Meditation near the puddle

Every day brought some more suffering. Whatever caused this pain, this so-called Art.. Kazuki never liked it. It is scary. It is painful. Every night he has difficulty sleeping. Every day he struggles to eat. He is stuck in bed, unable to just lay a foot on the ground unless he wants to fall down. His body is weakened, becoming thinner. 

He could despise Art for this situation, but it is not a feeling known to him. His pure soul never hated. Even if he wanted to, he wouldn't have the strength to. And on top of that, he doesn't want his master to be disappointed by his negativity, even if he feels like his energy and his souls are being drained. His body and his mind are shaking from time to time, holding on to the old man like it's an anchor to stay in this world. 

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. However it does not mean that his situation is out of danger. 

It's been 3 months now since he is out of bed. His hairs grew to reach his shoulders, in a messy way. 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 Master Yi bought in the nearby village this morning, the old man comes to Kazuki. He speaks with a very firm and deep tone, to hide the fact that it's something that he doesn't want to do but he has to. The young boy can feel it and doesn't complain.

"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. It is a very luxurious place, situated behind the temple. A very wide space filled with plenty of various trees and flowers. There are also various decorations like benches, fountains and a water puddle. It is a very quiet place that the old man takes pleasure to cherish and to maintain, even if they are only two and there is nobody left to admire it or rest there. 

Master Yi and Kazuki take place on a large rock each, on the edge of the water puddle. They face each other, looking directly at the other one in the eyes. Despite the calm of the surroundings, there is some pressure in the atmosphere. The master is constantly on his guard and the student is anxious. But there is no time for them to focus on that matter. 

"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. It is an infinite place, where you can never be lost. It is a representation of who you are. Once it's done, I'll need you to expand yourself. I'll need you to reach me with your world. Don't worry about it, I'll guide you for this step."

The young boy looks at his master, confused. He doesn't understand the requirements for each step, how to make it work. He can't process how to do this by himself. 

"- How am I supposed to do that ? Is there something written about it to learn how to do so? 

- It's not really something you learn. You're inner world you'll fill it. You'll know when it's achieved. You should open your eyes to a white world with nothing. However, connection between people in an inner world is something very complicated, but it's one of the basics when you're learning as a single student with a teacher. It allows you to form bonds with people. It'll also help a lot with your training, as I'll be able to interact with you inside of your innerword. Once you understand and master it, you'll have a better understanding of how to manage your Art.. But first, try to focus on yourself and the first task of your training. I'll help you with it too."

After his master explains it to him and gives him instruction to isolate his spirit, he closes his eyes. 

"That's it. Close your eyes. Empty your senses from the outside, despite my voice. Search for yourself in the void. Find your Source. it's the only thing you'll feel. Then open it. 

His breath starts to slow down. He imagines himself, but only himself. Everything around him is black. There are no sounds either. Only himself. Far from him, he is able to see a blue shape. He is unsure of the shape, like it's perpetually changing. He moves towards it. The black slowly starts to fade, but it suddenly stops. Kazuki falls from the rock into the water. Master Yi rapidly gets up and helps him 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 to it as I thought.But you sensed the two men during the incident that night? 

-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 unable 

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. It fails. They try again. It doesn't work either. They don't stop, failure after failure. 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. He keeps on repeating the same process again and again, only to end up with the same results. Infuriated, the young boy starts to 

throw punches into the water. The water splashes around and the surface becomes troubled with every hit. Like a really quick flashback, itmade Kazuki think about the dream he had. It was like the black water. 

It is like he just got a revelation. It is something he feels, he just found the solution. He sits in the puddle, 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. 

Once again, he sees the blue shape. He runs towards it. Then, the darkness starts to fade again. It 

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

This world is calm, like it was made in a certain immobile. order. There is nothing but himself. He tries to focus on maintaining the world around him. 

The world suddenly starts to shake. Kazuki looks around him, 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. He trembles under the circumstances that he is the only can with the ability to control this world. He doesn't want his master to scold him because he failed. Everything around him starts to shake and to slowly fade in the black. Kazuki doesn't want his efforts to go to waste. He tries to maintain the inner world, but..