Descent into the Abyss

Chapter 13

"There!? Right? There were ripples," Marcus remarked.

"That was your fingers in the water, Young Marcus. You'll notice the difference when the energy is the cause of the waves." Kou corrected him.

Marcus sighed, exasperated and disappointed in his efforts, sitting back on his heels.

"It's been hours, Kou. I don't think I am capable of this. I'm sor-"

"Stop, Marcus." Kou interrupted a hint of anger in his tone. "You ARE capable. More than capable. You lack commitment in the face of failure and to master this power, you will fail, Marcus. You will fail a thousand times with every technique that I have to teach you."

Marcus wallowed in his silence for a few breaths, before nodding and reaching back over the water.

"Now remember, relax yourself, and sense your energy first." Kou began, remembering the days he had spent with his father. "And once you can sense it, touch the water, and feel the energy within."

Taking a deep breath, Marcus steadied his trembling hands and felt the coursing darkness inside him. It was amazing and yet horrifying, to know that he was no longer a human. The energy surged through him, the dark mist turning blacker, fuller. He had Rozan blood flowing through him, and the blood, or rather the power within the blood, knew of its host. The mist continued to thicken, a void forming within it.

"And touch the water..." Marcus whispered, the waves nipping at his skin.

Without warning, the faint mist of the river condensed and the same dark river from that morning appeared. The darkness swirled around his hands, caressing his own darkened void.

"Don't give up your control, Young Marcus," Kou's words faded in. "You must not lose yourself to the void during battle, and so you should not train with its power. Release your boundaries and allow the river's energy inside you, but be wary of its allure."

Marcus hesitated, but following Kou's advice, he relaxed and felt the water rush over his hands. The darkness swirled inside him, running through his body as he took a shuddering inhale.

"With it's energy inside you," Kou began, knowing this was the hardest part. "Tense the energy within your hands. Draw it deeper inside you, feel the resistance of your power fighting against the energy of the river, trying to fill its space."

Marcus felt the mist begin to leave his extremities, watching as it faded from his fingertips and up along his hands and forearms. As Kou said, the darkness of the river flooded in, pressing against the faintest of barriers.

"Now release that energy all at once," Kou instructed, hoping for a better result than the numerous attempts beforehand.

His fingers trembled under the water, but Kou's words were easier said than done.

"How do I just release it though?" Marcus asked with a soft voice, flexing his fingers underneath the surface. "I can feel the tension built up by me drawing it in, but when I go to release it... It just fades away."

Kou, in silence, contemplated what Marcus could be afflicted by. His sensitivity to the energy, his awareness of it, even the beginnings of being able to control said energy. Everything pointed to Marcus being on track to learning the technique with minimal issues, and yet...

"Young Marcus," Kou began, wondering if it was possible. "When you draw your energy inward, and the natural energy flows in, do you feel as though you can't hold your energy back?"

"No, it's almost the opposite. The tension, I feel it, but it's not as if it's stopping me from drawing it in further."

"Then do exactly that. Draw the energy in and condense it as much as you can. Feel the tension build until you're struggling to contain it." Kou added, hoping this wasn't the case.