"So, the 4 basics of Art manipulation. They are the most important things to learn. They are what will allow you to use your energy and grow. But to master them, you need to master your Inner World. It's called the Nǐzìjǐ. Everything you see around you, this world.. It's a projection in your mind. And if I'm here it's because from your spirit I can access your mind. A simple trick that you'll learn by yourself. But you don't even understand what your spirit is yet. You need to be one with your world"
The kid listens carefully to his master.
"- And how can I do so?
-You have to make this world yours. You have to make it become you and you have to become it.
-Isn't it already mine?
-It is. But do you know how you did it?
-I don't understand! What do you mean?"
The water around Kazuki and Tian-Han starts to move. Tian-Han points to the water on his right with a finger.
"How did you do that?"
The kid follows the finger with his eyes. The confusion rings through his voice.
"- I.. I don't know! You should be teaching me that!
-I can't teach you anything about yourself. You should know who you are. What's your name?
-Kazuki… My name is Kazuki.
-What does it mean? What are you?
-I'm.. I'm your student!
-Right. You understand who you are. From there, you can understand how your inner world works. Try to calm down."
As Kazuki takes a deep breath, the water around them slowly becomes calm again. The horizon is flat. It's quiet again. Kazuki realizes how it works.
"- This water.. It reacts to my emotions..
-I think that's a way to say it.. But do you feel anything?
-No. Nothing.
-Alright. At least you know that you are linked to it.
-What should I do?
-Do you remember how you created this world?
-Yeah. I thought about the dream I had. Not the nightmare.. I thought of the one with the giant eye.
-Why did you think of it?
-The water in the pond. I don't know why, but when I saw it.. It's like my eyes showed me the dream for a second.. And.. And I tried… and it worked!
-I see… But yet there are no giant eyes.. That's strange
-But why do you ask those questions?
-This world should be empty. With your weak perception of your own art, it should only be blanked. An empty space. But there is a sky and water. I suppose that it's due to your unstable capacities. You're casually at a mediocre level, yet you're able to give a form to your world."
Kazuki doesn't know what to say, while Tian-Han seems to think.
"- I might have a theory about it but I really hope it's not true. Do you remember something else from your dream?
-Yeah. There were rain. And with the invisible forces there was a high-pitched sound.."
And right after finishing his sentence, they hear a strange noise. It's something falling on a rock, making a clear "tink", and making a echoe which becomes more strident the more the sound fades away. This sound is pure, there is nothing interfering. It's like a diamond for the ears. And it keeps repeating itself over and over, it's a regular sound. As regular as the ticking of time.
Both the Master and the Student search for the origin of the sound. They turn to a stone, with the shape of an upside down pyramid. Water falls slowly, drop by drop, on a bigger rock. There, the water slides on the surface and draws pictures. Nothing random. Those pictures could easily represent people or places.
Tian-Han observes this new element with a lot of interest.
"- Was it in your dream?
-No. Is it from you?
-No. Or at least not in it's whole. That's interesting. It might mean one thing. I see."
Kazuki looks at Tian-Han, even more confused than before. He wants to know what it means or what he is thinking about but yet he is not able to. Tian-Han doesn't give more information so he can only trust and follow him.
" Anyway, my boy. Let's get back to your training. Let's not mind this for now. Can you feel this world?"
The young boy tries to process what his master is telling him, but he still has difficulties understanding.
"- Feel it? What do you mean by that?
-Can you feel the world.. Like.. Can you feel the water behind you?
-No. It's not possible to feel something outside of me. Should it be?
-Only when you're practicing Art. Alright.. I need you to try to feel it. Imagine that you can feel the water behind you.. And then apply it to the rest of the world."
Kazuki looks behind him. He looks at the water. He closes his eyes. And he imagines this part of the water.