Understanding Universal Energy

Icarth sat in the silent clearing. The only sounds around him were the rustling of the leaves and the chirping of lesser insects that didn't have enough intelligence.

Breathing in the fresh forest air, Icarth felt a deep calm flow into his body.

In a secluded place, with no people around, Icarth relaxed each part of his body from his arms, legs, and stomach, to his shoulders and back. Finally, he closed his eyes to completely sink into his serene state.

While his master had told him to meditate, she hadn't given Icarth any other instructions on how to achieve it so far.

'She? Why did I think of master as she?' Icarth was distracted for a moment before focussing once more.

Taking in deep breaths through his nose, Icarth focussed on his senses at the moment.

The wind on his skin. The slight dampness in the air created a chill.

The sounds of the leaves and the low chirping of the insects.

The feeling of the fresh soil beneath him and the gentle moonlight above.

All of it created a perfect harmony that set Icarth's mood perfectly.

'Ready.' Icarth thought to himself and started to try to feel the universal energy around him.

But no matter how hard he tried, he didn't feel anything.

Feeling his brow scrunch up, Icarth forced his facial muscles to relax as he tried again.

Nothing once more. Icarth started to feel like the calmness around him was starting to suffocate him.

Trying once more, Icarth concentrated on his body.

He could feel his beating heart, contracting lungs, finely tuned muscles along with his other organs. Yet even this time, he couldn't see any trace of universal energy.

'He is already in touch with his body,' Acacia thought seeing Icarth's efforts to sense the universal energy without actually looking at it.

'What is wrong with me?' Icarth thought frustrated, he had seen it before almost on command, but what was different this time?

Icarth didn't give up.

'Once more.'

Another failed attempt.

Icarth tried once more only to end up with nothing.

In the first place, he didn't know what to look for, although he had seen it before, the vision of universal energy seemed to elude him for all his effort.

Another failed attempt later, Icarth was about to give up when he heard his master's gravelly voice.

"Child, you're trying too hard. Remember all your other times viewing the universal energy. How did they feel?"

Acknowledging his master silently, Icarth thought back to the previous times he had seen universal energy.

'The first time was when I met Master for the first time...'

'The next time was when I was next to Shui...'

'And my spar with Sef...'

'What was different.....that danger eyes ability?'

Something struck Icarth and this time he tried a different strategy.

Consciously trying to do anything wasn't working.

So Icarth let himself go. Getting lost in the serene environment, Icarth returned to his initial calm state after a while.

This time, Icarth waited for the universal energy to move to his eyes, not trying to force it with his will. He coaxed it slowly giving it his will without overpowering it.

And the universal energy moved to his attempts/

Slowly but surely it flowed up through his body, pooled in his eyes, and gave Icarth a shifting sensation.

A prickly sensation started to form on his exposed skin.

Icarth kept his glowing eyes closed and focused on that sensation.

Slowly that sensation grew in strength until Icarth felt something there.

A warm sensation flowed through Icarth as he felt something inside him finally unlock.

Like a dam breaking, a flood of universal energy rushed through Icarth, mainly to his eyes and the rest of his body.

Entranced by the sensation, Icarth surveyed his body.

Following the flow of universal energy, Icarth could feel it becoming clearer by the second, slowly shifting from a transparent substance to an opaque one, one which he could see.

Slowly the flood of universal energy petered out, leaving Icarth able to see the universal energy contained in his body.

A concentrated lump of universal energy at his heart, pumping out blood with universal energy intertwined with it.

His muscles had almost invisible strands of universal energy threaded through with the actual muscle fibers.

Each breath took in another clump of universal energy into his body which his lungs absorbed into his blood.

Icarth watched in awe as universal energy was intertwined with each and every part of his body, coexisting and helping Icarth draw superhuman strength.

Here, Icarth felt a new deeper understanding of universal energy as to why it was called Universal Energy. It was present in literally everything that Icarth saw.

Casting his senses out, Icarth felt the universal energy flowing through the air freely. While he couldn't see very far, Icarth was sure that it would be present in the trees, the beasts that roamed in the forests, and even in the very Earth.

It was present everywhere. It could be said to be alive in a sense, providing life to every living being.

Or at least that was how Icarth interpreted it.

Opening his eyes, in the bleached world, Icarth saw color for the first time.

Vibrant colors filled his glowing red eyes, painting a world different from the real world, yet all the more real to Icarth. After all what he was seeing was the essence of the world, or the natural flow of universal energy.

Acacia watched silently as she noticed a shift in the countenance of Icarth.

'Such talent...' Acacia thought as she marveled at Icarth's progress. While she didn't know what exactly had changed in Icarth, she could feel the change in him.

"Master, I can see the universal energy! It's alive!" Icarth exclaimed as he swiveled his head to take in the sights. The universal energy he had seen before seemed like a lie to him now that he could see this.

"Child face me," his master gently commanded.

Complying Icarth faced his master. Through his eyes, he could see several flows of green, blue, and brown all intertwined with many other colours making up the shape of the tree that his master was using.

Feeling heat start to form in his eyes, Icarth stopped channeling universal energy to his eyes. The colourful world faded away leaving the dull moonlit clearing.

In front of him was his master who was standing as imposing as ever, the singular blue pearl shined even in the dim moonlight.

"What did you see?"

"The universal energy that I saw was colourful," Icarth started. "It looked alive if that makes sense."

Branches swaying as if to agree, his master informed him, "You've finally understood what universal energy means to you."

Thinking for a while, Icarth asked the main question on his mind, "Does everyone see universal energy like this?"

"No, and that is why you must keep this to yourself for those who do not have such an understanding," his master warned him.

"If you do, you would taint their own learning process."

"What does that mean?" Icarth asked warily.

"It means that the person might not be able to proceed in his life after being tainted with an understanding from someone else. It is only in very special cases that it could work, but that is almost unheard of. What is more likely to happen is the person receiving a foreign understanding is crippled for life," Acacia elaborated.

"I see.." Icarth gulped slightly. He was initially confused as to why Mr. Melvin refused to tell the class how to view universal energy, but now he knew.

In fact, it was a universal and unspoken rule not to share your understanding with anyone in case it might cripple anyone else.

"Now, you have reached the second stage of universal energy manipulation," Acacia continued after seeing that Icarth understood.

"How many more stages are there?" Icarth asked immediately.

"A few more stages. You are still starting out." Acacia informed Icarth vaguely so as not to discourage him from the start.

Hearing that, Icarth grit his teeth and fell into thought. His previous elation had all but vanished and replacing it was a void that left Icarth feeling empty.

'Still not enough.....'