Such a slight statement spurred upon a violent reaction within the young man, for but a moment, he believed that his guardian was throwing him out. He takes the next few moments to breathe, in a desperate attempt to collect his wits. Letting out a very audible sigh before stating, "Why would you say that?" Genryu's voice shakes as he speaks. "What I have said, was not meant to cause you any hardship my boy... I believe you are destined for greater things in this life, much greater than being stuck on this island with an old geezer like myself" he smiles softly. Genryu's uncomfortableness is easily readable through his body language; as he sits back in his chair he begins to reposition himself multiple times. His gaze shifts away from Basmet's eyes before he replies, "I enjoy living here, even with the issues I have with the villager boys... at least you're here with me..."
"All right, if that's how you feel then I won't press you any further." the old man says before he gets out of his seat to put away the remaining medical supplies. Genryu ponders to himself what life away from Kiah island would look like, he considers what it might be like to set sail and travel across the sea. He thought of what kind of trees would be grown in the various forests and woods across the world, and what possible animals could be met and befriended. The feeling of excitement for the new possibilities quickly became submerged under a flood of anxiety when he recalls the story he'd just heard and how the people of the world would hate him just like the natives of Kiah. This realization feels almost suffocating, the fear of what actions others might take against him cause him to break out into a cold sweat.
His breathing became irregular and heavy as he grasps his forearms in an effort to control his shaking body. The world around him fell out of focus, and the objects in his immediate vision begin to slowly blur to a point where even seeing his own hands became difficult. The thoughts of discrimination and hatred run through his mind on a loop, the pressure in his head makes it hard to focus, and he feels paralyzed. He began to fixate on the possibility of attacks, and the resulting isolation quickly became the only thing he could focus on. This feeling continued to build until a blurred object came into view followed by the muffled sound he couldn't quite distinguish, even though he couldn't understand the meaning at first he started to feel at ease. It took some time but eventually, the words become clearer and the blurry mass which was just a heavily obscured shadowy figure came into focus until he identified Basmet. Being able to see him helped calm the young man as his words finally reached the ears of this panicked charge. "Breathe... Inhale for four seconds, hold for six and exhale for seven... Then repeat" Basmet states with a calm yet stern voice.
Listening to his mentor's instructions helped him steady his breath, allowing him to calm the anxieties that were building inside. How could he be ready to leave the island on his own if even the very idea crippled him, he thought to himself. The feelings of anxiety and fear were not a newfound struggle for him but something about the idea of being left alone to face all of his hardships, sent him spiraling into the darker regions of his own mind. When he started to breathe normally again, he could feel the fatigue setting in and his body felt strained and heavy. "Are you going to be alright now my boy?" Basmet said concerned, to which Genryu gave a slow half-smile as a reply before looking down at the floorboards.
"Just focus on your breathing in the way I instructed and then when you are ready... join me in the kitchen and we'll make supper." the old man spoke softly as he began to walk away, placing his hand upon Genryu's head before strolling into the kitchen. The experience left Genryu feeling quite somber and considering the possibilities as he was left alone in the chair attempting to control his breathing. What will he do when the day comes, when Basmet will no longer be around to protect him from threats like this, "Will I be able to protect myself?" he says softly under his breath. He then stands before shaking his head quickly back and forth, "I have to focus on staying in the moment." he thinks to himself before he begins to stride to the kitchen.
As the time passes, the two work in the kitchen preparing a rustic vegetable stew using ingredients harvested from the garden. They get into a flow in the kitchen, slicing carrots and dicing onions with great efficiency and working as a unit. Being able to work next to his guardian, creating something useful and healthy helps to lift Genryu's spirits, taking his mind off the negative emotions that were lingering. As Genryu begins to add the various ingredients into the bubbling water, he smiles softly, feeling more at peace. As he does this, he slowly becomes enveloped by a thin aura of light; he wouldn't have noticed it himself if Basmet wasn't standing across from him with a flabbergasted expression on his face. The energy buzzing around his body felt pleasant, at this moment for the first time... He wasn't afraid of his own powers.
The aura slowly dissipated almost as quickly as it had appeared, "Did you mean to do that?" Basmet says suddenly, still astonished by the original display. "No!, I don't even know how I did it" Genryu exclaims in response. "But..." he stops himself a moment to take inventory of all his feelings currently, "It felt good..." he looks up smiling at Basmet. The old man lunges to embrace his ward, "This is wonderful! I'm so glad that you're experiencing something good with your blessings!" He exclaims while squeezing Genryu tightly. Basmet notices shimmering lights glisten above the stew but decides to keep it to himself and leads his ward over to the table, "Wait here and I'll finish preparing the meal, you sit there and focus on trying to figure out how you created that ring of light around yourself." Genryu feels a bit flustered and replies "We don't even know if I can do anything useful with it, it's not a big deal..." he states while rubbing the back of his head. Basmet simply yells "Nonsense!" in response from the kitchen, "Your gifts are amazing and so are you, my boy! Just wait and see!", Genryu looks at the palm of his hand as he states softly "Amazing huh?..." his face now showing an expression of renewed vigor.