As Mirae stood in the void, ankle-deep in comforting water, considering her next action, Instructor Kamble’s voice echoed through the space. “Alright, you should be seeing quite a few chaotic motes now. It’s time we moved on to the next step.”

Quite a few? I have two, maybe three. That can’t be what he considers quite a few.

Kamble continued, ignorant of her worries. “Now, as you continue to breathe in, I want you to imagine a circle forming around you. Imagine it pulling in, starting wide and growing smaller. As you do that, the motes travelling through the void should float towards you and begin orbiting.”

Not having any other option aside from continuing to absorb, hoping to pull in more, Mirae imagined the circle. She imagined it starting wide and tightening, and as she did, the void responded.

She couldn’t see it, but somehow, as if by instinct, she could sense a circle forming around her, with a pull so intense that it overshadowed the absorption phase. Above her, the motes of light grew brighter as they descended towards her.

It was slow at first, but they picked up speed. Whisking through the sky, before hooking around her and zooming off in a different direction, and shooting back. They would do this a few times until they settled into an orbit around her.

You know, the capturing phase isn’t that bad. I feel like I have more control than I did before.

The motes of light’s speed slowed as they continued to circle her, eventually settling into a lazy orbit. It took a few moments, but the chaotic mana motes didn’t seem to be going anywhere. So the capture phase was complete—the cycling and funneling phase was the only thing left.

Mirae’s gaze followed the motes as they went by, circling her. The light that they had been, appeared so wild and untamed before, but now... They looked like sparkling white marbles emitting a good amount of light.

“Well, I’ve given you long enough. By now, you should have captured some of your motes. Now it’s time to begin the cycling phase,” Instructor Kamble’s voice echoed through the void. “This is where you will affinity your mana motes. Turning them from chaotic to the mana affinity you hold. Which also means we are about to find out your affinity. So you could say the cycle phase serves two purposes.”

He cleared his throat. “Next you are going to speed up the orbit of the mana motes you have captured. While doing so, you will also push your soul out, almost like you are attempting to push out your stomach. Between the increased spinning of the circle and the pushing of your soul, a resistance similar to using both your hands to push against each other will form—this is how the mana will take on its affinity.”

I feel like that’s a lot to do at once. Can’t I push without having to—no. There aren’t any shortcuts. I have to do this how it’s advised.

She carried out the instructor’s words. First cycling the mana motes around her, and when she felt that they had built up a good speed, she attempted to push out her soul. She took his advice and attempted to push out her belly, feeling a little ridiculous. But as she did, she felt it.

The resistance built. At first, it was wobbly, like kneading grim-grain flour into dough. Her heart leapt as she almost lost a mote, but got it back under control a moment later. And soon the resistance was equal. It was as Instructor Kamble described: two hands pushing against each other.

A smile crept across her lips as she got a better feel for it and increased the speed of the cycle. Soon the mana motes began to change. They went from the white marble of light to an almost pale blue.

And as the pure white faded, and the blue crept in, she began to sense the motes—it was as if they were a part of her. It was as if her soul was being forged into their very core. And what to do next was clear.

With a thought, the motes of light peeled off from their orbit around her and funnelled to a space above her. They flowed through the void, bobbing along until they stopped. Suspended in space, unable to move. Locked.

She had successfully funneled her motes into her lagrange point. Mirae let out a sigh as an indescribable warmth spread through her. It was as if she had found a part of herself, and that part was stronger, more resilient. More her.

She glanced up at the clump of three motes suspended in the void above her and smiled. She had done it—cultivated mana. In a sense, she was a mana cultivator, not a true one, nowhere close. But the journey had begun.

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“Alright, it’s time for you to leave meditation,” Kamble said, causing the still water of the void to shudder. “It’s time to wrap up for today and I wish to address the class before they all head home.”

What? Go home? But we haven’t even been here that long. How is everything over already? Hector usually spends hours in the dojo.

She calmed herself and looked around the void one more time before closing her eyes. The book had named three methods of exiting the soulscape: being forced out by an attack, following a distraction such as Kamble’s voice, or exiting the same way you got in. That being the rhythm, and so she did.

Moments later, her eyes flickered open, and she was back in the room. Back to the old worn pillow, and the faded training mat filling most of the room. It felt as if she had been gone a moment, whilst also for a while.

The sunlight coming from outside had dimmed a good bit and seemed as if it was approaching the afternoon. But that couldn’t be right. She had only been in there for a few minutes at most.

“It’s always a surprise to people after their first meditation,” Instructor Kamble said, chuckling lightly. “For you, it may have been a few moments, but you’ve actually been in there all morning. I even had time to go and instruct the other students.”

He dragged his hand across his beard as the room fell silent, before he looked between the three of them. “So let’s find out your affinities. You can go first, Mirae. What did your mana mote look like after it had been affinited?”

Her eyes widened as she began to shift about in her seat. In her confusion, she had forgotten that she was going to find out her mana affinity—this was great. “It was a pale blue colour. I’m not sure how to describe it.”

“From the sounds of it, you have the same affinity as your brother. You have the affinity of the moon,” Kamble said, nodding his head with a knowing look. “Not surprising. Siblings tend to share similar affinities, though it is not rare for them to differ. And you, Pippa?”

“Ah, mine was a brown colour. It kind of looked a bit like dirt, but I’m not too sure.” Pippa looked down to her lap, as if she was afraid she had said something wrong. Not that she did.

The instructor nodded and thought for a moment. “I believe you have the earth affinity. It is a fairly common affinity.” He then looked at Henry.

“My affinity is fire, instructor.”

Kamble tilted his head and frowned. He adjusted in his seat, regarding the boy. “You know your affinities?”

“It’s not hidden knowledge,” Henry said, holding Kamble’s gaze. He squirmed a little and wet his lips. “My mother told me about them.”

“Oh,” Kamble said, stroking his beard. “Well, it’s good that you have such knowledge.” The instructor then pushed on his knee and stood up, gesturing to the three of them to do the same.

Well, I guess we’re done for the day. Perhaps I can cultivate a little when I get home. But it will have to wait until I finish cooking. I don’t think Hector will have time to make food today, and I don’t know when Dad will be back.

The four of them filed out of the smaller room and entered the bigger hall. Students littered the area. Some were in groups sparring with one another, while others were in various poses.

“I wonder when we will get to spar,” Pippa said, hooking her arm through Mirae’s. She held a bright smile on her face as she looked around the hall. “Oh, did you see that? The way she moved, that was incredible.” She pointed at a small circle of students.

The circle surrounded a boy and a girl who had just finished a fight. The boy was sprawled out on his back as the girl stood over him, huffing. Mirae didn’t recognize her, or the boy, but had no doubt she would come to know her with time.

“I didn’t see it. Sorry.”

“Well, keep watching maybe—”

“Alright, students!” Instructor Kamble’s voice boomed across the hall, shaking Mirae’s chest. All the students stopped and turned towards him. “Get in line. It is time for us to finish up for today.”

The hall erupted into motion—no matter what they were doing, students scrambled to the centre of the hall and began to organize themselves into three rows. Mirae spotted Hector in the middle of the first row.

“Good work today, everyone. I’m happy to see you are all making good progress.” Instructor Kamble strolled up to the front and looked over at everyone with an appraising gaze. “Hector, keep pushing. I can tell that you are about to enter the Journeyman rank with Orion Leaping Strike. Just keep at it. Jodie, you are a bit behind, but as usual, your understanding of the techniques is excellent.”

Her brother gave a firm nod as he focused on the instructor.

“Now, it’s been an excellent day,” Instructor Kamble yelled.

“And we strive for excellence,” the class replied.

The instructor spoke about the upcoming dojo competition, as well as the focus of tomorrow’s training. It to a few minutes. But eventually, the group dispersed. Hector made a beeline for Mirae, with Jodie and Lincoln a few paces behind. She moved to meet them.

“So, how was it?” Hector walked forward with a bright smile on his face. His brow was glossed in a thin sheen of sweat, and his clothes were damp, but he seemed satisfied.

“It was great, though time went by super quickly. One minute I was here, then the next I was in my soulscape. And then by the time I refined a little bit of mana, the entire day had gone by.”

Lincoln chuckled as Hector and Jodie smiled. The three of them seeming to share a moment.

“I know the feeling,” Hector said, resting a hand on her shoulder. He glanced at Pippa with a smile. “You will often find that time seems to flow like water in the soulscape, and if you are not careful, you could spend a lot of time in there. Remember the day after I joined the dojo? When I spent the entire day in my room?”

“Yeah, I thought you were sick.”

Hector shook his head and smiled. “Try not to make my mistake. Though I’m sure you no doubt will.”

The three of them exchanged a look. “Alright, guys. Let’s head home. I still need to go to the dump today, and it’s getting late.”