Goldie stood very still, letting her words hang in the air, as she waited for her dearest friend to decide their fate.

Me? Adon asked once again. Goldie, I—I don’t know if I can decide something like this for you. Make you go to war or run away…

You’re not making me, Adon, Goldie replied. She had known this was how the conversation was going to go down. Adon was never forceful, never inconsiderate, in trying to get what he wanted. It was one of his sweetest qualities. He was gentle. I’m choosing to go where you go. This life, I get to choose what I do and where I want to spend my time.

She had to restrain herself from mentioning that Adon had saved her life, probably more than once, and she would not be free to choose anything if he had not. Knowing Adon, he would interpret that as meaning that she thought she owed him a life debt.

In my last life, when I was human, Adon sent, the words flowing out slowly and carefully, I lived in a country where life was very soft and easy for the average citizen. We never wanted for anything, and we never had to worry about wars.

Goldie just waited. She knew Adon was waiting for her to ask questions, but she also knew that he had a point he was getting to.

I remember one of the countries friendly to us was invaded, and they had to fight for their independence against their much larger neighbor, Adon continued. That’s kind of a tangent, sorry. Anyway, there was a poll for people in my country, and it sticks out in my memory. In the context of an ally being invaded, people were asked if they would fight to defend our country. Most of them said they would, but members of my generation mostly said they wouldn’t. That is, the young people who had grown up in the country when it was the wealthiest and most prosperous—when it was the best place to live that it ever had been—were the least likely to say they would defend it.

What are you saying, Adon? Goldie asked. She had meant to let him elaborate on his own, but she was beginning to feel she was losing the thread.

I guess I’m saying that everyone feels they have their own reasons to fight and not to fight, Adon sent. It would feel wrong for me to decide that you should or shouldn’t go to war. Everyone has their own reasons, and they don’t even have to be rational. It depends on how attached you feel to the place you live.

Well, I am attached to you, Adon, Goldie replied. I can take the country or leave it, but I imagine you have a stronger opinion.

All right, you’re right, Adon admitted. I do have a stronger opinion about the country. I like it here. I like the Royal Family. I would fight for this place. And I have an even more selfish reason for wanting to fight. When I reincarnated, I wanted this life to be different than all my past lives! I wanted to be loved, have lots of friends, and make the most of this life that I could. And for me, I think the thing I can do that would make this incarnation really count, in terms of my impact on other people, is if I could help save this country from being conquered. The Demon Empire sounds awful—we’ve only heard one side, but usually, the people who want to invade other countries aren’t the good guys—and I think maybe that’s why the Goddess put me here.

So we stand and fight! Goldie replied.

She had been inclined to leave, personally. Goldie had a healthy self-preservation instinct. Still, she was ready to commit this life to fighting alongside her friend. A spider’s life was meant to be short, anyway, and maybe they would win.

It just feels awful to be responsible for making a life or death decision for you, Goldie! Adon sent. He sounded frustrated.

It is all right, Adon, Goldie sent. Remember how many incarnations you have had. There will be other lives and other deaths.

No, Goldie, there might not, Adon replied.

What do you mean? Goldie asked instantly.

The reason why I made such a big deal about this incarnation is that I think it could be my last, Adon sent. In my last life, there were advanced scientists studying the soul—the part of you that carries on between incarnations. They thought that across incarnations, souls were diminishing—shrinking, disappearing. The souls in the present day were shadows of their former selves. Like worn out clothing developing holes from repeated use until there’s no fabric left. So, we might not get another incarnation. That’s why it bothers me so much to think of being responsible for your life and death decision.

Well, that is… Goldie tried to think of how to respond to what Adon had just told her. Had he ever mentioned this before? She had trouble remembering a specific conversation. It felt like something that she would remember. Maybe he had never thought it was relevant before. Perhaps he had explained it before, but she had not properly understood. She knew she had become more intelligent with the quality of food Adon had provided her and her Evolution.

She remembered Red—and the thought that she had occasionally had, that she might see her mate again—and then she forcefully pushed the thought from her mind.

Can’t think of that now, she told herself harshly. Focus. Focus on what Adon just said. What does this mean? How does it change the decision?

She felt that she knew the answer almost immediately.

Then this life means more, Goldie agreed. For both of us. So I will fight and maybe die alongside my friend. And perhaps it will be the final incarnations for both of us. If it is, that is all right. Better to die beside a friend than to live on and die in some place where no one knows me, or live on long enough to become decrepit and a burden to my children!

Goldie’s words did not exactly express her natural preference. She was afraid to die. Honestly, she had sometimes felt afraid of going outside even without any obvious risk of death. A part of her suspected that she might change her mind later—even though she hated that thought. She knew that it would be a massive betrayal if she did.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

This was just a lot of new information to take in, and it was hard to know how she would come to feel about it in time. She had rushed into this decision that Adon had wanted her to make carefully, and a part of her already wanted her to take it back.

But she knew that she did not want Adon to be alone if he decided to fight—and perhaps eventually died—at the hands of the Demon Empire.

That fact stood out with bright clarity above all else.

As she wrestled with those inner conflicts, Adon responded to her.

We can discuss this another time, he sent in a heavy tone.

Yes, she replied listlessly. Goldie wondered if her doubts had leaked out to Adon—if he thought she was a coward.

For now, is it all right if I try to help you and Samson get better at magic? Adon asked. I’ve been thinking that it would be best if we were all able to fight to our full potential. That’s true regardless of what we decide. And I know Samson wants to get better with Mana. I figured you still feel the same way?

His inner tone of voice was doubtful and awkward. It felt as if the two of them had taken a step back in their deep, hard-earned familiarity.

But the answer to his question was obvious.

Yes, I still feel the same way, she transmitted, trying to put some pep into her voice.

That’s good, Adon replied—also putting some vigor into his tone. Either they were both putting a positive face on things, or his mood was starting to look up.

Whether the one was true or the other, Goldie responded to the tone emotionally. She started to feel just a little better.

How do you want to do this? she asked.

He gestured at Samson with an antenna. Goldie saw that her oldest son was circulating Mana around his body. He had been doing it the entire time they were talking.

Maybe you can do that, too, and I’ll try to help you both get better, Adon sent.

If you say so, Goldie thought—but she did not allow herself to send it.

Positive, upbeat thoughts right now, she told herself.

Sounds like a plan! Goldie sent, in a tone that felt falsely chipper even in her own head.

She moved over to where Samson was, before Adon could say anything back, and she reached deep inside herself and began circulating a little spark of Mana across and over her body too.

Adon opened the telepathic channel they had been communicating within to Samson.

Samson, I’d like to try and give the two of you some pointers on Mana Manipulation, if you’re interested, the butterfly sent.

The young spider almost lost his focus completely and barely retained control of the spark of Mana that was moving around his body. He brought it to a complete halt on the upper left side of his back before he responded.

That sounds great, he sent with genuine excitement. I appreciate you volunteering. I, uh, wasn’t sure about asking you. I figured you had other things to do.

Goldie was reminded of the tangled relationship between her oldest child and her friend. Today, it seemed to be moving in the right direction—albeit at the same time that her relationship with Adon seemed to have been thrown into question.

What do you want me to do? Samson continued.

Um, for now, how about both of you continue circulating Mana, Adon transmitted. Then I’ll watch and see what tips I can give—and maybe give you a special demonstration that I couldn’t do before.

Goldie found herself curious what he meant, despite the slight funk she had slipped into. What had Adon learned to do now that he couldn’t do before? Had he unlocked a new Mana Manipulation tier or something?

For now, she shifted her focus to controlling the little spark of Mana that she had withdrawn from her core and maneuvering it around her body. She knew that she was still a little bit ahead of Samson in terms of the deftness of her Mana Manipulation practice, but they were both very far behind Adon.

To Goldie, that meant that she had to put her complete focus into this exercise, or she would probably look hopeless.

For the next long while—Goldie had no idea how much time passed—she moved Mana around in loops, zigzags, and long cycles up and down her body. She did this as quickly and with as much control as she could. Although at first she lost control of her spark and had to fetch a new chunk of Mana a couple of times, soon she was in a rhythm.

This was not so different from dancing—though she had no clear memories of dancing, she thought she must have been good at it in another life—and the flow of it was pleasant.

After she had done twenty cycles without losing control of her spark, she noted in the edges of her vision that Adon was giving tips to his brother, gesturing with his antennae and sending messages to Samson alone. This continued for the next three cycles.

Goldie knew that Adon giving Samson attention first was probably because her son was still just slightly behind her, and she simply continued her practice and waited for the teacher’s eye to fall on her.

Sure enough, after some time helping Samson, Adon fluttered over beside Goldie.

You’re pretty good at this, he sent. Even without help, you picked it up quickly. I wonder what makes the difference between each of us.

She decided that Adon was just thinking aloud, so she kept most of her focus on the spark and did not respond.

Then something reached out and touched her.

She felt warmth flow through her body, and a bright light passed over her range of vision as she realized that Adon had released a second spark to float over her body. She didn’t know how he had done that. She could not separate her own Mana from her body, as far as she knew, yet he was not touching the little particle of light. It was moving seemingly independently.

Perhaps that was what he meant by giving a demonstration that he could not give before.

He mentioned that he bought Telekinesis! Goldie recalled.

That must be it.

Regardless of the mechanism, for as long as half an hour, the two sparks raced in silence over Goldie’s body. She learned by observation and example, where Rosslyn had taught before mainly by lecture and dialogue.

The spider found that a second method reinforced the lessons from the first well, and she noticed her Mana Manipulation move much quicker and more reliably as she raced with Adon and tried to make her spark beat his in laps around her shape.

It was a silly game, but she felt some of both of their lightheartedness recover with the low-stakes practice exercise.

Just as Goldie thought she was drawing about even with him in speed, he pulled back his spark and reabsorbed it.

All right, I have one more thing I want to try, Adon sent.

We cannot stop now, I was about to get ahead of you! Goldie replied jokingly.

The two of them exchanged telepathic laughter.

I don’t think there’s any rush, he replied.

Then Adon resumed the game with her, and they played back and forth for another half hour before he called a pause again.