[ It's not quite right, the way he assesses it. She's not sure how to really explain it, when there's just so, so much to explain, but... it's not like she has to worry about him not believing her, does she? He's already right here. He's supported her through everything else, too. Reticence is a hard habit to break. ]

I didn't have powers like this, back where I'm from — at least, not that I know of. But this isn't just me, or something I'm inventing out of nothing. This is a real place.

This is the spirit world. ... How I remember it, anyway.

[ Ah, she's starting to get melancholy. That won't do. Ruka pivots mid-step, turning to face Jaime as she continues to walk backwards through the trees. Her arms fold behind her back, but the glow remains. ]

Think of it like... touring a museum in VR. The things you're seeing really exist, but you're only interacting with a depiction. There'd be a lot more activity if this were the real deal.

My heart was always connected to that spirit world. So, if you were in the human world and you wanted to travel to the spirit world, you would have to pass through me. Here, though, I guess it's the other way around. You have to navigate this forest to find my heart, or the ones I've connected to it.

[ Huh. ] I suppose that's good. If someone else tried to use my power, they wouldn't be able to do anything with it. It's easy to get lost.