Eina spoke out as she saw Rose becoming silent, "What do you mean you 'can't feel it'?"

Rose was trying not to let this depressing feeling affect her, but ever since her rebirth she had hoped that she could change her fate, and not follow the same path she did in her last life. Without strength back then, she needed to be protected at all times. Countless assassinations stopped only by the guards that hid in the dark to protect her. How helpless she felt as she had to stand and watch the people sent to take her life, only metres away from succeeding.

She vowed to herself, that she would never allow that situation to repeat itself again. But now reality hit her in the face. Hearing Eina's question, Rose couldn't hide the sorrow, answering dejectedly, "I can sense the energy is around me. But I'm unable to control it in any way. I can only watch it revolve around me".

Eina could understand why Rose was upset. She thought Rose hadn't felt the energy at all, which meant that Eina would have to find a better explanation. Now she knew that Rose could comprehend its existence, but she couldn't use it at all. Eina wondered if Rose had something wrong with her body, so as not to be able to absorb even the smallest amount. But she wouldn't be callous enough to voice that thought.

Instead Eina walked over to Rose, who had hung her head down, still sitting in the original meditation position in the centre of the bed, and took up a position behind her. She wrapped her arm gently around Rose, lightly grabbing her throat. Her other hand snakes its way through Rose's armpit, and laid flat over her heart.

Rose had been in a daze, until she felt the foreign object behind her. Just about to ask what Eina was trying to do, she felt the two invasive appendages attached to her neck and chest. At that moment her heart drummed with anxiety, her instinct warned her of the danger, but a considerate voice whispered into her ears.

"Don't panic. I'm going to try and send the energy into your body myself. If it works, the pain should be noticeable" Eina explained.

Rose subconsciously straightened her back, only able to let out a choked "Okay" due to the restlessness she felt.

Eina began to breathe in the energy, letting it flow into her body through her lungs. When it reached the veins, she began to direct it through to her hands. The energy feeling its owners intention passed through her fingers and remained around the area where the two bodies were attached.

Rose felt an itching feeling coming from where Eina's hands were placed. At first it was slight, but as seconds passed it began to tingle. She frowned from the strange sensation, then the pain finally hit. It was as if her body was slowly tearing itself apart from the skin under Eina's touch. A muffled groan managed to escape through the lips she had been biting.

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The pain only worsened when she felt it burrow into her body. Like a parasite that had invaded her, she began to sweat, unconsciously leaning back against Eina.

Eina wrapped her legs around Rose's waist and embraced her tightly, still maintaining the position of her hands that had been delivering energy.

Rose couldn't stop the pained gasps erupting from her mouth. The encroaching energy continued its pace throughout her body, like thousands of ants feasting on her body, she could only whimper as tears and saliva mixed with the sweat that had accumulated on her skin.

After what seemed like an eternity, the pain slowly became numb. Rose could even take time out to feel the path that Eina led the energy around. Breathing heavily whilst laying against Eina, her usual unfazed appearance completely missing at the moment, she felt a palpable joy.

Eina had run the energy around her body, but noticed that Rose's dantian had a blockage that resisted her attempts to allow energy inside. She could guess that this was the reason why Rose could notice the energy, but not draw it in. Perhaps she had some idea about martial arts and tried to draw it in through her dantian, instead of her lungs as Eina had done.

Eina kept her hold on Rose, but mentioned her thoughts. After hearing confirmation, she said "Something is blocking your dantian. I don't know what it is, but it won't allow me to direct any energy in".

Hearing Eina's words, Rose's heart dropped, thinking that in the end she still wouldn't be able to change how she hoped, until Eina continued "But the method I discovered doesn't require the use of the dantian. With my method, it would only be a supplementary container".

Rose listened to Eina's explanation with awe. She did as ordered and tried to inhale the energy through her lungs, just as Eina had mentioned.

At first she had difficulty doing so, but she felt where Eina had been sending the energy, a part of her body she didn't know. But after minutes went by, the strange tingling had begun again. This time the pain wasn't as heavy, as Eina had been focusing on circulating the energy around the lungs.

This time when the energy she inhaled flowed into her veins, she slowly followed the energy under Eina's control, depositing it around her veins and capillaries.

Eina didn't end the energy transfer until she was fully confident Rose had completely memorised the pathways that needed to be followed.

Cautiously removing the energy, she continued to monitor Rose's practice without taking her eyes away.

It wasn't until another half an hour had passed that she slowly removed her hands from Rose's body, laying her head down on the bed, exhausted from the process. She had only been training internal strength for a day, so her new body was unable to bear the exertion.

Eina didn't know why she was willing to go out of her way to help Rose. She'd be easier to control if she didn't have martial arts. And she'd only known Rose for a day. When had she ever been so quick to help someone? 'Never' she thought. Raised in the environment she was, trust was the most idiotic feeling. A temptation that would almost always lead to despair. Whether it was at the hands of betrayal or lamenting an untimely loss. In the long run, the people of their profession would never enjoy a happy ending.

'So why am I doing it?' Eina pondered absent-mindedly, her unfocused eyes staring at the beams of the roof.