“I have to know if it really exists,” Sozwik thought to himself, as he walked through the woods back toward his home.

The stories his mentor (Goa) told him echoed in his mind.

The old Wakan ways. The ancestors. The fact that Goa himself claimed to leave the valley once.

He just casually mentioned it too, and Sozwik was afraid to press him further, because of how taboo it is.

Everyone knew leaving the valley was impossible. Because of The Guard’s forcefield fences…

“If Goa found a way to escape, why wouldn’t he free the whole race?” Knowing Goa though, Sozwik suspected there had to be good reason for this.

Was it that most Jyoti wouldn’t believe him? Goa often said that slavery had made the Jyoti more complacent, and even skeptical of the possibility of freedom. The Guard’s programming was insidious.

Was it that Goa was planning an escape at the perfect time? Because if The Guard found out, they’d surely destroy the escape route AND the Jyoti. The Guard was infamous for reactive violence.

Or maybe Goa was already spreading the word, through some hidden code, until the realization organically made its way through the Jyoti and hit a tipping point at the opportune time.

That possibility felt very Goa-esque. Hidden meanings. A peculiar trust in what he called “The Grand Unfoldment.”

Still, the mystery of the hidden escape route weighed on Sozwik, pressing upon his senses. It was almost tangible, to the point where he HAD to find out.

Sozwik stopped and leaned against a big tree. “The story Goa told me earlier. Could that’ve been a clue? The hidden code? I wouldn’t put it past that sly nycono.”

He recounted the story to himself, hoping it would get something to click.

Ω

There once was a young Jyoti who wanted to enter the vision-space. So much so, that he was obsessed.

Instead of playing with his friends, he spent his days begging the elder Wakans to teach him.

“You’re not ready yet,” they said. But as the young Jyoti kept asking, day after day, the elders eventually explained why. “The mind of a young Jyoti is too unfocused to enter the vision-space. And even if you did, you would probably be trapped, because you need to focus on this physical reality to leave.”

“I don’t care. That won’t happen to me,” the young Jyoti exclaimed. That didn’t deter him either. He kept coming back, day after day. After awhile, one of the Wakans was fed up. “Fine,” the old Wakan said. “I’ll show you. But what happens to you is on you.”

The old Wakan guided the young Jyoti into a meditation. It didn’t work on the first try, of course. But on the second try, the young Jyoti found himself in the vision-space.

The only thing was, it was empty. There was no one there. No one to talk to. No one to help him.

Panic set in.

There were no doors. No windows. No getting out. Out of desperation, the young Jyoti threw himself into the crystalline light walls. But it seemed like the more he pushed, the more the vision-space closed in on him.

After several failed attempts, the young Jyoti broke into tears. “I’m trapped. I’m trapped. I’m trapped,” he repeated in a frenzy.

Through the tears, a voice spoke to him, in his mind. “The way out only reveals itself when you’re centered.”

The young Jyoti did his breathing techniques, calming himself. He witnessed his panicked thoughts dissolve into the light of infinite peace.

Then, soon enough, he saw a doorway. “Was this there the whole time?” he thought. He shrugged it off and, hesitantly, crept through.

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In a flash, he was back with the old Wakan.

“Congratulations,” the old Wakan said. “You’ve completed the first step of your Wakan training.”

Ω

“That’s it!” Sozwik blurted aloud. “The way out reveals itself when you’re centered.”

He grabbed the tree behind him, trying to ground himself. “But I’ve been centered (I think). So why haven’t I seen it?”

Sozwik let the question percolate.

“Maybe, it can only be seen, not with my physical eyes, but with remote viewing.”

This ability was something he’d tried with Goa before, but he had little success with. Whenever he did it, the visions were fuzzy and he couldn’t make out anything. Now, however, he had a mission, and belief to fuel him.

Sozwik sat, with his back resting on the tree, and closed his eyes. A few deep breaths. Relaxation.

Once his body relaxed, he internally repeated, “The way out reveals itself when you’re centered.”

The repetition became a stream that carried his consciousness. Soon enough, he could see the valley in all its splendor.

It looked similar, yet different. Instead of solid objects, everything had a sheen to it. Like a plasmatic emanation.

Circling the ridge lines was The Guard’s forcefield fence, like a humongous, menacing, dark purple serpent, strangling the Jyoti and containing them within the valley.

Sozwik glided around the edges, observing. “Is that?”

He saw a small, subtle orange glow, about halfway up one mountain. With his physical eyes, it would’ve looked like an average boulder, about the size of two or three Jyoti. But now, he could tell it was different. “A door!? Disguised as a rock? How could Goa know this and NOT tell everyone!?”

The astonishment knocked Sozwik back into his body, leaning against the tree.

“I’ll find out myself,” he muttered. “Then I’ll ask that old nycono why he’s been holding back.”

His need to know intermingled with frustration and fear, forcing him into hesitant action. “Is this stupid of me?” he thought. But then he reminded himself of HOW he discovered this secret passageway. Like Goa always taught him, “A good Wakan always trusts what emerges from the purity of stillness.” That was enough to keep Sozwik going, despite his doubts.

He cloaked himself. Just in case. Goa wouldn’t find out he was using his Wakan abilities for this. And even if he did, this is something he himself would’ve done, right?

Like a silent breeze, Sozwik slipped through the trees, toward the spot.

Soon enough, there it was. The big boulder sat there, like a stalwart guardian. It was nondescript, yet there was an energy to it that could be felt with proper attunement.

“Now how do I move this thing without causing a scene?”

Sozwik crept up to the boulder and felt it. It felt ancient. As the sensations registered in his mind, something else came with it. A hint.

With a burst of excitement, he slid his hand around it. Searching. On the bottom, he felt… “A ha!” his mind yipped. It felt like a pocket. And, somehow, he just knew what to do. With a deep breath, Sozwik drew energy from the higher realms and infused it, through his hand, and into the rock.

Slowly, silently, it rotated to the side, revealing the opening.

Sozwik glanced around the valley. The forcefield fence felt like a living being, eyeing him down.

With an internal grunt of rebelliousness, Sozwik crossed the threshold into the cave.

The boulder slid back into place behind him. Fear overtook him. With a deep breath, he tested the hidden door from the inside. It, again, opened silently. “Good. I’m not trapped.”

After the door closed again, Sozwik looked into the darkness. There it was. A glimmer, far away. “Okay, this thing comes out the other side.” Sozwik took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to see what was on the other side. He’d gone too far to turn around now.

Before his mind could catch up, Sozwik broke into a run.

The light grew larger and larger. Within a few minutes of running, he could see the other side. “Water?” he thought. As he approached, he realized what it was. “A waterfall! Whoever made this was brilliant.”

With intention, and maximum stealth, Sozwik approached the waterfall. He stopped at the end of the tunnel, just behind it, and listened for any potential threats. Nothing.

He froze. Then bargained with himself. “Should I do it? If I’m here, I might as well at least look, right?”

Gripping the wall like an anchor, Sozwik slowly leaned his head into and through the falling water. On the other side was… Well, it looked almost exactly the same as in the valley. But it was the other side, after all. Open space. Freedom.

A jolt of fear caused him to duck back into the cave and make his way back. “That’s good for now. I don’t have to be stupid brave.”

Ω

As Sozwik approached his parents’ treehouse, he heard a shout.

“Where were you, Sozzy?” his mother Anda asked.

“With Goa,” he said — not lying, but not being completely truthful either.

His mother raised her eyebrows, communicating a sarcastic, “Okay buddy,” with her facial expression.

Sozwik’s father, Macha, appeared behind him. He almost caught Sozwik by surprise. “Good one, Sozzy. But why’d you take so long? You were supposed to be done with Goa a while ago.”

He knew his parents knew. Well, not the exact details. But they knew he snuck around somewhere.

With both of his parents’ gazes upon him, Sozwik had an idea. He remembered that a balance all Wakans must learn is the balance of truth-telling. To always align your truth with the highest good of all.

“Guess…” Sozwik said.

Anda rolled her eyes, not ready to play games while they were waiting to eat dinner together.

Macha smirked. A knowing danced on his face. Sozwik took a step back, appalled. “How?” he thought to himself.

When his father spoke, Sozwik knew exactly what he would say. Macha opened his mouth and the words rippled through the air. “You found the way out…”