Chapter 11.
…
Yet, when he eventually reached six years old, on one fine morning, just as he woke up, her mother suddenly roused him awake and announced that she would teach him about the Nirvana Circulation Method of her own clan.
Kyren was taken aback at first, completely baffled by his mother's sudden change of heart about this whole mysterious perspective of hers.
What could have possibly prompted this shift in perspective?
But honestly, he couldn't care less about the reasons.
He was thrilled!
He jumped up and down in jubilation like a kid who just found out that school was canceled for the rest of the year, minus COVID, of course.
His mother had finally relented!
He finally could say goodbye to the world of weaklings and mortals and step into the realm of immortals, godly divine, ever-reaching sky turbulence, number one in forever and ever of the universe nebula star, and all that jazz.
He envisioned himself soaring through the skies, causing turbulence in the heavens above like a certain monkey sage, and making demons in hell rethink their life choices.
Of course, the real reason for his excitement was that he could finally use his mother's method to conceal his strength gains while he spent his Joy Points, increasing his Nirvana in leaps and bounds.
Who cared about that so-called aptitude, whatnot?
He was the chosen child! Number one, yeah!!!
He had a system that could turn him directly into a "daddy old star"—wait, what?
'Hmmm, that sounds wrong…' he thought, scratching his head.
Anyway, the name of this Circulation Method was Black Feathers.
Kyren's mother once demonstrated how she circulated Nirvana using the Black Feathers method.
Sitting gracefully on the ground, she closed her eyes, and soon, illusionary black feathers began to swirl around her in a mesmerizing dance.
Though faintly translucent, the feathers exuded an enigmatic allure.
For the first time, Kyren saw how his mother's forever-present charming and feminine aura could shift into one that was of a suave, strikingly handsome, and profoundly mysterious.
It was so cool that the spectacle left Kyren utterly entranced for a whole minute.
He stared, wide-eyed, lost in a daydream, even as his mother concluded her demonstration.
In his mind, this style resonated with him in every way possible. It was as if it had been tailor-made for him.
The feathers reminded him of a character from one of his many favorite games, who was closely associated with a black raven.
His heart raced with excitement, as that character was the one he most liked and had the most mastery over.
"This is it! This is it!" he thought, brimming with uncontainable enthusiasm. "My dream ability... my ideal suaveness!"
He was so lost in his imagination that he didn't even notice his mother gently shaking his shoulder, trying to bring him back to reality.
This was far from the first time she had caught her son drifting off into his own thoughts.
When he finally snapped out of his reverie, he blurted out with awe, "Mother, that was so cool! So, so cool! You looked... so handsome, Mom!"
His wide eyes sparkled with unrestrained admiration, making Chriselda both delighted and deeply melancholic.
Her heart ached as she smiled at him.
That glimmer of adoration in her son's gaze reminded her of a time when she was still whole – when the world still knew her as the prodigy of the Raven Clan.
If only Kyren knew who she had been back then, he would surely be even more amazed.
But that was a chapter, long closed from her life. There was no need to keep fretting over it.
A soft sigh escaped her lips.
If she hadn't been crippled, if her strength hadn't been taken from her, she never would have married Lucius for the sake of her clan.
She would have forged her own path.
And yet, she realized, if that had happened, Kyren would never have been born.
She would never have experienced the profound, unexpected joy of motherhood.
For Chriselda, Kyren was her light – a beacon that had appeared in her darkest, most desolate moments, illuminating the way forward when all had seemed lost.
"Is it?" she said at last, offering him a tender smile.
"Come on now. I'll show you how to begin drawing Nirvana into your body."
"Yes, mother…"
…
Black Feathers of the Raven Clan was the Nirvana Circulation Method, which channels the energy of Nirvana through pathways of the 20 Primary Flight Feathers.
Kyren's mother told him that this method was a divine gift bestowed by the fallen ancient god, Kael'Phion, the Midnight Eclipse – an entity said to have taken the form of a colossal black raven.
Each feather symbolizes precision, freedom, and resilience, guiding the practitioner to harmonize their Nirvana with the balance of creation and destruction.
The energy flows through the bodies in rhythmic patterns, mimicking the graceful yet powerful flight of a raven.
The Black Feathers Circulation Method emphasizes fluidity and control, enabling users to draw strength from the ever-present force of Nirvana while maintaining an unyielding focus.
In the battle, the use of this method manifests as swirling illusions of black feathers around the practitioner, just like when Chriselda started circulating the method inside her body.
These shimmering feathers were not merely an illusion either.
It drifts and dances, forming intricate, protective patterns that could also lash out in waves of sharp, concentrated energy toward the enemies.
The initiation of this method for his first black feather began with channeling Nirvana toward the crown of the head, symbolizing the opening of one's spirit to Nirvana.
During this phase, he would have to recite a special sacred scripture designed to connect his soul to the Dimension where Kael'Phion, the Midnight Eclipse, once resided.
This connection would mark the beginning of his journey to become a Transcendence.
This scripture, however could only be activated by those who had the blood of the Raven Clan, and was one of the reasons why his mother had to marry Lucius.
Another reason was that, in the past, their family was closely connected.
The scripture was called The Midnight Evocation:
- - - -
By the wings of the Midnight Eclipse, I call forth the essence of wisdom eternal.
Let my soul bridge the realms, as the cycle continues, from life to death, from shadow to light.
Through the pathways of the messenger's flight, I shall weave the 20 feathers of death. With precision, I ascend to call the unseen. With freedom, I soar and descend to the depths. With resilience, I endure and unveil the truth.
To a thought, to a memory.
To the crown of the knowledge and prophecy, I open the gate of Transcendence.
Raven mourns, boundless and eternal, from the underworld to the presence of my being.
And as the cycle completes, let the memorial rise as a feather, a fragment of your legacy, born in shadow and war, graced by eternity and death, into the source of the Midnight Stone.
And by these feathers, I harmonize with the flow of the universe, as I become one with the wings of destiny.
The harbinger of transformation, the keeper of secrets, a soul bound to the legacy of the Midnight Eclipse.
- - - -
If it were based on acupuncture points in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the crown of the head was called the Baihui point.
It represents the initiation of energy flow and connection to Nirvana.
When he accumulated enough inside of it, it would turn into a small black gem called the Midnight Stone.
Then, he needs to continue to circulate Nirvana to other points. Yintang, Danzhong, Zhongwan, and etc.
The last circulation was back to Baihui, the crown of the head, which means he had finally completed the circulation method.
And finally, the Midnight Stone would turn into a black feather.
For these ten years, Kyren had kept practicing this method.
But it was…