{Rin}

"What?"

That word escaped Rin's mouth before she could do anything to hold it back.

As she stood there, all eyes on her with an air of shock to each one, she struggled to process what she'd just been told.

"I can see Maria's Essence slipping into you," Alea stated again. "You seriously don't feel anything?"

Rin checked. As best she could, anyway.

No, she couldn't feel anything happening.

"Uh, hold on, tell me if anything changes," Rin then said suddenly before closing her eyes. She put all of her effort, as much as she could, into halting the movement of Essence within her body. The inverse of what she'd usually do, spreading her Essence to strengthen her muscles. "Is anything different?" Rin asked.

"No," Alea replied and Rin's eyes opened wide. "You're still absorbing it."

Rin's mind raced as she processed the implications of Alea's observation.

The sensation of Maria's Essence seeping into her, undetectable to her own senses, left her feeling so unsettled.

Yet, as Alea continued to study her with some concern, Rin felt a bit of curiosity sprout within her.

Without hesitation, Rin decided to conduct an additional test.

Stepping away from Maria's side, she approached Xhez. As she drew nearer, Alea's eyes slowly widened. Rin almost held her breath.

"Let me know if you see anything," Rin instructed, her voice steady despite the undercurrent of uncertainty coursing through her.

Alea nodded, her gaze focused intently on Rin and Xhez as they stood together.

With a sense of anticipation, Rin closed her eyes once more, willing herself to remain attuned to the subtle movements of Essence around her, in case it let her detect whatever Alea was seeing.

Moments passed, each one stretching out into an eternity as Rin waited for Alea's assessment.

Then, finally, Alea spoke, her voice tinged with a mixture of surprise and revelation.

"I see it," Alea exclaimed, her eyes widening with realization. "Your Essence... it's... it's flowing between you and Xhez."

Rin's heart skipped a beat.

[It's moving... between us?]

An exchange of Essence.

Part of why this was incredibly stunning news was because of Rin's initial Essence assessment, back when she first joined the academy.

She'd been told she didn't even have enough Essence to be a mediocre-level mage. Now, she was hearing that not only did she have some amount of it, it was constantly moving.

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Both from others to her and from her to Xhez.

As they contemplated this new revelation, their discussion was interrupted by a somewhat sudden arrival.

Eve flew out of the ruins, into the open space the girls were standing in.

Concern etched into her delicate features, Eve fluttered around them, her wings beating anxiously.

"Why are you all out here?" Eve inquired, her voice sounding slightly concerned and very tired. She locked eyes with Rin in particular.

Maria stepped forward, her demeanor calm and reassuring as she addressed the tiny fairy.

"It's alright, Eve. We're just... conducting a little experiment. You should go back to bed."

Reluctantly, Eve complied, her expression reflecting her uncertainty as she flitted away into the darkness.

Once the fairy had departed, Alea turned to Rin, her eyes wide with astonishment.

"It happened again," she declared, her voice barely above a whisper. "With Eve... her Essence was flowing between you and her."

These revelations were probably going to give Rin heart problems.

[Holy crap,] she thought. [So...]

"I-I think I have one more test," Rin strained to say. Then, she walked up to Alea. The girl flinched, taking an instinctive step back, but Rin walked forward until Alea was within arm's reach. "Uh... Now, do you see anything?"

Alea clearly understood the implication as she looked down at herself and the space between them.

And, once again, she looked shocked.

"Y-Yeah..." Alea inhaled sharply. "My Essence is moving to you."

---

As the construction activities hummed around them, the rhythmic sounds of industrial progress mingling with the natural symphony of the forest, Rin found herself lost in contemplation.

The weight of newfound knowledge settled heavily upon her shoulders, each revelation opening doors to deeper understanding and potential answers to lifelong questions.

Xhez's voice, soft yet filled with concern, broke through Rin's thoughts like a gentle breeze cutting through a dense forest.

"Rin, is everything alright? You seem preoccupied."

Rin turned to face the water sprite, offering a faint but reassuring smile.

"I'm okay, Xhez. It's just... everything from last night is still sinking in."

Xhez nodded understandingly.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

Rin hesitated for a moment, gathering her thoughts before speaking.

"It's about Essence," she began, her tone thoughtful yet determined. "I think I might have stumbled upon an explanation for something."

"For what?"

"My family's sickness," Rin stated. "You... You haven't been around long enough to really see it at its worst, but, yeah. My family has always had this weird illness..."

Intrigued, Xhez leaned in slightly, her watery eyes reflecting a mix of curiosity and support.

With a steadying breath, Rin began to explain.

"All my life, my family has struggled with this strange... frailty," she explained. "There was one point where my mom could barely walk. And, even my dad, who was a soldier, would be bedridden every now and then. We've never quite understood why, but now... I think I get it."

Xhez listened intently. Rin continued.

"If my guess is right, basically, this illness has always been caused by a lack of Essence. Or, maybe an excess of Essence," RIn stated. "It's hard to tell which since I can't tell how much Essence I have beyond my own. How much I've absorbed from other people, I mean."

Xhez nodded thoughtfully.

"That is... interesting."

Rin nodded, her expression a mix of contemplation and determination.

"It's the only explanation that seems to make sense based on what I know."

Curiosity glimmered in Xhez's eyes as she posed a question that had been lingering in her mind.

"But, then, why do you think you have been doing so well? I have not seen you showing any large signs of illness."

Rin paused, gathering her thoughts before responding.

"Well..." Rin blushed a little, knowing how sappy this was about to sound. "I believe it's because of you, Xhez."

"Me?" Xhez's eyes widened.

"Yeah. Like Alea said, our Essence, uhm, Spirit, moves back and forth between us. I think your presence is balancing my Essence."

Xhez's eyes gleamed.

"Truly!?"

"I think so." Rin nodded. "Crap, it feels like I'm never gonna run out of reasons to be thankful for you being with me, hehe."

Xhez reached out a watery hand, the gentle touch a reassurance of their shared journey and discoveries.

"We... Perhaps we can continue to explore this together, Rin. Perhaps understanding the intricacies of Spirit... Essence and its influence will not only benefit you but others as well."

Rin smiled, a newfound sense of purpose shining in her eyes.

"I'd love to."