"Are you guys doing alright?" Came the gentle concern from none other than Galivinth, to Kaira and her four other friends. His rather sad expression matching well with his tone as he looks upon the bunch bearing bandages and band-aids. He couldn't help but to feel more than a little responsible for the beating they all took, so he makes the effort to check on them now at the end of the school day.

"We're fine, dude. We're not in a body cast or barely clinging to life in a hospital bed. Don't look so mournful." Kaira assures with a skeptical grin and a pat to his shoulder.

"Yeah, it's whatever. I might've gotten knocked on my ass, but I saw what you did. Even though I got beat with sticks, I still felt like I didn't get it as bad as you, man. That was pretty heavy stuff." Mitchel adds before chuckling softly and rubbing at the back of his head.

"No kidding. So, thanks for enduring all of that just to protect me. I appreciate what you and Mitchel both did for my sake." Hanatee expresses her gratitude, then shares another thought on her mind.

"It's just weird how the dean and principal brushed us off, though. Like, what the actual hell is up with that? "

"Right? I guess a swollen eye and a broken finger wasn't... concerning enough to them. I thought about telling my dad, but... even though this is definitely serious, I feel he'd still go overboard. He kinda' deals in absolutes." Kaira comments, eventually folding her arms as a skeptical frown settles onto her features.

"But anyway, we should hurry to register our club. Be good to get a room with a working air conditioner." Mitch reminds them.

"Oh, right. That's true. Well, be seeing ya, Gal. We'll talk more later, okay? And feel free to join our club once it's up and running next week." Kaira bids him a farewell before the five of them head off toward the office.

"Yeah, later." Galivinth softly responds while waving a bit. From there, he exits the school and spots his relative waiting for him by the gate near the sidewalk.

"Yo! Let's go." He calls to Naeth, passing by as he gestures with a beckoning hand for the other to follow.

"So, are you finally going to tell me any information about where we're going?" The taller male asks the moment he catches up and begins walking beside Galivinth.

"A school of prophecy."

"...What do you mean by that?" Naeth asks after blinking and briefly taking a silent moment to think on such a vague answer.

"That's how the monk there described it. He says it's a place where students and those who are destined for something big, gather. I thought it was just a simple martial arts school, but it's not. From what he told me, it sounds more like... a competition."

"Elaborate further for me." Naeth requests.

"Well, the name of the school is Blue Currents, and it's just one of three that surround the foot of the mountain. The other two are Cloudy Lightning, and Red Turtle Dragon. All dojos share the same goal, but have different philosophies to them. Didn't ask what they are, but he said the best from each school will fight to inherit great power - 'a dozen will succeed, but a great many will fail in their endeavor', as he said." Galivinth explains as they reach the bus stop and move to sit on its bench.

"Heh. Sounds amusing, honestly. I'd be lying if I said I felt no appeal to what you just described to me." Naeth shares as a grin curves his lips.

"Still, I want to know your intention and thoughts on it. You're deliberately pursuing physical confrontation? "

"I mean... it sounds cool, but I'm just going to learn how to defend myself. I'm not all that interested in obtaining some kind of mystical power or whatever it is. But, I thought you might get some enjoyment out of it, given your competitive nature. Plus, it's a great opportunity to hang out more often with you again." Galivinth casually answers.

"I see. Well, I think you should aim further and beyond! This feels far from being merely a coincidence. I think you should use this opportunity to apply yourself and reach for excellence." Naeth tells him.

"Huh... Funny, the monk also said there was no such thing as a coincidence, and that there's a reason I showed up there when I did. Maybe this is some sort of test of faith." Galivinth muses while looking skyward contemplatively. A mere few seconds of him doing so, the bus finally arrives.

The two boys proceed to board the transportation vehicle and begin their 55-minute-long trip to the north. Roughly 40 minutes later, they depart from the bus and continue on foot for the next 15 minutes, eventually arriving at their destination. After ascending the very tall flight of stairs, that is.

"It's a pleasant scenery up here." Naeth comments when they reach the top of the steps and his eyes are able to take in the surroundings completely.

"Yeah, it is pretty nice. We're just about there, by the way. Just have to go over this bridge." Galivinth informs as he makes a left. Nearly two minutes pass by the time the two enter the large temple. Inside, Naeth lays eyes upon a very spacious open space with navy blue wood flooring, a flight of stairs leading to the second floor about 60 feet away from the entrance, sliding teal doors to both the left and right that lead into rooms of some sort, where passageway to the back is visible at either side of the staircase.

"Come on, I'll show you what the room looks like." Galivinth offers and heads up the stairs. Naeth follows along right behind him.

"Oh! What perfect timing..." The monk from the previous day declares as he spots Galivinth ascending up the stairs just as he was leaving the lounging area in the corner of the second floor.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"Something up, Mister Saijeme?" The teen asks while coming to stand in front of the older male.

"Well... Hmm... Oh, is that your friend?" The monk questions while pointing toward Naeth.

"My relative, but he's the one I wanted to bring." Galivinth answers.

"Ah, good-good! Say, uhh... you two wouldn't be opposed to sharing a room, would you?" The monk asks with a sheepish smile on his face. Arching a brow, Galivinth takes a moment to glance toward Naeth, then back to his elder.

Well, not... really. It's pretty big, so I wouldn't mind." The teen answers.

"Wonderful to know! I know this was pretty sudden, but a special request was made by my own relatives, and I couldn't really bring myself to turn them down. No worries, I'll have another bed moved inside along with a makeshift wall for privacy. I should have it done before two hours pass." Mister Saijeme assures after providing his explanation.

"Sounds good to me." Galivinth nods.

"Oh, and also - I'd like to ask that you two remove your shoes at the front door. We can provide you with supportive footwear if you'd like. Still, anything you step outside with on your feet, I'd like you to remove them at the front door next time."

"Oh! Sorry, sorry. I'll be more mindful next time, sir."

"Understood." Naeth responds right after his cousin does.

That's all I could ask of you two. Now, I have a bit of time to spare. Would you like a tour of the temple, or would you prefer getting a quick head start in one of the lessons for tomorrow?" Mister Saijeme asks.

"A head start? I think I like the sound of that. Besides, we'll get to get familiar with everything in due time." Galivinth answers.

"Agreed. I'm actually equally curious and anxious to see what this school has to offer." Naeth concurs.

"Ah, eager youth. Maybe you two will have the tenacity to get through all of the lessons we have to offer. Follow me, then." Mister Saijeme instructs before walking past the pair to lead them back down the stairs. Once at ground level, he turns and heads toward the back area before making a left. The three head down a 20 feet long corridor and enter through a sliding door to step inside a spacious square shaped room. Several kendo sticks hang on the wall in the far back, while a rack of long wooden sticks can be seen to the far left, and a rack of various wooden weapons, including non-chucks, are to the far right. At the center is a massive blue matt that nearly covers every square inch of the floor.

"Leave your shoes outside the room, then come stand at the center for me." The older male instructs. The two adolescents oblige without hesitation and remove their shoes. They set them aside in the corner just outside of the room before entering. Walking around their teacher to stand side by side with at least five feet of space between them.

"Is here good?" Galivinth asks.

"Yes, yes. That's perfect. Now, what I'm about to teach you will be the foundation of what you do here. You'll need it to excel and improve significantly. This foundation is called Soul Essence." The monk informs them. The term itself draws a questioning expression across both students' faces.

"Soul Essence?" Galivinth repeats.

"Yes, that's right. It's the innate potential that lays dormant inside of you. Think of it as having a flood gate inside the center of your torso - one that's naturally holding back the unique flow of water inside of you. That water varies in color, mass, and feeling. It's different for everyone. Learning to raise that gate to any degree allows you to enter a heightened state of being. With it, you can do numerous things, which includes sensing and seeing the Soul Essence of others. Which can be useful for finding a friend, especially if you've become familiar with their unique output of it."

"Fascinating... This is the first time I've heard of such a thing. " Naeth comments.

Same here, but it sounds pretty cool. How do we, I guess, open the flood gate, then?" Galivinth asks.

"First, make your hands into fists. Then bend your arms and adjust your fists so that the back of your hands are facing the floor." Mister Saijeme instructs, and the two boys obey.

"Now, I want you to imagine there's a soggy sponge where your sternum is -- the spot between your pectorals and abdomen. After that, it becomes rather tricky. You need to adopt the mentality of that sponge being an object you can draw from on a will. That you can squeeze it for as much as you want with just a thought. Also understand that doubt of any kind, be it feeling unsure if what I'm telling you is true or not, or being unsure if you're making morally correct decisions, can make it difficult. That's something you'll have to learn to push back against. The mind plays a crucial role in this.

With that said, I want you two to close your eyes and think of something you want to do. Simple things are fine, and so are larger and smaller goals. For this exercise, I want you both to make seeing the sunset today that goal. Push everything else out and focus on it. Don't let anything distract you. And as you do, tighten up your abdominal muscles. Imagine the strain being the method of squeezing that sponge inside of you.

I know it'll be difficult at first, but tapping into that power inside of you will eventually become second nature. You'll learn to consider it a natural part of you, much like how you breathe without thinking about it." As the monk gives the best descriptive instructions he can give, Galivinth and Naeth do their best to apply the information in the moment. Both of them were silent and swept up within their own minds. After a moment, Mister Saijeme begins seeing progress - first from Naeth. Though rather faint, the monk can see a thin and transparent red aura emitting from the entirety of his body that distorts the air like flames from a lighter. Just seconds later, he sees progress from Galivinth, as well. The latter's aura shows itself to be pure white, and more or less equal in output to Naeth's.

"Good, good! Keep going for a little longer. Squeeze out as much as you can for the next ten seconds."

I think... I think I can feel a difference." Galivinth comments.

"I can feel it, too." Naeth speaks up, as well.

"Go ahead and open your eyes. Explain to me what you're feeling." The monk instructs the two, who oblige without hesitation. However, the two almost immediately turn their heads to look at one another. Then, to their own hands.

"I feel... lighter. I feel good, too. Inside and emotionally. I feel like there's like... Some kind of energy in my body. Arms, torso, legs, and my head. It feels like I can do something with it. Not sure what, though." Galivinth does his best to explain.

"I feel very similar. It's like a boon -- a blessing is coursing through me. I feel like there's nothing I can't do with this charge of energy." Naeth takes his turn to give his own simple thoughts on it.

"Hahaha! Yes, yes. It is a very pleasant and uplifting feeling. This is what it's like to tap into the core of who you are as an individual. To make contact with the best you can be. The more you can release from your core, the more results you can achieve. It's incredibly valuable for developing your mind and body. Strength, awareness, reflexes, learning, speed - it can potentially increase your results beyond double!

And with that, I think now would be good to adjourn for the day. I'll send temple aids to make those arrangements I promised, so why don't you two go exploring on your own or relax? Just try to avoid causing any trouble, alright? Take care now. I'll see you both tomorrow." Bidding the two adolescents goodbye, the monk turns and leaves the room.

"I almost can't believe it... I guess this school really is the real deal. Man, this is... this is just so awesome!" Galivinth enthusiastically muses as he loosens and refortifies his fists several times.

"I'm just as surprised as you are. At first, I had my doubts while he was explaining the concept. But his confident cadence allowed me to suspend my disbelief." Naeth shares his own thoughts on the matter.

"So, I guess this means we're going through with this till the end?"

"Yeah, definitely now." Galivinth answers.

"Excellent. Then you're going to strive to reach the top with me, right? No half-baked effort."

"Right. I'm in this all the way!"

"Good! Because I am too, and I can't wait to see who's dumb enough to stand our way! We'll beat them all with the greatest of ease!" Naeth practically exclaims, then extends his fist out toward his cousin as a toothy grin takes form on his face.

"Every last one of them!" Galivinth wholeheartedly agrees as he presses his fist against Naeth's. Their auras are still going strong all the while.