Lightning Is The Only Way

Gravis had been quite surprised when Manuel had suddenly comprehended several Emotional Laws and then the level seven Law of Emotions.

Something like that wasn't easy, but Manuel's mindset was probably one of a kind.

In a way, Manuel had also sacrificed himself. He had essentially killed off his old personality and created a new one. Manuel had essentially died.

The new Manuel was nearly identical to the old one, but he still had a slightly different personality.

Of course, Gravis kept these things secret.

Manuel probably had his reasons for keeping his power hidden from everyone else.

Maybe this was a scheme to lure in greedy people that thought that Manuel wasn't as powerful?

Everyone asked Manuel about how it was, and Manuel answered truthfully to some extent.

Manuel said that he had changed and that it was nearly impossible not to change after undergoing Samsara.

The best way was to accept one's change.

However, he kept it secret that he had essentially killed and reconstructed himself.

Then, it was time for the next one.

"Let me be the next one," Skye said with a smile. "I feel like I haven't done many things that I regret, and I think I'm a good choice."

Gravis nodded. 

Gravis absorbed some God Stones to regain his Energy and unleashed a Samsara at Skye.

Skye went through her life.

Due to her being a beast, she wasn't emotionally moved when she saw her mother again.

However, when she met Gravis, she felt excited and happy.

Gravis was essentially the reason why Skye had become so powerful.

It had all started with him!

Skye also saw how Gravis viewed Skye, and Gravis had viewed her as a dear friend. 

Skye had been Gravis' only friend for a large portion of his journey through the lower world.

Sure enough, as time passed, Skye's mindset didn't change very much. Samsara still had a tempering effect on her since going through it was such an ordeal, but it was still manageable.

Eventually, Skye recovered, and she released a deep breath.

Then, she looked at everyone.

"It's such a weird feeling that an eternity has passed for me while all of you had only waited for an instant."

"It feels like I haven't seen you guys in forever," Skye said.

Sadly, Skye had been the only one of Gravis' friends that had gone through her journey alone. 

Everyone else had been in groups.

Ferris and Manuel talked with Skye since they knew how it felt. It was easy to talk with someone that went through the same horrifying experiences as oneself.

In a sense, they had to get reacquainted now.

Luckily, Skye had a very approachable and friendly mindset. She was free like the wind, and she enjoyed being with others.

If beasts didn't want company, they wouldn't create Tribes and Empires.

Beasts also sought connections. Their connections were simply different from how most humans viewed connections.

Gravis asked for the next one, but no one immediately stepped forward.

After a couple of seconds, Stella stepped forward with a giggle.

"I think I should be next. There have been some bad things in my past, but my time with you should help me get through it," she said to Gravis with a lovely smile.

Gravis nodded.

Then, Gravis unleashed Samsara.

This time, Gravis didn't assume an emotionless state.

This was his wife, and Gravis was interested in her life.

Stella's will and personality shook a couple of times, but she had been with Gravis for the majority of her long life, making it bearable.

When Stella saw how Gravis viewed her, she nearly cried.

In Gravis' eyes, Stella appeared like the most beautiful and perfect being.

This confirmed that Gravis loved Stella very deeply, and she felt touched.

She knew that she wasn't ugly and that she was very desirable, but the way Gravis viewed her still seemed like too much.

Was she truly that beautiful?

A lot of Stella's memories were just her and Gravis spending time together, and she cherished all of these memories.

However, Stella had to keep reminding herself that she couldn't get lost in Gravis. She also had to seek her own power.

Otherwise, Gravis would one day reach insurmountable heights.

If she couldn't become more powerful, she would have to leave Gravis after a time that felt way too short.

For Gravis, she also had to become powerful!

Another important person in Stella's life was Liam.

Liam viewed her as a shining light that was on the verge of leaving him.

Liam's progress towards power was slower than Stella's, and he never wanted her to leave him.

However, if she wanted, he would let her go.

In a sense, Liam's path to power was identical to Stella's.

Stella wanted to become powerful because of Gravis, and Liam wanted to become powerful because of Stella.

The fastest person was being chased by a fast person, and the fast person was being chased by a person with above-average speed.

Yet, Stella received a lot of help from Gravis, while Liam got no help.

Stella simply didn't have the ability to help Liam.

Liam's perception of Gravis was very mixed.

On one hand, he realized that Gravis was the perfect place for Stella. Yet, on the other hand, Gravis was pulling Liam's light away from him.

Stella felt guilty when she realized that Liam was chasing after her.

'Silly, don't you realize that I'm not the light you should be seeking?' Stella thought. 'You should find a light of your own to chase.'

Liam had no romantic interest in his sister. Yet, Stella was the only constant in his life. She was the only person that never left him.

She was the only family he had.

Going through Samsara made Stella realize that she couldn't wait for Liam.

Waiting for him was like dangling bait in front of him.

Liam had to find a different goal to chase.

Gravis had already known about this dynamic for a long time, but he wouldn't stop. Liam was his friend, but Gravis also knew that Liam needed to create a family of his own.

It actually shouldn't be hard for him to find someone.

Liam was outstanding, and he was very charismatic.

Meanwhile, Joyce viewed Stella with anger.

She didn't hate Stella, but she felt envious of Stella's power.

Surprisingly, she only felt these feelings for Stella, not for the other ones.

Why?

Because Stella was a kind person, and she was still incredibly powerful.

Joyce had tried everything to gain power, and she had sacrificed so much. She had done so many things she deeply regretted.

Yet, Stella appeared like she had no regrets.

In Joyce's mind, Stella had sacrificed nothing and still managed to become so powerful.

This was so unfair!

Joyce had sacrificed so much!

Eventually, Stella's Samsara ended.

When it ended, she jumped into Gravis' arms and hugged him.

"You're stupid," she complained. "I'm not that beautiful!"

Gravis only laughed as he hugged her.

"You are to me," he said quietly.

Stella remained in Gravis' arms for a while and then left after realizing that everyone else was still around.

Then, Stella turned around and looked at Liam.

"I think you should go next," she said.

Liam was unsure what Stella meant, but he had been with Stella for his entire life.

She probably wanted to show him something.

"Pay attention to my perception of you at this moment," Stella said. "Samsara is the only thing that allows you to look at yourself through others' eyes. I saw how you perceived me through your eyes, and I want you to see how I perceive you."

For some reason, Liam felt nervous.

"Okay," Liam answered. Then, he turned to Gravis. "Me next," he said.

Gravis nodded and gathered more Energy.

Then, he put Liam under Samsara.

Gravis ignored Liam's life since he wasn't very interested in it.

Liam saw himself through Stella's eyes the most, and he saw that Stella deeply cared for him.

Yet, Stella also looked at Liam like something she needed to protect.

Liam hated this!

Liam was the one that was supposed to protect his sister, not the other way around!

Sadly, he had never managed to close their gap.

Instead, it had only grown wider.

As time passed, Liam realized that Stella became more concerned. Yet, she wasn't concerned about Liam's survival but about his happiness and direction in life.

Stella wanted Liam to be happy, but she also realized that he couldn't be happy with her.

Love between siblings was different from love between lovers.

She had tasted how it felt when she got together with Gravis, and Liam hadn't yet.

She wanted him to feel the same feelings she was feeling.

It was difficult for Liam to get through Samsara, but he still managed to relatively keep his personality alive.

Yet, the most shocking moment happened at the very end.

When Liam saw himself through the eyes of the Stella that had just gone through Samsara, he felt an impact on his heart.

Stella felt guilty.

Stella wanted Liam to be happy.

Yet, she felt like she was leaving him behind.

She knew that she currently was the most important thing in Liam's life.

However, this wasn't how it was supposed to be.

Liam should find a companion and find a greater goal and greater life.

It was basically impossible to be closer to one's sibling than the life companion of that sibling.

It was simply a different kind of connection and love.

Liam quickly woke up since that moment had come at the very end.

The shock was still fresh in Liam's mind, and Liam looked aimlessly at the sky.

Stella felt guilty when she saw Liam's hurt expression.

After some seconds, Liam sighed.

Then, he looked at Stella with a smile.

"I guess I should search for a girlfriend," he said awkwardly.

Stella nearly teared up.