The third day of the curfew had dawned, and the ladies quarters was already alive with him of gossip and intrigue. The sun was still a far stretch away from rising, but the corridors was bustling with ladies moving from one chamber to another.
Merva padded down the corridor, her footsteps light as feather, her braided crown of long hair slightly undone, the baby strands framing her sleep flushed face. She stopped in front of a door, adorned with a blue name tag that read 'SERINE' in bold elegant letters.
She knocked twice. "Serine its Merva." She said and yawned, waiting for Serine to answer the door, but the door creaked opened on its own. She peeked in first before walking in.
Serine lay in her water bed, her breathing slow and relaxed as if she was sleeping. But as Merva looked at her closely, she knew that it was pretense. Serine was floating on the water instead of being on the jelly bed inside of it.
Serine's eyes flickered open, a look of irritation crossing her face. "What do you want? It's not even morning yet." She said sinking into her bed.
Merva smiled wickedly. "It is morning, only that the sun is not yet up."
She surged back up, her eyes flashing with annoyance as she sat up. "Why did you come to disturb me today?" she demanded.
"You told me to come." Merva replied, her smile unwavering.
Serine's eyes narrowed. "When did I say that?"
"You told me to the other time, and I didn't show up. And I promised you two days ago that I was going to come. And here I am." She replied smoothly.
Serine's expression turned incredulous, her eyes rolling heavenward. "Can't it be another day." She pleaded.
Merva shook her head, her crown braids shaking along. "No, it has to be today. Besides this is the time when I do my devotional dances. So I think this is the perfect timing."
Serine's eyes flashed with annoyance. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, sighing loudly before she stood up. As she rose, the water seemed to melt away from her clothes, leaving her dry and unruffled. Not a single drop of water touched the floor as she came out, her eyes flashing with irritation. Merva watched her, her mouth hanging open in shock.
Serine looked at Merva, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes. "Never seen an Atlantian get out of their bed, have you?" She asked, a small smile playing on her lips. "Go in there and wait for me." She said and Merva looked at her confused. "Where?"
"The door besides my dresser." She replied.
Merva nodded recovering from the shock. She bolted the door behind her, and walked to the door besides the dresser and opened it, revealing a room covered in mirrors, and yoga mats by the walls.
The atmosphere was calm.
She picked one of the mats and spread it out, sitting in a lotus position while waiting for Serine to come.
Serine came in, dressed in a yoga wear that Merva figured was Atlantian, her hair done up in a pony tail.
Serine arranged her yoga mat in front of Merva and also sat down in a lotus position.
Merva looked at Serine expectantly, waiting to see what it was all about, and relaxed when she began.
"The power of the abyss is used in almost every continent, but that is something your continent refuses to recognize." She began nodding in assurance while Merva stared at her in shock. " We all use it differently. Like we Atlantian, we use it for survival. And the Sirens use it to entrap and manipulate. So It's all about how you use it."
Merva listened intently, her eyes wide with wonder.
"I didn't call you here to lecture you, I want to show you how to master the shadows." She said seriously. "You must be its master, and not the other way around."
And Merva nodded in determination. "Okay."
"Then let's begin." Serine said focusing intently.
"To control the shadows, you must first learn to harness them." She began, her voice steady and calm as she raised her hands, her palms opened wide. "You must master it, but you start small. It is what we are taught from childhood back home."
As she spoke, a dark energy began to gather in her palms, swallowing up the light gradually. She drew the shadows to her palms one hand after the other, and then joined them together. The darkness swirled and pulsed in between her palms, taking shape as a small orb.
"Gather the energy of the dark." Serine instructed Merva, her voice low and hypnotic. "And force it into compliance. You must first restrain it, or tame it."
Merva watched with rapt attention as Serine gathered water into her palm, and wrapped it around the shadowy orb.
The shadows struggled and writhed within the water, but Serine was in absolute control. She held the orb steady, her eyes never leaving Merva's own. "You must not let them escape." Serine warned firmly. "They must remain bound to your will. Your control must be absolute, Merva. Can you do it?"
Merva nodded, her eyes fixed on the dark orb in Serine's hand, her hands lifting subconsciously. She could feel the power that was contained inside the water. She felt a surge of determination as she looked at Serine's hand. "I'll try." She said firmly.
She began to mimick Serine's previous actions, gathering shadows around her, trying to contain them within her palm. The shadows kept slipping through her fingers, throwing her out of position when she tried to force them.
"Suppress them." She heard Serine say, and lost focus again, looking up to see Serine disappointed expression.
"That is not what I said you should do." Serine said. "Its like Yoga, clear your mind, let them flow out, then suppress them, channel them how you wish, or convert the energy."
Merva sighed, feeling frustrated and defeated. She did not know if she was cut out for it. But Serine's was filled with determination for her. She had to learn it.
"Let me show you again." She said. "Watch closely, and try to understand it, this is the only way to master them."
Merva watched intently as Serine demonstrated it once more. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes in concentration, using the same method she had used to get her seal to respond. She focused on pushing them out of her, following the sensation that she felt.
She forced them to gather within the space between her palms, the air around her vibrating with tension as she struggled to control the shadows, forcing her palms closer so that she would compress them into a globe. She finally felt like she had done it, and used the air around it to trap them. She was afraid of opening her eyes to disappointment, until she heard Serine him in approval.
She opened her eyes to see it, watching her success for a few seconds a triumphant smile gracing her face before it exploded and dispersed.
Serine nodded in approval, a small smile on her lips. "That is great for a first try." She said in praise, getting up, and signaling Merva to do the same. "That will be all for today, now I can go back to bed." She said happily.
Merva's face fell, as she looked up at Serine in disappointment. "That is all?" She asked incredulously.
Serine's smile widened, and she nodded her head, her eyes sparkling with mirth. "Yes that is all. What else were you expecting? As long as you have sucessfully done that, you can train on your own and master them as long as you keep suppressing them, they will do your bidden."
'That made sense.' She thought.
She got up, rolled the mat and kept it in place. She stood to leave, but turned to Serine first. "Thank you." But she saw that Serine looked puzzled, trying to figure something out. "What is wrong?"
Merva watched her brows furrow, a skeptical look on her face.
"That day that you helped me in school, did you use any camouflaging magic or something?" Serine asked her curiously.
Her eyes widened in surprise at the question asked, looking at Serine in confusion. "No. Why do you ask." She prodded cautiously.
"When they checked, they did not see you." She said introspectively. "They only saw the power blow everyone. I was just wondering how come they did not see you."
Merva's face was blank, before confusion set in. "I do not know what you are talking about." She said defensively.
Serine looked at Merva pointedly for a moment, and then smiled. "Never mind, just forget I said that."
Merva shrugged, opening the door and walking out. She looked at Serine's bed fascinated by it, before she made her way out of the room, looking back at the door weirdly before she walked away.