6 Ley Lines (Part 3)

Excruciating pain. That's all I can feel in the next second, next minute, next hour, the next eternity.

I feel like my whole body was in a neverending cycle of torture. One second I would be burning inside out, the next moment I would be doused in ice cold water, then I would feel as if I was being pounded by a thousand hammers, swept up in a cyclone, and so much more.

This was basically a living hell and I just want all of it to disappear. I wanted to disappear from existence just to get away from this hell. I would trade anything to get out.

Then my mind flashes back to my past life as an assassin. To the young girl that I tried to save, the missions I had, the countless people I have killed. To the eyes that looked at me as a fellow human, not the killer that the organization raised me as. My new life as the beloved daughter of Astrid and Cassian Winchester and beloved sister to Aerik and Kaon, Freya Aiz Winchester.

I have something to live for now. I would not remain in this hell hole and be swallowed into the darkness. I will be stronger in this lifetime and live.

I can feel the last vestiges of my old life shed away and transform into my new strength. I cover my eyes as a bright light engulfs my body. I cover my eyes at the onslaught and wait until the bright light resided. I open my eyes blearily.

Various colors bloom right in front of my eyes. Different shades of red, blue, green, yellow, white, and black lines wriggle about or remain stagnant. I find myself in awe at the multitude of colors and power the ley lines give off.

I hear my father distantly. "Have you made your connection Kaon?" I cannot hear my brother's response, but it must have been an affirmative because father's voice became clearer.

"Everyone's connections are different for everyone, but generally the result would be those lines of light you are probably experiencing now. Don't worry if you only see 2 to 5 lines. It is normal for beginners to make that amount since it is a painful process to make connections." I am shocked. Then how do you explain my connections, father?

He continues, not hearing my thoughts full of complaints. "After you make those connections, you will need to stabilize them. This process is the cultivation part. You take those connections and guide them to your dantain. In the dantian, you start circulating the energy into your ball of light."

The raw energy coming from the ley line connections make it hard to follow father's instruction. It is even more difficult when I have so many new connections. I remain calm and take a deep breath. I tentatively reach my hand toward one random line and grabbed it. It is one of the lines that was squiggling around as if it wants to be noticed. I also note that it is red-colored and practically humming with warmth. I take the strand into my ocean of light and let it go. It unravels itself from my arm and gets absorbed by the ocean of light. I can sense my dantian welcoming the red line and not rejecting the pure energy. I begin to circulate it into my dantian. Power swept over me and I can feel myself getting stronger. So this is what cultivation is. If I'm not careful, I could get drunk with power.

After, I went back to the ley lines and start gathering up the pure energy to circulate into my dantian. I reach for one of the stagnant ones only to find resistance. That's strange. I keep tugging and yet it refuses to budge. It's almost as if it is mocking me.

Father's voice penetrated my subconscious. "There might be a strand or two that might resist. In this case, you have to prove that you are stronger by tugging with your spiritual power from your dantian." Ah I see. I can manipulate the energy to gather these last strands.

After manipulating the circulated power from my dantian, I get on with my task of gathering the stagnant ley lines. To my astonishment, instead of being absorbed, the lines rupture and the energy is redirected to my tissues and organs. I can feel myself getting stronger physically and mentally.

I continue until all my connections were either absorbed by my dantian or directed to my muscles. After I finished, I slowly open my eyes. The world took a different view, everything appeared sharp and more detailed. I then take notice father watching Kaon and Aerik closely. Both my brothers were surrounded by different colors. Aerik has a mixture of blue and green, while Kaon has a vibrant shade of red. I wonder what those colors mean.

I should be feeling tired, but oddly enough, I feel more alive. However, my body thinks otherwise and I yawn. Reflexively, I leaned closer to my mother. Mother knows when I am at my limit. She calls out to Father who were guiding over my brothers.

"Cassian, I will leave first. The little one needs to rest," mother says. Father turns his attention to my curled up form. He stands and approaches us. He kisses both mother and I on the cheek.

"Of course. I'm going to wait until the boys are done," Father replies gently. Mother nods and stand with the help of mother. I slightly smile for my father despite wanting to fall asleep.

Mother and I were going to leave when Father comments, "Congratulations on reaching Champion." Mother stops and turn around to face father. "I should be saying that to you." Father and mother looks confused. "Strange," Father finally says. Then both of them stare at my brothers with questionable looks. I am barely paying attention right now. I feel drained from making the new connections and cultivating them. I yawn once more and blink sleepily.

Mother rocks me in her arms softly. She gives father another look before taking her leave. "I will be going now, dear. Take care of Aerik and Kaon."

Father seem to want to say something else but changes his mind. Instead he replies, "always."

After that, I fell asleep and dreamt about the ley lines and multiple colors.