-----
"Grrr..."
"Who does he think he is?"
"Blessed by heaven or something?"
"The son of providence..."
"The brother of the sect master is obviously the most gifted, ugh..."
"I'll show him!"
The disciples grew jealous and angry, pushing themselves to train even harder. They screamed while sweating constantly, groaning in exhaustion, fist after fist. Sometimes their efforts worked and the number went up, other times it didn't, and they groaned in frustration. After failing several times, they slowed down, caught their breath, relaxed, glanced at Maria performing the technique, and began once more.
Slowly, some of them started feeling sparks within their psyches—emotions, memories—and then something deeper than their own consciousness.
Their souls.
"Ah...!"
