After 4 long years of training, Zane is beginning to feel comfortable with Dre's style of swordplay. He has improved greatly, and he's finally able to hold his own against Dre, to a degree.

One day, Dre tells Zane that he's going to teach him how to use spirit energy. Zane is shocked, but excited. He's never heard of such a thing.

"What's spirit energy?" Zane asks.

"It's a form of energy that comes from within. It's what makes you move and react, it's what gives you speed and strength. You've seen it in action, you've felt it. Now it's time to learn how to control it."

"How do I do that?" Zane asks.

"I'm going to show you," Dre says. "It's not easy, and you'll probably fail, but it's worth teaching you the basics."

The next morning, Dre takes Zane out into the woods. They sit down in a clearing, and Dre begins to explain.

"First, you have to calm yourself, then focus your mind. You must be focused and relaxed at the same time."

"How do I do that?" Zane asks.

"Close your eyes and picture yourself surrounded by darkness, now concentrate your eyes on a single point in front of you."

Zane does as he's told, and closes his eyes. Then he focuses on a spot in front of him, and suddenly everything around him seems to fade away.

"He's progressing faster than expected" Thinks Dre.

"You're doing great kid, keep it up. I need you to hold that feeling for the next 8 hours straight, if you mess up and lose focus try again"

"8 Hours? Geez and this is just the beginning stage." Zane thinks.

"Now, when you open your eyes, the world will be different. Everything around you will seem sharper, clearer. But don't just open your eyes, open your mind, whatever sensations you feel, whatever discomfort you may have, just focus. This is your first time opening your third eye so things will be over stimulated for a while. Just focus on the task at hand."

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"Ok, I think I got it," Zane says.

"Alrighty, I'll be back to check on you later" Dre says and leaves.

Zane sits alone for a few hours, focusing on his surroundings. He feels uncomfortable, and strange, like he's not really here. He opens his eyes, and the world is different. He can see everything around him clearly, and he can feel the breeze on his face.

Zane looks around, and notices that the sun is much brighter than before, and he can hear birds chirping all around him. He gets up, and walks towards a nearby stream. As he gets closer, he hears voices, although it's strange. They seem to be coming from miles away, with heightened hearing He listens intently, and he can hear a woman singing. It sounds beautiful, and it fills him with joy. He smiles, and begins to run towards the sound. As he runs, he realizes that he's moving faster than before, and he's getting tired less easily. His muscles feel stronger, and he can feel the wind blowing through his hair. Zane keeps running until he reaches the source of the song, a small house near the edge of a forest. He approaches cautiously, and sees a girl sitting on the porch, her feet propped up on the railing, singing to herself. She's wearing a white dress, and she's very pretty. She stops singing and looks up at Zane. Her eyes widen in surprise, and she stands up and runs inside the house.

Zane realizes his mistake and runs back in the direction he came, perhaps startling people in the woods wasn't such a good idea after all. He tries to calm himself down, but the world won't return to normal, all of a sudden the feeling of bliss and freedom turns to dread and overstimulation. Zane slowly drops to his knees and falls unconscious.

When Zane wakes up, he's lying in bed, and Dre is sitting beside him.

"Hey there, how are you feeling?" Dre asks.

"Where am I?" Zane asks.

"You're home. I found you collapsed in the forest a few miles from here, covered in sweat. I brought you here and put you to sleep."

"How long was I out?" Zane asks.

"Just a few hours. You were exhausted, and your body needed rest."

"I'm sorry about the commotion earlier, I didn't mean to cause any trouble."

"Don't worry about it. You're just starting out, you have a lot of growing to do. Your body is still adjusting to the new changes, and you need to learn how to control your abilities. I'll get you back to work tomorrow, and we'll start over."

"What happens if I don't succeed?" Zane asks.

"You will" Dre says flatly.

"But what if I don't?" Zane persists.

"Then you die" Dre says simply.

Zane is shocked by the answer, and doesn't know how to respond.

"This is a dangerous game you're playing, Zane. There are many people who would love to take advantage of you if they knew you had these powers. If you want to live, you must be strong, and you must never let anyone find out about your abilities. Do you understand?"

"Yes" Zane says meekly.

"Good. Now, I need you to practice your swordsmanship, and try to master your new abilities. We'll begin again tomorrow morning."