Morning in the forest came not with sunlight, but with a slow lifting of the mist. The old man woke Raizen before dawn, his rough voice cutting through the boy's dreams.
"Up. Today, you touch the river of life."
Raizen sat up, muscles stiff from sleeping on the cold earth. He followed the old man without complaint, deeper into the woods, until they reached a place where the air shimmered strangely — as if the world itself was breathing.
The old man sat cross-legged beside a small pond, its surface perfectly still despite the gentle breeze. He gestured for Raizen to sit across from him.
"Qi," the old man began, "is everywhere — in the air, the earth, the trees, even within your own body. To cultivate is to gather that energy, refine it, and strengthen your spirit and flesh. But first, you must learn to sense it."
Raizen nodded, determined.
The old man continued, "Close your eyes. Empty your mind. Listen, not with your ears, but with your spirit."
Raizen obeyed.
At first, he heard only the normal sounds of the forest — rustling leaves, distant bird calls, the gentle ripple of water. His thoughts wandered, tugged by memories of home, of loss, of the fire that had devoured Duskwood.
"Empty your mind," the old man's voice echoed softly.
Raizen took a deep breath and pushed those thoughts aside, focusing only on his breathing.
In...
Out...
In...
Slowly, something began to shift.
It was faint at first — a subtle hum beneath the sounds of the world, like the thrum of a distant drumbeat. The air around him felt thicker, heavier, almost alive.
He concentrated harder, reaching out with something beyond his senses.
And then he felt it — a warm current swirling through the ground beneath him, rising like mist into the air. It brushed against him, playful and elusive, like a wild animal wary of his touch.
Raizen gasped and opened his eyes. The sensation vanished instantly.
The old man watched him, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You felt it."
Raizen nodded breathlessly. "Just for a moment."
"Good. That is more than most achieve in their first attempt," the old man said. "But sensing is only the beginning. You must learn to draw it into yourself, to nourish your inner core."
He rose to his feet and walked to the pond. With a flick of his finger, he disturbed the still surface, sending ripples across it.
"Your spirit must be like this pond — still and clear — so that the Qi can enter without resistance. Rage, fear, sorrow... they stir the waters and scatter the energy. Control yourself, and the river will flow through you."
Raizen watched the pond until the ripples faded, then closed his eyes again.
Hours passed.
He tried and failed, again and again. Each time his anger surfaced, the warm current slipped away. But Raizen was stubborn. He refused to give in. He would master this.
Finally, just as the sun dipped low behind the trees, Raizen found a fragile thread of stillness within himself. The Qi brushed against him once more — but this time, instead of reaching for it greedily, he welcomed it.
The energy responded.
It seeped into him, filling him with a strange, tingling warmth. His skin prickled, his blood sang, and deep within his chest, something stirred — a tiny ember, faint but real.
Raizen's eyes snapped open.
The old man's face broke into a full smile for the first time. "You have awakened your spark."
Raizen could feel it — a tiny flame flickering inside him, a seed of power unlike anything he had ever known.
"You are now a cultivator," the old man said, his voice proud. "A beginner, yes — but you have stepped onto the path."
Raizen's heart pounded with excitement. For the first time since the fall of Duskwood, hope bloomed inside him — a fragile, stubborn hope that perhaps, just perhaps, he could truly become strong enough to fulfill his vow.
He looked up at the old man, eyes burning with determination.
"What do I do next?"
The old man's grin turned sharp. "Now, boy... you learn how to feed that flame — and how to turn it into a weapon."
Under the watchful sky and the ancient trees, Raizen's real training was about to begin.