Starting my day in another good mood, I decided to change my routine slightly. It took me a little longer to wake up today, so I didn't contact Lumina first thing in the morning. It was too difficult for me to concentrate on doing so on the bus ride here. So, I settled for another tactic.

After leaving the bus area, instead of heading through the side entrance of the door, I went towards the front entrance instead. There's a strange small alcove of space around the corner here, one I use to duck out of sight while remaining outdoors. With myself hidden and concealed from the others, I performed my usual trick of projecting the signals out to Lumina, who would then pick them up, send back her own, and stabilize our connection with each other once more.

It was technically possible for me to call her from within buildings and other structures, but I preferred trying it outdoors for a number of reasons, all of which summarize to make it easier for me to contact her in the first place. Not even three seconds in, I was already hearing her voice again, nearly setting a record for how fast and clean that attempt was.

"Hey Reed! Good to start the morning off with you." Lumina was in a great mood too, and I knew perfectly well why.

"Good to see you too." It's been only a month since the two of us met. But in that short time, Lumina and I have become something I can happily call friends. In some ways, I feel even closer to her than with anyone else. Maybe that's because I feel like I can tell her most things I couldn't say to any normal person in my school. And I never have to worry about either of us misreading each other anymore; telepathy takes care of that most of the time.

"Hurhrhr!" My body spasmed a little from the freezing chill in the air. It's been nice and cold for a while now, but today, the temperature dropped into the higher thirties, only now reaching exactly forty. I've gotten used to measuring the temperature in Nixus rather than Fahrenheit, even though they are both so close to each other in value. Lumina taught me how to do it, using the sensory nerves in my hands and fingers. It's how they measure the temperature in their own world. "It's really cold out today!" I was already shivering, my body freaking out over the loss of heat since I wasn't in the building yet.

It was a strange feeling I suddenly developed recently. Every part of me reacts this way to the chilling cold. All humans are this way, preferring slightly warmer environments. No matter what I actually say, being cold like this is still uncomfortable. However, I was learning to love this feeling inside, this sensation of shivering and being out in the freezing cold. As long as it is cold outside, it will be possible to stay in touch with Lumina. That is why I'm starting to like it this way; the association set in stone.

"That's great! Though I already knew it was cold in your world, just by how strong the connection is today."

I nearly forgot about that strange effect. Apparently, physical sensations that Lumina and I feel can be shared, but only certain sensations. The difference in air temperature is something that can be shared, but it's very uncommon for it to happen, and so it never does. So, Lumina doesn't actually know how cold it is outside when I contact her, unless I let her know myself. But I also forgot until now that she can somehow sense how strong the connection is, which is a sense I do not have. "You mean you can just tell?"

"Of course. All I have to do is measure how much energy I'm using in the connection. It also becomes obvious when our senses begin to synchronize like this. You should soon be able to notice this without trying."

Our senses in synch? Telepathy already makes this possible, specifically when the connection is at least on an average-good level. But I got the subtle hint that she was talking about something else. I just decided to ignore it for now, and head to class. "That's good. Another strong connection means another happy day." I didn't have to explain to Lumina this time that she would have to phase the connection out for my first period class, simply because it was becoming routine. My Social Studies was a bit difficult for me, so it was nearly impossible to stay ahead of it. But in the very next class after, in Honors Math, I was getting ahead of it all perfectly fine. So, she and I waited until then to start talking to each other to ease our own boredom.

So, as soon as Social Studies was over, Lumina pulled the connection out of phase without me even asking her to. Her sudden voice as I was leaving the classroom was something I was used to by now, so it no longer surprised me. And on my way to the next class in the entrance of the doorway, that's when I finally got to see what Lumina was hinting at earlier.

Before I could enter the classroom, I forced myself to stop after nearly walking into the wall and frame by mistake. But something too amazing was taking my attention from my previous surroundings. Without any warning, the full 180 degree environment of some enclosed space became permanently plastered to my forward field of view. All around me were the surroundings of my school, but at the same time, the interior of Lumina's huge cockpit phased into the same surroundings, becoming only 30% transparent, and thus making it really hard to see my physical world through Lumina's vision.

"What the? Lumina?" I had to assume this was something she did, using that same trick from before to force me to see through her eyes, so that our worlds may overlap through our shared vision. I certainly did not try to initiate anything.

"Yes? What is it?" The way Lumina was looking around, noticing my world without realizing how I was seeing double, it dawned on me that she didn't do this on purpose either.

"Whoa! I can really see everything through yours eyes right now! You didn't do that on your own?"

"Told you so. The connection is so powerful now, that you are seeing through my eyes without the need for telepathic amplification."

So this is what she meant earlier? "I had no idea that was even possible! It's so cool!" I really could sense that something about this connection was different from the others. That buzzing sensation of psionic energy was stronger than usual, yet I was feeling less drained than in previous connections. And seeing through her eyes like this was something I never have done before, not for this long. In previous attempts, we could only stabilize this for about five seconds... But this vision sharing isn't letting up on me at all. It's permanent!

"You should go sit down at least, so nobody notices."

Lumina was correct to warn me. I have been just standing here as others pass me for the past twenty seconds, and it does probably look weird on their end. I thought I was going to have trouble walking with a whole other world forced in my face like this, but as soon as I tried to move, the world through her eyes suddenly vanished. If I tried to concentrate on bringing it back, even just slightly, it would. But my movement takes away just enough mental concentration to break this vision sharing for the time being.

So I did my best not to look weird or suspicious as I sat down in my usual seat, attracting the normal attention from Maddison, Malica, and Banarus. But my mind was so far away from everything else now. I've never had this opportunity before, to see through Lumina's eyes for as long as I wanted to. Now I get to see what it's like for her, since she can always see through mine without issue.

"Hey," Banarus greeted. "Maddison said she wanted to peak at your homework today."

"Yeah, great, here..." while sitting sideways in the chair, I managed to keep my eyes forward towards the wall while digging into my bag and pulling out the math notebook. I could care less if Maddison steals my notes, and I didn't want to concentrate on my own visual field anymore. I've got to bring her world back onto my own like that again.

"At least pretend to stay interested."

"I am interested... Interested in this!" At last, I figured out how to do it on my own. It was laughably easy compared to before. All I have to do is concentrate on seeing through Lumina's eyes, to feel her presence and synchronize my senses with hers, and I can really do it. Now, the entire classroom of math was replaced by her world again, this time at 80% opacity. The visuals of her world were so stunning and incredible! It wasn't broken fragments or flashes like before, and doing this didn't drain me even a little! So this is what a strong connection feels like!

Funny enough, Lumina could sense what I was doing before I could even announce it to her. In the same way I could tell when she is paying direct attention through my eyes and ears, she could now sense the same from me in return. "It's not exactly like before, when I could only see for a few seconds. Your world was so transparent then that it was kind of hard to make out some of the details. But now, everything is so crystal clear!" I didn't try to hide my excitement. I wouldn't have thought any of this was cool back then. That lame old me was instead too hung up on the possibility that Lumina wasn't even real. But that old constraint has been removed at last.

I could feel Lumina's happiness beginning to match my own. "You're so easily excited... Well, want a tour of my ship?"

"That would be totally awesome!" A tour of the Altiri space ship? What more could I ask for? Lumina described it to me several times, but I've never got to see all of it in person.

Fulfilling my wishes, Lumina took me on the tour. All she had to do was walk around her familiar surroundings, revealing to me what the command consoles of her control center looks like, and how the primary visor of the window functioned with the integrated HUD. The glass looked so perfectly clear, revealing a faint dark blue background haze of the skybox visible through the window. I could see so much detail as to make out the exact patterns on the steel floor as Lumina stepped on it, and I could also see how her outer layer of skin wrapped around her feet like some kind of enclosed shoes, hiding her toes.

But while I was having the time of my life, I had to basically leave my body behind. All of my focus and concentration had to be set on Lumina, not myself. And it allowed for a new problem to arise from that fact. "What?! Stop staring!"

I could hear Banarus becoming unraveled, including every other voice around me despite focusing on Lumina. "Huh? Hold on a sec." I wanted to make sure nothing too strange was happening around me, because while I was seeing through Lumina's world, all of my own sensory information towards my physical world was totally dulled out. As soon as I tried to, Lumina's surroundings went from 80% opacity to 0% opacity in an instant, allowing me to realize all that was around me again.

Before I could even ask what was bothering them, I realized what was wrong. I started this while sitting sideways from everyone, but somehow, my body decided to act on its own, making myself comfortable by leaning back slightly in my desk chair. That wasn't the issue though. As soon as I removed Lumina's world from my view, the very first thing I saw at the center of my field of view was Banarus herself, who was giving me this weird look, one I've seen before only when she thinks I'm being a creep. Naturally, since my eyes were being overridden by Lumina's, my physical visual direction must have averted to somewhere else without my knowledge, causing me to stare directly at Banarus for the duration I was using this other power. I personally understood why she wasn't happy to see me staring too intensely at her, and the awkwardness delayed my own response.

"Don't fall half asleep and then stare at people. It's creepy."

Well, I don't have any other choice here. As creepy as it is, I really don't care right now. I have the chance of a lifetime to explore an alien space ship, and I'm taking it, whether Banarus likes it or not. "Look. I'm allowed to let my eyes wonder if I'm not paying any attention. Right now, I'm just going to keep thinking about some things." The only thing I'm paying attention to here is Lumina.

Even Lumina understood what was happening and why. "It can't be helped. You're just going to have to put up with little interruptions like that."

"Yeah, I know." That isn't even the greatest downside to this ability either. I don't know how Lumina is capable of doing it to me, but if I want to see through her eyes, I cannot shut my own while doing it. For whatever reason, it just doesn't work. "I can't just shut my eyes. If I do, I see virtually nothing. I think I have to keep them open for this to work." As I was explaining this to her, I went ahead and brought her world back into view once again. I started to wonder how cool it would be if I could somehow act through Lumina's own body, to explore this new world with my own actions.

"So anyway, this is the cockpit room." Lumina turned herself around, revealing the sizable bunk bed tucked against the corner of the wall near the open archway entrance of the room.

"Wait, you have a bunk bed?" It was meant for only two people, Lumina on either side, and Junko on the other.

"Yeah. It's made out of minimal materials. Inside the mattress, it's nothing but a solid oval of ice."

I was briefly mesmerized by the idea of having a bed made mostly of solid ice. But then I realized how their different skin texture would accommodate for that. Still, there was one larger thing bugging me about this bunk bed. "I thought the Altiri do not sleep."

"We don't sleep. But it's still more comfortable to sit on than anywhere else. I use it all the time when I'm concentrating on your senses, when the connection strength is normally lower."

So then it means, that really is Lumina's bed. The basic shape and frozen frame told me what the furniture was, but the texture of the mattress was like nothing I've ever seen at home. I noticed that a lot of the lighting in Lumina's area, while well lit – is has this slightly blue tint. But I could also see some of the cold air hanging around, visible due to a failed attempt of condensation. I was still too taken aback by how incredibly detailed everything in her world was. I mean, not one single pocket of space was vague. That means that if Lumina isn't real, this this hallucination is something extra powerful, which would also mean I'm beyond screwed, so I won't think about it that way for now. "So a solid block of ice is more comfortable than a standard chair bolted into the steel of the floor?"

"Yes. Now I think I'll move on to the next room." Bored of the cockpit she always stood in, Lumina began walking towards the open door, leading to some other part of the ship.

"Hello?"

The closer voice to my ears was too distracting, and I could tell that something was going on back in my world. So I asked Lumina to hold up so that I can shut down this synch and figure out what it is. To my disdain, it was Banarus, waving her arm right in front of me until I finally became aware of her presence again.

"Earth to Reed!"

"What? What is it now? Can't you tell I'm trying to rest a bit?" I knew my words were far away from the truth. I've never felt more awake and alive than in this very moment. But I can't keep my concentration aura up on Lumina with Banarus distracting me like that.

"But you're staring awkwardly at people." Malica and Maddison both nodded slowly at Banarus's observation, letting me know it wasn't just Banarus that I was mindlessly staring at again.

But her disruption already ticked me off enough to leak to my tone. "Just leave me alone already!" I don't care who I'm staring at or how they feel about it! I'm not even aware of where my eyes go. I shifted in my seat again, hoping my body would relax and behave itself while I keep concentrating on Lumina. My aggressive reply to Banarus seemed to shut her up at last, and I ignored any glint of concern the three of them might have.

After several more seconds, I activated that concentration aura yet again with little effort, and reshaped the world around me to match Lumina's field of view once more.

"You good now?"

"Yes." I shouldn't be interrupted again after that. "Oh, is that one of those cool sliding doors?" My eyes caught what interested me through Lumina's field of view, as she had stopped walking to wait on me. But the door frame she stood behind was interesting. It was tall enough to fit two people through at once, but it was always open. I wondered where the switch was to cause the sliding door to come closing down on its own, just like in those cool movies.

"What are you talking about? That thing? That's just a walkway opening. There is no door here."

"Oh..." I really couldn't hide my utter disappointment, even within my own telepathic tone of voice. I had no idea the Altiri kept everything that simple. But I was really looking forward to seeing some cyber door magic or something.

And yet, Lumina somehow knew what I was secretly expecting. "Doors cost a lot more resources than what we actually need. And if we made them slide through that metal, it would just be another asset that could break too easily. They're totally unnecessary." Lumina explained this to me just as she started going through, her walk leading her to the main room she was usually in. "And then this is the main room."

I've seen this space before several times. Lumina would always be standing in this one large open space in most of her connections, though I've only seen glimpses of it for a few seconds at a time. "It's actually bigger than I thought it would be. I don't see a lot of space going up however."

"Because there is none needed. You can see that this place connects to many different areas. But if we're not in the cockpit room, we're usually right here."

"It's still a lot of open space." Through her eyes, I could see what looked like a dresser, though it had no drawers to open, and it's only purpose was a decoration stand to hold the bottom mounted mirror to the wall. I was instead wondering what they do in this main room.

"This is the spot where me and my sisters hang out when they visit my ship."

It was then that I realized the gravity of her own words. If her sisters are all separated on other ships, it added the mystery for how they could be on Lumina's at the same time. "So, when your sisters visit you, do they just dock on board? How does that work exactly?"

"No silly. We use that thing." To show me what she meant, Lumina panned her face to the space of a large adjacent room, visible from the lack of doors in each walkway chamber. And when her eyes stopped, we were both staring at a massive machine hooked up to the wall; a cylindrical containment chamber with a glass tube and a mysterious design.

Naturally, I had to ask what was up. "What in the world is that thing?"

"That's our teleportation machine. All of our ships remain perfectly still when we're idling at corral position. Then, we just step into it, activate the machine after setting the coordinates, and use that method to bop our way in with each other."

T— Teleportation? I was speechless for a moment, even in my own thoughts. After all this time, Lumina never mentioned anything about Altiri teleportation to me. And until she did, I never considered actual teleportation a real possibility. I figured it wasn't possible, ever since she told me last week that many suggested esper abilities such as psionic teleportation, telekinesis, mind control, and mediums are all unfounded, baseless claims made for clout. But her version of teleportation wasn't coming from some ability; it was coming from this giant cylindrical machine installed in every Altiri ship!

"I guess I forgot to explain about that. One of the many machines we were able to get right was teleportation. Just using it at all costs a lot of dark matter from our reactor, but enough not to cause any permanent issues. It's a rather complicated process of physics and psionic quantum relocation that even I don't fully understand. I've only got a very basic understanding on the science behind it."

"You make it sound like a simple math equation." I sounded annoyed, but only because I wanted to understand more about this. Even though I already decided not to bother trying too hard to prove Lumina's existence, this might do it, if I could understand something so complex... But how complex can it be, really? "I want you to try and explain it to me anyway."

"But you won't be able to—"

"Lumina? I said explain it to me."

After enough nagging, I got Lumina to finally agree. She took her time trying to put it into words, which didn't go my way at first. "The basic principle involves relocating physical and non-physical matter as both information and substance. The chambers all have something called flash-reconstruction of particles, as well as a reversal of the same mechanic. Our physical body is destroyed and recreated elsewhere in a single instant, all while transferring data through a quantum psionic grid of parallel information streams. It has some way of merging the structural tangibility between the physical world and the psionic one."

"Try some other way. I'm not understanding all these big words."

"Fine. I'll just give you a brief pictograph of how it works."

After a few seconds, Lumina tapped back in to see how I was handling the visual representation. "Simple, right?"

"No the hell that isn't simple! What are you, a super genius?!" Is this her idea of a joke? It's payback for me asking her to make something impossibly difficult too easy to understand, and I'm the one wearing a dunce hat in this situation. I really don't understand what's going on with this though. I figured the explanation would be tough, but not to this degree! And she said that this was only the basic representation, of which she barely understands herself...

It's crazy. These Altiri pilots just jump into these huge teleportation chambers that they barely understand just to visit each other, costing an insignificant amount of infinite energy each time it is performed. Those machines must be a perfect design of Altiri technology.

"Oh, they're far from perfect. It's a good thing that our anti-gravimetrical core refractors lock in our positions, because the slightest movement during the process could have disastrous consequences. And that's not even the bigger drawback. Our ships can autonomously run itself for a few hours tops, but we need to have somebody at the cockpit regularly ensuring all systems related to the refractors are calibrated."

"Why? I mean, why can't the system just keep itself calibrated? You don't go anywhere. You just float there in the vacuum of space." How can they perfect a teleported, but not an autopilot?

"The external forces of gravity still affect our core refractor systems too Reed. Their constant function relies on careful manually assisted calibration so that negative chain reactions of reverse inertia do not occur. Therefore, maintaining a positional stasis is not as easy as it might sound. If nobody is correcting the minor changes, for the first few hours, it's no big deal at all. But over time, those changes can ripple and become worse, requiring pilot input. The utmost maximum time we can leave it alone is about twelve consecutive hours. It's the reason each ship is required to have two pilots on board. So when each of us teleports to visit each other, for each ship, one person has to always stay behind. Even if we did allow for minor fluctuation, that alone would cause issues when teleporting back to the suspect ship."

She sure had a lot to say about it. I wrongfully assumed that their autopilot system would just run everything forever. But keeping a ship perfectly still in space must be harder than I imagined. And for all those reasons, not everyone can use the teleporters at the same time. It sounds like it would just be easier to use a vessel for docking, but then maybe it's harder to go that route than to just use teleporters. I still can't understand it all, but I'm at least getting a picture for the downside of teleportation. "I think I understand what you're saying. Basically, if a sister visits you via teleportation, they can only do so for twelve hours? Or something like that."

"You're just saying that to sound smart enough to keep up with me."

Does she really think that's what I'm trying to do here? "But I am smart enough to keep up with you... Minus the whole teleportation thing. I'll catch up to you some day."

"Sure." She mocked in sarcastic disbelief, forcing me to change the subject.

"Hey, is that the blue thing you used on the wall from before?" At last, I distracted her, though I was really interested to see where her eyes wandered to again. There was this strange blue circular target on the wall, the same one I recalled her shooting that beam of ice at earlier.

"It's a makeshift target. We use it for target practice."

"Well no shit it's for target practice..." I obviously ticked her off a little, only enough to get her usual mocking mood turned on. She's going to insult my intelligence now, all because I don't understand some quantum 4-D matter transference, or whatever she called it. Still, the thought of her shooting beams of ice from her hand was distracting enough to let it go. "I want to shoot beams of ice from my hands too." I made sure to sound disappointed that I couldn't, because I really was by this point. It isn't fair that Lumina gets all these cool powers, and I don't even get enough to show off.

"You're a ways off from doing anything like that," Lumina replied as she was walking by her mirror.

"Whoa, wait! Hold on!" I quickly tried to stop her in her tracks.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

At last! I celebrated in silence from seizing this rare opportunity. I was already seeing perfectly well through Lumina's eyes, so I might as well make the most of it. "The mirror you passed... Can I see your reflection in it?" I have every right to know. I've only seen Lumina a couple times before from a few seconds of a glimpse. But this time, I could remember what she looks like with better clarity, since I'll have more time to study her face. My previous memories of her appearance have since been vague.

"I'm sorry. I guess with everything going on, I forgot to show you." Though Lumina was slightly hesitant to turn, she moved back until she positioned herself several feet from the mirror, until she locked her eyes onto herself so that I would get a perfect uninterrupted view of what she really looks like.

It was then that I once again got to see every detail. But I didn't feel rushed either, so I could calmly take my time examining her face and her other attributes. I've already seen how incredibly smooth her tall brown hair was, but I somehow forgot how incredible it appeared from this view. To the same logic, I was also amazed again by those deep colorful eyes of hers, letting out my amazement in a telepathic whisper. "Incredible." She really does look so unique, enough for me to draw this image of her in my mind.

"What? You like what you see?"

"You look so different than an ordinary human... But I really love your eyes. I've never seen such amazing vibrance. And that hair of yours is impressive, like it will never dry itself out."

From my own positive remarks, Lumina continued where I left off, but not with the same spirit I had in store. "And my face is so pale? My skin is this huge mess of white and blue patterns? In all, I truly do look like a strange creature?"

"What are you talking about?" I couldn't understand why she would say that about herself. I mean, she's technically correct about her own appearance, to say that it surely stands out in a crowd, especially when considering how much color her natural second layer of skin lacks. But she made it sound like everybody would be put off by those details. "I think it looks awesome!"

"You do?" Her surprise hearing me say that was enough for Lumina to ask that vocally.

But I was a little annoyed to see Lumina denouncing her own beauty like that. Yeah, she may be an Altiri alien, but I happen to think a different appearance from the average human is something amazing and something she should be proud of. As her friend, I deserve to let her know. "I wouldn't lie about such things. Look at yourself Lumina! I mean, all of those blue stripes and patterns going everywhere has the same metallic texture as the rest of your first layer of skin. It's like you're wearing a suit going all the way down to your feet. And that lack of color in your face isn't something you need fixed in order to be pretty." I wasn't sure if I said the wrong thing or went too far. I made my observations known without really taking the time to think them through for once, speaking what I saw right in front of me. I really wanted Lumina to know that she doesn't have to look like a human to be liked by other people. Anyone else who thinks otherwise must be messed up in the head.

"Er, thank you." I couldn't understand the stress in Lumina's voice, and didn't really have the time to consider how she reacted. But she darted her eyes away from the mirror too soon after, preventing me from saying anymore.

"Oh Lumina? I'm sensing a lot of fun in here!"

Lumina turned around once more, following the sound of a familiar voice calling out to her. I got to see what was going on too, since I knew that wasn't Lumina speaking just now. Through her eyes, we both saw Junko, who was standing in the doorway with a sadistic smile, installed there from the pleasant opportunity to tease Lumina.

"It's Junko, your sister." It still feels weird to say that. After all, Lumina doesn't have any actual siblings, though the Altiri refer to their best friends and partners as sisters anyway.

"Yes. This is Junko..."

"What's with that embarrassing smile? Ah, I know! You're in full pair with Reed right now, aren't you?" Junko went out of her way to excite her tone as much as possible, to tease Lumina and put some kind of pressure on her. Though I managed not to understand what it was about.

"Yeah, and so what if I am? I'm allowed to show him around my place." Her voice seemed more annoyed than it did a moment ago, and I hung back a while, waiting for Junko and Lumina to talk it out.

"Every day, you devote even more of your time to him. It's become an interesting habit you know."

I wasn't able to read between any lines that Junko and Lumina were throwing out, but her words got to me a little too. I knew at least what Junko meant in a literal sense, and the same habit actually applied to me as well. It really made me think all the way back and forth to this moment, about all the time Lumina and I have spent together, mostly just wrapped up in interesting conversation. I really am making this a habit, and that must mean Lumina doesn't mind my company one bit.

"Yeah, yeah. Reed? Meet Junko in the flesh, my co-pilot for this vessel."

I was so excited and delighted to finally meet just one of Lumina's sisters, that it controlled my very own body and voice as I greeted her. "Hi Junko!"

"What are you doing," Lumina warned. "She can't actually hear you like this." It wasn't the main point Lumina was trying to make, though somebody else made it clear for me instead.

"Are you okay?" The realization of what I just did followed by a different voice snapped me back to my original world. I shifted my vision back to my own space on purpose this time, afraid that I once again just messed up by speaking out loud. Sure enough, Banarus and Maddison were both staring at me in confusion. I felt so embarrassed by it already, realizing that I nearly shouted my greeting to Junko rather than whispering.

"Who on Earth are you talking to?" Maddison didn't seem to get it either, that the person I was talking to wasn't even on Earth in the first place. Malica was looking at me the same way too, but refrained from actually saying anything about it.

And now I sat here like a deer in the headlights, uncertain what to say or do, or how to fix the mess I just made. On one hand, I was really impressed so far with how much more detail and realism this strong connection added to my ability to live in Lumina's world through her own senses. Even though I was back in the normal sensory mode I should be used to, some kind of intoxicating addictive element tugged my desires back into the focus on the connection. On the other hand, it really was making this whole two-worlds business impossible to handle simultaneously. I really can't keep this facade up much longer, not as we are now. I can only concentrate on one place at a time. That means these acquaintances have to disappear. "I said don't worry about it." The frustration from dealing with this made me growl under my breath, ever so slightly as to go unnoticed.

No matter what I say or do from here, there is no way I can keep experiencing Lumina's world and hiding from my own at the same time. I need a safe space. I need a private area where nobody is around. So, I quickly stood up from my chair, bag in hand while hatching a mental plan of action should a teacher ask where I was going. But these chumps don't need to know either. "I'll be back." Without bothering to explain where I was going, I booked it outside of the classroom. I think the only reason I wasn't stopped by the math teacher was because I've been going to the media center often enough now to become a regularly assumed occurrence.

But at last, I was outside of the classroom. Making my way outside of the school itself was going to be a much easier task. In these halls, there are exits to the outside on both ends, exits which are not really monitored much since they are only adjacent side-exits. I'm not leaving the school to go home. I just need to go outside with that fresh cold air, and find a private space where I can sit and let my senses sink back into hers. I won't be interrupted again.

I was moving things so quickly that I barely had the time to think about everything going on around me. Right as I was going outside, I could hear Lumina and Junko arguing about something; not in a hostile attitude though. It sounded like she was trying to convince Lumina to do something she didn't want to do.

"Come on Lumina! I want to meet Reed too. You promised us you would try the three-way."

"What the heck is she babbling about?" I still kept my vocal hum to a whisper, wanting nobody around me to hear.

And now, Lumina was forced to explain what this was about with me, though emphasizing the impeccable timing of the circumstances at the same time. "She's referring to three-way telepathy. It's that sub-ability I mentioned earlier, about allowing you to telepathically speak to any of my sisters if I change the way the connection works. I sort of promised everyone I would let them meet you when there is a strong enough connection, kind of like the one we have today. But I'm not sure if I'm ready for that."

"That actually sounds like fun." I didn't know Lumina could really do that. I recall her mentioning it earlier, but I must have forgotten about the significance already. Using three-way telepathy, I can telepathically communicate with all of Lumina's sisters, the same way I am talking to her. "I know it's sudden, but I'm ready for it."

"No you're not," she shot back. "Not until you at least drink a lot more water."

"Way ahead of you." I was already in the middle of gulping down one of the four bottles I bring to school as she was telling me that. One side effect of our telepathic connection is increased water consumption, at least for me anyway. It's worse if the connection strength isn't good, but honestly, I'm not seeing a big difference either way. I've been drinking a lot more water lately regardless of connections, like I really need it to survive.

"And then, only when you are ready, I'll shift the connection between you and Junko. Once it happens, you won't be able to hear from me until I shift it back, but I'm actually going to be bouncing you around so that you can meet everybody at once. In each instance, you won't be able to easily share your senses with the others."

"Why not?"

"Because. While using this ability, it's going to require a dramatic change in our psionic loads. Thus, doing this will temporarily take more energy from both of us, slightly weakening the connection in the process. Since it's already cold outside, it won't be a critical concern. In the meantime, all you have to do is be patient and hold tight... Are you ready?"

As always, I could barely understand exactly what principles she was explaining. All I really know is that she is about to test out this three-way telepathy for the first time. Since it's only an ability that would need to be used between Altiri and humans, this is Lumina's first time exercising this power after some apparent practice I was never around to see. I would be lying to say I wasn't curious or stoked. "Go for it." Unsure what exactly I would need to wait for or expect, I braced myself anyway, watching as the transparent second world around me faded completely. "Is everything good?"

"Is this going to work yet, or what?"

"Well I'm not the—" I cut myself off, realizing just now that her voice sounded a bit different this time, though I couldn't be too sure. "Junko? Is that you I'm hearing right now?"

"Yes! It is working, this is Junko."

"Awesome!" I didn't know it would be that simple. I'm not hearing Lumina's voice right now. Instead, I'm directly talking to Junko with the telepathic connection. I can't see through her eyes like I was able to with Lumina, but I could still feel the strong buzz of the connection to the back of my brain during all of this. It really is working!

Junko was just as excited as I was for the new experience. "Now it is I who can see through your eyes and ears! So this is the way Lumina sees the human world, all with the help of your body... I can't believe how low resolution human sight is though. It's bumming me out a little."

Don't try and make me jealous. "I can't really see through your eyes though. I tried to just now, but I'm not able to see well. It's like everything is too dark and fuzzy with static."

"That's just the limits of this three-way telepathy being tested." She answered so certainly, like she was an expert in this ability.

I wasn't too thrilled to hear that even with how cold it was outside, the connection was still struggling for this one ability to work better. I wanted to see through Junko's eyes too, and possibly feel the same emotions that she does. There must be some other way. "I see. So, how would we make the connection stronger?"

"It requires very cold weather on your part. And even then, you're still human in the end, so the limits are still going to be hit at some point."

Cold weather huh? I could tell just by sitting outside in the grass that the air was closed to freezing any water or moisture around. If the result I desire requires weather much colder than this, Junko must mean to say that a temperature near zero would be the prerequisite for perfect three-way control. Still, just this much was enough to excite me.

"This is still so cool! We can both read our thoughts like this! Junko, this changes a lot going forward." All I have to do is wait for a deeper winter, and I can talk not only to Lumina, but her entire aggressor group team.

"No, you can't get used to this. You don't realize it yet, but this ability is taking a huge chunk out of Lumina right now."

It is? I guess I have to trust what Junko says. She and the other Altiri know more about this telepathy than I ever will. Still, if this is taking a lot out of Lumina, it explains why she was so hesitant to try it with me. I almost didn't hear a peep about it until now. I thought there was some other reason for her to hide it, but she simple wanted to avoid a mental workout... "Will she be okay?"

"I told her not to overdo it, so she should be fine. If you and I keep talking though, then the others won't get a chance to meet you. So, I'm going to hand this connection back to Lumina, and then she'll channel it back to the others, one by one."

So that's how it is. I'll only have enough time for a few words with the others, and it's only because Lumina is exerting so much of her own energy just to try this. "Okay. Go ahead." I still had to mentally prepare myself for what was about to come next. Am I supposed to feel something in particular when Junko suddenly becomes somebody else trying to talk to me?

"Reed? You there?"

"Lumina?" I know that voice too well by now. I was expecting one of her other sisters, but I guess she needed to talk to me first. "Yes, I'm here. Looks like your test is successful. Are you good to keep going?"

"Of course. Prepare yourself." For a brief moment, I felt Lumina close her eyes again, concentrating on what she needed to do. But then, that shared sensation vanished, as the connection of information changed between me and somebody else. Even so, when I heard the new voice in my head, I wasn't entirely prepared for it.

"Wha— I'm first? I'm not ready yet Lumina!"

It was obviously any one of her sisters. Given the properties of the connection, I was still capable of seeing a small amount of detail of the person in question, but everything was so dark at the same time. I had to instead guess by the order of everything. Lumina and I spoke about it before, about the exact order in which all are listed in a chain of command, even though there no official ranks beyond two values that matter. "You must be... Derria."

"How do you know who I am if you've never seen me before? Wait, can you see what I look like right now?"

"Not exactly." Her reply meant my guess was correct. I really could see what each of them looked like, but the details were so fuzzy and obstructive to make any realistic memories of it. All I did was go on a guess of which likely order Lumina would do this from. I also remember Lumina telling me who was on each ship. There is one ship out of the five that has an exception regarding the number of members aboard; three instead of two. On that ship, those members are Derria, Sherika, and Rose. That means, once I'm done speaking to Derria, I'll be in pair with one of the other two. I can use this method of guessing for the other ships too, up to a point. "I mean, I have seen some members of the Cy-Stars before, from some of those lucid dreams given to me by the purge. But I've been running on limited information since then. Plus, Lumina already told me that your group is the only one with three people on one ship."

"Fine, forget I asked." Derria seemed annoyed, but not enough to totally affect her tone. And she was now taking her time to think of something to say. I felt a little awkward about it too, since I happen to be the type of person who likes to think about what I want to say to someone I don't know, even if it takes me months to think of it. "How are you handling these things?"

What a weird question. I don't really have to lift a finger to make sure this is all possible. "Lumina is the one making this all possible. I'm not able to control the connection as well as I thought I could."

"No, that's not what I meant! I'm asking—"

"Asking what?" Before I knew it, Derria was cut off by something going on with the connection. I was most curious to hear her after she told me that I had the wrong idea. Leaving like that just felt wrong in too many ways. Before I could even complain, the voice of another introduced herself with some excitement.

"Oh! Now I get a turn."

"How do I pronounce your name again? No, forget that. What did Derria want to tell me?" I didn't want to be rude to whoever this was, but I now had to find out what it was Derria wanted to tell me. I felt like it was even more important now that it bothered me not to know.

"I'm called Sherika. And I don't know what Derria wanted. Lumina is giving all of us time limits per person. So I'll make this short and brief. I'm the smart outspoken one, and Rose is the smart introvert."

"I am not that shy!"

"Hey, I just heard her voice. That wasn't a mental thought projection." Of course, Rose sounded like she was standing some distance away from Sherika when she said that, so I barely heard her at all. The fact that all of them are getting short time limits must explain why Derria was cut off so quickly. It's really frustrating.

"Indeed, it wasn't."

If I can hear the voices of the others, does that mean...? "Sherika? Who can hear us right now? Who can hear us between the connection at this very moment?"

"Lumina didn't explain to you how this works?"

There! Just then at that moment, I felt something. It was only faint. Everything regarding background noise of the air suddenly vanished, and then it reappeared through my ears again. I normally had no other way to know, but the connection just shifted again. Now, I'm in pair with somebody other than Sherika, meaning it should be with Rose. Still, why couldn't Sherika just answer my question?

"Reed. Such a simple name for such an important person. Don't worry though. Right now, you and I are the only ones who can hear each other in the three-way telepathy. That is how it works."

If that's true, how did she know what question I asked Sherika? Then again, they did say that Sherika and Rose were both the intelligent ones. Altiri are already intelligent on average, at least to me. That must mean these two are a pair of geniuses, so I should not be surprised. "Can you block telepathic noise from your sisters, I mean, even outside of the three-way?"

"Right now your telepathic data is unavailable to them, a product of nature and not by design. But for us other Altiri, we do possess the power to block out each other via telepathy if we really wanted to. But we can also force our way in sometimes, if we really try hard enough."

I have so many more questions now. I always thought telepathy was this open system where anyone can just snoop. But if it's possible to block others out and force one's way in sometimes, it means that capacity could exist between myself and Lumina too... Although, we already have that capacity on some manner. If I don't project my thoughts on purpose, she won't hear them. In all, it means it is technically possible to keep secrets from each other. But let's get back to the subject at hand. "And why am I so important again?"

"You really have no idea what this is all about Reed. Now, I worry."

Just like that, Rose was cut off, worrying me a bit too. Did I hear her right? I have no idea what this is all about? I thought Lumina told me that already. I thought she told me that the very reason for the purge was specific to two situations. On one hand, Lumina wanted to have somebody to talk to. On the other, she also wanted to prevent me from gradually transforming myself into a heathen like so many others do. Both were valid explanations to me now, even though they didn't used to be. Lumina and I are friends now, and I want those reasons to be pure... But if Rose is right, and there are things Lumina isn't telling me, then it confirms some of my worst fears. She is hiding things from me, though I can't imagine what.

There isn't any time to think about it now. I have to introduce myself to the next sister, as I can already tell I've been reconnected to somebody else. "And this would be?"

"Up yours Reed!"

Okay? I wasn't expecting the attitude.

"I'm not doing this because I want to you know. I never agreed to this. And I still can't be sure how much of a heathen you really are."

Right. This has to be Hurma, though she won't say what her name is right now. I was warned before that Hurma feels most strongly about the heathen situation, which was a shock to me after what I saw in Lumina's burning hatred. I felt kind of bad that she was being forced to do this if she didn't want to. However, I felt obligated to set one thing straight. "Understood. But I'm not a heathen. Lumina was able to convince me of that."

"Awwh! Lumina's precious little angel! He couldn't possibly a heathen, not like the other billions of swine in the rest of the world!" She clearly wasn't having any of this, and used her sarcasm to let me know that she hated my guts simply for being a male.

"So you don't think her efforts were worth the risk?" At the very least, I could understand where she was coming from. Even if it's how I look or sound, any hint of a person being a male would bring out that rage, that hatred, that need for vengeance. Three weeks ago, Lumina brought that sensation out within me as well, after showing me the reasons why other heathens on Earth are similar enough to direct that hatred to. Hurma's feeling might be misdirected, but I'm not judging her for feeling that way in the first place.

"Of course I don't! Were all supposed to just trust that everything will be okay. Well we aren't privileged to know what Lumina thinks of precious little you."

I've never had to deal with somebody this angry at me before, and it delayed my response slightly. But the last thing she said warranted my involvement. "What? Why hasn't she been keeping you in the loop? Lumina shouldn't be hiding anything from you. What she and I discuss is not some grave secret, not in your world anyway." I was only slightly embarrassed to say that, to think that all of Lumina's sisters would be getting information about me, including private details... But after all ten of them lost their ability to purge another human being ever again, it's the minimum level of compensation they should get in return.

"So..." What I said seemed to slow her down, Hurma being totally surprised by my words. "Then, you actually want us to know every little detail about everything you've said and done over the past few weeks?"

We've all come this far, and we didn't do it as individuals. It's been a team effort the entire time, Lumina and her sisters, and then myself too. "Of course I do." Right as I said that, I felt the connection suddenly shift again. The timing should have allowed Hurma to hear my admission, but I wasn't sure if I was fast enough. In only two seconds, I was reconnected with somebody else entirely, and totally annoyed by the speed of these transitions. Oh, not again!

"Sorry if this is too fast for an introduction Reed."

"Its fine, I guess..." I couldn't hide my annoyance to the speed of this. It's all so fast; I can't properly meet them like this. Still, I put that aside to meet the next sister. I was able to identify her as Talor immediately based on two factors. For one, she was currently sitting in front of her personal mirror. I wasn't able to see clearly through her eyes, but it was just enough detail for me to spot the difference. But her voice was so pristine and clear, more than anyone else I've ever heard of before. "Your voice... It's so clear and pristine. And you look younger than the others. No doubt you are Talor." I felt just as strange pronouncing her name like normal. Lumina told me that their names are sometimes spelled strangely to avoid duplicates. In her case, Talor is spoke the same way as Taylor, but are spelled differently.

"I'm not younger. I'm just smaller is all. My voice quality doesn't surprise me either. I sing for a living."

"You do?" I forgot to consider that about Altiri culture, that some may be born with natural talents that they can use to ease boredom. I was suddenly stoked to hear Talor sing, to wonder how awesome her voice would be.

"All the time. My sisters all tell me I have a wonderful voice."

"I'd love to hear you sing sometime Talor."

"It was nice meeting you too Reed." It's as if she knew that the next telepathic shift was about to happen, because right after her parting, it did occur. I could tell after another two seconds that I was no longer with Talor, but with somebody else.

"Oh, I'm in now. I can finally see it all, the world through the eyes of another human... I'm Ashiela by the way."

So this is Ashiela. I wondered when we would get to her. And if this is Ashiela, then it means the very next person I should be paired with will be Fionne. She's wondering what the world looks like through my eyes? "Some would say this is a beautiful world."

"Yes, but that's only a matter of personal perspective... Rose was right. Just by having Lumina in your head for a long enough time, you're already becoming much smarter than you used to be, much more than you should be at that age."

"I am?" I really haven't noticed. And after the incident where Lumina tried and failed to explain teleportation to me, I felt even more like a dunce today. But maybe it's not something a person can just notice or judge when evaluating themself.

"Well this was exciting. I do hope we get to meet each other again, next time under some better circumstances."

"So do I." But what she said really got under my skin. I'm not arrogant enough to suddenly see myself as a genius, but if I really am learning things under the premise that the Altiri are real, what's going to happen to me much later on? Will I ever get the chance to demonstrate this knowledge difference in person to other people? While asking myself this, the connection shifted again, changing the perspective between myself and Fionne.

"I don't know what to think about this... How are you getting along with things Reed? Is any of this starting to spook you?"

I was fascinated by her question. It was something I should have asked myself a while ago. If it were anyone else, I think they would be spooked by what's going on here. When I say it aloud, that I am currently connected to a distant Altiri alien using the power of telepathy and sharing all sensory information, it's a statement by itself that is pure insanity. Yet I've started to accept and believe it anyway, even without hardcore evidence. But I didn't consider until now that most of everyone else might be afraid of this situation. Insanity aside, just speaking to another species like this would scare the pants off other people, wouldn't it? All I really know is that Lumina and I are nice to each other. I've finally started to care about her, and I have all the reason to believe she cares about me too, even if she is hiding things from me. So that's why... "I don't really know how to answer that Fionne. I had too many mixed feelings about this before. But right now, I'd say I'm taking this pretty well. Learning about a distant alien civilization via telepathy is more awesome than I gave it credit for. And because I stuck with it long enough, I'm finally getting the chance to meet all of Lumina's wonderful friends."

"That's good... And you're actually a lot nicer than we originally thought. You treat Lumina right, okay?"

Before I could say anything, the connection shifted once again, making it feel too fast for my own comfort. Still, it was crazy to hear that from her. I'm nicer than what they were expecting? What kind of menace do the Altiri think men are? I mean, is the hatred of heathens so strong in everybody here, that simply being a male freaks them out beyond all rationality? I wish there was something I could do about that, but there isn't; nothing I could think of.

"Um... Hi..." Whoever was talking to me now sounded too embarrassed or shy to speak like everybody else.

I tried my best to make her feel comfortable, since I could too easily identify with how that feels. I don't know if it's because I trust Lumina and all of her friends so well, or if there is another reason behind this, but I'm not nervous as I normally am when talking to girls from my own world. "Hi. I presume this is either Lulu or Luna?" Those are the only two names remaining. I was told in advance that one of them was really shy, but I don't remember which one it was.

"I'm Luna... Uh..."

Yep. She's defiantly too shy to be her true self in front of me. I wonder if I can even remember by count how many times I have done the same thing to other people. "It's fine. I didn't know what to say either when all of this started."

"I... I want to know more about you. I know you're only fourteen, but you're different now. You're growing up surprisingly fast."

"I am?" Before Luna could even hear my reaction, I felt the connection beginning to shift yet again. But her words got me thinking... Ashiela said the same thing too, that I was somehow different compared to where I was right before meeting Lumina... But it was hard to see from my side. As far as I could think back, all I remembered was what I felt in that moment. I was scared and confused when Lumina and I first met. I wasn't paying attention to maturity or anything else, so I failed to see what everyone else was within me, if they were even seeing it at all. They must have all been observing me from before I was purged, not just Lumina, but all of her sisters as well. I hope none of these people feel too compelled to tell me how they see me as, compared to before.

"We're just speaking what we feel... Reed, the heathen that never was."

So she doesn't believe I'm heathen? Maybe Lumina is telling her sisters some things, just not everything. This can only be Lulu, since there is nobody left. Once I'm done talking to her, the connection will return to me and Lumina again. I might as well say something then. "Lulu. It is true, that Lumina purged me in time, preventing me from becoming a heathen. I don't know if I would have become one without her involvement, but I can say that I'm happy with the way things are turning out. I'm happy to be able to meet you all, and I would never-ever do anything to hurt anybody. I just wanted you to know that."

"You're actually so nice... I— I saw it in you too, the same thing Lumina did."

"Saw what in me?" I wanted to know what Lulu was referring to, but suddenly, I felt the connection shift once again, though I didn't want to believe that it did, not this early. "Lulu?"

"It's just you and me again now Reed." Lumina, who was finally satisfied with how things went took her time to relax, sipping on a water bottle to replenish her own energy.

"Lumina? Is that you?" I was suddenly embarrassed to even ask that. I should know by now which of those voices belongs to Lumina... But there are just so many. Lumina knows ten other people who all love her very much. I can see now why they refer to each other as sisters, because to them, they might as well be family.

"Yes it is... I guess hearing all of those different voices must have flushed out your memory of what mine sounded like."

Busted! She knew exactly what happened and why, even though I never projected as much. "Lumina..." I won't mess that up again, but I now had too many unanswered questions after what I just went through. "That was the shortest meeting with everybody I think I've ever had. It's a bit improper."

"Sorry about that..." I could hear Lumina trying to speak to me, but she was huffing and puffing a lot more now, as if she just ran up and down flights of stairs several times in a row without stopping. Even though she was using telepathy to talk, her winded status delayed even her own speed of thought. "It's the most I could do... Quite literally."

"You seem pretty worn out by this... That ability must be a taxing one to use." I've never seen Lumina so drained of her energy like she was now. It was in fact so bad that my previous ability to see through her eyes was not working as it should, meaning the connection itself must have been temporarily weakened by the drain happening within Lumina. It's one of the little reasons I believe her to be real, something that sways me further to believing their existence to be the truth. That much energy drain is just too inconvenient.

"Would have... Would have lasted longer with a better connection... And without jumping you over and over that many times."

"I hate to ask this of you..." I shouldn't even consider putting her through anymore, not if she can barely hold her own in a normal connection in thirty degree air. But there is just one thing I heard Derria say that I must know.

"Come on Reed! Now isn't the time to be getting too attached to them. You know this is a rare thing for me to do. You won't be able to speak to all of my sisters every single day."

"Right, I get that..." She's throwing out excuses to not try it again... But even so, I'm only asking for a little more. "Think you can still briefly connect me to Derria?"

"Derria? Why her? Did she say something to you?"

"You could say that, but I want to understand it better."

"I'll do my best, but only after you drink more water. I'll have to do the same on my end too."

I agreed even knowing it was going to be a few minutes before I could do this again. I had to really let it sink in that water consumption must be the biggest way to restore energy lost in a psionic connection; it certainly made me feel a little better already. When I was done speaking to Lulu, I began to feel slightly dizzy, but not enough to elicit concern. Drinking that water already made me feel better, so I just gulped down some more. If I run out, I can refill one with the water fountains nearby. Once we were both ready, I braced myself while Lumina shifted the connection directly to Derria as I requested. She of course was first to react in a concerning tone.

"Okay, you've got about two minutes of this before you make Lumina pass out. If she does, I'm going to come down there and kick your ass."

"Sorry Derria. I just wanted to know what you meant earlier. I actually have lots of questions. The others keep telling me weird things." I recalled her question from earlier too. She said something about how I was handling things, but her question wasn't as literal as I thought.

"They're probably just helpful hints. That's to be expected, since none of us really get to have a voice back to you. Anything we say must go through Lumina."

"So, if getting along with things isn't what you meant earlier, then what was it?"

"That was a stupid question to come back here for."

"Ninety seconds!" I don't care if she thinks it's stupid. I've come this far, so I might as well get to the bottom of at least one mystery today. If I only have a brief time with Derria again, she might as well make use of it.

"I was curious to know how you were handling the situation, not with me, but with her."

"Oh..." Now I have nobody to fault but myself. It's an interesting question, but Derria was right. I shouldn't have risked anything for a question such as this one. "Well... I don't know actually. I guess by now, I'm just willing to accept that anything in this world is possible, no matter how crazy it might sound."

"That's not the same version I heard from Lumina."

"Well, me going out of my mind is still more likely than mental intrusion by a distant alien race."

"That's fair. I'll give you that one."

"The thing is, I want to believe this is real more than I used to. I want to believe that Lumina is a real person. She's nice; she's a wonderful friend to me, someone who is always trying to help me, whether it's with other people or just easing each other's boredom. I guess I want to have her around as a friend so much, that I'm willing to have more faith in the Altiri than I used to. I mean, if people like you, Lumina, and the rest of the Altiri people really exist in the world, that would be a wonderful thing. She's never done anything remotely harmful or hurtful to me. I have no reason to doubt our existence anymore. That's because I simply don't want to. Maybe that's why I'm handling it better now, because you and the Cy-Stars are part of that reality."

"Oh..." I could tell she was shocked to hear me say that, but it felt too good for me speaking through my heart to leave anything out. "Well then, I guess I've not been entirely open with you Reed. I actually thought this purge was a bad idea from the beginning, the decision to involve you in our world like this. When Lumina wanted to, I stood against her as many of us did."

Yeah, and I know now that Derria is not the only one who felt that way. "More of your sisters do apparently... The thing is, I don't know why I was purged in the first place." I thought that I knew already... But after what Rose said to me earlier, I can no longer be as certain as I was before. There is another reason, another deeper meaning behind Lumina's actions that she just refuses to let me in on. At this point, I don't want Lumina to know that I suspect this about her in the first place. Maybe Derria can tell me instead, since Lumina cannot actually hear this conversation.

"You have to ask Lumina about it, not myself."

"I know... But I get the feeling that she might not be telling me what that reason is."

"But are you sure that's what's happening? You need to be careful not to accuse people of misleading you if they are your friend. That can be a harsh position to be in, for Lumina especially. But if she actually is lying to you straight, then I guess it would be okay to question what's going on."

"Right..." I didn't expect that answer from her. I thought that Derria might know everything going on, but maybe she doesn't. And she's right to caution me about that. If I accuse Lumina of lying to me when she isn't, it would make her feel horrible, to know that I don't fully trust her. But on the other hand, if I can prove she is holding something back, then I deserve to know. But is it even okay for me to ask? What a complicated mess I'm in now. Maybe Rose was just yanking my chain earlier. "Okay Derria. It was nice meeting you." There is also the remote possibility that Derria already knows what secret I am referring to, but is intentionally keeping it from me on Lumina's behalf. Either way, I don't have proof, so I should just drop it for now.

"Good. I'm giving you back up to Lumina now, before you blow the precious connection out of her head." With that, Derria made sure to shift the connection back to the way it should be, and as soon as I was with Lumina again, I heard a mountain of complaints from her.

"Finally!" Though, Lumina was on the ground, panting and breathing faster than I would have been comfortable with, and she was desperately trying to gulp down more water while I felt sorry for what I did to her. "I was about to drop the connection on purpose..."

"I'm sorry Lumina. I didn't mean to put you through that kind of workout... Hey, how am I not feeling as drained by this?" For one, it didn't seem fair that only Lumina would suffer so much drain from the ability.

"Oh, are you the one channeling a delicate psionic connection to multiple nodes by relinking neural pathways and absorbing most of the psionic load to the Cora sector?"

"Um... No." Clearly my question pissed her off, but it was strange to hear her use such scientific dialect like that, proving there was still plenty that I did not understand. Whatever was going on, I need to be more careful in the future, because this can probably really hurt her.

"So then, you won't be tired from this. I might be the stronger node, but that also means I have to do all the work every time we phase the connection, split to three-way, or do other crazy stuff. I inherit the majority of the psionic load when we do these crazy things, not you."

There's that phrase again, psionic load. I don't know what it means, but it's obviously an important value in telepathic connections. "I'm sorry. It was rude of me to assume any of this was easy. And I won't ask you to put yourself in that position again, not if it can harm you."

"No need to worry about harm. The connection would actually die on its own before the drain actually kills me."

"Right..." I want to believe her, but it's crazy to think that a telepathic drain actually has the power to kill somebody.

"So... What did you and Derria talk about?"

Well, I can't actually tell her that we talked about a potential conspiracy that Lumina is keeping a secret from me, so I'll just summarize the first conversation. "Oh, she just wanted to know how I was taking it all in. Am I happy with this arrangement, or totally freaked out?"

"And?"

"Well, I wasn't going to lie about how I feel, so I just spoke from the heart."

"No, I mean—"

I knew exactly what she meant. The problem is that too much is in flux for me to actually believe Lumina is keeping a secret from me that I would want to know. I don't know who these other sisters are, not like I know her. "Come on Lumina! Don't you know me best by now? I couldn't possibly be happier about it than I am now. It's the reason I'm in such a good mood today. I know it's stupid, but I never thought all of this could happen to a guy like me, to some boring, uninteresting, unpopular idiot in this crap town. What are the chances Lumina? What are the actual chances of this happening to me?"

"In truth, they're astronomical." She meant astronomically far away.

"Right. I would be a moron to just throw all of that away. So what if I can't yet prove that you and the others really exist yet? I have not proven that you are all part of my imagination either. So am I still to just throw it all away, over the fear of what I might not understand, or over the silly notion that it might all be fake? I know that this could all be the result of some split-personality gone wild. But there's one thing that's too real to be faked for me, and that's the way I feel about you Lumina. Now that we're both good friends, I don't want a mental disorder to be the truth. I don't want to put any faith in the horrible nightmare that I made you and the Altiri up."

"I'm really happy to hear you say that... But you know, I don't think you can prove anything. I mean, I tried to help you and failed earlier."

"None of that Lumina. You've done more than enough to convince me. When it comes to empirical evidence, it's going to be circumstantial only. I get that now. But even so, what I feel about us is more real than anything I've felt in my entire life. It feels like I've been sleeping until you and I finally met. I wish I understood the difference in perceptions better, but I'm still okay with how things are now."

"There's no need to be confused by it Reed. Cutting your arm over here instead of on Earth will still result in cutting your arm. Running around naked in this world will be the same as it is in your world. Nothing is different Reed. Your perception of the world you live in; that's what's been updated."

"My perception of the world... So that's how you all look at it?" I never considered the idea that reality might not be something absolute and singled out to a single person; it's subjective, capable of changing based on what a person learns through their own perception. Maybe Lumina is real only because I know that she is real, and because I can sense her where nobody else can. It means for everybody but myself and her, Lumina might be a fantasy to their own respective reality. If that's true, then what does reality even mean by that point?

"Maybe you'll never fully know if I'm real to you or not. But then, you don't really have to decide on logic and evidence either. It's like you said. I'm more real to you than anything else, so you could believe in me based on that strong faith, because you and I both want to be best friends."

"I want us to be best friends too..." I understand now why Lumina is moving into this tangent. She wants to be sure, to be certain once and for all where I stand on whether or not I believe her, and also why. "Lumina, you don't have to worry about it anymore."

"But I want you to be sure of yourself too. After everything you've felt, heard, and sought so far, does everything sum up into a tangible reality for you? Or does it only simulate reflections brought up to you by your subconscious primary?"

"Well..." I don't know what she means by subconscious primary. Talk about a word salad... "I get what you are asking. You're wondering if I think there's a chance I might be asleep in bed, or that I might be walking around already in a mental institution hallucinating everything in front of me. But I know the truth already. Everything I see and feel around me is my reality. I have no reason to doubt it."

"Is it your reality, or the reality of something else?"

What is she getting at? "No, just plain reality. I said before that there really isn't any difference. I get that everybody has a different perspective on everything, but that doesn't mean that everybody is living their own lives in a parallel universe. They all believe or don't believe in what they go through, based on what they know in their own intelligence, or based on what they can feel with their own senses. If I tried to explain your existence to another human being, they wouldn't buy it at all. And now I know why... No matter what I do, there is no other way for the human to experience the same thoughts, memories, emotions, and physical sensations that I've been sharing with you. I can describe them, but I can't actually share them with others."

I gave myself a second to process what I wanted to say, what felt right from within. Lumina was listening with an iron ear, captivated by my own meaning. "But even with that much true, all it says is that this reality I live in is the only one that exists. The only reason it felt so different to me before was because I had nothing else to compare it to. As you keep saying, I'm getting smarter every day. All I really care about is that I'm more involved in this now than anyone will ever know. It's not about having different realities, Lumina. It's about what we know, as people." Right as I was done explaining what I felt to her, I stood up, dusted myself off, and began walking back into the building, back into class, certain that I may have been outside for far too long. But it gave Lumina a lot to consider. Even I felt slightly hypnotized by my own words, unsure where all of that came from.

"... I guess I must have underestimated how quickly you are absorbing our knowledge."

"I don't know if I can ever consider myself to be intelligent, but what matters even more to me is that somebody cares. The problem is, nobody ever has paid that kind of attention to me before, before you showed up anyway."

"I hate to say this now... But I think we're still the only group who does care about you, me and the Cy-Stars that is."

By now, I stopped my walking right outside the open door of the chaotic math class. It seems I wasn't really missed by anybody. My stare centered on Banarus's group from afar, as none of them noticed my lingering yet. Banarus, Malica, and Maddison... They might be different than the average person, but even with that said, I'm getting nowhere with them. If I compare my relations with anyone else in how Lumina and I interact, the difference is staggering!

"They can be fun for you to hang out with, Reed. But if they can never know what is going on with you, with us... They can never really be your friends."

Even though she somehow read what was on my background thoughts by mere chance, I really wasn't happy to accept that truth. "I really hope that is not true." But I of course knew that it was. Lumina is too important for me to ignore, so if nobody else can care about her in a sense, at least enough to care that I care about her as a friend, then I can't be friends with them in return. Since nobody will ever believe my story, it means there is chance I may never-ever make another human friend for as long as I continue to live.

"Well, my last statement is just a guess of probability. It's entirely possible that I could be wrong about this. But Reed, I don't feel that I am. You either have to tell them, now that you know that you and I are both real, or otherwise keep them in the dark. They'll be your acquaintances, but never anything more, no matter how hard you try." She told me this as I was slowly walking right back in the classroom. I wanted to keep my positive mood from earlier, but hearing those words from her hurt me more than anything else could. I was too sad to keep my eyes up anymore, and I was sad because I knew deep down that Lumina was right.

Around that same moment, I managed to get close enough to my seat again that Banarus noticed my entrance at last, following the eyes of her own friends. "Reed? Where did you go earlier?"

"Just out for a moment. I think I needed some air." This is it! This is the reason I've felt more distant from them lately. I knew from the beginning that telling them a peep about Lumina would cause more problems than it solves. There is no way any of them would believe me. But if they don't believe me, how in the world could I ever at any point consider Banarus or the others to be my friends, no matter what I try? Do any of them even care about me at all? Lumina risked so much just to be able to talk to me, but these other students don't see me as anything more than a footnote. I've been trying to ignore this for a while now, but I can't deny it any longer.

"Are you oaky?" She must have noticed my diminished mood.

But even if she had, what difference did it really make at this point? Several dozens of thought chains were firing off in my mind at once, imaginative scenarios involving me telling Banarus all about Lumina and how we met. But even in these daydreams, the likelihood that she would react in any positive manner just felt too low. Banarus... She doesn't care about me enough to believe in what's happening around me. So does it even matter anymore if I respond to her in any meaningful manner? "Just fine. So, what did I miss?"

On cue of me asking that, the system bells of the school rang loudly, signaling for all the other students to stand up, pack their backpacks, and move on to the next class. The answer to my question was now obvious, but Maddison wilfully pointed it out while chuckling to the stupidity of my timing. "Oh, only all of the entire class!"

"Hehe, great..." My dorky nervousness only existed because I realized only now that there were some notes to be taken after all. I basically missed the entire math session just to do some cool experiment with Lumina. "So, anyone feeling generous enough to lend notes?"

"Nope!" Maddison, Malica, and Banarus spoke up at the same time, really nailing it in that I was not worthy enough to have notes lent to me, since I went and left their group for the class.

"Skippers get zippers!" Nobody was laughing at the strange pun Maddison felt she had to use. I was left wondering where she even heard that lame joke from.

"The hell does that even mean?"

See? Even Lumina wasn't impressed by it. Even so, this new shift of mood was too damaging to my day. I still have to try. Maybe I can prove her logic to be flawed somehow. "I don't know Lumina. But I still think you could be wrong. So I'm going to do my best to make really good friends in school too. And when I do, I'll one day tell them this secret, when we both trust each other enough. That way, it would be possible to make human friends, aside from what you said."

"I'm so sorry! I didn't want to make you sad. But I also don't want you to get your hopes up for the wrong things."

"If there is anything I won't ever do, it's giving up on anything, even for a moment. I've got this Lumina. And with you by my side, I'm sure I can somehow pull it off."

"Yeah, but are you sure you want me in your head instructing you on what to say all the time?"

"I don't think I'll actually need it anymore." I managed to remember all of the advice Lumina has given to me so far. There were a lot of random things to what she instructed me to say, but each of them all started with one single theme. I have to make the first move. I have to be brave enough to just open up and talk to somebody, and to never give up when it seems like things are not going my way. If I simply clam up and keep being too shy, then it's over before I can ever get started. Lumina taught me that, a skill I will remember forever. "I'm doing better in conversations now, even without you there to help me. Lumina, you taught me enough already, enough for me to get by for a while. I still don't get it right every single time. And even against what I learned, I'm still too shy around people I don't know. But at this point, I can only continue to get better at this, not worse."

"Okay. If this really will help you, then I'll help you too, anyway I can."

"Good." See, that's the reason I believe in her. Lumina isn't some crazy or clingy hallucination. She's her own person, and someone I want to keep hanging out with. She's always so supportive of my personal desires. That is why she and I are on friendly terms these days. "And Lumina?"

"Yes?"

"It's good to see that you have your strength back. The connection must still be nice and strong for you to recover so quickly." I recall seeing her on the ground struggling to stay normal after my second conversation with Derria. I wasn't fond of seeing Lumina in such rough shape, but she's obviously back to normal again.

"It is strong enough Reed. Luckily, that means we get to spend even more time with each other today, as well as in the future. Winter will only bring colder weather as the time goes by."

She's right. Even if something were to get me down today, there is also tomorrow, the day after, and the months after all of that. If it will continue to get colder, it means I can hang out with Lumina for a long time to come. Somehow, just thinking about that lifted my spirits up once more, returning to me the mood that was stolen by despair moments ago. "Looking forward to it."