Soulbound Ch 18: Brace Yourself, The Way Back In!

(Scott)

I swear, if you had told me two weeks ago that I'd be riding an alien rollercoaster while seated in the lap of a godlike being inside a holographic forest that felt more real than actual forests back on Earth, I would've laughed, patted you on the shoulder, and suggested you get some rest.

But here I was—getting gently rocked in Kaida's lap as her seat moved beneath us, drifting through branches, soaring over rivers, ducking through dense canopies—all while a story played around us in brilliant, living color. One second we were racing through some kind of galactic battlefield, and the next we were sailing across a desert that made me sweat just sitting there. And not like "oh, neat special effects" sweating. No. The air got hot. Dry. Oppressive. Then it switched to a lush rainforest scene, and suddenly I was shivering because of the damp, cool air clinging to my skin.

Every shift in the Lunatheon—or whatever Kaida called it—came with actual sensation. Temperature changes, wind, light pressure... it was like this alien movie theater came preloaded with a full-body immersion feature. You didn't watch this thing, you lived it.

And it hit me all at once, somewhere between the forest fading into a stormy ocean and me nearly losing my balance as the seat adjusted to the movement of a wave: this was my life now. My actual life.

I used to clock into an office that smelled like printer toner and burnt coffee. I got laid off. Thought I was going nowhere fast. And now?

Now I was in the arms of a cosmic being who literally stored galaxies in her back pocket.

Kaida.

I looked up at her and felt that little flutter in my chest again. It was so weird. I didn't feel small or powerless with her—just... safe. Like even though she could crush stars between her fingers, she'd treat my heart like it was the most fragile thing she'd ever held.

Still, one question floated up through the cinematic chaos around us, rising into my brain like a confused balloon.

"...Wait... what are we?"

I said it out loud without meaning to, chuckling at myself. I mean, sure, we'd confessed our feelings, soul-bound, crossed dimensional boundaries, and she literally made me a new body, but we never exactly... put a label on things.

Girlfriend? Wife? Cosmic soulmate? All of the above?

Eh. Maybe something to bring up later, when we weren't mid-magical adventure sequence.

But then something... shifted.

Not in the room—inside me.

This ache bloomed in my chest. Not pain, really—more like a weird discomfort. Like the space between my ribs got tight. I sat up a little straighter and frowned, confused. Why was I feeling like this? This was literally the coolest thing I'd ever experienced. There was no reason I should feel anything other than thrilled, so... what was wrong?

Then I glanced up again.

Kaida's face—beautiful, luminous, usually so expressive—was still and distant. Her gaze wasn't on the show. Wasn't on me. It was on something far away... in her own mind, maybe.

"Kaida?" I called out.

She didn't answer.

I shifted in her lap, cupped my hands around my mouth, and called a little louder. "Kaida!"

Still nothing.

It took three more tries before her eyes refocused and looked down at me, blinking like she'd just woken up.

"Hey," I said, flashing her a smile. "I'm loving this movie—uh, Lunatheon thing."

She smiled back, gentle and warm. "I'm glad," she said softly.

I hesitated. The ache in my chest was still there. "Are... are you okay?"

That surprised her. Her eyes widened just slightly, and she looked down at me like I'd said something alien. "Yes," she said after a moment. "Of course."

But something about the way she said it told me otherwise.

I wanted to push. Ask again. Tell her she didn't have to hide things from me. But... I didn't. Not because I didn't care, but because I wasn't sure if I should. I loved her—whatever that looked like in Aetherion terms. That much I knew.

But the truth was... I didn't know her. Not fully. I didn't understand her world, her rules, her burdens. And maybe... just maybe... this wasn't something I had the right to pry into. Not yet.

So I smiled again. Turned back toward the shimmering trees and watched as a massive celestial beast emerged from the underbrush in front of us.

"I'm here if you need me," I said, softly.

And I didn't need to look up to know she heard me. Didn't need to see her face to know what she felt.

Because in that moment, my chest—that tight ache—began to loosen. And in its place was warmth. That quiet hum of connection. Like a thread pulled taut between us.

I didn't have to understand everything.

I just had to be here.

Okay, I'll admit it... I was starting to fade. My body, this new shell Kaida made for me — it felt incredible, but I guess even perfection had limits when powered by a mortal soul. My muscles were sore in a weird way, like they didn't ache so much as... hum. Like they were buzzing with warning signals.

Kaida's voice came gently from above. "I thought so," she said, reaching for the control panel beside the lounge seat and shutting off the Lunatheon. The vibrant forest shimmered, cracked apart like a dream, and the crystal-laced walls of her living room reformed around us. "This is your first time inside one of my creations, Scott. I don't want you pushing yourself too far."

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea," I said with a tired laugh, rubbing the back of my neck. "I just have one question though—how do I, uh... go back in? Into your body, I mean."

Her fingers moved around me like silk, cupping my body with that ridiculous gentleness only someone of her power could manage. As she lifted me toward her face, her golden eyes weren't as playful as usual. There was something else in them — hesitation?

"What's wrong?" I asked, frowning.

Kaida hesitated before answering. "To return your soul to its resting place, I have to... be a little rough."

I blinked. "Rough?" My voice cracked slightly. "What exactly does that mean?"

"I'll make it quick," she promised. "It'll be over quick honestly It might just... surprise you."

Before I could fully process that, she lowered me down to the couch and took a step back. I watched as she turned around — slowly, deliberately — and my brain finally caught up with the situation.

"Wait... Kaida?" I called, half nervous laughter, half real concern. "What are you doing?"

"Don't move," she said over her shoulder, voice almost teasing but with a strange finality.

And then—yeah, then the shadow hit.

Her colossal form began to descend, and I had just enough time to throw my hands up before the sky — her sky — came down. It was like being buried under the softest, heaviest avalanche in the universe. I could feel pressure building instantly, my ribs creaking, bones shifting under impossible weight. My vision dimmed at the edges, heat and weight flooding in all at once. This power wasn't just overwhelming — it was absolute.

"Is this where I die?" I managed to think, right before my world went completely dark.