Our group's march out of the massive tunnel complex of the cave is largely silent. While the oversized ants don't seem to be hostile in any way, they're also giant bugs. As such, we avoid them as much as possible.

I'd long since allowed the golden bow formed from my power to fade back into the flowing mist that lights our way out of the tunnels, but a part of me longs for its weight in my hand. Yet, another part, something deep down in my core, is terrified to ever have to wield that weapon. Fighting the Volcora… fighting the Reavers… neither brought me anything but pain. The cavern is well lit, and Akari's presence at my side is comforting but… I can't help but remember.

The agony and the terror of my torture will be with me always, an unwelcome companion whispering doubt… whispering fear. For so long, I was chasing the dream of saving Akari, and that dream allowed me to ignore the whispers. Now… that goal is accomplished. And the whispers are still there.

When the doctor was injecting Stygian Mana into me, my entire focus was bent on escape. I pushed past the pain and focused on my goal. Yet, after that… all I could do was change the goal. Something to help me ignore the fact that I was dying, something to help me dull the memory of what was passed. But that memory is just as raw and fresh as the day it happened, and I… I'm not sure that I can ignore it anymore.

I almost died… I suffered day after endless day of weakness and pain. I was tortured and very nearly broken. I… I'm not okay.

The golden light within my soul pulses comfortingly, as if trying to remind me that it is there and that I have a new goal to chase. To make people happy. It's the goal I've been chasing my entire life, and yet… I feel so… broken? I'm happy Akari is back… That my team can all be together again, but… But those whispers will still be there…

I swallow… a distraction. I need a distraction. There could be enemies coming, and now is not the time to break down. Despite every part of me just wanting to rest, I find that I have to keep moving. For if I stop… I will break. And I'm not sure I'll ever be able to put the pieces together again.

Turning to Akari, I say, "I… I-I'm going to go test and see what the point of power did to my abilities."

Akari turns violet eyes my way, her gaze still so filled with concern. The expression threatens to make me break right there and then. That's how she looked at me after… after I… I need to leave. Before Akari can say a word, I use Astral Veil to slip into my mists and am gone.

I don't go far, only a bit further up the tunnel to where my mist ends. However, as the darkness begins to press in on me from all sides, my soul pulses again. Mist woven with dawn's first light explodes out from my body, shrouding the tunnel in shimmering colors like morning clouds. And even still, I feel claustrophobic. I… right… experimenting with my powers. I flex my willpower and begin.

Despite not having anything to heal, Celestial Restoration instantly floods my mist with veins of blue light, each searching and seeking those in need without any regard for scale. Zephyr's Edict bends the very air currents to my will, the wind itself lending bounce to my steps and a gale at my back even without conscious control. Finally, Celestial Equilibrium feels more in tune than ever, although all the mana in the air is my own.

My mana feels… pure, for lack of a better word. A coin in the air, constantly spinning from one side to the other while never truly being either. The power gives me an odd sensation. Previously, I'd thought the abilities of a points of power were limitless. Florina could seemingly use an infinite amount of mana without ill effects, after all. However, that isn't the sense I get from my power. While I don't feel any cost for producing my mist or calling upon my abilities, I also sense that there is more to the story.

The bigger question is, am I even really a sentinel now? I still have a familiar and a soul gem, but I don't feel the same as I did before my injury. My power feels more… conceptual than limited.

I swallow, my gut twisting nervously. I now possess and utilize an entirely new type of mana, one that I was never taught about in school. Normal mana always has a cost, whether Stygian or Tributary. And yet this mana… this mana is different. No cost… but not no limitations.

I get the sense of being able to do things that I couldn't before, like summoning that golden bow. I have no ability that should let me do something like that, and yet I did it anyway. Could I just manifest things using my will?

Hesitantly, I raise my hand and focus my willpower. Dawnlight swirls in the mist that manifests above my hand, and a moment later, that odd golden bow is back. Its weight is familiar in my hands, although its grip is warm rather than cold like my old bow. Frowning, I focus again. The bow dissolves into mist and reforms into a cup, like one Dad might use to make hot chocolate. This one is obviously supernatural, however, its form made up of shifting colors.

I drop the cup, stepping back, but it reforms into mist before it can shatter on the hard stone. The mist just merges back into the swirling torrent of power that has formed around me — defending me from the dark.

"C-Celeste… what is going on with my powers?" I call out to my familiar. Despite not being able to see her, I can sense her physical form in far greater detail simply by the fact that she was in the group with Liora. Since all of them are in my mists, I know every moment they make.

Immediately, I feel Celeste turn to Liora for a moment, then slip through the mists as I did to appear at my side. She looks around at the torrent of power surrounding us with her nose tilted up, as if she's proud of the display. A moment later, I realize why… I'm not in my assault state. There is no way I should be able to produce this kind of power without drawing on my full strength. Which begs the question… what will I be able to do when I do shift?

[Have you opened your status?] Celeste asks, immediately calling out the single most obvious thing I should have thought of.

Honestly, with how slowly I've grown as a sentinel and how uncommon it is to get a new ability, I've mostly forgotten about my status. It's useful for checking things like my own mana toxicity level, which I'm not even sure is still relevant anymore. But other than that…

Right… let's see what's going on. Status.

Status

Name: Serena Solace Sentinel Alias: None Gender: Female Conceptual Alignment: 72% Barrier Integrity: 100% Point of Power: Dawnseeker Rank: D (Gust) Progress To Next Rank: 11% Sub-Rank: 2 Progress To Next Sub-Rank: 26% </div> <p style="text-align: center; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px"><strong>General Information</strong></p> <div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"> Astral Path: Celestial Healer (Blue) Familiar: Celeste Dominion: Weather Dominion Art: Living Mists </div> <p style="text-align: center; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px"><strong>Abilities</strong></p><span class="cmUxNTJhMTNhMTI0YjQ4NWFiYjMzZDNiMTYyNGY3NTk0"> The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. </span> <div style="max-width: 100%; overflow:auto"> Celestial Restoration Astral Veil Dawn's Second Light Zephyr's Edict Celestial Equilibrium Dawnlight Manifestation Dawnlight Infusion Dawnlight Amplification </div> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

For a moment, I just stare at the status screen, a touch dumbfounded by its contents. That is… certainly different.

"U-Uhh… Celeste… are you seeing what I'm seeing?" I ask, my eyes finally finding the abilities section. Not only have I reached D-2 without realizing it, but I also now have four abilities that I don't recognize. Three of them seem entirely new, and the fourth seems to have replaced Divine Retribution.

[Yeah…] Celeste responds, sounding as confused as I am. Unlike our first days as partners when Celeste could explain everything to me, this development is completely new to both of us.

Without further delay, I start pulling up ability descriptions. Time to see what I've gotten myself into.

Description: Dawn's Second Light

Passive

Once, you saw to it that lightning always struck twice. Now, you bend your will to help rather than harm. Any large act of mercy, kindness, or generosity within your Living Mists will trigger a ray of Dawn's Second Light to aid those who need it most — restricted to those also within your Living Mists. The size and power of the ray scales directly with the act that triggered it.

Those struck by Dawn's Second Light will be healed, cleansed, and granted a surge of euphoria.

Warning: Dawn's Second Light is now permanently bound to your Dominion Art, Living Mists, and will not function without it.

I blink. That… was this caused by my point of power? Is this because I said I wanted to make people happy?

[Okay…] Celeste starts uncertainly in my mind, [I think I kind of understand what happened… maybe.]

"Well, that's a fair bit more than I've gotten so far," I reply dryly. I still have three more abilities to look over. "What have you got for me?"

[Well,] Celeste starts, [I think we were somewhat right about points of power not really having limits in terms of mana capacity. Instead, we have something called a Conceptual Alignment. Best I can determine, that is how closely we align to the concept the point of power is supposed to represent. I'm not sure what that means for the Dawnseeker point of power yet, but… I think we will get stronger the more closely we represent that concept, and weaker the further away we grow from it.]

Slowly, I nod. Perhaps that's why Florina is always trying to heal people and bring life to the city? Maybe that is what her concept is supposed to represent. So for us…

"We told it we wanted to make people happy," I tell Celeste, thinking. "I think it altered our abilities, gave us new ones, and… bent us towards that goal."

[You're right about that, I think. But there also seems to be more to it. Following up on what we said is part of it, but… Serena, we took up the conceptual might of a sunrise. That means we need people to view us the same way they would view one of those. I think it's even why our mist looks so different now.]

Interesting… very, very interesting. Slowly, a weak smile makes its way onto my face, excitement for the future pushing back against the mental anguish I felt earlier. Once upon a time, I wished that I could just walk into a hospital, spread my mist all about, and lift people up off their sick beds. I don't think it will be easy… but now, I might just be able to do just that.

For a moment, accomplishing that feat tries to take the place of the absent goal in my mind, but… no. I don't think I can do that any longer. Rushing from goal to goal without ever stopping to address the core problem… It's exactly what I would warn other people against doing. My body might be healed, but my mind… I hardly even feel like the Serena that became a sentinel all those months ago.

No, my body is healed, and Akari is back with me. I can't just keep ignoring my problems in the hopes that they'll just go away. If I keep running at this breakneck pace, I doubt I'll even recognize the person I'll be next year. It's time that I stop and really allow myself to heal.

"Celeste… these new abilities… they won't hurt us, right?" I question, just to be sure.

Celeste splays out her wings in an expression I read as a shrug, [Hard to say for absolute certain, but I don't think so.]

"Okay. Then… I think I'm actually going to give this a break for the moment. I-I… can't think about this right now."

Gently, Celeste rubs her soft fur against my leg. [You should go back to Akari. You know how worried about you she is, don't you?]

I swallow roughly, "I do. I just… I feel like I'm lying to her. She keeps asking if I'm okay. If I feel like myself… I don't think the point of power has anything to do with it, but the answer is no. I haven't felt like myself in a long time."

[I feel the same, honestly,] Celeste says, mental voice sad. [I've missed Liora, but it's more than that. Seeing what my mother really is… that hurt me, Serena. I'm not sure I even realized how much.]

Blinking tears from my eyes, I bend down and scoop Celeste up in my arms to cradle her against my chest. I… I wanted to go check on my abilities so I would be ready for a fight if one broke out. But… Celeste and I aren't ready for something like that. Trying to fight right now would only end up hurting us worse.

And so, with resignation, I start searching my mists for Akari. She and the others are actually quite close to me, Akari having likely sped them up so she could look for me. I'm about to slip through the mist to her side when a large form enters the same tunnel as me.

I squeak, whirling toward the dark shape to see… a massive ant. Rather than hostile, this ant seems… familiar. I haven't seen it before, of that I'm certain, but there is some aspect within the ant that I recognize. A kernel of power… of my power. This creature was touched by the Dawnseeker, the light of my mists showing its dawn-light coloring in vibrant washes of color.

For a moment, the ant and I just stare at each other, like recognizing like. Then, tentatively, the massive creature approaches, startling Celeste enough to make her jump out of my arms. And yet… I feel no fear for this creature. It startled me, but I somehow know that it doesn't wish to harm me.

Heart pounding in my chest, I reach out and gently lay my hand against the ant's smooth carapace as it watches me. Yes… I can feel the power within it, sustaining it. I feel that I could withdraw that power if I wanted, take it back into myself, and increase my own power. And yet… it is a drop of water in a vast ocean. Once this creature dies, I can feel that my power will return to me regardless. There is no need to reclaim the seed of myself within the ant, especially knowing that my reclamation of the power would very likely kill it.

I smile gently, stroking the creature's carapace. "It's okay… You can keep it."

I highly doubt the ant can understand me, but it bows its head nonetheless. It starts to withdraw, but the moment it turns away, a violet figure blazes into the chamber.

Akari, clad in her full assault state regalia, takes one look at me standing before the massive creature before darting forward. Thankfully, she doesn't attack the ant. Instead, she scoops me into her arms and rushes me away from the large, friendly creature.

"Don't do that!" she scolds, holding me tight. "I've been so worried about you! You can't just go running off!"

I close my eyes for a moment, simply enjoying the feeling of my girlfriend holding me. "I know," I whisper. "I'm sorry, Akari. I really am… It's just…" I trail off, trying to find the willpower to tell her what I'd told Celeste.

"Just what?" Akari asks, her violet eyes starting deep into mine. I can see… feel, the turmoil in her soul.

"You asked me if I felt like myself… before. If I was okay. I… lied to you," I swallow before continuing. "Akari… I haven't felt like myself in a very long time now. I-It wasn't just the torture… it was everything. And now…" I squeeze my eyes shut, tears slipping down my cheeks.

"I don't know who I am anymore, Akari. I don't even know what I am."

My girlfriend's arms tighten around me, her body seeming to vibrate with tension.

"That's okay," she says, her voice rough. "We're going to get you home — get you the help you need. You just need to hold on, alright? I love you."

Akari's eyes widen, a blush rushing over her cheeks. Perhaps she didn't mean to say that last part, but she doesn't take it back. This isn't the first time we've said that to one another, but… the first time was right before I was about to be tortured and magically crippled. Perhaps… perhaps she just needed confirmation. I'm more than willing to give it.

"I love you too," I say, managing a smile. "Now… let's get out of this cave."

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