In a wide and empty room, Ai wore her sports outfit, clinging to her body with smooth movement that carried focus and determination.
They stood face to face, and Takewara slowly raised her finger, as if about to reveal a deep secret.
In a calm voice, saturated with wisdom, she said:
"Shin is an inner system… a latent power that dwells within your body. It grants you extraordinary abilities and enhances both your physical and spiritual potential."
She stepped forward and gently closed her eyes, as a pulsating violet aura formed around her body, delicate and mesmerizing, as if the entire room was filled with the mysterious glow emanating from her.
With a louder voice, as if calling upon the truth itself, she said:
"Shin is not just energy. It is 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 gear that unlocks the first gate… the fundamental gate that leads you into the unknown."
Takewara closed her eyes once more, her violet aura intensifying until it covered her completely, as though she was a living source of power.
Then she looked at Ai with eyes full of wisdom and said:
"Shin consists of many elements, but now you must only focus on that first gate — the entrance of power."
Ai raised her hand curiously, pointing to the wave of energy that appeared on her palm, and asked seriously:
"What is this wave that appeared in my hand?"
Takewara calmly closed her eyes, the same violet aura gathering around her right hand, then answered in a deep, almost philosophical voice:
"That aura around your palm is called Wahj. It is another level of Shin. Wahj is not just energy — it is the suppressed rage within you, the burning passion that fuels your inner strength."
She approached Ai, meeting her gaze with steady eyes:
"Wahj amplifies your strikes and grants them unmatched ferocity. But every person has their own type of Shin. Just as our souls differ, so do our inner flames."
The Wahj aura danced around her hand like an eternal flame in a storm, glowing with both strength and vitality, provoking fear and excitement at once.
This was the kind of moment where senses united with the spirit, where the boundaries between the inside and outside blurred. Shin was not just power — it was an existential experience fueled by emotion.
Suddenly, the ground beneath Takewara cracked open, as if torn apart in a terrifying instant. A wave of fear and panic swept over her, her eyes filled with tears clouded by horror. Her violet aura surrounded her, blazing like inner fire revealing her rising tension. Her forehead cracked with anger, and she clenched her teeth as if trying to contain an uncontrollable storm within.
In the background, Ai's voice was heard, calm yet full of awe:
"You scared me."
Takewara snapped back to the present. She opened her eyes slowly, still trembling with dread, and stepped forward shakily:
"I'm sorry… really, I didn't mean it."
Ai replied with a gentle, understanding tone:
"It's okay."
Then, with a serious face reflecting deep knowledge, Takewara continued:
"You must understand that the Shin system is closely tied to the colors of the auras around us… Every aura color reflects your mental state. For example, those whose hearts boil with revenge will have a black aura — black like the depth of their suppressed anger. But those who live in peace will have a clear aura, pure as snow, reflecting serenity and composure."
Her philosophical eyes gleamed with depth as she added:
"Shin is your mirror — it reveals your true self, translating your inner state outward. Nothing can be hidden from it. It embodies your emotions and psyche in all their dimensions."
Time stopped for a moment. The air grew heavier, heartbeats quickened, and every cell in the body moved toward a deeper understanding. Takewara's words were like brushstrokes of a master painter, coloring the moment with shades of emotion, leaving a cinematic impression that tied senses with feeling and tension, immersing the reader in vivid detail.
Takewara sat firmly, legs crossed, and closed her eyes in calm, summoning a moment of inner clarity. She synchronized her breathing, assuming a yoga posture she had mastered.
In a calm, deep voice, she said:
"When you attempt to open the Shin gate, you must master this technique, known as Shin Summoning Technique."
As she spoke, she moved carefully, as if playing a secret melody inside her body and soul.
Takewara (with a clear mind and calm spirit):
"Imagine… you are embraced by nature, on a beach."
In an instant, the world around them vanished. The scene shifted to vivid paintings — soft shores surrounded by crystal waters, the sound of a gentle stream blending with birdsong filtering through the thick branches of trees.
To the left, Ai appeared in complete tranquility. To the right stretched the endless sea, where the clear sky met the turquoise waters.
Ai whispered softly, lighter than the morning breeze:
"I feel an unmatched peace… as if I've been reborn… in this pure air… between the trees that embrace the sky…"
With every breath, the vision slowly faded, replaced by a new scene.
The camera moved slowly toward Ai's body, revealing the veins beneath her skin, winding like a network of living pathways.
At the center of her brain was a tiny white point glowing with warm light, slowly flowing through her veins like an eternal spring within.
The veins, once faint, began glowing with pure light, like channels filled with new life.
The light engulfed her body, pushing every cell to breathe with strength, in harmony with the hidden rhythm of the universe, channeling her latent power upward.
In a dimly lit room, with sunlight seeping through a small balcony, Ai's body was now surrounded by a transparent white aura, shimmering like a fabric of delicate light, gentle as morning breeze through leaves.
Takewara sat frozen, teeth clenched as if to restrain her astonishment, her eyes locked on Ai, a mix of shock and wonder.
Her voice came out hoarse, like a whisper in vast emptiness:
"She truly has talent… a rare gift beyond ordinary."
She lowered her head, burdened by thoughts, as if trying to process what she saw, then muttered with wisdom:
"Learning Shin isn't easy. For me, it was seven straight months of daily training, without rest."
She paused for a moment, as if time itself froze, then whispered in disbelief:
"I can't believe this is real…"
Then, in a low voice, almost to herself:
"That's enough for now… You've taken the first step on the path."
Ai's face lit up with deep joy, her voice bursting with innocent excitement:
"Really?!"
Takewara smiled warmly and reassured her:
"Yes. Let's take a break."
Ai's voice carried a touch of sadness as she said:
"But I was starting to enjoy the training…"
Takewara replied with affectionate sarcasm:
"I know that well, but rest is important too."
Ai lowered her head in slight disappointment before saying:
"Alright, sensei."
With a smile softening the sorrow, Takewara gently touched her shoulder and said:
"During the break, I'll tell you more about Shin."
She laughed warmly, adding comfort to the atmosphere, then said:
"You know, Shin and its types and everything about it is still only partially discovered… In my opinion, Shin is far broader and more complex than we know."
Ai responded in amazement:
"Really?"
Takewara answered with a deep philosophical look, as if revealing a hidden truth:
"Yes. Some believe Shin has an external origin… while others see it as a catastrophic curse."
Ai:
"Why don't you tell me about your family, if it's not too heavy on you?"
Takewara looked at her deeply, a faint bitter laugh escaping, like a tune of old sorrow. She leaned slightly to her right, the dim light playing on her shadowed face, her eyes heavy with bitter memories.
Her voice trembled, weighed down by years of burdens:
"Alright… I'll tell you."
She sighed, as if words released a burden long locked inside.
"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, catching her breath from the trap of grief, then continued in a calmer 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 and freer world."
Ai looked at her with silent compassion, her eyes carrying an unspoken question: what happened to her?
Ai asked softly, sorrow seeping from her heart:
"And what happened to her?"
Takewara smiled — a sad smile hiding a story too heavy to tell:
"I don't know exactly, but she always said she would travel the world searching for the secrets of Shin, hoping to return and teach… She dreamed of opening a school."
Her face carried a look of weary certainty, as if her words touched the heart of the wounded city:
"She believed, despite the cruelty of the world, that p
eople needed a power 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 anyone could learn Shin."