As the morning sun rose higher, it's rays filtered through the wooden beams of the courtyard, waking the students from their slumber. One by one, they rubbed their eyes a d groaned, still reeling from the energy test they had undergone. Altine stood at the front, her hands on her hips, exuding authority.
"Everyone! Time to get back to training!"
She commanded, her voice firm yet encouraging. The students groaned but slowly pushed themselves to their feet. Trinity gathered the first-rate souls... Adunni, Lekan and Taiwo... then gestured for them to follow her, while altine took charge of the rest.
As Trinity led her group away, altine sighed, muttering under her breath. "Four students for her and a whole mass for me? This life no balance."
She glanced at her students, who were watching her with a mix of admiration and anxiety.
"Okay, listen! Judging from the test, we have a lot to cover. For the new students sake, I want you to understand the importance of this training. It's all about generating spirit energy from your soul through meditation."
She paced in front of them, her voice passionate. "Our Division specializes in spirit harmony. To achieve that, you must generate enough spirit energy. The key is to reflect on the emotions that drive you forward."
The students nodded, their gazes fixed on her. They admired Altine's beauty and strength, and her words inspired them to push themselves.
"Now, let's get to work!" She exclaimed, signaling for them to start meditating.
As the students settled into their positions, akeh and juwon joined the group, though both felt the rising heat in their bodies as they struggled to concentrate. Akeh clenched his fists, sweat trickling down his forehead.
"I can't focus." He muttered to juwon, frustration evident in his tone.
Altine observed the situation, noticing how akeh and juwon were struggling to manage the increasing temperature brought on by the spirit energy flowing around the courtyard. She decided it was time to change things up.
"Akeh, juwon! Come with me." She called out, leading them away from the group.
They walked a long distance to a nearby dump yard, the stench of rotting waste filled the air. Akeh's nose wrinkled in disgust, and he shot altine a confused look.
"Why did you bring us to this place?"
"It's not punishment." Altine assured them, her tone soothing.
"This is a special method of training I used myself. Locating your so requires immense focus, and the smell here will challenge you. If you can concentrate despite this, you'll become more aware of your soul than the others."
Akeh frowned, his mind racing with questions. "Is this what the other students went through?"
Altine shook her head. "None of them have used this method. I prefer to keep it to myself... it's a technique I created, so I'm not sure about it."
She took a seat on the ground and gestured for them to do the same.
"To make things easier, I'll meditate with you. It will help you feel better about this place." She said, her voice calming.
Akeh and juwon exchanged glances and nodded, settling down beside her. As they began to meditate, akeh found himself distracted by the overpowering smell of garbage. Flies buzzed around him, landing on his skin and making him itch with irritation. He glanced at altine, who seemed completely unfazed by her surroundings, her expression serene.
"It's like she is not even here." Akeh grumbled to himself.
Just then, altine opened her eyes.
"This is too easy." She declared, rising to her feet. "I'll be back to check on you both, keep meditating!"
With that, she walked away, leaving akeh and juwon alone in the dump yard. He and juwon instinctively understood that everyone had their own levels and challenges. They refocused, breathing deeply and attempting to block out the irritation, determined to find their own inner strength amidst the chaos of their surroundings.