Chapter 12: Meditation

In a secluded corner of the park, surrounded by trees with no roads in sight, the air felt still — almost expectant.

"You have to remember that everyone possesses a small intrinsic amount of aura," Nargomedov began, his voice low and steady. "In order to use aura, you must condense it so that it becomes potent enough to interact with the world. But to condense it, you need a quantity that untrained people aren't capable of providing. That's why you're meditating — to absorb the ambient energy."

"All these explanations just to get us to sit and meditate," I muttered.

This old fart sometimes sounded like a true master, and other times, like a complete fraud.

"Shut up," Nargomedov snapped. "You're not just meditating. Aura works like a muscle. If you want to produce more and grow stronger, you have to push it out of your body, again and again, for as long as you can. This isn't relaxation — it's a tedious, rigorous effort."

"Okay, okay, old man." I closed my eyes, giving in.

But how do we even manifest and release our aura? If it's a muscle, then contracting it should exert force. But which muscle? What do I even flex?

"The key to manifesting your aura," Nargomedov said, as if reading my thoughts, "is your imagination and mentalization."

Imagination. Right. If the muscle isn't tangible, I'll have to create it in my mind. The picture has to be vivid. I visualized a yellowish, half-fluorescent muscle deep inside me, pulsing with stored energy. Slowly, I imagined it contracting, pulling in all the energy from my body. Then, I pushed — hard.

I felt a faint tingle beneath my skin.

Nargomedov watched us closely, arms folded. "They're getting it," he murmured to himself. "Natural talent."

"You're managing to emit a greater quantity of aura, but it's still insufficient," he said aloud. "You'll have to keep doing it — as long as possible and as intensely as you can. Only through repetition will your intrinsic reserves grow to meet the demands you place on them."

One hour later:

I collapsed onto the grass, chest heaving. My entire body felt like lead, and a bone-deep exhaustion gnawed at me.

"I can't... I can't take it anymore. I'm dying," I gasped.

Ivaar, still sitting cross-legged, grimaced. "You're such a complainer, Mickael. We barely started."

I glared at him, propping myself up on my elbows. "Easy for you to say. You've been sitting there like a rock while I've been pushing myself. Don't act like you're not struggling."

Ivaar's eyes flicked open, sharp with irritation. "I am struggling, but whining isn't going to make the training any easier. You think I want to sit here feeling like my soul is being squeezed dry?"

"Maybe you're just better at this," I snapped. "Or maybe you're not pushing hard enough."

Ivaar stood abruptly, fists clenched. "You think I'm slacking off? I want this as much as you do — maybe more! I'm not here to fail. I'm here to become strong. If you can't keep up, that's on you."

Before I could retort, Nargomedov stepped between us, eyes cold. "Enough." His voice cut through the tension. "You're both feeling the strain, good. That means you're learning. Aura is more than just power — it's control, discipline. If you let your emotions take over, you'll never master it."

We stood there, glaring at each other, breaths heavy, the weight of exhaustion pressing down. Nargomedov sighed and sat back down.

"Sit. Both of you. We're not done yet."

Reluctantly, Ivaar and I sank back to the ground, silently fuming. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. If I wanted to master aura, I'd have to push past my limits — and past my pride.

"This," Nargomedov said calmly, "is your first experience of fatigue caused by aura depletion. Aura is a vital energy source. When you run out, your body feels it. But don't worry. You'll adjust. Next time will be a little more bearable."

Lying there, utterly drained, I stared at the sky. Maybe this old man wasn't a fraud after all. If I had to endure this training to master aura, so be it. Masters like him didn't just show up every day — and I wasn't about to waste the chance.