As Brian sat in his cultivation room, he couldn't shake off the feeling of loneliness that had settled in since Devin left. He tried to focus on his cultivation, but his thoughts kept drifting back to his friend.
He had been practicing the "Dragon's Breath" cultivation technique, a low rank method that focused on harnessing the power of the elements to strengthen the body and cultivate spiritual energy. Despite its low rank, Brian had found that it suited him well and had made steady progress with it.
Disturbing the silence of the morning, a knock. The knock at the door pulled Brian out of his cultivation trance. He sighed and stood up, his joints popping as he stretched. He made his way to the door, still feeling a sense of emptiness without Devin by his side. He opened the door to find Minji standing there, a basket of homemade dishes in her hands.
"Hey, Brian," she said with a smile. "My grandma sent over some food for you and Devin. She said she knows you guys have been busy cultivating and figured you might not have time to cook for yourselves."
Brian returned the smile and invited her in. "Thanks, Minji. That's really thoughtful of your grandma. And don't worry, we've been taking breaks to eat. It's just that Devin is traveling for a while, so it's just me here at the moment."
Minji's smile faded a little at the mention of Devin's absence. "Oh, I see. Well, I hope he's having a good trip. And don't worry, we'll make sure to keep sending food over until he gets back."
Brian nodded his thanks and led her to the kitchen. As they sat down to eat, Minji chattered on about some local gossip involving one of her friends. Brian listened with half an ear, rifling through his cultivation manual. But he was grateful for Minji's company and her efforts to cheer him up.
As they sat down to eat, Minji couldn't help but notice the somber look on Brian's face. "Is everything okay?" she asked, concern etched in her voice.
"It's just..." Brian sighed, pushing the rice around on his plate. "I miss Devin. It's not the same without him here."
Minji nodded sympathetically. "I know what you mean. He's such a great guy. I'll miss his cooking."
Brian forced a smile. "Thanks, Minji. You're quite the cook yourself."
Minji grinned and reached across the table to pat Brian's hand. "Of course, Brian. You and Devin are like family to me. I won't rest until I get you fat."
As they continued to eat, Minji chattered on about her own life, telling Brian about the painting lessons she had been taking and showing him some of her recent works. Brian listened attentively, genuinely happy for his friend's success, but he couldn't shake the weight of his own grief.
He tried to focus on the present moment and enjoy his time with Minji, but the memory of his parents' tragic deaths lingered in the back of his mind, a constant reminder of the fragility of life.