It was the size of her body now, but she needed it bigger. It expanded until it was partially outside and downstairs, but it wasn't enough. Bigger, she thought as she pushed it further outward. She continued expanding it until the mass of vibrations completely encompassed the entire manor. All the sound within the manor became muffled and mixed, making it difficult to discern anything. This caught the others' attention as they each, even Michael, came rushing upstairs to confront her. Everyone but Tymon was disoriented and moved awkwardly as the equilibrium in their ears was unbalanced. Naomi hollowed the inside of her creation, allowing sound to move freely again within its parameters. "What was that?" Alissia asked, rubbing a finger in one of her ears. "A sound barrier," Naomi answered. "It'll prevent anyone outside from hearing what goes on inside it." "What would we need a barrier for?" Tymon asked her as he looked through a window using omni-vision to see the barrier. "We need it because Avarice has copied Seismic Reign," she responded. The others were speechless as they registered what she told them. "What!? When?" Alissia exclaimed. "He said it was a long time ago when he was younger. Something about him attempting to take power from a previous version of me." "He told you this?" Damien inquired. "Yeah, a few minutes ago," Naomi answered. "Somehow, he directed my hearing toward him with a high pitch. Then, we spoke through our enhanced hearing. He tried to recruit me and get me to convince you all that his way was better for everyone." "That explains how he's been aware of everything," Arne stated. "He wasn't just sending his High Gods to spy on us..." Alissia commented. She looked as if she wanted to blame herself somehow for missing that detail, but she refrained. "The barrier I placed up should make it harder for him to hear us," Naomi assured them. "But I'm not used to using my cintracy this way, so I won't be able to keep it up for long." "That barrier will be important to ensure information doesn't slip while we figure out our approach," Tymon asserted. He walked over to Naomi and touched her shoulders as he peered down at her. "We'll need you to practice using it more often and for longer periods." Naomi typically didn't care about what others thought. Not for a long time, but she's noticed how that had changed recently. Her list of people who mattered to her had unexpectedly grown. What was once just herself and Za'Fia had extended to Alissia soon after meeting her. Then, since being brought along the others, she quietly realized she'd come to appreciate Arne's selective inputs and Trik's batters. Now, she felt something for Michael and even Tymon, whom she had dreaded since first sensing his energy. Naomi looked up at Tymon. Something about the way Tymon, a lone wolf of sorts, looked at her–depended on her–struck something inside of her. This was what she needed–a way to help everyone. "I'll do my best," she heard herself promise. "Splendid," everyone heard Viraa's voice project from Alissia's holo-bracelet. It no longer shocked them, but it always caught their attention. "Then let us begin discussing countermeasures..."-----Fun fact: Arne, "The Unbreakable," was last reincarnated on April 5th, 2861, where for two years they were tended to by a pride of lions in South Africa before eventually being discovered by travelers who brought her to America.Enjoying the story? Have any constructive criticisms? Leave a like or comment to share your thoughts with me. :)Super Supporters: Want to learn everything up-to-date and get exclusive information about your favorite character(s)?Visit the series' Patreon account at patreon.com/primordialsor visit their Ko-fi account at ko-fi.com/otherworldsjt(Most of the lore is FREE, but for $1 subscription, you gain access to each vital character's highly detailed profiles including their artwork)MediaIG: otherworldsjtTwitter: jt_fnxDiscord: https://discord.gg/YwfZjrg9Thank you for your support :)