Echoes of the Concealed Realm

25

Mira huffed and collapsed against the floor. Between juggling time amidst Alec's training, time with Sorsha, time with Amer, and her own personal training, she had grown more and more exhausted.

Alec's adamant determination about her health was the sole reason she remembered to eat and sleep. Even then she was sneaking off to train.

With all that hard work, Mira grew more and more frustrated with the lack of progression with her call. They were supposed to never be useless.

She didn't know what to do.

She let out a frustrated sigh looking at Nim's jumps.

"Come on Nim, attack me!" She groaned, "Look I'm laying down, completely and totally disarmed. No magic I promise."

Nim stared back at her blankly.

She let out another groan.

Mira's frustration bubbled like a pot ready to boil over every time she summoned her. While other ninjas wielded majestic creatures of power and grace, she was stuck with what seemed like a cruel joke from the magical realm.

Nim, with her droopy features and clumsy demeanor, served as a constant reminder to her about her father's disappointment of her inadequacy. Each time she called upon the fish, she couldn't help but wonder why fate had dealt her such a useless hand.

But she hated this inner turmoil. Nothing was ever useless, especially calls.

But it had been months since she had gotten her powers. She was halfway past her twenty and her call had been almost the same as day one.

Mira clenched her fists in frustration as Nim flopped lazily in front of her. "You useless fish!" She yelled, her voice echoing off into the air. "Do something! Anything!"

Nim blinked slowly, seemingly unfazed by Mira's outburst. "Blooob," She gurgled in response, while jumping up yet again with her placid as ever expression.

"Don't 'bloob' me!" Mira snapped, pacing back and forth. "I can't believe I'm stuck with you. You're supposed to enhance my powers, not hold me back!"

No reaction. Nothing at all from the fish. Mira glared and angrily turned her head away.

"Forget it," She muttered, turning away in defeat. "Why? WHY ME?!"

Mira's frustration dissolved into confusion as her surroundings blurred and shifted, casting her back into the strange, ethereal void.

Her eyes widened when she realized she was back in here. But then she noticed how her call wasn't here.

"Nim!" She called out, her voice echoing into the void. She was nowhere to be found, causing Mira to suddenly feel a bit overwhelmed.

"Nim, where are you?" She cried out again, her voice tinged with desperation. But there was no answer, only the oppressive silence of the void pressing in on her from all sides.

Mira's heart leaped into her throat as she finally spotted Nim in the distance, flopping helplessly near the edge of a shimmering body of water. Without hesitation, she sprinted towards her. Much to Mira's dismay, she was a bit too late as Nim accidentally fell into the water.

"Nim!" She shouted, her voice cracking with fear as she watched. Her speed increasing more than she knew was possible as she, with a surge of determination, dove after.

She looked around for any sign of Nim. The inside of the water was like a translucent, fluorescent blue. Trying to stay calm through her panic, Mira looked around for her. Much to her surprise though, her eyes widened in astonishment as she beheld Nim beneath the water's surface.

"Nim?" She asked, taken aback. Not even sure this was her call.

However the fish confirmed her suspicion as soon as it neared her. Mira then realized how she could talk under this water, but her breathing had yet again halted.

She took her call in her arms and tried to swim to the surface to prevent herself from drowning.

Of course, her fish was a normal fish under water.

Her thoughts were shambled as she had to focus on keeping herself alive, which she was failing at due to the feeling of her feet being a thousand pounds now. She looked down, nothing was weighing her but she felt it.

Much to Mira's dismay, she couldn't explore the void any further yet again. As she started to suffocate and panic beyond what she could handle, she started flashing back to the real world. Her eyes blurred and the training field returned back.

She scrunched her face against the harsh sunlight. She was then met with noises. As she focused her vision, she started to realize Nim was back at the spot she was occupying previously and so was she.

Confused and slightly bewildered, Mira stood up with determination.

"This one is for you Nim." She mumbled. She took in a breath, concentrated on her breathing and palmed her magic in her hands. With a harsh slash on the ground using the side of her palm, she split it into half.

The ground revealed the water underneath causing Mira to let out a satisfied smile. Her smile though, drowned fast enough as she carried Nim and jumped straight into the water.

Unlike in the surreal void, Nim's form remained unchanged. Mira frowned and wiped her eyes to ensure it wasn't just hallucination.

Nim was still suffering. Still jumping and flopping around in the water. Still dying.

She swam back up carrying her, confused as to what went wrong.

"I don't understand." Her frown deepened, "I just don't understand. How can you flourish in that place but not here Nim? Help me Nim, help me help you. I really want us to be strong. Give me something, anything."

Mira, desperately, tried again. She took Nim and put her underwater, yet again she remained true to her form causing her owner to let out a frustrated groan.

What is it about that world that made Nim just that much more magnificent of a creature? Mira was just as sure that Brea was also present in the same place. Though they were now back in the familiar surroundings of their world, Mira couldn't shake the lingering sense of connection to that ethereal realm.

Nim nudged against Mira, bringing her attention back to the present moment. As she looked down at her faithful companion, she couldn't help but feel a surge of frustration. Why had she found herself in that strange void again?

"I... I don't understand," Mira muttered, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "What brought us there? Even Brea..."

Nim of course remained silent, her presence offering no answers to Mira's questions. She sighed heavily, feeling a wave of disappointment wash over her. What good were these experiences if they only led to nothing but uncertainty.

As they stood in the quiet stillness of their surroundings, Mira's mind began to churn with thoughts and questions. Perhaps there was more to it. If both Nim and Brea where there, but Alec when he had caught her in that state wasn't in there...

That void was only calling out to her. And the calls who wondered freely there. Calls aren't able enough to do that without their masters. They never disobey.

How come Nim jump without Mira instructing her to. Not that Nim got many instructions but then,

how come Brea was wandering around?

Elias... he couldn't... he can't give out any orders anymore.

"Nim, is there any possibility that I'm... well." She looked intensely at the call. Was it possible that Nim's presence was the thing that was dragging her there. What if personal calls were the things bringing them together, like how Alec couldn't go.

What if Nim wanted her there to see her true form.

"Nim is it you?" She asked, confused. Then her eyes widened, brimming with tears. Her jaw slightly dropped as she tried to keep herself from chocking from her line of thoughts.

If Brea was there... w-was... was-

Elias there?