Page 84 of Wild Ivy
Cathy nods. “You’re all pieces of the same puzzle. Go, now. They’re waiting. Just remember… don’t fight the chaos. Work with it. Like water finding its own level, power will flow where it needs to go.”
I head for the door, then pause. “Thank you. For helping me understand.”
“Thank you for taking care of my niece,” she replies softly. “The real work is just beginning.”
I make my way back across campus to where I left the others, needing the mundaneness of walking right now. I feel different somehow. More settled in my new nature, yet also more aware of its limitless possibilities. Near the ancient oak, I find the others waiting.
“Where did you go?” Ivy asks.
“I was with your aunt, learning some new tricks,” I say. It mingles naturally with Ivy’s life-death energy, Bram’s shadows, and Tate’s natural force.
“How is she? I should go and see her before we leave.”
“She’s good,” I say.
She smiles and gives me a nod. I look around and we all understand our own power better now, but more importantly, we understand how they all connect.
The sun sets over Thornfield, casting long shadows that seem to pulse with possibility. In the gathering dark, our combined power lights up the night like stars come to earth. Different colours, different energies, but all part of the same grand design.
We are the bridges between worlds, the guardians of boundaries, the agents of change itself.
And we’re finally ready to embrace it.
44
IVY
The transitionalways feels like stepping through a curtain of starlight. One moment I’m in the physical world, the next I’m here, the place that used to be the Void—that terrible nothing that swallowed souls whole—now exists as something so beautiful it makes my heart ache.
I stand in what looks like an infinite cosmic nursery. Souls drift like luminous stars in every direction, their light casting soft colours. Some cluster together in spiralling patterns, while others float in serene solitude. Each one pulses with its own rhythm, its own story.
The space itself is alive and responsive. It’s not just the end of the line anymore. It’s an integral part of the cycle. Streams of energy flow like celestial rivers, carrying echoes of lives lived and lives yet to begin. The boundaries between what was and what will be blur here, creating something entirely new.
I’ve been working to understand this space since we transformed it, but it still takes my breath away. My power feels different here, something more nuanced. More complete.
Moving deeper into the cosmic expanse, I reach out with my awareness. Thousands of souls respond, their lights brighteningor dimming in acknowledgement. Some have newly arrived, still carrying the sharp edges of their recent lives. Others have been here longer, their energies softened into possibility.
I approach a cluster of souls that have been here the longest. I grimace at the waves of violence and hatred that come from some of them, others are less angry, some are even happy. They are ready for the transition. My power extends naturally now, weaving through their light like threads through fabric. The first soul I touch blazes brilliant blue-white, eager for connection.
I begin the careful process of distillation. My power acts like a prism, separating the essential from the specific. It’s not about erasing the past but about transforming it into something that can take root in a new life.
The soul brightens as we work together, its energy harmonising with the process. This one understands what we’re doing and is actively participating in its own transformation. When it’s ready, I create the path. It’s not just a direction, but a thread of possibility leading to its next beginning.
With a final pulse of light, like a farewell wave, the soul streams away. Somewhere, a new life will begin, carrying with it traces of its former life.
I move to the next soul, this one a deep crimson shot through with gold. Its energy is more chaotic and resistant. As I connect with it, I understand why. This soul carried pain in its last life. Suffering, but the weight of causing suffering to others as well.
These are always the most challenging.
So, I work more carefully with this one. The soul struggles against this at first, wanting either complete forgiveness or total punishment. But that’s not what this space is for. It’s about rebirth.
Gradually, the soul’s resistance softens. Its angry red light mellows into something more profound, richer. When it finally moves on, it is eager for that second chance.
Each one teaches me something new about this process. It’s slow but I know I will speed up and be able to set souls free as one like I did in the beginning. For now, I want to take care. To make sure I do right by them.
But it definitely needs an expedited process, or the repercussions will be catastrophic. This is the downside, and where I still have much to learn.
I’m aware of how different this is from the old way. The Void was stagnation masked as peace. This living, breathing space of transformation is true peace. Not an ending, but an eternal dance of renewal.
