Chapter 44.

Now on the same page, the trio began reviewing the actual process explained for the Nexus of Minds. It was rather complicated. At first, Nick thought of it as a simple sharing of energy and that was it, but the actual intricacies and nature of the link could be compared to putting a feeling into words and assuming others would understand it one hundred per cent. Complicated indeed. The three of them nevertheless assembled around the campfire, sharing how they each pictured the Magical Flow. Nick began :

- Well, I just see it as a multitude of lines mixed together and moving like a series of rivers, with small lights swimming inside that act and move differently from each other. Like underwater life.

It was a rather simple image, but efficient, and that was what he wanted when he made up that idea. "I just followed the few rough descriptions the author gave us in the booklets really …", he thought.

- Okay., said Enora with a serious face. Weird though, I always saw it as many shiny geometric shapes orderly placed along each other, forming a cohesive and orderly world.

"That's peculiar ! Very representative of her personality though.", he smiled.

- I would not have guessed, but it fits you., said Rose while also smiling. As for myself, I see molecules of magic coloured differently, and moving at their own pace. Many stars in the sky. They are everywhere, but no river or shape, as I thought the 'Flow' part was a literary license.

- So three different ways of seeing it, meaning three different ways of screwing up., mentioned Enora. Like the book says, we can't just adopt one point of view and be done with it.

True enough, the process actually called for an understanding of the Magical Flow itself, but not a common one. It was more like the acceptance of each other's way, meaning all of them had to take in the ideas and differences between each other. "Trust …". Nick knew that, even if they wanted to all see the Flow in the same way, it would mean profoundly changing their minds, impacting their individualities and taking time they did not have.

- That's all fine and dandy, but the second part feels way harder., added the man.

"It actually calls for the creation of a fake Flow that would connect the three of us. Between two people, each has to imagine this strand in a way that would work in accordance with the other's understanding of the Magical Flow. Since there are three of us, we all need to do that twice, once for each. That's in fact double the work …", he remembered.

- And the third part ?, noted Rose with a sweet but firm voice. Exchanging wild magic through the link to solidify it, and accepting inside our minds a foreign energy until the whole process 'felt' done. That's so obscure I don't even know where to begin …

"She sounds quite demoralized after just summarizing it. Something so theoretically powerful should not be simple, and I feel way more at ease knowing it is not.". Nick voiced that thought, making the young woman think a bit before sighing and nodding a few times for herself. When he looked at the tanned woman on his other side, she had a determined glint in her eyes, giving confidence to the other two.

So the Nexus of Minds began. They were sitting on the ground, a meter apart from each other, forming a triangle. Heads lowered, and eyes closed, each doing their best to understand and accept someone else's state of mind. According to a prior talk, Nick had to imagine the Magical Flow the way Rose did first, while she did the same for Enora and that one had to do it for him. Then they would go the other way around next. "Molecules of light like stars in the sky. Wild elements don't move and are dark brown, fire is erratic and red, pulsing, while light shines peacefully on its slow and purposeful way. All of that is a logical image, goes without saying just like the stars. They are there, and that's all.".

While doing his best to draw this weird picture, Nick began building a line towards Rose's head. It had to look simple but sturdy. Doing both those things at the same time was very costly mentally, and all of his focus was needed. However, he could not be too eager. The process needed to be neither fast nor slow, meaning there was a fine timing to follow. When he thought everything was in its proper place, he began sending wild energy inside the line, using it to solidify its walls like a tube while most of it travelled into Rose's mind. At the same time, something else entered his, probably Enora's energy. Apparently, she had finished her tube, and his job was to accept the invasion. It felt like a strong itch that he had to ignore. So he did, with great effort that made him sweat a lot.

Anyway, through his energy, he could feel the sudden tension in Rose's body, and even more information began to travel back to him. Some fear and surprise, and also a piercing soreness around legs that were not his. His body interchanged into a smaller, frailer one, his muscles squished inside this foreign envelope, many aspects of which were so different. Like no outer genitals, among the most disturbing details. Taking in those exterior feelings, Nick continued to solidify the path between them using the 'stars' of the Flow, dumping energy into Rose.

After a few minutes, the tube was done, and even if it was immaterial and invisible, it felt finished. But the process was only halfway done. The author of the books clearly stated that, for a Nexus of Minds to be over, the link had to go both ways. Here, each of them built one-ways, not freeways. It HAD to go both ways for each of them, as it would collapse otherwise. It was a real challenge that required deep focus and a seriously potent imagination. Luckily, Nick knew there was a way to help those with a less imaginative mind, meaning Enora. Since a tube would already exist in this next step, it was way easier to do : they needed to copy someone else's work. It had been mentioned that, if at one point someone was at a loss, the simplest way to go forward was to use a different energy to mentally check how the others built their line. For example, if Enora had trouble linking herself to Rose for lack of understanding, she could quickly 'take a look' at how Nick had done through fire or light magic, and do the same. It would expend quite a bit of this other energy, but if it ensured a smoother process, why not ? He bet the tanned woman would do something like that.

Nick began his new tube, considering Enora's point of view : "Shapes. More precisely, hexagons forming an infinite orderly chessboard of sorts. The elements travel along the lines of those shapes, each in their own way. They travel at their pace but do not have any effect on the hexagons. The shapes always stay the same. Just like the humans in the world.". Little by little, a new tube appeared, slowly making its way into Enora's mind. And then the wild energy followed, bringing a linking intent with it. When it finally made contact, it began filling the tall woman's spirit, only doing so with her consent. And Rose's energy also made contact with Nick, and again he accepted it wholeheartedly. Surprise and fear, but also defiance were sent back to him from Enora. He felt like he had just physically entered into something bigger than himself, like wearing an oversized coat. A stranger's stomach hurt him, some ribs too, and a slight headache. His new left hand felt a bit insensitive too. The job now was to keep feeding Enora's mind while accepting every feeling and sensation he was given. Until one weird feeling came. Like a puzzle that was finally finished.

The trio unanimously let everything go, their minds completely empty and lost from the exertion. When Nick opened his eyes, he saw the sweat on himself and smelt the others. But, more importantly, he felt so tired that his head began twirling before completely blacking out. And he was not the only one. He could feel it : three bodies fell unconscious.