My Best Friend is an Entire Realm
Smral looked at Rachel incredulously. "Can a realm be an Antrunie?"
"If it can be your best friend, why can't it be my Antrunie?" Rachel took a small bite of the cake. Goshen berries were usually overly sweet, but here, inside an illusion within an unknown dimension, she ate the entire piece.
Rachel's words echoed in both Smral's and Ambruce's minds. They exchanged glances, and identical, manic smiles spread across both sets of lips.
Rachel let out a breathy laugh. "You two truly are two peas in a pod, aren't you?" She leaned back in her chair. "I need a bit of rest." She smirked at Ambruce. "I assume it's safe for me to sleep here now."
Ambruce nodded in immediate affirmation. "Of course, Milana."
Rachel was asleep before Ambruce finished speaking.
Outside the illusion, Rebecca, Struns, and Cramnal formed a defensive perimeter around Rachel's collapsed body. Though the tether connecting them assured them she was alive and the connection was strong, her inert state and the strange atmosphere signaled danger.
"My dream weavers say Smral is okay, and Rachel appears to be with them," Rebecca reported.
"Perhaps she sought refuge within the illusion?" Cramnal suggested.
"Perhaps. But do you think that's a good thing, Cramnal?" Struns retorted.
"Struns, you are always so suspicious."
"I am an assassin and a bodyguard. I'm supposed to be suspicious."
Rebecca didn't engage, merely watching Rachel more intently. She was deeply worried. She realized two people she cared for were in dire straits, and she had been counting on one to protect the other.
Rachel had done more than drain her active magics; she had utterly depleted the magic in her soul well. Most beings couldn't tap into the minimal life magic that maintained consciousness and vitality, but Rachel could. And she had utilized every drop. Now she was paying the price. Instinctively, she knew that staying in her physical body might have resulted in death. Her connection to Trannisa provided a basic, non-nurturing lifeline, ensuring she would never truly die, but little else.
Here, within the intricate illusion, she could manipulate conditions to her advantage. Rachel was using Ambruce to refill her soul well.
Though sleeping deeply, her proficiency in illusion-mental and illusion-soul magics allowed her to keep her consciousness active, awake, and focused on nourishment. Because she had entirely depleted her source, her soul well was damaged, riddled with fine cracks that caused the magic to leak away as she began refilling.
To heal the damage, she first pulled strands of magic from the surrounding whirlpool—an innate ability—and mixed them with soul and mental magics to make them compatible with healing. The process was tedious and tiring in her current state, but necessary. Once the soul well could hold magics again, she began refilling it while simultaneously continuing the repairs. Restoring herself in this way was more draining than any offensive magic. She could only lie still and permit the process to run its course.
It took two days of restoration before she could safely return to her body, followed by a day of meditation to regain acceptable strength levels.
Smral and Ambruce left the illusion after Rachel returned to her body. They intuitively understood her actions and knew Ambruce needed the time to solidify their nascent friendship.
When Rachel awoke, Ambruce was ready.
They sat at a long, obsidian octagonal table in a large meadow ringed by tall, vibrant flowers.
Rebecca laughed loudly. "It seems every time we have an enemy, you spank them and then ask them to become Antrunie."
Smral and Ambruce looked equally appalled.
"I was not spanked," Smral protested.
"Enemy?" Ambruce questioned.
They responded as one.
Rachel looked at Smral. "You're a friend now, but before, my mind was set on revenge against you. Does that change your mind about being an Antrunie?"
Ambruce sank into deep thought, while the others contemplated the unusual ceremony. Rachel observed them all.
How she acquired her latest two Antrunie was fascinating. She knew much about her fate, but consciously avoided looking at it, understanding the danger of knowing too much. However, her power level meant fate often sought her out. She would involuntarily see snippets vital to her goals, noting them without further inspection.
One snippet revealed she would have ten Antrunie. This was profound because no Milana before had achieved such a number; it was believed impossible due to the potential imbalance it would cause within Trannisa, as Milana traditionally only took Antrunie from Trannisa's sphere.
Rachel had a deep, non-verbal connection with Trannisa. When she last spoke with the ancient realm, she understood that Ambruce was somehow important. While preoccupied with her personal vendetta, she hadn't prioritized it until she saw Ambruce's origin well. Everything clicked: not only did she need Ambruce, but Trannisa did as well.
Ambruce looked at her with concern, an expression that caught her off guard. "Why did you want revenge against me?" He tilted his head. "What had I done?"
Realization dawned on Rachel. Ambruce was young and naive, not malevolent. She had assumed the realm was non-sentient but she was wrong; it was merely untaught.
"Hmm. Do you remember saying I was similar to someone?" He nodded. "That was my grandmother. Your desire for her to stay corrupted her, and the corruption couldn't be removed. I had to kill her, and I was upset."
Ambruce went still. Emotion and color drained from its face instantly. The brilliantly rainbow sky dulled, then grayed. A cold, harsh wind blew through the meadow, bringing light drops of cold rain.
Rachel observed the reaction and smiled. "The fact that you are so upset tells me a lot." She leaned forward. "I have to explain something crucial. When I make you an Antrunie, I will also take you from here. You must agree to leave this location, or you cannot be my Antrunie."
Ambruce looked confused. "This realm is me. I cannot leave it. You want me to leave myself? You stopped me when I wanted to become a lesser being. I don't understand."
Rachel smiled gently. "When you become Antrunie, you will fundamentally change. You and this realm are one now, but as Antrunie, the realm will become akin to your dimension. You will be able to leave half of your soul here, and the other half will manifest and go wherever you want."
She paused. "This is actually better for you, because your origin well will grow faster as you collect more experiences. But don't worry, you can think about it first."
Ambruce shook its head immediately. "I do not need to think about it. I understand that this is what I have always wanted. I am ready to become an Antrunie right now."
Rachel looked at him skeptically. "Well, I need to rest a bit more and connect with Trannisa. Let's wait for six hours. If you still feel the same way, with no doubts, we can perform the ritual."
"Rest, Milana, but I am sure I will not change my mind."
Smral raised his glass. "Then we should celebrate. We will save you some food, Rachel." He winked, and Rachel shook her head.