"Damn it," Alvin hissed under his breath and closed his eyes. 'Once more!'
Gritting his teeth, Alvin closed his eyes again. He inhaled sharply, picturing the flame again. This time, it took longer to appear, as though the fire itself was reluctant.
'Calm your mind, child.' An aged voice, one that held immense patience and visage, echoed in his mind. Alvin experienced a sense of being back in the high mountains, inside the monastery he had visited with the Aizawa family.
The aged monk, wearing a kasaya and prayer beads in his hands, taught him with calmness that no catastrophe could shake.
'Imagine the flames like they were real, the heat they radiate, and the darkness they disperse.'
Alvin followed the voice, and the flame appeared again. Once it appeared, Alvin controlled his emotions and forced himself to focus, fed the imaginary flames with his sharp breaths, and allowed them to grow.
