The room we came to was a little gloomy. The windows were fitted with shutters, blocking out any direct sunlight. That said, it was bright enough for us to make out each other’s faces. Inside, a man appeared to be awaiting our arrival.
“Welcome to the meditation room. Shall we get started with your essence training?”
This man was also wearing a robe, but, unlike the others, his hood was pulled back enough to reveal his face. He might as well not have had it up at all. He had slitted pupils and scales on his cheeks. Likely snakeborn.
“Take a seat wherever you like.” The man pointed toward a collection of round tables, each with four chairs. It was like we were in a restaurant or café. Instead of food, however, the tables were laden with candles.
We each sat down on the nearest seats to us. I shared my table with a cat-eared boy, a dog-eared girl, and a boy with elongated human ears. The last boy resembled an elf.
The man went around lighting the candles in front of us. I kept a close eye on the faces of my tablemates. It seemed they weren’t sure what we would be expected to do either.
“Essence training is all about drawing out the power of essence. I want you to watch the candle’s light closely while trying to feel the flow of power within you,” the man explained patiently. “Rest your fists on your lap, but do not clench them. Sit as comfortably as you can. Inhale, then exhale... Inhale, exhale... Yes, good. Now redirect your focus to within your body.”
I ignored what he was saying and sharpened my senses. I needed to concentrate. As I did so, everything that I could see and hear—everything I experienced externally—became meaningless static that seemed to wash over my mind. Now that my brain was immune to that surplus information, my senses became keener.
Is this it? No, that’s my heartbeat...
I burrowed deeper, much deeper. But I couldn’t find any “essence.” Everything seemed slightly misaligned, like shirt buttons that were all off one notch. An anxious thought struck me—I just might not have it. I didn’t even know what essence was. I had assumed it was something like magic, something that hadn’t existed in my previous life. Maybe I was wrong, and it was more like a supernatural, religious energy. And now I was questioning everything about it.
Caught at a dead end, I released my focus, allowing me to perceive the information from my surroundings once more. Without moving my head, I forced my gaze to see past the flickering flames so that I could study the elf boy across me. His eyes were half-lidded as they stared at the wavering candle before him. The air around him seemed clearer somehow, like time had come to a halt in his vicinity.
A mysterious tension trapped my breath in my throat. I understood then why it was called essence and not magic.
“Can you see how he emits his essence?” the snakeborn man suddenly said, his hand resting on my shoulder. There was a hint of amusement to his tone.
How could I not see it? I couldn’t ignore it even if I wanted to. The auras of both the elf boy and the teacher himself had noticeably changed.
“He has a natural aptitude for it.” The man smiled, his eyes crinkling. It was a difficult expression to read, but I had the sense that he was mocking those who didn’t have the gift for manipulating essence. I managed a vague smile back. “Maybe it’s a bit too soon for you to understand.”
Removing the hand from my shoulder, he used it to give my head a gentle pat before turning on his heel and walking away.