"It is as I described earlier. But I'll start with the story of the inception. Maurus was a sage. Following the words in the old texts, he left home, left civilisation, and settled in a forest. Just him, and trees, and the animals. After meditating for a very long time, he felt a resonance with the air around him. It wasn't that he became one with the wind or anything like that. He was an existence separate from air, but he felt close to it, more than he ever did to anything in his life. At the same time, he was also introspecting. And he realised that a very different form of energy was gathering inside of him. Energy that would later come to be called inner energy. And the method he stumbled across, cultivation. That's the story of the school. Generations later, the idea is the same, polished and evolved naturally. I wouldn't go as far as saying I've advanced furthest, but I am one among those who have in the history of the school. And in all that I've seen in my life, among all the people I've come across, the greatest genius I've witnessed, none compares to you. I'm not praising."
Migu paused, to show he meant his words.
"I know," Vesper said, with a smile. "You're saying it as it is. I'm stronger."
"Yes. That you are," Migu agreed readily. "But it's more than that. I've never seen energy like yours. There's a qualitative difference."
Vesper thought about it. He couldn't be completely honest. That would bring no benefit. But Migu was a friend. And Vesper wanted to answer, to help.
"Alright," Vesper said after thinking a while. "Consider this. Your school is essentially about parallelism. Finding resonance with the energy outside and around you, and cultivating in that burst of energy. Alternately, consider this. Instead of searching for resonance, reach for simple acceptance. You are what you are. When you are at that barest self, simply follow. I'll be honest some, it's not a school or anything like that. Just as idea. It works. I am evidence."
"Self expression," Migu said deeply.
"Yeah, that's it, I guess."
"But."
Vesper cut him off before Migu could express his doubts.
"There are a lot of buts. And they don't matter. Maybe to you they do. You're not like me. Everything's different. Maybe, you can try a variation. Mix it up with your school's cultivation and find some form of success. I don't know."
"Yeah," Migu agreed. "Let's try now?"
And that was what they did. Migu sat down, closed his eyes and began. In the blink of an eye, he shimmered as if dissolving into the air. And he seemed as vast as the air. He was freedom. He was at a truly high level of cultivation.
What Vesper saw, however, was a man who had never witnessed the complete form of energy. Migu had only seen the beautiful side, had only experienced peaceful cultivation serving a purpose very small. Even if Migu had battled, it would have been a controlled fight at best, made prettier by the use of inner energy. But it was no war. It could never compare to ruthless war. And that was why Migu could never compare to Vesper.
Vesper felt a burst of joy in the comfort of peaceful times. This was a very different world, a very different life. It was his second life. And he wanted to truly enjoy it, make it truly beautiful. And that was how, he arrived at the decision.
— Agreed. For the sake of our beautiful life, there must be no war. It's a noble idea, which is why it's going to be so much more difficult.
Vesper smiled. When did he ever shy away from a challenge. When did he ever get put down by difficulty.
— Yeah. It'll be a challenge at best. Nothing we can't beat.
He felt at ease. He might be transported to a new world, a new time, a new life, but he remained the same inside. He lived a life of purpose last time. Turned out, he needed a purpose now as well. And having found the purpose, he felt like he had finally accepted the new life.
One moment he was Vesper staring at Migu. The next, he was Farges the demon returned. A short pulse burst out of him and spread out like a ripple, spanning the woods in a breath, the entire school in another, and then spreading out continually. To most, it was the caress of a gentle breeze. Only those with sufficiently high cultivation, masters of inner energy, felt it for what it was. Expressions of shock appeared on all of their faces, as it was reminiscent of one ascending to a terrifyingly high level.
Migu first felt one with the air, as always. As he reached the state of oneness, he remembered Vesper's words. He reached for himself. What was he? Teacher had always said, calmness was essential. Migu was slow in the early years. Teacher was patient, spending more time with him than any other student. It was two whole years, before he could find calm. Another two before he could feel the air. It was only then that his genius showed, like a diamond that appeared after scraping away the dirt. There was no stopping him from then on.
Now, as he considered Vesper's words and his teacher's directions, he felt conflicted. Teacher said he had to overcome himself to find calm. And he had. Could he find himself now? The answer was in the question itself. He had to find the him that he was now. He had to let go of whatever was. He was now calm. He grasped his calmness tighter than ever. And in that action, he saw the inner him. He was desire. Desire for greater strength, desire to be more.
In that moment, as he felt like he had taken a step forward in his cultivation, he felt the pulse. He recognised it as Vesper. He smiled as he felt the energy inside him leap in excitement. His cultivation had advanced a whole level.
Migu opened his eyes, rose to his feet, and looked at Vesper in admiration. "Amazing," he exclaimed.
Vesper smiled happily.
Before they could continue, they felt others rushing over. The teachers in school had felt the pulse, realised that it was coming from the woods where old man Migu was, and come rushing over to congratulate their beloved fellow teacher. They were certain it was Migu, and they weren't entirely wrong.
"Congratulations, old man."
"Congratulations Migu."
"Congratulations old friend."
They were all congratulating Migu, and staring at Vesper greedily as if convinced Vesper brought luck. They were all thinking the same, how wonderful it would be if Vesper was theirs.
"Let's call it a day," Migu said to Vesper. "See you tomorrow."
"Yeah. Congratulations old man."
The teacher and student grinned. The rest felt left out of a very funny joke. After Vesper left, Migu smiled at his friends and peers. Today was going to be rowdy.
The other students had been surprised by the teachers, but they couldn't go near. They saw Vesper, and rushed over to ask what happened. He shrugged, like he didn't know.
"Let's go?" He asked Mia and Yugo.
They nodded.
"Lunch?" Abel asked.
"Yeah," Vesper answered. "Join us?"
"Okay," the twins said together.
"Friends?" Vesper asked.
"Aren't we already?" Abel asked, looking confused. "I'm friends with Mia. Cain and Yugo are friends. Actually, I think they're more than friends. Something we should definitely talk about over lunch. So yeah, aren't we friends too?"
"Yay," Vesper screamed in delight. "More friends. More fun."
"Let's get Dee too," Mia added.