Back at Carmen's house, Alice and the other 2 girls were lying on Carmen's couches after eating their extraterrestrial meals, clutching their rumbling stomachs and wincing as they did.

"Oh lord, why did we do this to ourselves?" Alice groaned, holding her aching stomach.

Rachel was in no better shape, her face pale as she slowly sat up on the couch. "I don't know. I feel like I've just ingested something from another universe."

Zalgo, who was sprawled out on the floor, simply moaned. "I don't want to move. Everything hurts."

Carmen smirked down at the girls, her voice teasing as she said, "Don't worry, y'all. Your stomachs are just grappling with the unique bacteria of the foods you ate. It is alien cuisine, after all.”

"More like alien gut bacteria," Alice said, massaging her stomach in circular motions. "I swear I've never felt this sick before. And the gas...oh my goodness, the gas. Is this what it's like to be a volcano?"

Rachel managed a weak laugh. "I'd take sulfuric fumes over this any day. At least then the agony would be outside instead of inside.”

Carmen couldn't help but chuckle and make a joke. "Then let 'em rip. Some guys are into that, believe it or not.”

Rachel made gagging noises at the thought. "Ugh, thanks for that mental image, Carmen. Like I needed MORE reasons to want to throw up."

"Oh, don’t be like that," Carmen retorted with a smirk, "It's just your body letting off some steam, so to speak.”

"Steam is an understatement," Rachel muttered. "I feel like my insides are doing the Macarena."

Zalgo, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, suddenly let out the loudest and longest burp any of them had ever heard. She immediately blushed and looked mortified. "Um...sorry. It just...came out.”

The girls looked at each other, then burst into laughter.

"Zalgo, that was...impressive," Alice said, holding her stomach.

Carmen was practically howling. "Oh my Goddess...that was something else, like a trumpet from the depths of hell. I need to record this to show the guys.”

"Oh no, no, no, don't you dare," Zalgo pleaded, her face turning a shade of red. She hid her face behind a nearby pillow, embarrassed beyond words.

Rachel had her hands over her ears, clearly uncomfortable. "Can we not talk about any more bodily functions, please? I think I've reached my quota for the day. Let's talk about...eh, Void Magic or somethin’.”

The girls nodded, each recalling their individual skills.

"That's right," Alice said, recalling her ability to spin and manipulate threads. “I can't wait to learn how to manipulate my threads like a pro.”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Rachel added on, "And I can shoot out those plasma blasts too."

Zalgo chimed in, her voice reflecting a hint of excitement as she said, "And I bet those spears of mine really know how to pack a punch.”

Carmen continued, her eyes shining with interest. "Now, what's important is that y'all can practice and refine those skills. The more you use your abilities, the more natural and effective they'll become."

Alice looked thoughtful. "So it's like training any other skill. Practice makes perfect, right?"

Rachel nodded, a determined look on her face. "Right. I want to be able to control those shots better. Make them faster and stronger.”

"That's the spirit, girls," Carmen said, smiling. "You're already on the path to mastering your Void Magic. The more you challenge yourselves and push your limits, the more powerful you'll become."

Zalgo nodded with a resolute gaze. "I'll work on controlling my spear's shapes better. I want to be able to use them in more creative ways, like forming barriers or catching them mid-air.”

"That's the mindset you need," Carmen encouraged. "Don't just use your abilities for combat. Play around with them, experiment. You might discover new ways to use them that you never thought of before."

Alice looked thoughtful. "Like, what if I can figure out how to manipulate multiple threads at once? That could be useful for trapping enemies or blocking attacks.”

"Exactly," Carmen said, clearly pleased with their initiative. "Try to think outside the box. You're the one who makes the rules when it comes to your Void Magic, so explore and make it your own."

Rachel had her thinking face on, twirling her hair with a finger. "I can't wait to experiment with the power of my shots. Maybe make them large, stronger, or even change their direction mid-flight.”

"All great ideas," Carmen agreed. "Just remember, there's no limit to what you can do with your skills. The only boundaries are those you set for yourselves."

Zalgo was clearly contemplating her own abilities, an excited gleam in her eyes. "I can probably do more than just spears. What if I can create other shapes, like shields or even whips?”

"There you go. Keep thinking like that," Carmen approved. "The more you think creatively, the more versatile your skills will become."

Alice looked inspired, her mind full of possibilities before coming across a roadblock. "I wonder how I can keep up with so much thread at once though."

Carmen informed, "The giant spool on your back, which will appear whenever you conjure your gloves. The thread running through your gloves will be connected to the spool, and when you run out of thread...well, you know the rest.”

The girls nodded, understanding how the spool would work. But Rachel's mind was also working on something else.

"The thread idea reminds me of something I thought of," she said, her eyes lighting up. "What if I combine my plasma aura with your thread, Alice?"

Alice looked intrigued, a smile appearing on her face. "Like, shoot out a thread with a plasma charge? That sounds like it could be extremely powerful.”

Carmen looked intrigued, a sly smile on her face. "Now that's an interesting idea. It would require some coordination on both y'all's part, but the potential power of a plasma-charged thread could be devastating if used right... Combining skills between two Void Magic users requires both users to have a very close spiritual connection with each other though, so get those bonds strong, y'all!”

The girls nodded, realizing the significance of having a strong bond.

"Right," Alice said, a look of determination in her eyes. "So we'll have to work on our connection beyond just physical touch."

Zalgo leaned forward, clearly interested. "How exactly do we do that?"

Carmen smirked. "Meditation and energy sharing. The more open and vulnerable you are with each other, the stronger your bond will be.”

The girls looked at each other, a mix of excitement and nervousness in their eyes.

"Well, this is getting intimate," Zalgo joked, a slight blush on her face.

Rachel chuckled. "Just don't get too comfortable sharing your energies. I might go through your most embarrassing memories or something."

This only made Alice giggle. "Oh please. As if you are innocent and have nothing to hide yourself.”

Carmen laughed, clearly enjoying the banter. "Oh, girls, don't underestimate the power of vulnerability and trust. It's not about revealing your innermost secrets or embarrassing moments. It's about dropping your defenses and letting your energies merge. It's how you strengthen the trust and understanding between each other."

Zalgo smirked. "So what you're saying is, we need to get real comfortable with each other. Like, reaaally comfortable.”

Carmen chuckled. "In a sense, yes. You need to reach a point where being emotionally naked in front of each other doesn't faze you. It's not about being physically intimate, it's about being spiritually intimate. Trust and connection are the keys, and the more open you are with each other, the stronger your bonding skills will be."

Zalgo looked thoughtful, a slight blush on her cheeks. "So, more meditation and energy sharing... Sounds like we've got some work to do…”

"That's the spirit, gals," Carmen said, her voice filled with encouragement. "Don't be afraid to open up and share your inner selves. It might feel strange at first, but trust the process, and you'll be surprised at how much stronger you become as a team."

A determined grin crept onto Zalgo's face. "Oh, I'm going to train my butt off to make my skill powerful in advance.”

“Then get ready when your stomachs feel better. I'm bringing Teigen and Naphi here again to teach you some stuff. You guys are going to school before you head off to the next world.”

“I dunno, Noelle can be quite insistent,” Rachel warned.

“She'll understand. She can't fight on your behalf forever, you'll enjoy being the ones kicking culo for a change. Rest up, and be prepared.”