"I suppose there's some similarity," Raine said, thoughtful. "It's not exact, but there are some parallels, you're right. It wouldn't be the first-- there are any number of strange commonalities between our worlds. I have a number of theories about that..."

Expounding on her theories was cut temporarily short, however, by Sheena's question. Raine covered the stone for a moment, and sighed as she dropped her hand. "It was stolen for about two days," she said, by way of explanation. "Genis and Bakura recovered it before the loss could kill me, but-- whoever had been masterminding the thefts of soul gems appears to have been experimenting with them. To what end, I'm not sure."

This was not actually what Sheena had asked. Raine considered -- just for a moment -- trying to hide it. After all, she was used to coping by now, and there was no point in making her friends worry about something that was already said and done. In the end, though, the desire not to conceal things won out. "Occasionally it re-fractures," she admitted. "When it does so, it mutes one of my senses until it heals itself. I've learned to manage it. I believe the effects are different for everyone, but many people have been reluctant to share, for perhaps obvious reasons."

She returned to brisk in a moment, not inclined to dwell in that. It had been nearly a year of managing, and things weren't likely to change immediately. "This has happened before. Likely you'll return in a few weeks. I... don't know if it will be to where you were, or to our home." Raine wished there were some way to tell. She turned to indicate the mouth of the alley, gesturing that Sheena should walk with her. "Some of the people from the last instance did return with soul gems, but it didn't appear to be entirely voluntary. Would you want to stay?"

Certainly this place had to be better than Atia, but if given the choice to get home...