Pure light and perfect form," she whispered, the words flowing from her lips like a melody.
A soft click shattered her experience, and the vision faded. The hills, the nearby forest, the stream... Dio and Gima, Eri and Elga, the other riders, the people... everything returned, and she was back among them. Before her lay the old wooden box in the soft grass.
"I... I remember..."
Elga stared into the distance, wringing her hands.
"Ray... I remember... the circle... it is perfection expressed as light. What else could it be? I have seen so many round things during my time in the Dream, but I never really paid attention... never understood the meaning behind them..."
She let out a hollow laugh and looked at Eri, who was staring at her with wide, astonished eyes.
"SHE SAW A CIRCLE! SHE SAW A SYMBOL! THE SYMBOL OF LIGHT ITSELF! SHE SEPARATED IT FROM THE DARKNESS, FOR ALL TO SEE!"
Before Ray could react, Elga raised her hands and threw back her head. Her aura now glowed a brilliant green, and white streams wound around her body, climbing up her arms and forming a shimmering, indistinct ring above her head that slowly faded. The two men who had accompanied her stepped back in awe, their eyes wide, gazing upward.
A murmur rose from the crowd, and everyone stared at what Elga had just drawn into the air. Some covered their mouths, others looked on in disbelief and wonder. Ray did not understand why the circle of light had such a powerful effect. Not long ago, these same people had wanted to hurt her. They had despised her. Now there was no trace of that hatred left.
Why? What changed? What shifted inside them?
She looked to Dio and Eri, hesitating.
Eri had fallen to his knees, his head bowed before the symbol. He seemed to be muttering something, probably speaking to himself. Dio had narrowed his eyes and wore a half-smile, though he too looked thoughtful. Then he beamed at her, nodding.
Finally, Eri stood up and walked toward Ray with satisfaction every movement. When he reached her, he placed a hand on her shoulder and looked her straight in the eyes.
"Thank you. You have done exactly what I had hoped for. You have brought us new insight, perhaps the most important one yet. You have shown us the truth of the light, hidden within such a simple form. The circle and the light... together they indeed represent perfection. They are what we must strive for as we walk into the unknown future. I am sure of it!"
He grinned at her, then suddenly looked over to Dio.
For the first time, Ray thought she saw worry flicker in Eri's eyes.
"What will you do? This is more than I ever imagined. But it is also more dangerous if she chooses the wrong path. If you were to come with us, you would only distract her. You would be something she leans on, something that gives her strength, but also something that prevents her from finding herself. The path to the Light must be walked alone. It is our tradition. Everyone must walk their own road through the Dream. Most of those up there will end their journeys in the small nearby settlements. Others will move on someday. But each must walk their own path."