Meditation near the pond

A whole year has passed. Kazuki didn't fully recover, but now he is able to live quite normally again. It happens that sometimes a crisis hits him, but as time flies it becomes less frequent. To a point that, in the coming years, it might be only once a month at most. 

It's been 3 months since he is out of bed. His hairs grew to reach his shoulders. He lost some weight, which is still clearly visible after only 3 months after being out of bed. He still helps his master under the careful watch of the old man. He takes more time learning and reading, which requires less effort to his recovering body. Slowly but surely, he recovers from the incident. 

After a nice lunch, consisting of a broth of meat and fresh vegetables that Tian-Han bought in the nearby village this morning, the old man comes to Kazuki. He speaks with a very firm and deep tone, as it's something that he doesn't want to do but he has to. 

"It's time for your training. It will not require physical activity yet. We'll be cautious about your health, but I think you can start learning the basics."

Together, they leave the temple and head to the domain's yard. Each of them takes place on a rock, on the edge of a water pond. They face each other, looking directly at the other one in the eyes.

"Kazuki, I need you to focus on yourself. I need you to focus on your body and your mind, only to think of it. You'll reach your inner world. Once it's one, I'll need you to expands yourself. I'll need you to reach me with your world."

The young boy looks at his master, confused

"- How am I supposed to do that ?

- It's not really something you learn. Connection between people in an inner world is something very complicated, but it's one of the basics. It allows you to form bonds with people. It'll also help a lot with your training. Once you master it, you'll have a better understanding of how to manage your spiritual powers. But first, try to focus on yourself."

After his master explains it to him and gives him instruction to isolate his spirit, he closes his eyes. His breath starts to slow down. He imagines himself, but only himself. Everything around him is black. There are no sounds either. Only himself. 

The black slowly starts to fade, but it suddenly stops. Kazuki falls from the rock into the water. 

Tian-Han rapidly helps him get out of the water. 

"- Is everything okay, my boy? 

-yes, thank you. I saw something. 

But it disappeared and I ended up in the water. It was like something suddenly expelled me. 

-Maybe you're not as sensitive as I

I thought to it. But you sensed the two men, during the incident? 

-I don't really know.. It was more

like.. I followed a feeling, something inside me that told me to come here. 

-I see. You feels it but your enable 

to do anything yet.. It's worse than I thought. It's alright, don't worry. I'll manage to teach you everything you need."

The two of them try again. Each 

time, Kazuki sees the darkness slowly fading away to some kind of pure clear blue. But yet again, he is pushed into the water which stops the process.

Infuriated, the young boy starts to 

throw punches into the water. The surface becomes troubled. It made Kazuki think about the dream he had. It was like the black water. 

He sits in the pond, cross-legged. 

He closes his eyes and slows his breath down. Everything around him becomes black again. He feels nothing besides himself and the water beneath him. 

The darkness starts to fade. It 

slowly reveals a clear blue flore made out of water, like in his dream. This time, the water is clean but still bottomless and expanding endlessly. The sky is clear. There are no Eye nor stars. It is a quiet place, where nothing moves besides him. 

This world is calm. There is nothing 

but himself. He tries to focus on maintaining the world around him. 

The world started to shake. Holes 

appeared in the sky. Pillars of stone emerge from the bottomless water. Kazuki is very confused by the situation, as it appeared all of a sudden. The voice of the old man starts to resonate in the boundless world. 

"I am able to come in contact with 

your inner world, but yet you are closing yourself too much for me to access it."

The young boy's concentration is 

broken by the sudden intrusion of the voice. Everything around him starts to shake and to slowly fade in the black. Kazuki don't want his efforts to go to waste. He tries to maintain the inner world, but..