STAGE ONE: COMPLETE

"Great! You've made it through the first stage! Time to begin the second stage!" Gi Gaia's eager clapping jolted Marshall awake.

The birds had gathered near the opening above the pond, chirping their morning song. Just to be rudely interrupted by noisy steps.

Marshall shifted, rubbing his sore eyes. As his consciousness returned, he felt no better than a shriveled lemon peel.

The sunlight streamed through the opening in the ceiling, landing squarely on the disciple with the warm, blinding light.

"On your feet! Chop-chop!" Gi Gaia clapped again, the sound echoing.

With a resigned sigh, Marshall slowly dragged himself.

"Why the long face? Smile! This is your new beginning!" 

Listening to the unwanted cheeriness, the disciple wondered whether this was how Wyn felt when he pestered him. If so, being on the receiving end wasn't great.

Gi Gaia led him to the pond, then pointed at the wide rock in the middle, "You'll sit there, meditating every day until you gain control over every painful event in your life."

He stared at the rock in contemplation. "For how long?"

"Perhaps a week, possibly a month, maybe more..." She tapped her chin. "Just until you don't reek of demonic energy. Learn to suppress your bad memories and the strong feelings."

Marshall scoffed, feelings of unfairness boiling in his chest. "You forcefully released it, and now you want me to hide it? Are you kidding me?"

"You gain some, you lose some," Gi Gaia shrugged, unperturbed by the sharp response.

He shook his head, the need to get away from the cavern growing larger than himself. "I won't do this. Let me out. Now."

"I told you the way already. If you look to your right, there's a narrow tunnel that leads you outside," she said calmly, smoothing out her mossy vest.

His brows scrunched in suspicion. "Didn't you say it was on my left the first time?"

"Whoops!" Gi Gaia laughed, her eyes gleaming with deceit as she lifted her hands up in surrender. "You caught me!"

In a blink, her laughter faded. She grabbed Marshall by shoulders and forcefully pushed him back. He fell straight into the pond, breath catching in his throat. The freezing water jolted him fully awake in less than a second, and the anger that had blazed upon being shoved was replaced by a malicious frost that demanded revenge.

In a petty act of rebellion, the disciple pretended to lose consciousness, allowing his body to go limp as he floated face down in the water. His arms floated around aimlessly, replicating the image of a lifeless fish drifting along the surface.

Marshall persistently glared at the bottom of the pond, listening to distant bubbles reverberating through the water as he waited for the Jewel Imp to bite the hook.

Just as his lungs began to burn with the desperate need of air, Gi Gaia's hands seized him with urgency, yanking him up. Her eyes widened in bewilderment when she was met with a harsh glare instead of the eyes of a dead fish.

The disciple scooped up a large handful of water and flung it into Gi Gaia's face, the cold splash shocking her.

"You little...!" she cursed, wiping the water from her face with a scowl. "I'm at least a hundred years older than you! Have some shame!"

Marshall's chest heaved as he glared at her. "Shame? Me? You trapped me, mocked me, and unlocked my demonic energy when I said I won't do it! And on top of that, you just shoved me into the pond! How about you learn some shame?"

An indignant shout echoed through the cavern. "You might not see it now, but you'll thank me later!"

He muttered, "I can promise you that I won't," while brushing the wet curls away from his face.

The green eyes narrowed as she watched Marshall climb out of the water, dripping and fuming. She crossed her arms over her chest, stepping in front of him. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Where else? To get back to my lover," he threw out a sarcastic remark, dodging Gi Gaia to search for a way out.

Now that there was no pain bothering him, he could stroll around as he pleased. His steps gradually came to a halt. There was no pain? Marshall looked down at the soaked bandages wrapping around his arm, then peeled one open.

His eyebrows almost shot through the opening of the cavern when he saw that the deep cut had healed without leaving a scar. It was as if his wounds had magically healed.

He turned back to face Gi Gaia, so surprised that his anger had temporarily evaporated. "What is this pond?"

"Emerald pond, can't you see?" Gi Gaia snapped back.

The disciple blinked. It had definitely changed colors since he had seen it years ago, but he had no clue it had gained magical abilities as well.

"It can heal wounds?" he thought out loud.

"How else do you think your body healed so fast? Your demonic energy isn't stable enough to provide any healing boost yet. It's underdeveloped and still recovering from the seal that was suppressing it."

"Then why didn't you tell me last night? Do you enjoy watching others suffer?"

"I couldn't risk the spiritual energy of the pond interfering with the flow of demonic energy. It was in your best interest that I didn't tell you," Gi Gaia replied sternly. Her expression was dead serious, likely still offended by the icy splash.

"Now, get back into the pond and onto that platform," she demanded, pointing at the large stone in the water again. "That spot will help you keep demonic energy in check. Now that your body has gotten used to it, having contact with spiritual energy won't cause you harm."

Marshall's skepticism struck high. "Really? I should just do as you say? How do I know you didn't make this up just to mess with me?"

"Use your brain!" she shouted, slamming her foot on a rock. "Demonic energy is active, meanwhile spiritual energy is passive! One surges on its own, the other needs a push to move! Don't you get it?

"Why don't you tell me in a way that I can understand, instead of yelling at me?" he retorted.

She let out an exasperated sigh, throwing her hands in the air. "Fine, I'll explain!"

"When demonic energy is in control, spiritual energy bends at its will. But when spiritual energy is in control, demonic energy fights back, causing an internal clash." Gi Gaia paced around, gesturing as she spoke. "Understand? If your spiritual energy had become stronger while demonic energy was rampaging, you would have died!"

Marshall lowered his head with a stare of disbelief. "Wasn't that something you should have told me before? What if I had touched the pond while you were gone?"

"Please," she grumbled under her breath, "as if you could have dragged yourself into the water in that state, flopping like a fish."

Another scoff left the disciple. Between Wyn's extensive concern and Gi Gaia's lack of it altogether, Marshall had to admit that he would have preferred the former. 

"As long as you follow my instructions, you'll be fine," she dictated, her finger stabbing through the air as she pointed at the stone in the water for the third time. "Now, get on that damn rock before my patience runs out."