Chapter 12: Sparing partner of the blind boy

Chapter 12: Sparing partner of the blind boy

Date: 16 January 2556

First-person POV, Samuel

It has been a few days since Dad came back. I was so hopeful at first, that my strange state of blindness would be cured by the power of my Karna but I was wrong "Focus Samuel, try to sense my presence" Dad said. We were currently in the living room. I was seated on the couch while he would walk around the room.

He has been helping me train my abilities for a while. Our goal was to achieve the same state of perception I entered when Dad got teleported away. That day I clearly saw him and the portal that took him. In the black expanse of my vision, I was able to see. But ever since that day, I haven't been able to see anything by my own will.

Since that day I've been having random moments where I do gain the ability to see. It happens at least 3 times a day. Where the darkness of my vision would contain images of the people around me. My Karna although fully back together was far from fixed. Whatever I lost that day it left my on Karna weak and hurting.

I don't know how to explain it but I could feel it, my Karna was hurt. "Wait a second Dad let me regain my focus," I said to him. "Ok I'll wait, tell me when you are ready to continue" Dad replied. I took a deep breath and focused on myself. When one gets a karna it creates a space within its user. This space is called The Myth Zone. It's used to store, maintain and repair a Karna.

The user would summon and un-summon their Karna to and from this place. My consciousness was then pulled to my Myth Zone. It was a space with no Karna in sight. The only thing that is in here is the cube. Its previously rotating form now floated completely still. Seeing it just there made me feel so frustrated. This useless block of metal or what it's made from just stayed in my myth Zone.

But right now it wasn't my target. My consciousness then locked onto a presence in my heart. I could perceive it so clearly it had integrated with my heart. Turning a large part of it crystallized with runes etched onto its surface. Unlike many other Karna users, I had one that was active 24 hours a day. It's a rare type of karna. They usually provide their user with passive abilities that take little to no energy to use.

But mine was damaged so its abilities that should have been easy to use and passive now have to be activated manually. As I saw it I could feel it calling out to me. I heard no words but just a feeling that it was calling for my help. I've never heard of anything like this happening to anyone else. Where a karna would communicate with its user.

I couldn't talk to it but I used our connection to find out what it needed me to do. Through our connection it wanted me to do one task. For me to learn how to use its abilities and in doing so, it will slowly heal itself through the Mythos energy I use. Although I couldn't understand why my myth zone could repair my Karna I had no choice but to try my best.

The most I could sense was that my Karna wasn't healing from its damage. Because its form was still perfectly fine. Something else was damaged something ethereal that I couldn't quite understand.

I focused on my Karna and its abilities. Mainly the ability to perceive Mythos, I sensed it had another ability that I couldn't use yet so I only focused on the one I could use. I kept my eyelids closed and having them open wouldn't help me. "I'm ready let's do it," I said. I soon heard Dad's footsteps across the room. Within the darkness of my vision appeared wisps. These wisps were at first so tiny that I barely noticed them.

I concentrated even more on trying to sense Dad's presence. "Follow me, Samuel. I might not know much about sensory abilities but one thing I do know is that you have to stay calm and focused" Dad said as he kept walking around the room. " Don't let frustration overwhelm you. Focus on my voice, footsteps and any sound I'm making." His voice reached me, he was good at calming me down he knew what to say to get me to listen and pay attention.

" You've seen many stories with different sensory abilities. All of them focus on the energy their targets or surrounding releases. Focus on my vibe, my aura" Dad kept talking. Within a few minutes the once tiny wisps of light increase. They grew in quantity and form. Taking the vague shape of a human. It was Dad I knew it for sure. His figure lacked features but it was progress.

I kept practicing for hours. My current limits were that it took me around three minutes to sense a person's presence. I can then keep sensing them for 20 minutes before I feel mentally drained. With my connection to my Karna, I knew the reason I got tired was that I was using too much Mythos to activate my abilities.

Days went by like this, with constant practice and research. Every day I had to push past my limits. I had to keep trying to get even a tiny bit better than I was the previous day. I didn't give up and kept going at it. When dad was at work I would focus on sensing inanimate objects. Sensing people and other living creatures was difficult but not as hard as trying to sense objects. For some reason, objects didn't have Mythos to my senses.

That was until I thought of trying to sense them through touch. Which worked instantly. Their forms were at first vague but I kept it up until a month later I could perfectly perceive anything I was physically touching. I could only do it for around 3 hours before I needed to rest. But it was great progress enough to allow me to go back to school.

Date: 4 July 2556

It's been a few months since I started going back to school. My academic results have been good. I was performing at my usual level. But today was different I wasn't just going straight home after school. My target was the martial arts club hall. It wasn't easy to walk around while blind I could sense the wispy figures of the people around me. But for the general environment, I couldn't sense anything at all.

The first few days when I got back to school were hard. Because of so many people around me, my senses got overwhelmed. I had headaches and couldn't make out the forms of people around me. There were just wisps everywhere with no form. It took a while but I got a hang of my senses around so many people.

But even then, tripping and bumping into objects was common for me. But I knew the layout of the school so that made life easier. After a while of walking, I made it to the martial arts club. I walked inside and instantly I felt everyone's gaze on me. "Hey Samuel is everything ok. Did you lose your way" I wispy figure got close to me and spoke. It was the teacher in charge of the club. Not only did I recognize his voice but I also remembered the feeling of his presence or aura if I may call it.

" Mr Chris I'm fine. I came here on purpose. I want to train with the club again." I said out loud. Many of them tried to persuade me not to join, due to my condition but I was determined. After a lot of arguing they allowed me to join back. All the students that remained at the school were those that did not awaken powerful Karnas. They decided to keep studying to get a normal job.

I changed my clothes and went around the club. I asked for a sparring partner and many were reluctant. Not because they looked down on me or something like that. They just didn't want to hurt me. This wasn't some dumb school where people bullied others for stupid reasons. I mean it does happen but not much. And the guys and girls in the martial arts club were particularly good and well-mannered people. But still, that didn't mean they wanted to spar with a bling guy. I went around the club asking anyone I could. But it didn't go well, that was until I sensed someone approaching me.

" You know this is crazy right? We could hit you all we want and there is close to nothing you would be able to do about it. Tell me why you want to train at the club. Like dude you are blind" said a feminine voice from the wispy figure in front of me. " I have my reasons " I responded. Her aura shifted weirdly, I barely had time to register the shift in her aura as her annoyed voice reached my ears.

"Listen dude you can try to act as mysterious as you want but that won't make me want to help you. Why are you here? If your reasons are good. This won't be the last time we spar" I was stunned. I wasn't trying to act mysterious at all. I could only let out a sigh and answer her truthfully " My friends are in Celestial Academy. If I want to join them I have to pass the entrance exam. I only have 2 years before I'm too old to apply. In that time I need to learn how to fight while blind so that I can pass their entrance exams" She didn't say anything for a few seconds.

" Ok let's do this. Get on the mat and just for your information I won't go easy on you. You can call me Sasha" she said. And followed her wispy figure. "Wait aren't you blind? How did you follow me to the mat?" She confusedly asked me. I have good ears and my Karna gives me good spatial awareness. Although I can't see I can sense people" I said to her keeping the explanation short without having to tell her the complete truth. "Ok get into a stance," she said.

I got myself ready and focused on her Mythos aura to the best of my ability. Her wispy figure moved towards me with what appeared to be a punch. I raised a hand to block my face only to feel my chest getting hit. It didn't hurt much I could tell she was holding back. Just like that, we kept going. I would get beaten time and time again. But this training was necessary if I wanted to join the boys.