They tried to follow my instructions. Slowly drawing in their breath, then releasing it with a steady, even rhythm.
I told them to focus on the subtle sensations they usually ignored—on the faint feelings that rose from the deepest parts of their emotions, whether it was restlessness, fear, or even an unrecognized sense of hope.
But no matter how thoroughly I explained everything I knew, reality proved it wasn't that simple.
Rika and Shizuka still couldn't feel anything.
They tried again and again. Sitting quietly for long stretches of time, eyes closed, regulating their breathing just as I had taught them. Time seemed to crawl by.
At times, Shizuka furrowed her brow in intense concentration, her eyebrows knitting together as if she were struggling with a difficult problem. A moment later, she would open her eyes and stare at her own hands, turning her palms over as though she were hoping something might appear there.
Rika looked calmer in comparison. She remained seated without moving, her back straight, her breathing steady. Yet from her eyes—opening briefly from time to time—I could see the unease slowly surfacing. There was a hint of frustration she was trying to suppress, as if she didn't want to disappoint anyone, herself included.
I didn't scold them. There was no point. I knew better than anyone that things like this couldn't be forced. Everyone had their own rhythm, their own timing.
Without us noticing, time continued to slip by. The sun gradually moved westward. The light that had once been bright grew softer and warmer, filtering through the gaps between the trees at a lower angle.
Our shadows stretched across the ground. Hour after hour passed in silence, broken only by the sound of breathing and the rustle of leaves, until the time was nearly five in the afternoon.
And just before that limit was reached, a small change finally occurred.
"I… I can feel it," Rika said quietly. Her voice was almost swallowed by the evening breeze, trembling slightly, as if she herself wasn't certain of what she had just sensed.
I immediately turned toward her. "What do you feel?"
"There's… something," Rika continued, closing her eyes again, this time with deeper focus. "It feels warm, but also heavy. It's strange—like there's a slight pressure inside me, but it doesn't hurt."
Before I could respond, Shizuka suddenly opened her eyes wide.
"Huh?! Me too! I feel it too!" Shizuka exclaimed. "It's like something is moving inside my chest! It feels uncomfortable, but… it's not painful!"
Hearing that, a smile spread across my face without me even realizing it. A sense of relief rose up, impossible to hide.
At last, after hours of fruitless effort, just before five in the evening, the two of them had managed to sense Cursed Energy for the first time.
It was only a small step—almost insignificant compared to the long road still ahead—but for them, it was a crucial beginning.
That small success alone was enough to change the atmosphere. They laughed and smiled broadly.
Shizuka even stood up and spun around in place, her fists clenched with excitement, her face glowing with joy she couldn't hide. Rika covered her mouth with one hand, holding back a small laugh filled with relief, her shoulders relaxing slightly, as if the weight that had been pressing down on her until now had finally been lifted.
"Good," I said, nodding. "That's a very good start."
After that, I told them to get ready to head back. It was almost five, and we had promised Yukina we would return to the orphanage before five in the afternoon. I had no intention of breaking that promise, especially after such a long day that had drained both their focus and energy.
On the way back, Shizuka couldn't stop smiling. Her steps were light, almost like she was skipping every few paces. From time to time, she glanced at me with a face full of excitement, as if there were so many things she wanted to say, all of them blending together into a single, wide grin.
Rika walked beside us with her usual calm steps. She wasn't the type to express her happiness openly. Still, from the way her pace had grown more relaxed and the clarity in her eyes, I knew one thing for certain. Rika felt deeply satisfied as well.
At last, we arrived back at the orphanage just before five o'clock. The sky had already begun to change color, a thin layer of orange hanging low behind the rooftops of the surrounding buildings.
Yukina was in the kitchen, wearing the same worn apron she often used. Her hands were busy stirring something inside a pot, her movements practiced and unhurried.
When Yukina noticed that we had returned on time, she didn't say a word. She merely cast a brief glance in our direction and gave a short nod, as if that alone was enough to convey everything.
Thanks to that, the three of us narrowly escaped a long lecture—one that would almost certainly have happened if the clock's hand had gone even a little past the limit Yukina had set.
I could feel the quiet sighs of relief from Shizuka and Rika. Their shoulders, which had been tense until moments ago, slowly loosened, and their steps grew lighter as they entered the orphanage building.
The smell of cooking welcomed us inside, mixed with the laughter and running footsteps of the other children. The atmosphere felt normal, peaceful, as though the world outside truly held no danger at all.
...
...
...
Time passed quickly—sometimes far too quickly to notice. Before we knew it, five days had gone by since Shizuka and Rika first became able to sense Cursed Energy.
Five short days, yet dense with change, as if every single hour had been packed with small transformations that kept piling up.
During those five days, many things happened, both to them and to me.
Every morning, before the sun had fully risen, I would wake Shizuka and Rika earlier than usual. My soft knocks on their bedroom doors were almost always met with quiet grumbling and sleepy, disheveled faces.
Their eyes were still heavy, and their steps unsteady as they left the orphanage. The cold morning air immediately washed over them, jolting them a little more awake, even though their complaints were unavoidable.
We began by running laps around the area surrounding the orphanage. Their breathing grew ragged on the first lap, their pace slowing by the second. After that, the physical training continued with push-ups, sit-ups, and squat jumps.
There were no exceptions. No matter how often they yawned or how many times they complained under their breath, the training continued until it was finished.
I only watched, correcting their posture and making sure their bodies moved the right way, not just moving for the sake of it.
Once the morning training was over, we returned to the orphanage to clean ourselves up. Cold water touched their skin, making their exhausted bodies flinch slightly, but it also helped clear their minds. The dullness on their faces gradually faded, replaced by signs of life once more.
After that, we ate breakfast together with the other children as usual. The dining table remained lively and warm, filled with light conversation and playful banter, as if nothing out of the ordinary existed beyond the daily routine.
However, after breakfast, our routine clearly changed.
I led Shizuka and Rika toward the forest near the orphanage. The narrow path we took was quiet, filled only with the sound of rustling leaves and our own footsteps.
It was there that I began training them in the basics of hand-to-hand combat. Perhaps, to an outside observer, it would seem too fast, even too harsh, for children their age.
But this world did not offer many choices. In a dangerous world like this, I would rather they possess the ability—even if they never end up using it—than one day need that ability and not have it at all.
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