"Wh-What is this, Narlivs?"

"Ahh. Yes. As a subtle subconscious realm," Narlivs began, "the Inverse overlaps with the dream space--what one could call the subconscious's playground. Sometimes, the people from the topside might... appear here when they dream. Sweet Dorthaunzee is currently napping in front of the fountain, and some of her dream is being reflected here in the form of this fog. Let's call it dreamer's fog."

I glanced at the parasite nearby. "Is she in danger?"

Narlivs looked at the parasite for a few moments. "If Dorthaunzee was dream-walking, then she would be in more danger, but no. As a normal dreamer, even if the parasite tried to devour her vitality, it would only suck out a little. It would be the equivalent of a mosquito bite. As a rule of thumb, you are more at risk the more you enter the Inverse."

"Hmm, okay." I touched the fog that was acting as a lens into Dorthaunzee's dream. My hand kind of slipped, and I touched Dorthaunzee."

She looked around all of a sudden, but her eyes and mine never met for any meaningful time.

"Be careful, Fainn. You're a special existence right now," Narlivs warned. "There is no telling what may happen."

"The parasites won't be able to enter this fog the way my hand can?"

"No. Look here." Narlivs put her hand against the fog, but it didn't enter at all. In fact, it bent against the surface as if it was hard. "I assume that your conscious mind and its weight is what lets you skirt the laws of this realm. Though, if you notice, you can't get much more than your hand into the dream."

"That's true... Trippy. There's so much to discover."

"Yes."

"How'd you know Dorthaunzee was napping in front of the fountain? Just because of the proximity to the fountain?"

"No. You and Svilran have been made into important cores of the Hero Hub. Therefore, you can be aware of everything about the Hero Hub, including the location of its residents. It's just that the info is fed to your subconscious."

I thought back to a certain moment. That one time Elma's door just opened for me. Did it open for me because I needed it to?

"Given your capabilities so far, should you ever just quiet your mind, you might find that your awareness expands. I recommend practicing. In this arena, Svilran does better than you. While she and I cannot converse, she is good at overhearing information that is being sent to me."

"Oh... So if she wanted to know where I was..."

"She could just ask the Hero Hub. Though, she can't get your location exactly, as you are an equivalent existence to her. For her to know your location, you must allow it. She knew about you and Elma, however, because she saw you sleeping with her this morning."

"Ahh. So she really was there..."

"Don't judge her harshly. She was curious and concerned. She didn't expect to be so shaken by what she saw. It roused feelings she wasn't paying serious attention to."

"Oh, no problem. I understand."

Narlivs latched onto my arm and smiled. "Good."

"Whew, a lot of information..."

"Yes. Anyway, should you want to erect any Building down here, just gather the necessary Inverse Points. You can then create it down here without letting the residents of the topside know."

"It won't have a Topside double?"

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"No. Not at all."

I looked at the dorms. "Question. Are there any Heroes that can only live on this side?"

"I'm not sure that they could only exist here, but they would be Heroes that are capable of traversing the Inverse. There are actually many that can cross into the underside across infinite worlds. I would recommend keeping your eyes open for them. Having Heroes that can combat Parasites might be extremely beneficial."

"Understood."

"Now that we've covered the basics, I recommend that this you return to the Hero Hub."

"But why? It's not like I'm gone. I'm in two places at once, right?"

"You are, but you, Fainn, have a special existence here--it is what lets you interact with things down here differently than I do. To put it in other words, your conscious self was close enough to his subconscious self that the subconscious was able to guide the conscious down here. You can know what is going on here because your subconscious is submerging you and holding you down here. The Inverse, however, is a fully subconscious realm. You look at this realm with conscious eyes, but you do not see what your subconscious sees. That small divide between you two makes all the difference, and that difference shields you like a veil. To speak in metaphor, you, the party held down below the surface can only see ahead with blurry eyes. Your subconcious, however, can see all that is around you, and maybe a little of what is deeper."

Narlivs walked ahead of me and held out her arms before turning.

"This is the Realm of Truth. The secrets of creation can be seen from here. The Abyss--you could see the bottom of it from here if you had the eyes that pierce the depths. However, the conscious mind cannot process this unfiltered reality. If you stayed here for long, the last boundary between conscious and subconscious would be forcefully burned away, and you, the conscious mind, would be horribly damaged and possibly go mad... All that would be left of Fainn would be his subconscious. And then, without a conscious mind to handle the waking world, the subconscious would then die, a prisoner in the shadows of lunacy."

"Stare into the Abyss, and it stares into you," I muttered.

"This realm is of vital import, but remember Fainn. You and I may be here to maintain it, but we are not expected to inhabit it. No one is expected to inhabit it."

"Understood... So you?"

"When you are not here, neither will I be. I will return to Svilran when you leave. This realm poses dangers to my existence as well."

"Because you are actually a fully subconscious existence." I looked at the parasite. "Those things could target you."

"Exactly..." She chuckled. "Actually... A good metaphor: The more conscious you are in the Inverse, the less real you are."

"Oh. So I'm part ghost down here... Okay. That's a funny thought."

"You're so smart, Fainn..." Narlivs said as she rubbed my arm.

"Says the girl who explained everything to me." I bobbed my head as I worked up the courage to try. I held out my arms and invited a hug.

Narlivs, with her smile undisturbed, walked up to me and rested her head against my chest as she hugged me.

"Fainn, I would like it to be clear. Svilran and I adore you--truly. That affection factored into why Svilran ultimately chose you to be the other half of the Hero Hub."

Right. This was Svilran's subconscious. She knew everything going on with Svilran. Heck, she might have motivated some actions too...

"Hey, what exactly does Svilran want right now? I feel like she's bothered about the thing with Elma, but I also got the feeling she wanted me to care about her too. Was I wrong?"

Narlivs shook her head. She looked up at me, and in a graceful movement, kissed me on the lips.

"!!!"

"Svilran wants your affection. She, however, is being overly conscious of her place... This is a secret that you must never speak outside of here, but... Svilran was never very good at being a God. That fact led to many trials and tribulations for her. Right now... she is doing her best to not fall short again." Narlivs caressed my cheek as she looked at me with eyes that indicated no turmoil or anguish. "I, however, do not need to be so reserved. I am her truth--her hidden ones turned inside-out and made external. I have seen much more, and I hold so much for her that I'm just waiting for her to reach for... I just want to be affectionate with you, Fainn. I want you to shower me with affection in turn. You were the person we picked. Would you please pick us? Allow this facilitator one selfish dream."

I held her cheeks, stroking them with my thumb as I did. "Not even a question. You saved me. I'll... I'll pick you. But you don't mind that Elma also wants things from me, right?"

She shook her head. "No? Everyone knows a god can have many loves. We do not need to enforce monogamy at this moment." Svilran chuckled. "Zeus certainly did not care."

I blinked many times. "Okay. Wasn't expecting such a straight answer. Also, Zeus? Wow."

"You're speaking to the subconscious directly. There is nothing left for me to hide. In my eyes, everything is simple. It is Svilran with her perceptions who muddies the scenery before us."

"Understood."

"The situation with Elma made her feelings bubble up to the surface faster than she was ready to deal with them... I personally do not care to fight her feelings. So... please tell her you care for her again. She wants to hear that you see her as Svilran, and not just one of many women. She can be quite greedy like that."

I flashed a thumbs-up. "Got it... Thanks, Narlivs."

She smiled back. "I wish us the very best future, Fainn."