Sora floated between dreams through the night, enjoying the rejuvenating process of the natural phenomena; the fantasy of spending a day with her mother as a human, going about, and shopping in some random place she didn’t recognize, went by too quickly.

As light peaked through her parting windows, Sora stretched out underneath her sheets before flexing. She stared at the open window, spotting the slightly overcast heavens and chirping birds atop the roofs. She felt revitalized and let the soft sounds wash through her.

Mofupsi was already awake; the older woman was always up first, either in the shower or kitchen, crafting another excellent breakfast. After being introduced to the cookbook, she’d been going through a new recipe every day, which spiced up the mornings.

Emilia liked to get in on the tail-end of the process, setting the plates or filling everyone’s glasses. She enjoyed being able to contribute a little to the meal.

Of course, Sora was left to laze about and let them take care of everything, which was annoying sometimes. She wanted to be helpful, too, and a part of her missed the days of cooking in the morning for her daughter.

It was a new stage in her life. Well, every week tended to bring a new stage, she reminded herself; settling in, she propped her pillow up a bit to stare at the brightening heavens.

Wendy had dove head first into training, doing her best to catch up, and Sora didn’t blame her. She was having a bit of a block when it came to advancing her Null-Void pets and still couldn’t create a fourth.

Kari was MIA for the last bit, as well, since Sora had been spending more time with Eyia and Jin; she wondered how the wolf was doing with her father’s side after they’d gone through their whole Shadow battle.

A grimace crossed her face as she created a body double and floated the reflection near the ceiling, eyes closed. Her gaze drifted between her three tails, pondering how best to move forward with her mother’s side.

She knew her Null-Void and Founder Magic had to be brought into unity, or at least balanced out, yet executing that plan was proving to be troubling, and, like Wendy, she was hitting a wall.

Then again, she also was a tad distracted by the many events that had been eating up her time; well, if she were being honest, she was stalling, in a way.

Allowing more of her vulpes side out certainly was helping, yet it was far from the fix-all she’d hoped for. This was her thirteenth ‘outside week’ on this training regime; Wednesday would be her year and a half mark on this grind, and she’d gained so much in that time.

Sora studied her lifeless, sleeping form above, waiting for her to give it orders or swap her consciousness with it. She was solar system-level when it came to destruction, and there were a lot of tricks she could exploit by having a deeper understanding of the threads of their Grand Existence.

Still, instead of delving more into her mother’s side, she’d done something sort of in the middle throughout the previous week—delve deeper into dimensional knowledge—which was important, yet she wondered if there was a bit of hesitation when it came to facing this blight and growth cycle her two halves were going through.

Peering past dimensional boundaries, she saw an overlapped phenomenon of various timelines. Sora filtered out the physical plane to study things in a more spiritual way, following the totality of every person who would likely pass by her house this coming week.

It wasn’t like a movie, but an expansive picture with unbelievable detail that she could perceive in its entirety; she wasn’t even getting headaches anymore after Eyia’s training in the 5th dimension.

Further focusing as she pushed herself up against her headboard, she bypassed the defensive measures of the Realm Core by virtue of her all-in-one access card that was her vulpes essence and looked at the full 2-week timeline of the training rooms Kari and Wendy had been using.

A sly smirk lifted the left side of her mouth when seeing Kari spinning in circles across space. To her, she was likely moving very slowly, but from what Sora saw, she was a shooting star.

From what Sora could tell, her focus was purely internal, preparing herself for the inevitable battle of wills that would arise from separating her own Reverse Existence powers from her father.

The wolf’s hard head struck two planets on her cycles around the dense super sun’s gravity, and it was either the molten rocks or her that would give way. Naturally, it wasn’t the wolf that was breaking apart in their collision; Kari left shattered worlds in her wake.

Sora sat back and examined her soul cultivation, considering the dualistic nature of the outside environment vs. the internal, drawing comparisons between her aunts, Jin, Eyia, and her own current progression—mornings were the best time to consider these thoughts for her.

What’s changed since my first tail to now, and how has that translated into my own advancements?

After several minutes of internal debate, she came to an interesting conclusion. It was the elasticity of her Core and her Oltera Nexus’ inner output that responded to the growth of her practice.

If she was to snatch out a human or one of the vulpes spirits around their house and stick it inside her Core, there would be a limit to how many she could fit. Of course, the space could be widened based on if she loosened up her defenses or softened them, yet there was a limit on it.

The various techniques and feats she’d practiced and developed came from the mechanics built within her Oltera Nexus, which her Core Essence put power into, expanding outward in a supernova of channeled focus, and it clicked that this was how her vulpes magic operated.

She placed a hand against her breast, feeling her artificial pumping heart. If she was right, it didn’t even matter if she was inside of another Existence; her Oltera Nexus was the machine that sampled and oriented itself to whatever force it was using, which was how both of her halves could operate in the same space.

It was true that she required some unique force Frankenstein had surgically implanted between her Null-Void and vulpes essence halves; yet, the foundation of what her central faculties unified around, or the fundamental structural bedrock that kept herself together—spirit, physical form, and Intelligence—all of it was kept in harmony by her Oltera Nexus.

Sora pumped her fist in the air, thrilled she’d finally come to understand what this seemingly infinite bead within her was that provided her power; it wasn’t just her strength, but her will, the binding links that kept her in unity.

Her thrill sobered upon reflecting on that concept. Her daughter, or, more specifically, who her daughter had once been, and the explanation her aunt provided, fit into place. Her Core had been shattered—her Oltera Nexus—and Naomie had attempted to use her fractured bead to create an all-destroying bomb, which was what Githa was so concerned about.

A gentle stream of air passed through her lips as she reflected on what a terrible thing that was; when someone typically died, their Oltera Nexus wasn’t damaged but went through another rebirthing or transcending process.

Naomie had made her devout follower into the ultimate form of a nuclear bomb that could likely even bypass dimensional lines to leave a lasting scar, equal to however potent the individual detonating was, which likely had a multiplicative yield like a nuclear explosion.

She grimaced, her thoughts drifting down the somber path of such a possibility, and a chill ran through her chakram and tails.

What if an Oltera Nexus bomb could trigger a chain reaction involving other souls it came into contact with… Could you destroy an entire Existence by setting off a big enough initial trigger that struck other powerful entities? Other than taking out an Existence Core… No, maybe you need something like that to break an Existence Core?

“Ugh… Why am I even thinking about this?” she growled, mind flashing back to her method of detonating a star; the thoughts just connected.

All it took was understanding the method of triggering its collapse… And a chaining Oltera Nexus bomb would undoubtedly be far more complicated, yet, with Desire Magic…

Sucking on her bottom lip, a minute passed before her door cracked open. “Are you dressed, Mom?”

“Still in my nightgown,” she mumbled, ears pulled back while glaring up at her body double.

Emilia swung open the door, left ear shifting to the side with her head as she lifted an eyebrow. “Uh… Mom! You said you were in your nightgown. Gah. Don’t be creepy or anything.”

“Creepy?” Sora asked, focus shifting to her daughter’s questioning look. “How am I being creepy just sitting in bed thinking? I’m dressed, but my double might not be—and we took showers together like… less than eight weeks ago!”

“Dressed… I guess a nightgown can be a dress.” Emilia’s raised eyebrow swapped to the other side. “Uh, sure—eight weeks—I don’t know… What would you do if you saw your mom just brooding off into the distance while staring at a naked clone of herself like she was going to dissect it? Creep. Breakfast is ready.”

“Haaa. Maybe I am a creep,” Sora grumbled, scratching her right ear and dissolving the copy.

“Double creep,” Emilia returned, snickering and closing the door. “Hurry!”

Sora drew around her thick hair to fidget with her chakram, her mind still on the topic of Oltera Nexuses, and she began to connect the dots with Gong-Gong and Fen’s orbs.

Some creatures can draw out their Oltera Nexus? Is it similar to my chakram being my main body, but my consciousness is able to be projected into another form? I suppose there could be some advantages to it, yet… it can’t be like mine since it’s not like Gong-Gong can just actively reconstitute… Similar, but not the same.

Hovering over to the dresser, she threw on a nice blue dress and examined herself in the mirror for a moment, crafting her hair into an elegant bun—she wanted to look nice for Jin’s maturity day event. In fact, it may have been all of the recent connections she was making with her powers, dimensions, and Jin’s orb problem that was pulling her mind in this direction.

It clicked on her way downstairs. The bead or orb of Existence’s creatures wasn’t necessarily their Oltera Nexus but a form of redundancy system that could be detached from it that was comprised of their power and generation attributes.

The ability could be used to uplift someone else, train them even, by presenting a person with the blueprint of their fundamental faculties; theoretically, Sora could see it having a use similar to the Outer Body Technique, only as a portable and branching system, and, thinking back on how Fen used hers, it became more evident.

A vulpes bead could ‘store’ the power, yet that was also a weaker version due to Fen’s age; Gong-Gong’s orb didn’t appear to run out of power after her aunt used it to kill a 1st Generation Founder, so it had to have recharging traits like every person’s Oltera Nexus did.

So, like the Outer Body Technique had different tiers and levels to it, an orb or bead might have the capabilities to act as a secondary Oltera Nexus, including one’s essence but excluding the Intelligence.

If that were the case, it was no wonder Jin’s mom wanted his orb back so much; in a way, it was the embodiment of everything Gong-Gong was—excluding what gave him individual will. It may even have a last will and testament, similar to how an Intelligent Construct might have.

There was so much to consider with this new avenue opening up before her. It also put into perspective why it was so challenging for her mother and aunt to go beyond the 12th dimension—elasticity and anchoring of one’s essence—a balance had to be struck like her vulpes magic and Null-Void.

Sora puffed out a long breath upon entering the kitchen, sitting down and sliding the dish to the side to collapse against the granite countertop; the cool surface helped—mentally, at least—to draw her steaming brain away from the campfire topics and the kindling thoughts that roasted her mind.

“Ugh…”

“Rough night, Mistress?” Mofupsi hesitantly questioned. “I thought you had a wonderful rest.”

“Mmgm-mmh-mom’s-mmgm-weirdo,” Emilia mumbled through bites. She was chewing on avocado toast, and, judging by what was on Sora’s plate, her daughter had already finished her toad-in-a-holes

“Just morning thoughts run rampant. Haaa. Well, your breakfast looks wonderful, and peach juice this time? Interesting.”

“It’s good!” Emilia chimed, displaying her nearly empty glass.

“Hehe. You’re so messy. Finish your food before you talk.”

“Then the topic would be over,” she huffed. “Oh, do I get to train with you later today?! I get to try shooting my foxfire balls at you!”

“Joy…” Sora mumbled, bringing her food over to eat. “I love being your target practice.”

“Hehe. You said I get to practice offensive magic!” Emilia beamed.

“I did. Haha. Vix with Auntie Wendy?” Sora asked, already knowing the answer from her peek through time.

Emilia’s cheer diminished, sinking into her folded arms atop the island. “Yeah. He’s been super exhausted lately when they do come back. Is there anything we can do to help Auntie Wendy? She comes home late, eats when we’re all sleeping, and is up again when Auntie Moppy starts getting ready.”

Sora shrugged. “I’ll see if I can talk to her sometime this week. I need to get back to doing some of my own training, but I should be able to pop in and spend time with her while I do that.”

“Cool. Oh, do you think Auntie Jin is going to turn into a huge dragon, like Kedragor?”

“It would be cool, huh? We have a bit of time before meeting her, so… want to watch a drama?”

“Yes!” Emilia cheered, bending over to hug her. “Auntie Moppy can join us—we can start on episode one! Oh, do you think Tola would be free, too?”

“Haha. Maybe! Let’s go ask. Moppy?”

Her sister-maid’s nine tails weaved behind her in a tranquil manner. “I am beholden to whatever your heart desires, Mistress. Should I make some popcorn?”

“Popcorn!” Emilia demanded. “Lots of butter!”

“Alright, you two get that ready, and I’ll go see our romance lover.”

“Drama romance morning!”

Sora finished her meal, thanked Mofupsi, and scanned the Realm for the 30,000-year-old virgin, spotting her beside a shimmering, emerald lake, seemingly deep in thought.

Slipping through Existence to the location, she held up a hand in greeting as the woman turned a smile her way. “Morning!”

“Good morning, Lady Sora.”

“Thinking about something important?”

“Mmh.” She stared across the smooth surface, shifting her legs to rest her arms against her knee. “Do you think it’s cruel remaining near White?”

It took a second for Sora to connect her meaning. “Because… he struggles to keep himself from jumping you and stripping you down?”

A small smile lifted Tola’s cheeks. “That is certainly one way to put it. White is in spiritual pain when I am near him… and I have to remain totally vigilant in his presence, as well, or else… my mind begins to play rather… mmh.”

“Heated fantasies?” Sora offered with a snicker.

“It’s as if you can see them yourself?”

“Woah!” Sora’s cheeks darkened. “I’ll let your mind keep those devilish thoughts! Heh. No, it’s not hard to see what’s happening, and… it depends on what you want. He’s the one that challenged you, and now he’s getting cold feet.”

“He’s in pain, though…” Tola whispered, obviously struggling with wanting to be near him and the torture her presence brought.

Sora hummed and sat next to her, not expecting the conversation to last much longer. “Did you feel pain at the start of this journey?

Tola sighed, combing through her loose, blue locks. “Yes…”

“He’s got two more weeks before he loses, and then you both can go to some distant, romantic planet or something to see, heh, what comes from crossing that finish line. I think he can handle at least two weeks of discomfort for the prize at the end,” she winked.

“That he is capable of love?” Tola smiled.

Sora’s brow lifted, looking away with drawn-in, smiling lips. “Mmh… I was thinking something a bit more, heh… carnal, but that’s definitely the end goal. I do think it’s worth it, or else he wouldn’t be soldiering through all this… for you, in the end,” Sora whispered, her smile softening. “Have trust in him, even if he doesn’t trust himself.”

Silence took them as Tola looked up at the red-tinted sun, high overhead from this planet’s location, and after a minute, she nodded.

“I will trust him. Haha. I suppose I’m not the only one on trial in this challenge.”

Sora held up her fist for Tola to bump. “Stay strong, girl. Want to watch a romantic drama with Moppy, Emi, and me?”

“A girls’ morning in… when you should be training?” she mused.

“Eh-hehe, yeah… I’ll get to it this week! Up for it? We have popcorn!”

“Buttery?”

“The only kind!”

“Haha. You’ve convinced me to, as Emi says, join the dark side.”

“Bua-hahaha! Success!”

Laughing together, they returned to her hyperactive daughter, popcorn buckets ready to pass out and show ready to be played.

Emilia had been surprisingly obsessed with a series about teen wolves; naturally, she totally denied that it had to do with all the hot boys on the show. Yet, her little 12-year-old eyes couldn’t turn away from them—especially when shirtless—she’d never admit it, though, and Sora wondered if her daughter would get into writing her own fanfiction during her bedtime diary sessions.

Once they finished a few episodes, they shut it off to join Jin in the 6th dimension, watching over her as she turned the magical century, just in case something happened and they needed to react.

White joined them to bring everyone but Kari—who still stayed away from anywhere Eyia was—to the higher plane; Emi’s blonde and black-haired aunts joined shortly after. Nari and Seiōbo were a bit late to the party, wearing thoughtful smiles that said they knew some secret. Naturally, they wouldn’t spill the beans.

Jin was dressed in the traditional hanbok Emilia gifted her the day before, tickling the girl to no end; it had been designed in a pink top with an obsidian skirt and finish. Her hair was smoothly combed out, and there was a luster to it in the glow of the universe below them.

She floated forward, nervously handling her red-jade binyeo, displaying its translucent, imperial jade dragon’s head to the sparkly-eyed pre-teen.

Emilia took it reverently as everyone smiled and watched. “I can really do the bun Great-Aunt Nari taught me? I practiced on her yesterday—I can do it?!”

“She’s giving it to you for a reason,” Sora snickered, making her daughter shoot a glare her way.

Sora’s heart ached upon seeing Jin’s sad expression on what should have been a huge day for her. “Hehe. Yes, Emilia. Typically, it would have been done by my mother, sisters, or nieces, but… I don’t have any here, so… Would you do it for me?”

“Yes! Yes, a million times yes! You’re so pretty, too!”

Several others commented on her beauty; Jin really did look different than the typical, nonchalant, smug Korean girl Sora had come to know. She was far more reserved, and there was an internal reflection in her golden eyes.

Her daughter took care in crafting Jin’s long, raven locks, following Nari’s instructions to a T without any help; Sora was so proud of her as she finished, and just as the big clock White created showed 4:21 p.m., Existence time—Sora had no clue how that worked—they had two minutes until Jin became 100-years-old.

“Happy birthday,” Sora whispered, giving Jin an encouraging smile as the dragon took visible, calming breaths, and it struck 4:23 p.m.

Closing her eyes, Jin’s turbulent internal energies tempered—forces Sora shied away from due to their chaotic and fluctuating waves—and her red scales slid through her skin, drawing blood that stained Emilia’s carefully crafted hanbok in a sparkling crimson hue.

“Ah?!”

Nari put a hand on the girl’s back at her cry. “It’s supposed to be like this,” she said, and Seiōbo pointed out the glowing streaks that bled through the gown.

“This is what it means for them to wear the garments of their maturity; it’s the last blood they shed from their transformation, marking the passage into adulthood, and a treasured item a Dragon Founder keeps for all eternity.”

“Her hair…” Emilia gasped as it radiated the same color as her blood, clouded yellow irises flaring with an inner flame. “Wow…”

An effulgence blinded them as a serpentine shape erupted before them, a deep rumble vibrating every atom of Sora’s being; it wasn’t sound but a pulse of suppressed power being released in a torrent of shock waves.

The spiritual backlash blinded the spectrum, forcing Sora to divert to a more fundamental Existence level; her lips parted in disbelief upon seeing a gigantic, red-scaled dragon, showing a main of golden fur along Jin’s spine, head, and four-clawed hands.

She appeared to circle the whole universe several times—long body phasing out of view in multiple places—and her colossal head lowering to display her weaving whiskers and hot, spiritually charged breath.

Sora got a distinct impression it could easily wipe out the universal globe they hovered above; she hadn’t felt overwhelmed by a presence in a while, but Jin’s true form put things into perspective for her.

The strange part was her breath radiated the fresh scent of baking bread, which threw her for a loop, and there was a stillness in her previous erratic energy.

Jin pulled away so they could see her massive head as Seiōbo, Nari, Eyia, and White clapped.

“I… wasn’t sure before, but… now I’m positive,” she whispered, projecting her thoughts in a pulse that was heard all around them. “My brother’s orb is resonating with my own within me… As I feared… We share the same signature after I awakened.”

Confusion struck Sora as a massive tear floated out of Jin’s illuminated, flaming eyes. “I was never meant to be anything but my brother’s replacement…”