As Eos began its descent, the skies transformed into a breathtaking canvas. The horizon was painted in deep shades of crimson and gold, as if the sky itself was igniting the heavens with a final blaze of glory before nightfall. Wisps of cloud, tinged with soft pinks and purples, drifted lazily across the golden canvas, catching the last rays of Eos and reflecting them in a warm, ethereal glow.
Standing outside the stable, amidst a stretching field of sand and dried-up grass, Kairi and Huweyn were found. It was quite some time after they had finished eating, and now feeling replenished and sufficient, they could carry on with their plans: their Soul Essence training.
Kairi stood on edge, his muscles still stiff from sleep. He took a deep breath, letting the cool air fill his lungs, then slowly began to stretch. With his body curved diagonally, his arms stretched toward the sky, his fingers reaching as if trying to grasp the remnant rays of Eos before nightfall. He felt tension ease from his shoulders as he leaned to one side, then the other, loosening up his body in anticipation of what Huweyn had in store.
With the remnants of light piercing down on his head, his light brown spirals of curls looked nearly golden, though the color was disarrayed by the gray strands. Because of his fractured ribs, he could not make any intensive movements; only light stretching was sufficient.
He raised up, rolling his shoulders back, and looked over to Huweyn, who stood a few paces away, with a serene expression as always.
Huweyn's luscious jet-black hair, shining from the last remnants of light, was tied back in a low ponytail, and his pale skin, which glowed in perfection, seemed to have tanned a little. Despite his calmness, there was an intensity in his gaze—a slight determination that rendered Kairi quite nervous.
Kairi finished his stretches, feeling the last traces of sleep leave his body. He then let out a small sigh and looked to Huweyn, who seemed as stoic as usual but had an intense gaze. "So, what now?"
"Right now, I'm going to show you a demonstration of just what Soulweaving is," Huweyn declared.
"Soulweaving?" Kairi was then drawn back to his time in the Caverns, to the encounter with the Collector, remembering the ambient indigo threads that soared through the air. "Soulweaving and threads—they're connected, aren't they?"
"You're right."
Kairi couldn't help but feel utterly confused. Just how does the soul correlate with threads?
Huweyn then smirked. "I know what you're thinking; how do the soul and threads correlate with one another?"
"You couldn't have guessed better," Kairi retorted.
"Yup, been there," Huweyn scoffed. Raising his resounding voice, he said, "Soulweaving is drawing out the essence of your soul—that is, a part of your soul—and materializing it, making it take physical form."
"Making the soul itself take physical form?"
Huweyn then sighed. "A bit confusing, isn't it?"
"Sure is," Kairi said, with a desire to know more. "What does that feel like?"
Huweyn, with a finger on his chin, responded, "It feels like taking a part out of your sense of self and placing it into something. In the case of threads, with every fine piece, you feel a strong connection, one that should never be broken."
"A part of yourself?" Kairi questioned.
"Yup," Huweyn confirmed.
Kairi, trying to come to a place of understanding, asked, "I guess that anything in a physical, tangible sense like a thread can be damaged, could it not?"
"I didn't even need to tell you, yet somehow, you deduced it. You're really something, aren't you, Kairi?" Huweyn remarked, feeling like a proud mentor.
"Less about me, more explaining, please," Kairi retorted.
"Alright, alright, I get it," Huweyn scoffed. He then continued elaborating, "You're right; force applies to everything with a physical form. How much more finite are soul threads?"
"How does that feel exactly?" Kairi questioned. "I mean, damage to the soul, that is?"
"Feels like crap, honestly," Huweyn remarked. "The thing is, Kairi, damage to the soul, a finite thing, is very permanent—never to be healed or fixed."
Hearing Huweyn's words, Kairi couldn't help but wonder: If both he and Huweyn could use Soul abilities, what about others? Just what laws governed the world of Soul abilities? How destructive would such power be in the wrong hands?
"Huweyn."
"Hmm?"
"Tell me, are there rules regulating the use of Soul abilities?" he asked.
Entertaining Kairi's eagerness for knowledge, Huweyn responded, "There are, quite a lot actually. Normal folk, that is regular citizens, by all means, should never use Soul abilities for their own profit unless they possess a special permit."
"A special permit? Does it involve Transcenders? Wouldn't that mean that I'm breaking the law?" Kairi panicked.
Huweyn, scratching the back of his head, said, "I mean, in your case, it's a little different. You do plan to and do have the potential of being a Transcendent one."
Squinting his eyes, Kairi replied, "If you say so." He then began to dwell more on Huweyn's words, trying to gain more insight. He then questioned, "So, is a part of being a Transcender making sure that unlicensed use of Soul Transcension is kept in check?"
"It is. Here I was thinking that I'd have to tell you all this later, once we reached Labyrinth City, but you've already guessed this much," Huweyn remarked.
Kairi then sighed. "Here I was thinking that being a Transcender was all about fighting Spirit Beasts—I never thought that I'd have to be a public servant having to uphold laws."
"You know… there's a vast category of classes governing Transcenders. What you were thinking of is Beast Hunting—there are a lot more types that you don't even know about," Huweyn exclaimed, trying to stir up Kairi's excitement.
"Really? Tell me more."
"Not right now, there's no more time left for idle chatter." Cracking his fingers, Huweyn continued, "I'm going to show you both Soulweaving and Spirit Manifestation this instant. Brace yourself, will you?"
"R-right."