In a spacious, empty room, Ai was wearing her sports outfit, clinging to her body in a fluid motion that conveyed focus and determination.
They stood face-to-face, and Takeura slowly raised her finger, as if about to reveal a deep secret.
In a calm voice, heavy with wisdom, she said:
"Shin is an internal system… a latent force dwelling in your body. It grants you extraordinary abilities and enhances both your physical and spiritual potential."
She took a step forward and gently closed her eyes, a pulsating violet aura forming around her body, delicate yet enchanting, as if the entire room filled with a mysterious glow radiating from her.
In a louder tone, as if calling to truth itself, she said:
"Shin is not just energy. It's a reflection of your mental and spiritual state — the deep expression of your inner balance. To begin unlocking the Shin system, you must open a gear in your mind, the one that unlocks the first gate… the primary gate that leads you into the unknown."
Takeura closed her eyes again, her violet aura intensifying until it covered her entire body, as though she were a living source of energy.
Then she looked at Ai with eyes overflowing with wisdom and said:
"Shin consists of several components, but for now, you must focus only on that first gate — the entrance to power."
Ai raised her hand with curiosity, pointing to a wave of energy that had appeared on her palm, and asked seriously:
"What was that wave that appeared on my palm earlier?"
Takeura calmly closed her eyes, surrounding her right hand with the same pulsating violet aura, then answered in a deep, almost philosophical tone:
"That aura around your palm is called the 'Wahaj.' It's another level of Shin. Wahaj isn't just energy — it's the anger buried deep within you, the burning passion that fuels your inner strength."
She stepped closer to Ai, meeting her gaze with steady eyes:
"Wahaj enhances your strikes and gives them unmatched ferocity. But each person has their own Shin type. Just as our souls differ, so do our inner flames."
The Wahaj aura on her hand danced like an eternal flame swirling in a storm, glowing with power and vitality, evoking both fear and excitement.
It was the kind of moment where senses merged with the soul, where the line between the inside and outside blurred. Shin wasn't just a force — it was an existential experience fueled by emotion.
Suddenly, the ground beneath Takeura's feet cracked, as if splitting apart in a terrifying instant. A deep wave of panic and fear overtook her, tears welling in her eyes, now clouded with dread. Her violet aura surrounded her, blazing like an inner fire that revealed her growing tension. Wrinkles of anger formed on her forehead, and she clenched her teeth hard, as if trying to contain an uncontrollable inner storm.
In the background, Ai's voice was heard, quiet but heavy with awe:
"You scared me."
Takeura's awareness returned to the present. She opened her eyes slowly, fear still painted on her face, and stumbled forward with a shiver:
"I'm sorry… truly, I didn't mean to."
Ai replied in a soft tone filled with gentle understanding:
"It's okay."
Then, with a stern face reflecting deep knowledge, Takeura continued:
"You must understand that the Shin system is closely linked to the colors of the auras around us… Each aura's color reflects your psychological state. For example, those boiling with revenge are covered in a black aura — black as the depth of suppressed rage. Those who live in calm have crystal-clear auras, close to the cold silence of ice, reflecting the stillness and composure of the soul."
With a philosophical gaze and eyes shimmering with depth, she added:
"Shin is your mirror — it reveals your true self, translating what's inside you to the outside. Nothing can be hidden from it. It embodies your emotions and psyche in all their dimensions."
Time seemed to stand still. The air felt heavier, heartbeats quickened, and every cell in the body moved toward a deeper understanding. Takeura's words were like the brushstrokes of a master painter, coloring the moment with the shades of emotion, leaving a cinematic impression that bound senses to emotion and tension, immersing the reader in the scene's living detail.
Takeura sat steadily, crossed her legs, and closed her eyes in quiet composure, summoning a moment of inner clarity. She began to synchronize her breathing, moving into a yoga posture she had mastered.
In a calm and deep voice, she said:
"When you try to open the Shin gate, you must master this technique, known as the 'Shin Summoning Technique.'"
As she spoke, she began the movement with care, as if playing a secret melody within her body and soul.
Takeura (with a clear mind and calm spirit):
"Now imagine… you are in the arms of nature, on a beach."
In an instant, the world around her dissolved. The scene shifted to vivid paintings — soft beaches surrounded by clear waters, the sound of a faint stream mingling with birdsong filtering through the dense tree branches.
To the left, Ai appeared in complete tranquility. To the right stretched the infinite sea, where the clear sky met turquoise waters.
Ai whispered softly, quieter than the morning breeze:
"I feel an unmatched peace… as if I were reborn… in this pure air… among tree branches embracing the sky…"
As Ai breathed deeply, the vision gradually faded, replaced by a new scene.
The camera slowly moved in on Ai's body, revealing veins beneath her skin, winding like a network of living paths.
At the center of her brain, a small white point glowed with a warm light, slowly flowing through her veins like a timeless spring within.
The once-faint lines of her veins shone with pure light, like channels brimming with new life.
The light flooded her body, pushing every cell to breathe with force, harmonizing with the hidden rhythm of the universe, driving her latent energy upward.
In a softly lit room, with sunlight filtering through a small balcony, a transparent white aura surrounded Ai's body, shimmering like a delicate weave of light, gentle as a breeze through morning leaves.
Takeura sat frozen, clenching her teeth as if to tame her astonishment, her gaze fixed on Ai, a mix of shock and wonder in her eyes.
Her voice came out hoarse, like a whisper in a vast void:
"She truly has the talent… a rare talent beyond the ordinary."
She lowered her head, weighed down by thoughts, as if trying to comprehend what she was seeing, then murmured with wisdom:
"Learning Shin isn't easy. It's a grueling journey that took me seven continuous months of daily training, without pause."
She stood still for a moment, as if time had frozen, then muttered with disbelief:
*"I can't believe this is real…"
Then, in a low voice, almost to herself:
"That's enough for now… You've taken your first step on the path."
Ai smiled with deep joy, opening her mouth with innocent excitement:
"Really?!"
Takeura smiled warmly and said with reassurance:
"Alright, let's take a break."
Sadness lingered in Ai's tone as she said:
"But I've started to enjoy the training…"
Takeura replied with a teasing fondness:
"I know that well, but rest is important too."
Ai lowered her head with slight disappointment before saying:
"Alright, my mentor."
With a smile that erased Ai's sadness, Takeura gently touched her shoulder and said:
"While we rest, I'll tell you more about Shin."
She laughed warmly, adding a sense of comfort to the air, then said:
"You know, Shin, its types, and everything about it are still only partially discovered… In my opinion, Shin is much broader and more complex than that."
Ai replied with surprise:
"Really?"
Takeura answered with a deep, philosophical gaze, as if revealing a hidden truth:
"Yes. Some believe Shin has an external origin… while others see it as a disastrous curse."
Ai:
"Why don't you tell me about your family, if it's not too heavy for you?"
Takeura looked at her deeply, a faint, bitter laugh escaping her lips, like a melody of old sorrow. Slowly, she leaned slightly to her right, the dim light playing across the shadows of her face, her eyes brimming with the bitterness of memory.
She spoke in a trembling voice, heavy with the weight of years:
"Alright… I'll tell you."
She sighed, as though the words relieved her spirit of a long-held burden.
"My brother, Renji… The last time I saw him, he was twenty-nine. He was a member of the Scorpion Gang, that dark shadow that never leaves the city's memory."
She paused briefly, catching her breath from the trap of grief, then continued in a softer tone, as if speaking to a distant memory:
"And my sister… Mayuri, she was fourteen when she left the city. She was swimming in a wider, freer world."
Ai looked at her with quiet sympathy, her eyes carrying an unspoken question: What happened to her?
Ai asked gently, with sadness seeping from his heart:
"And what became of her?"
Takeura smiled — a sad smile hiding a story few would dare to hear:
"I don't know exactly, but she always said she would travel the world in search of Shin's secrets, hoping to return and teach… She dreamed of opening a school."
Her face held the look of weary certainty, as if her words touched the heart of the fractured city:
"She believed, despite the world's cruelty, that people needed a strength to protect them… She saw people as beasts, and the city as a prison of fear. Her dream was to create a sanctuary — a place where everyone could learn to defend themselves through Shin. She wanted to be a flame in the night's darkness, a light to illuminate their paths."
The words lingered in the air, like a
soft breeze carrying the scent of the past, inviting the reader to feel every pulse of pain and every restless longing hidden in their hearts.