I woke up in the middle of the night—wide awake, unable to sleep any longer, no matter how long I closed my eyes.
'T, can we do it now?'
'I was waiting for you to wake up. I am always ready.'
'Let's go then.'
I made sure not to make any noise as I crept out of the room—even though Mim wouldn't wake up.
I'll just go to the inn yard again...
And as I opened the backdoor that led to the inn yard, it was almost double that of the other inn.
'The space to swing my sword is a lot bigger here!' The light from the lamps already started reflecting from my blade.
'Uhm... sorry, but you won't need this space.'
'This time we're just going to focus on your essence.'
'Oh...' I lifted my hands back up.
'What do you need me to do?'
'We're going into your realm once again, but this time we're going to dive deeper.'
'Dive deeper?'
'Yes, into another layer.'
'Layers... what are those?'
'It's about your connection with essence.'
'Let's say activating your essence—so becoming aware of it—is the first layer. The second one would be to mold your body for its use. The third one would be the ability to control the flow.'
'And that's what we will do now.'
'How many layers are there—five layers or so?'
'Exactly. And I don't know how many there are, but one thing I'm sure of, is that the entire horizon is still spread out before you.'
I looked down at my sword,
'I still have a long way to go before I'm strong—strong enough not to lose anyone...'
'You'll get stronger. That's one thing I know for sure.'
He always knows what to say...
'You always put my worries to rest—thank you.'
'So let's start now!'
'Okay, okay. Just do what you always do, and enter your realm.'
'And then like last time I'll just follow your lead?'
'Yes kind of.... but I can't make use of your healing.'
'So, I'll show you how to control it, and where it should go, but that is all I can do.'
'That's more than enough.' I grinned as I dropped onto the gravel floor.
I closed my eyes, and entered into the trance—my realm.
'It was easier this time—is that normal?'
'Hahaha, yes it is—after all your bond with your essence has grown, during your last fight.'
'Maybe I'll be able to do it without even closing my eyes at one point.
'Yes—who knows where your ceiling is.'
'So let's begin now.'
'Yes—I'm ready...'
'Okay tell me, what is it you're able to see now?'
'I am able to see an unchanging ball of essence—the core—with essence flowing through the paths it forged.'
The three different colors were twisting around each other in parallel—not mixing even when they came into contact.
With the light blue color being the most prevalent light that shone—the one from my healing.
'Okay, what you're seeing is the second layer of your body.'
'Imagine now that you can dive deeper—what is it you would see?'
'Uhm... maybe the paths the essence flows through?'
'You're close enough, everything your essence influences—that is the answer.'
'But isn't that what I said?'
'No, not necessarily—let me give you an example. Your eyes—do you need to send your essence to sense essence?'
'No... It just happens.'
'Exactly, the only thing you need is awareness of your essence. Do you get it?'
'So even parts I don't send my essence to gets influenced...'
'If it happens by itself how can I be aware of it?'
'Just try it—it's your essence that is used.'
I looked at my own eyes in the realm, unlike the rest of my body—it was just darkness.
I haven't reached here... how should I see it...
I tried to think of something but it seemed impossible. It was like trying to control a limb that was severed from me—it wasn't a part of me.
'I can't think of anything, can you please help?'
'Sigh... Already? You haven't even tried anything yet.'
'Don't try to understand the idea behind its workings, just understand how it works—you don't learn why a sword cuts just to use it. Right?'
'...that's too vague...'
'Just try it—don't be lazy.'
'Tsk... I mean, thank you.'
What can I even do with that comparison... a sword cuts, because it just cuts so wh—
It cuts, because it cuts, is it the same with my eyes? It has essence, because it just has it?
But how can I reveal the essence? I just see the results, that's how I know it cuts... is it the same here?
I tried to see the essence by my eyes, I focused on the results it—sight.
But I couldn't see anything happen.
Wait... how am I supposed to see the results if I'm not even making use of it?
'Can I try to open my eyes?'
'If that is what you want to try, try it—I won't stop you.'
'I'll try it then... I can just re-enter if it fails.'
Focus—don't leave your realm... Each breath I took, each heartbeat that sounded—I made sure that everything I did centered around my realm, I calmly opened my eyes...
I can see it... I can see the essence around my eyes, wait... my ears, nose, mouth—even my skin have it...
Both sides were clear—my realm, and the world itself.
I could see everything in front of me—the dim lights that lit the way to the stables, the sounds of the horses sleeping, even the smell of the horse's droppings.
'You can hear my thoughts, right?'
'Yes... it's because those are your senses, and essence requires them all.'
It had been obvious since I fought the Kludd.
'Otherwise I couldn't even be aware of my own essence.'
'Exactly. So try to see all the paths in your body—do what you said before.'
Understand where my essence exists... how should I do it?
I should just follow my essence.
It felt as if I dove into a lake, following my essence.
I started from my core, moving along with my essence, I could see it all—every muscle, every fiber—everything shone blue.
It was everything of my being that I passed.
It's beautiful...