Soulbound Ch 16: Anchor In The Void, The Body She Built!

(Scott)

Kaida crouched down beside the bed, her golden eyes locking with mine like I was some fragile artifact she'd smuggled out of a burning museum. Her presence filled the room—not just physically (though, yeah, she still kinda did), but in that warm, comforting way that made everything else feel like background noise.

"This place is... wow," I said, looking around again. "Your home looks really nice."

She smiled, that soft, proud kind of smile. "Thanks. I knew you'd like it."

I sat up a little more, brushing my hand over the sleek silver sheets. They were cool, smooth, and somehow didn't wrinkle. The room still gave off that luxurious cosmic hotel vibe, but more lived-in now that she was here.

"How's the new body?" she asked, her voice curious and just a little bit excited.

"So it's not my imagination," I said, raising my hands and flipping them over, examining my palms. "I'm no longer see-through."

Kaida giggled—quietly, but it still echoed softly off the shiny walls. "Nope. Solid as can be," she said, resting her chin on her hand while watching me. "It took me a while. It's my first body, after all."

I glanced up at her, eyebrows raised. "First?"

She nodded, a bit sheepishly. "I've never made one before. But I modeled it exactly after your old one, down to the tiniest detail. Though it's much sturdier than your original. You'll last longer."

"Well, that's reassuring," I said with a small laugh, then gave my chest a little pat. "Feels good. Strong. I dunno how you did it, but... thank you."

Kaida's eyes sparkled. "You're welcome."

Then a question bubbled up from the back of my brain, and I tilted my head at her. "Hey, why aren't you as big as before? I mean... not complaining, but last time you were big enough to bench press a galaxy."

She smirked. "That's because you are much bigger than you used to be."

I blinked. "Wait—what?"

"You didn't think I was going to drop you off in my world at your original size, did you?" she said, raising an amused eyebrow. "You'd be the size of a grain of dust. I had to scale you up a bit. Well... a lot."

I stared at her, processing that. "So I'm, like... Kaida-sized now?"

"Closer to it, at least," she said with a wink.

The mental image of me standing next to a regular human now was... hilarious. I'd probably knock over buildings just trying to tie my shoe.

"Huh," I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck. "Well, that explains the furniture."

"You hungry?" she asked, rising back to her full height.

"Starving."

She extended her palm down to me, and I climbed on without hesitation. The moment my feet touched her skin, I felt that same warmth again—like standing in a sunbeam that loved you back. She cradled me gently and turned toward the doorway, and we began to move.

Walking through Kaida's house—if you could call this cosmic temple a house—was like stepping into a sci-fi daydream. The walls were crystal white, but not cold or sterile. Everything shimmered like it was alive. Floating objects hovered lazily on glass pedestals—some looked like tools, others like art, and a few I'm pretty sure were glowing space plants.

"I swear," I murmured, looking around with wide eyes, "your interior decorator deserves a raise."

Kaida just laughed softly.

Eventually, we reached what I assumed was the kitchen. It had counters and compartments and light panels, but it all looked sleek and abstract—like it was designed by someone who had only seen kitchens in dreams.

She set me gently down on the counter, which thankfully wasn't a mile high, and turned toward a smooth white wall. With a graceful motion, she pressed her fingertip to it. A green triangle pulsed under her touch, and with a quiet shhhhck, a small compartment slid open.

Kaida reached inside and pulled out a soft, metallic pouch. From it, she retrieved a small—well, small to her—green ball and held it out to me. It was about the size of my chest, glowing faintly and giving off a sweet, citrusy scent.

"This is a treat my kind likes," she said, holding it between her fingers like a delicate gem. "It's also a favorite among inner beings."

I took it cautiously. "Inner beings?"

She leaned on the counter, her golden gaze amused. "Anyone born inside a galaxy is considered an inner being. That includes most of the species I've met—including humans."

I held the green orb up, inspecting it. "So, what does that make you?"

Kaida smiled. "An outer being. Aetherions are born in the void. Between galaxies. It's... a very different place."

I nodded slowly, then took a bite out of the green orb.

Instantly my mouth puckered from the tang. "Sour," I mumbled, blinking through it. "But good! Like—like alien candy."

Kaida chuckled, obviously pleased. "It's called Therilari. Made from the core fruit of a star vine. Good for your energy field, too."

I had no idea what a star vine was, but I took another bite anyway. It was good.

As I chewed, I looked around the room again and then back at her. She stood there watching me, arms crossed, looking proud like she'd just shown me her favorite pet or craft project.

"So... this is life now?" I asked between bites. "Cosmic fruit, glowing houses, and soul-sharing girlfriends?"

Kaida laughed out loud this time, her voice warm and echoing just a bit. "You'll get used to it."

And strangely... I think I was already starting to.

I sat cross-legged on the smooth counter, still nibbling on the Therilari like it was some oversized cosmic apple. It was definitely sour—but good. Kind of like if a sour patch kid got promoted to interstellar royalty.

Across from me, Kaida leaned casually against the wall, and I noticed she was already halfway through her fifth one. Fifth. She popped them like grapes, just casually tossing them into her mouth like they weren't the size of my head.

"How many of those do you eat?" I asked, blinking as she finished another one and reached into the pouch like it was bottomless.

She gave me a playful side glance and shrugged. "They're small."

"Small? Kaida, they're the size of a beach ball to me."

She smirked. "To me, they're like, what do your people call them, gumdrops?"

I held my Therilari up and looked at it. "...This is a space watermelon, admit it."

She laughed, licking a bit of glowing juice off her finger. "You're just tiny."

"Hey, I'm the biggest I've ever been," I said, puffing out my chest a little.

"True," she said, smiling warmly. "And yet, still fun-sized."

I rolled my eyes, then looked up at her curiously. "Hey, so... random question while we're munching on alien candy. Why didn't you make my new body as big as you? I mean, I wouldn't mind being galactic-sized."

Kaida paused, her fifth Therilari halfway to her mouth. "Because that would've burned you out, sweetheart, plus you already are galaxy size, or around that height."

I tilted my head. "Burned me out?"

She nodded. "The bigger your body, the more strain it puts on your soul. Your soul is what powers that body—it controls it. The smaller the body, the less energy you need. That's why I had to size you up just enough to live comfortably here, but not so much that your soul melts trying to keep up."

I blinked at her, slowly lowering my Therilari. "Wait—melt?"

She gave me a look. "It's not actual melting. I meant it figuratively."

"Okay, good, because I was picturing my soul turning into fondue for a second there."

Kaida giggled, and I could feel her amusement vibrating gently through the room. It was weirdly comforting.

"But you're serious about this whole 'soul strain' thing?" I asked, now eyeing my hands a little more cautiously.

"Yeah," she said, nodding with a more thoughtful expression. "Even though your new body is built to be compatible with your soul's energy signature, it's still a construct. Staying in it too long without rest or support will drain your soul little by little. We call it soul exhaustion."

That got my attention. "Soul exhaustion?"

She leaned in a bit, resting her arms on the counter. "It's when your soul overexerts itself—uses up too much energy and starts to thin out. Think of it like... pulling a rubber band too far for too long. It gets weaker. Eventually, if it keeps going like that, it can dissipate entirely."

"Dissipate," I repeated, suddenly not liking that word. "Like... poof?"

She nodded. "Gone. Forever."

I swallowed the bite in my mouth a little slower than usual. "Okay. That's... horrifying."

Kaida reached out and gently tapped the top of my head with a single finger—soft, but enough to make my hair floof.

"Which is why you don't need to worry," she said, smiling again. "You're with me. My body is your true home now—your soul's anchor. If you ever feel tired or weak, all you have to do is return to my soul chamber."

I blinked up at her. "Just like that?"

"Just like that," she said with a wink. "I'll take care of you."

I nodded slowly, taking in all of this weird, soul-shattering (but also comforting?) information. "I see. So, in a way... you're like my portable soul charger."

Kaida burst into laughter at that one, covering her mouth. "Sure. A very clingy, galaxy-sized soul charger."

"Honestly," I said, leaning back on my elbows and finishing off the last of the Therilari, "I could get used to that."

"Good," she said, leaning down so her eyes were level with mine. "Because I'm never letting you go."

I smiled, warm and a little giddy, but also with that faint flutter in my chest. I wasn't just on another world—I was part of something cosmic now. Something bigger than me. But even with all of that, as long as Kaida was smiling at me like this?

I think I'd be okay.