The moon was high in the sky, bathing the Chongryu Valley in silver light. In an isolated clearing, Yoona and Rain had settled in for what promised to be a long night of training. The air was charged with that strange energy that emanated from the forest. Yoona felt that it was time for Rain to learn to control the power within him, but also for her to deepen her own understanding of this mysterious force.
Yoona had spent an entire hour preparing the training site. She had marked a large circle on the ground using branches and stones, aligning them in patterns she had invented by combining her knowledge and intuition. At the center, she placed a lantern surrounded by small candles, each symbolizing a cardinal direction.
Rain, dressed in an oversized sweater and worn-out pants, looked around with curious eyes.
— "Are you sure all this is necessary?" he asked, pointing at the candles.
— "Every detail matters," Yoona replied, lighting the last candle. "This isn't just for dramatic effect. Corrupt energy is chaotic, and these symbols... let's just say they help channel it. Trust me."
Rain shrugged, still skeptical, but he sat cross-legged in front of Yoona.
Yoona sat cross-legged, her hands resting on her knees, palms open toward the sky. A series of candles arranged in a circle around them formed a halo that pushed back the omnipresent darkness.
Rain, on the other hand, seemed nervous. His crossed legs trembled slightly, and his gaze kept drifting back to the glow emanating from Yoona's hands.
— "You have nothing to fear," she said in a soothing voice, breaking the tense silence. "Corrupt energy is wild, yes, but it is not your enemy. It is simply a part of you."
Yoona took a deep breath and closed her eyes, inviting Rain to do the same.
— "First, forget everything around you," she murmured. "The wind, the sounds of the forest, even my voice. Focus only on your breath. Inhale… exhale…"
Rain closed his eyes, his shoulders relaxing. He inhaled, following Yoona's rhythm.
— "Imagine your breath as a river," she continued. "Each inhale fills it with pure water, each exhale cleanses it of impurities. Continue until your whole being is calm, like a still surface of water."
The young boy gave a slight nod, his face gradually losing its tense expression.
After several minutes of silence, Yoona spoke again, her voice soft but firm:
— "Now, seek the warmth inside you. It's there, somewhere, deep in your core. That is the corrupt energy. It is raw, chaotic, but it belongs to you. Do not push it away. Welcome it."
Rain furrowed his brows slightly, an expression of intense concentration on his face.
— "I... I can feel it," he finally murmured. "It's like... a fire burning softly, but it could explode at any moment."
— "Good," Yoona replied with a satisfied smile. "Now, don't let it consume you. Imagine you're holding a thread between your fingers. This thread is your connection to that energy. Pull it gently, but don't let go."
Rain inhaled, and a dark glow began to emanate from his trembling hands.
Suddenly, his body tensed, and his breathing became erratic.
— "It... it hurts," he groaned, a grimace twisting his face.
Yoona opened her eyes, her pupils shimmering in the darkness.
— "Don't fight it, Rain. If you resist it, it will devour you. Accept it as part of you, but set your own rules."
Rain's hands trembled more violently, and a small surge of dark energy burst out, making one of the candles flicker. Yoona immediately reached out and placed her fingers on Rain's forehead.
— "Calm down," she said firmly. "Breathe with me."
She took a deep breath, and after a moment, Rain managed to follow her. Little by little, the trembling stopped, and the dark light around his hands stabilized.
— "There," Yoona murmured, a reassuring smile on her lips. "See? You're stronger than this energy."
Yoona leaned back slightly and resumed her original posture.
— "Now that you've found it, learn to guide it. Imagine it as a river flowing through you. Trace a clear path for it, from your core to your hands, and let it follow that path."
Rain closed his eyes again, his face contorted with deep concentration. Slowly, a dark glow rippled around him, slithering from his shoulders to his fingers.
— "I... I think I did it," he said, both wonder and doubt in his voice.
Yoona nodded, her gaze gleaming with pride.
— "Yes, you did. But remember, this is only the beginning. The more you train, the more you'll be able to do with this energy."
The two of them sat in silence for a few moments, absorbing the calm of the night. Finally, Rain broke the silence.
— "How long have you been doing this?" he asked.
Yoona smiled, a flicker of melancholy crossing her gaze.
— "Since I discovered this energy within me. But it took me a long time to understand that it wasn't a curse, but a tool. A powerful tool, yes, but one that demands respect and mastery."
Rain nodded, determination glinting in his eyes.
— "Then I'll learn. I'll control it, just like you."
Yoona placed a hand on his shoulder, her smile warmer than ever.
— "And I'll be here to help you, every step of the way."
That night, under the silver light of the moon, a bond was forged between mentor and student. For the first time in a long while, Rain felt a glimmer of hope awaken within him. As for Yoona, she knew she had just laid the first stones of a future where this energy, dark as it was, could become a tool for salvation rather than destruction.