In the following weeks, Janice embarked on the daunting task of training Abby and Carl, who were from a world with fundamentally different magic. Janice had cleared some rubble from a passage and led them to this room. The grand tomb, a colossal structure whose imposing walls bore the weight of forgotten epochs, served as their training ground. Its ancient stones held echoes of the whispered secrets and untold tales of a bygone era, casting a solemn aura over the chamber. Ornate carvings adorned the walls, telling stories of long-forgotten heroes and mythical creatures. Flickering torches cast dancing shadows, and the room was bathed in the dim glow of Janice's healing flame, floating above them as they trained. The ambient light played upon the intricate details of the carvings, revealing the intricate tapestry of a civilization long lost to the ravages of time. The air itself seemed to carry the weight of ancient wisdom and untold histories.

The atmosphere within the chamber was charged with a mix of anticipation and uncertainty. Abby and the Torchbearer, standing at the threshold of a new magical realm, felt the weight of responsibility on their shoulders. An entire world’s magic whittled down into a revitalizing flame. It was an ability they could potentially learn, but the stress of understanding that magic was daunting. The training ground became a crucible where the fusion of two distinct magics was attempted.

Janice, a figure shrouded in the ethereal glow of her flame, began the training sessions with a comprehensive exploration of the healing flame. She unfolded the layers of its origins, tracing its roots through the annals of her world's history. The flame, she explained, possessed the unique ability to breathe life into the decaying, a force born from the connection between the magic of her realm and the life force embedded in her god-spirit’s frame. It was a realization she had as a priestess of the god-spirit. All life stemmed from Solarian in this world and this flame was but a piece of that entity. Being theoretically married to him as his priestess, she could manipulate flames based on that faith.

Abby and Carl, positioned as eager students in this ancient classroom, listened intently. Their eyes mirrored the flickering torchlight as they absorbed the knowledge, hungry for the arcane wisdom that Janice imparted. Faith can be shown, but the two students’ faith in Solarian could not be imparted. In their world, spirits were revered, and they would interact with the populace of the world. However, if the spirits were worshipped, there was no transfer of power from the mortals to the spirits as there was in Janice’s world.

The actual training commenced with Janice as the maestro of this magical symphony. The healing flame danced between her fingers with a grace that bordered on the divine. Its movements were a mesmerizing display of control, an intricate ballet of ethereal energies. Abby and Carl, in their attempts to replicate these delicate manipulations, found themselves grappling with the foreign nature of Janice's magic. Fire, while familiar, took on a new and elusive quality when imbued with the healing touch. Their efforts were met with varying degrees of success, a testament to the intricacies of melding two divergent magical essences. The flickering flame responded to their intentions, but its full integration remained an elusive feat.

Within the training chamber, the dance of flames mirrored the delicate dance of hope and challenges. Fire was easy to make, but fire that also heals, that was a different story—a narrative woven into the very fabric of their training as they sought to unlock the secrets of Janice's healing flame.

Amidst the rhythmic dance of the healing flame, frustration welled up within Abby and Carl. They exchanged glances, their expressions a silent acknowledgment of the challenges they faced.

Abby sighed, "This is more difficult than I anticipated. It's like trying to play a song with a completely different set of instruments you are not used to."

Carl nodded in agreement, "I can manipulate fire and the like on many worlds, but this... it's like trying to teach a fish to climb a tree."

Janice, undeterred by their frustrations, maintained her hopeful demeanor. "Patience, my friends. Remember this is only a hope. If I cannot impart this technique, at least I can go to oblivion knowing you all knew this world existed."

Abby her face showing an unreadable emotion, but her tentacles flicking with a mixture of irritation and determination, responded, "But to bring people back from death, that is a miracle worth learning." Nat did not need to be linked with her thoughts to know Erik was on her mind while stating those words.

Janice, a reassuring smile gracing her features, countered, "This is a realm beyond your familiar boundaries, you’ve told me undeath does not exist in your world. It's okay to face obstacles. It's through overcoming them that true growth occurs."

Carl chimed in, "True growth or not, it's frustrating."

Nat chuckled softly, "Frustration is often the precursor to breakthroughs. Embrace it, learn from it, and let it guide you toward mastery. The flame responds to your intentions, feel its essence, and let it become an extension of your will. That’s the fundamental aspects of the kah itself." He was busy scribbling down Carl’s and Abby’s tribulations. Abby rolled her eyes when she heard his comment. Somehow, she knew he was adding details about them failing that were not actually happening.

The trio, enveloped in the ancient chamber's mystique, continued their training, navigating the delicate balance between frustration and hope. Each flicker of the healing flame carried whispers of possibilities, forging a connection between the Torchbearer, Abby and the magic they sought to understand. Nat catalogued the events transpiring but never offered to help. Abby felt since this was the case that maybe what she and Carl were attempting was pointless. Trying to prove him wrong though, was a very powerful motivator for her to learn it.

Days turned into nights as they persisted in their training, the flame flickering in response to their intentions. Janice, with her eternal patience, guided them through the nuances of the healing flame. Despite their fervent attempts, the flame resisted their commands, refusing to conform to the foreign magic coursing through their veins. Their flames were too bright, too dull, or ignited bones instead of replenishing flesh. Abby just could not figure out how to turn the heat down on her flame. Carl could but still could not learn it either.

Frustration lingered in the air, but Janice, the stalwart mentor, reassured them, "Learning to wield a different magic is like coaxing a shy animal. It requires understanding, and patience.

As the weeks unfolded, a realization dawned upon Janice. Abby and Carl, no matter how determined, couldn't integrate the healing flame into their unique magical abilities. The healing flame, designed for Janice's faith in her god-spirit’s nature, resisted assimilation into the Torchbearer’s and Abby’s essence.

In a somber moment of clarity, Janice decided to preserve the hope of healing within the soulstone. With a solemn ceremony, she transferred one of her full healing flames into the crystalline vessel, its glow now confined within the small confines of the stone.

Abby and Carl, though initially disheartened, recognized that after a month of failing to grasp the fundamental concepts of the flame causing it to escape them. Abby wanted to consult a healer on her world to see if they could analyze the flame. Janice looked to Abby and Carl and cleared her throat.

“Thank you for being with me through my last month. I hope torchbearers can continue to offer solace in the worlds they visit.” She embraced Carl and then Abby. “It is up to me now to try and heal Solarian. And Abby, If I remember correctly when we could see the heavens there was nothing but beautiful streams of colors among the sky. Nothing of these little dots of light you would call stars.”

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“Hmm…” Nat said, standing beside Abby. “Perhaps the torchbearers do travel to other universes then.” He took out a different book than his normal one. “I’ll need to jot this down.”

After a few minutes he looked up to Abby, “I just had a thought why don’t you and Carl add your flame to the healing flame she’s been collecting?”

Abby placed a tentacle under her chin, “Carl, she has given us a gift, why don’t we give her one in return?” Her eyes looked down to the floor where she knew the near planet sized healing flame was located. “Janice, would you mind if Carl and I added our wills and part of our kah to the flame you’ve been working on?”

Janice lit up as if the idea had never occurred to her then had the facial expression of why didn’t I think of that? She waved her hands towards the bottom of the tomb and it gave way revealing a large almost star like healing flame. The shape and shear amount of power that dwelt with it caused Abby to be awestruck. At this moment in time, she gave up on creating a healing flame for good, but a new goal formed in her mind. She decided to keep it to herself for now and placed her two tentacle arms into the exposed part of the flame. Carl joined her and placed his hands into the flame as well. The flame was lukewarm, and comforting. She could feel her fatigue from the last month begin to wash away. Then she focused on the flame, in her minds eye she could see just how immense the flame was. Everywhere around her she saw flames of orange and yellow. She looked and focused harder and soon she could feel the center of the flame.

She then began to imbue her will onto the flame. At first, she did not know what to add, as she felt it was large enough. Then the thought, succeed, popped into her mind. A faint purple flame left her tentacles and swirled into the core. She watched as a green flame began mixing into the flame in the core as well. It took the flames and compiled them mixing into the golden glow, causing it to burn slightly brighter than before.

Abby retracted her tentacles and stood back up. Carl followed suit and both turned towards Janice. Abby noticed something slightly different about her, like she had received great news in the past few minutes. Her grave expression was somehow a little less grave, and the way she breathed seemed easier.

“Janice are you ok?” Carl asked noticing it too.

“Yes, I am fine, it’s just two beings from possibly another universe have just graciously donated to my flame.” A tear trickled from her right eye. “It’s like Solarian has not quite disappeared.”

A knowing smile appeared on Nat’s face, but no one in the room was paying attention to him. Janice embraced Abby and Carl one last time.

“Now you two must leave, time is not on our side. This will be the last time we shall see each other.” Janice looked both in the eyes and nodded. In turn they both returned the nod.

“Thank you, Janice.” Carl said, moving to leave the tomb. “May you stay happy in your endeavors. I’ll wait for you Abby.”” With that, he left, and Nat followed him.

Abby and Janice were the only two in the tomb. “There is one last thing I wish to tell you.” Janice said handing the non-corrupted soulstone. “Erik loved you very much and would always tell me the trouble you two would always get into. Don’t think I didn’t notice the letter you nurture at night.”

Abby gulped at Janice knowing, “I uh,”

“Don’t worry I won’t pick on you. I want to advise you. Time is limited and you should act don’t wait. Read his letter, it was his intent for you to read it.” Janice placed her hands on Abby’s shoulders. A smile graced her face, “You are staying with the torchbearers to distract yourself aren’t you?”

After a few seconds Abby uttered, “How could you tell?”

“Oh, based on how Erik talked about you and your tutelage here has shown me you are a person of action who normally doesn’t wait. Trust me, losing someone can hurt for a long time.” She paused “Hell, this world died from losing its godspirit so I know. But you need to stay true to yourself, you’ve already awakened and you’ve gone through training on multiple worlds. What is keeping you back now?”

It was Abby’s turn to have tears trickling down her face. “What if I forget him, and my family?”

“You won’t.” Janice cupped her hands under Abby’s chin. “That’s what makes us mortals, our souls never forget. We may be different in many ways, but we feel pain, and pleasure. Suffer and succeed. Each time we never forget, it embeds into our souls, kah as you call it, making us who we are. There is nothing that can change that. This is my last request, go and be part of your world do things you want to do.”

Abby sniffled and wiped her tears away. “And now you and I have to say goodbye. And then you want me to say goodbye to the torchbearers? Why must I constantly say goodbye to those who help me?”

Abby’s question caused Janice to tilt her head. “I only want you to do what you want to do. Is that what you want? Do you really want to be a Torchbearer, traveling to different worlds lighting lost and forgotten places in the hopes someone will find them?” Janice held up the tentacle Abby held the soulstone in. “Or do you want to read his letter and see if you can use this healing flame?”

Abby looked between Janice and the object she had turned into a necklace. She closed her eyes and sighed, “Thanks Janice.” She smiled. “I guess you’ll be embedded into my kah now.”

“Good. Now be off with you. I need to confront my husband for coming home too late.” Janice was smiling back, her face expressed sadness, but her eyes held determination and hope.

“See you.” Abby turned and left the tomb.

Janice waited until the doors shut, “No you won’t.”

As Abby, Nat, and Carl emerged from the portal, the familiar sight of the volcano's interior greeted them. The portal closed behind them with a soft hum, leaving them in the dimly lit chamber. The Grand Firespeaker, a commanding presence among the torchbearers, was deeply engrossed in directing others on various tasks. It appeared as though only an hour had passed on Luminastra since they entered Janice's world.

Abby, feeling a strange sensation akin to temporal disorientation, turned to Carl and remarked, "That's a weird feeling, isn't it? Like, I was expecting some serious jetlag or something."

Carl nodded in agreement, his gaze wandering across the bustling chamber. "Janice’s world is the only one where time behaves like this. No matter how much time elapses on her side, our return here is usually only an hour or so. Back when I accompanied Erik, it was even shorter since I mainly lit her sconces and torches. Actual training sessions, especially if Erik was involved, could stretch it a bit longer."

"Time dilation, the effects of the black hole," Abby said, showcasing her understanding of the peculiar phenomenon. They stood for a few minutes and Abby began to yawn, "There it is. Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted. I think I’m gonna hit the hay."

"No objections here," Carl replied with a tired grin, rubbing his temples. The strain from their unsuccessful training with Janice was evident on his face. Nat, hovering nearby, remained a silent observer, his presence known only to Abby.

As Abby made her way toward the quarters designated for the torchbearers, Nat weaved through other torchbearers alongside her. She could sense his intangible form and the comforting weight of his unseen presence.

"You know," Nat's voice resonated in Abby's mind, "training with Janice is no small feat. Even if the results weren't as expected, the mere attempt is commendable."

Abby sighed, feeling a mix of frustration and fatigue. "I just thought... I thought I could pick it up, you know? But it's like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands."

Nat's response was gentle, "Learning intricate magic, especially one so tied to a specific world and belief, takes time. You've shown dedication, and that's what matters. Tomorrow is a new day, and who knows what challenges it might bring."

Abby nodded, appreciating Nat's understanding. As they reached the quarters, she bid Nat a silent goodnight, determined to get some rest and face the challenges anew when the sun graced Luminastra once more. In the quiet solitude of her room, Abby lay on her bed, the sealed letter clutched in her tentacles. The soft glow of a flame orb Abby was controlling cast a warm ambiance as she took a deep breath, contemplating the contents of the letter Erik had left her. With a delicate silver letter opener, she carefully broke the seal, unfolding the parchment as if handling fragile glass.

The words, penned with a familiarity that only Erik's handwriting could convey, unfolded a mix of emotions within Abby. As she began to read, a furrow creased her brow. Something in the letter diverged from the official communications she had received from the Arvendonian military. Puzzled, she set aside the discrepancies, deciding to save her questions for Nat the next day.

However, as Abby continued reading, the written words served as a soothing balm to her uncertainties. Erik's voice resonated through the carefully chosen phrases, offering comfort and understanding. A smile gradually formed on Abby's face, and a sense of reassurance settled within her. She decided to read the letter again, immersing herself in the cherished memories and sentiments that Erik had left behind.

In the soft glow of the room, surrounded by the echoes of Luminastra's nighttime silence, Abby found solace in those handwritten lines. The letter became a precious connection to the past, a reminder of the bonds forged amidst the challenges of their shared experiences. And so, with a heart lighter than before, Abby embraced the warmth of Erik's words, reading them again and again as she prepared to rest and greet the new day on Luminastra.