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Chapter 28

Four days later.

Through the forest and the decorations of shade and autumn leaves, Cahya and Colson walked to their usual clearing, holding up his bokken, staring at the minor dents and blemishes from its months of use, imagining it as an extension of himself. Cahya, seemingly more distracted than usual, looked off into the distance, the waterfall's mist barely visible over the trees. Turning to Colson, asking if he had seen or felt any improvements.

He didn't answer. She smiled, brightly commenting on how he would figure it out in no time.

Carefully placing the bokken back in its sling, sighing with annoyance as he did so; the day before, he had stopped his training out of pure frustration. Her green blouse, and bronze hair in a bun with the rest going down the length of her back, Cahya sat back, leaning against the oak tree, most of the trees in Cassius she'd grown herself. The days before, her attitude had been different.

"You're gonna have to try harder than that," she said the day prior, her tongue flicking with impatience.

"'You' really aren't being helpful," Colson growled back, opening one eye to glare at her. Earlier she had told him to cross his legs and meditate; think back to Jashin's energy flowing in your body, how all movements felt light and easy.

"'You' aren't very good at being taught, then."

After watching Colson start to walk away, she jogged after him, not quite knowing if he was serious.

"Are you leaving again?" She asked incredulously as Colson slid the bokken across his back. She gave him a sad, wide-eyed doe look that constantly peeved Colson.

"I mean, clearly, this isn't working," he shrugged. "I'll just figure it out myself. Go help Ivy or something; I'm sure she needs it."

"Colson, look, I'm sorry, alright? It's just, I'm just teaching you how I was taught—the only way I know how," it was met with a scowl from Colson.

"Why don't you make them meditate?"

"Well, everyone learns differently; from what I could tell, you'd benefit more from how I've learned it. Plus, you need all the help you can get, with the other guys effectively going into hiding...."

He answered with an eye roll, "cowards are what they are," he thought. She removed the bokken from his back, holding it straight in front of her—chest level; with a deep breath, tan aura flowed from the sword, dripping off it.

"If clearing your mind doesn't help, try thinking of something that scares you, perhaps. Fills you with anxiety. Or maybe attach your thoughts to an event or a person; imagine them in danger," eyes flitting to the waterfall, "There's no real right answer for any of this—At least, I haven't been told it."

"A person," Colson echoed quietly.

The contralto voice of Cahya, who was now staring at Colson waiting for—she didn't know what, but she felt as if he were close to a breakthrough, "Yea, any person. One that's really close to you or means a lot to you—good or bad, I should add."

"What will it feel like when I get there?"

"It's hard to convey as it occurs in such a deeply altered mindful state; language ceases to apply. The best I can say is that you have to look for it. You either find it or you don't."

He closed his eyes and saw faces swimming around him: Zoe, Pearson, Ivy, Neph, Reiza, Nilson—his father.

Cahya sat at the base of her usual tree, near her several browned apple cores from the days prior, watching his unusual stillness and even breaths expectantly.