Instinctively, she got into a defensive stance, her gentle expression hardening instantly.
Diana:
— Emma, is that you?
No response.
The silence settled, heavy, tense. Then, another sound. The distinct rustle of moving foliage, as if someone was hiding there.
Survival instinct took over. Diana didn't think. Her Kara exploded, cold and powerful. She thrust her hands forward, releasing a wave of icy energy.
— Elemental Kara: Frost Zone!
A wave of cold swept through the clearing. The hot spring froze with a hiss of steam, its surface turning into a thick layer of ice. The trees, the rocks, everything was instantly covered in a white, biting frost.
Silence fell again, absolute.
Then, a voice echoed in the clearing. A voice she knew all too well. A voice she hated from the depths of her soul. It was only the voice, without a body, but it was there, clear and mocking.
Johan's Voice:
— I should have killed you with my own hands when I still could...
A cruel, disembodied laugh followed, seeming to come from all directions at once.
Diana:
— Johan...
Hate and fear overwhelmed her. She...
...jerked awake violently.
Her eyes flew open, her breath short and ragged. She was lying on a simple futon in a small wooden cabin. Through the open window, the first light of dawn painted the sky in soft shades of pink and orange. The morning birds had already begun their song, heralding a new day.
Diana lay still for a moment, disoriented, her heart pounding in her chest. She brought a hand to her forehead, which was covered in a cold sweat.
It was just a dream. A nightmare.
But as the warm morning light began to flood the small room, chasing away the shadows of the night, the icy fear left by the dream remained all too real.
The sun was now higher in the sky, its light filtering through the leaves of the trees and casting dancing patterns on the forest floor. Diana, having shaken off the last remnants of her nightmare, had gotten dressed. She wore a simple but functional training outfit: loose pants and a sleeveless top that allowed for great freedom of movement.
She crossed the small clearing where a few wooden cabins stood, before arriving in front of a slightly larger building that resembled a traditional dojo. She took a deep breath, then slid the wooden door open.
Light flooded the room. Inside, the atmosphere was calm and studious. Four other apprentices, two girls and two boys who seemed to be about her age, were already sitting cross-legged on the polished wooden floor. In the center, standing, was their mentor, Emma Moji. Her long golden hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her expression was serene but focused.
She raised her blue eyes to Diana as she entered.
Emma:
— You're late today. What's going on?
Diana bowed respectfully, a hint of embarrassment on her face.
Diana:
— Sorry, I overslept a little. Excuse me.
Emma's gaze softened, and she gave her a benevolent nod.
Emma:
— Come on in. We were about to start anyway.
Diana nodded and went to sit silently in her usual spot, next to the other apprentices. As she settled in, the two other girls gave her a friendly smile and a small, discreet nod, a silent gesture of welcome.
On the other side, the two boys exchanged a few words in a low voice.
Yan: (whispering to his neighbor)
— Hey, Carless, did you see how beautiful Diana is today?
Carless: (without taking his eyes off Emma, his face serious)
— Yes, but stay focused. We're about to begin.
Yan: (straightening up immediately)
— Ah, right, sorry.
Once Diana was settled, Emma Moji spoke, her calm voice filling the dojo.
Emma:
— Good. Today, we are not going to fight. We are not going to seek to destroy. We are going to do the opposite. We are going to learn to give.
She gestured toward the large open door of the dojo, which led to a small inner courtyard. In the center of the courtyard was a desolate sight: an old, dead, and withered tree. Its branches were bare and twisted, its bark gray and cracked.
Emma:
— Your exercise for today is simple. You will, one by one, try to bring this tree back to life.
A murmur went through the ranks. Yan, always quick to react, let out a small, nervous laugh.
Yan:
— Bring a dead tree back to life? Master Emma, with all due respect, isn't that a bit... impossible?
Raley: (one of the twins, with a more direct personality)
— Shut up and listen, Yan. If Master Emma is asking, there's a reason.
Adley: (her twin sister, gentler)
— She's right. It must be a test of control.
Emma: (smiling at their exchange)
— Raley is right. Don't try to force it. The Celestial Kara is not a command you shout at nature. It is an invitation. You must offer your own energy and convince the tree to accept it. This is an exercise in control, generosity, and empathy. Yan, since you're so skeptical, you can start.
Yan stood up, grimacing, but with a hint of defiance in his eyes. He approached the tree, placed his hands on the trunk, and closed his eyes. A powerful and visible bluish aura enveloped him.
Yan: (muttering to himself)
— Come on, come on, wake up, you old stick!
But nothing happened. The tree remained dead, and after a moment, Yan stepped back, breathless and his face red with frustration.
Carless: (in a neutral, analytical tone)
— Too much force, not enough intention. You tried to drown it in energy.
Yan: (sitting back down, annoyed)
— Shut up, Carless. It's easier said than done.
Emma:
— Carless is right. Your turn, now. Show us.
Carless approached, methodical. He placed a single hand on the bark, his expression focused. A much finer and more controlled energy flowed from his palm. A tiny green leaf appeared on a branch... before withering and falling, dry.
Adley:
— Oh, you were so close!
Carless: (sighing, but not discouraged)
— I lacked consistency. The intention was there, but not the endurance.
It was the twins' turn. Raley, more impetuous, got a result similar to Yan's. Adley, gentler, managed to make a few drops of sap bead on the bark, but nothing more.
Emma:
— Diana. It's your turn.
Diana stood up in silence. The memory of her nightmare still floated in her mind. She approached the dead tree, her gaze resting on the lifeless wood.
She closed her eyes, ignoring the curious looks of her comrades. She didn't think about "giving" energy. She remembered Emma's lesson: to listen.
She let her Kara flow, not as a wave, but as a fine mist. She tried to feel the tree's history. She felt the dryness, the disease, the slow agony. A deep sadness washed over her, an empathy for this life that had been extinguished.
Instead of projecting her strength, she shared this feeling. Her Kara was no longer a tool, but a caress, a whisper that said, "I am here. I understand your pain."
Slowly, almost imperceptibly, something changed.
A small green bud appeared on a branch. Then another. And another. They didn't wither. They remained. A thin film of moss formed at the base of the trunk.
Yan: (whispering, stunned)
— No... Look at that...
Diana hadn't brought the tree back to life, but she had awakened it. She had rekindled the spark.
She opened her eyes, her breath short. The effort had been more mental than physical.
Emma Moji approached, a sincere and proud smile lighting up her face.
Emma:
— Excellent, Diana. You have understood the essential part. You did not command. You connected.
She placed a gentle hand on Diana's shoulder, her gaze becoming deeper.
Emma: (in a low voice, so only Diana could hear)
— You have a lot of sadness in you today. But you managed to transform it into empathy. That is the true strength of a healer.
Diana felt her cheeks blush, touched by her mentor's insight.
Emma: (raising her voice to address everyone)
— The lesson is over for today. Meditate on what you have seen. Power is useless if the heart is not right.
As the others stood up to leave, Yan approached Diana, looking half-admiring, half-pouting.
Yan:
— That was... not bad. How did you do it?
Carless:
— Stop bothering her, Yan.
Yan:
— Hey, unlike her, we're not geniuses, okay... so let me know.
Diana: (with a small, shy smile)
— I... I don't really know. I just... listened.
Emma held Diana back with a gesture as the others were leaving.
Emma:
— Stay for a moment. We need to talk.
Emma's gaze was gentle, but it left no room for escape. She knew the time had come to address the shadows that haunted her student.
END OF CHAPTER 31