In the heart of the Duskcrowned City, an expanse dominated by grand residences with roofs stretching towards the sky. Streets as vast as the status of the inhabitants crisscrossed the area; the smooth road was made up of glistening grey stones.
The resonating cadence of hooves clattering upon the pristine road abruptly shattered the tranquil ambiance. Emerging into view was an exquisitely adorned carriage, gracefully advancing toward the vicinity. It came to a seamless halt before one of the majestic residences, its arrival a symbol of elegance.
From within the carriage emerged a woman, her attire veiled in the darkest shades. Her very presence exuded an air of nobility that commanded attention. Following closely behind, a young boy, his demeanor mirroring her elegance, stepped onto the cobbled path. Together, they advanced toward the towering gates of the mansion.
As they approached, the colossal metal gates swung open of their own accord, revealing the attentive guards and the diligent housekeeper awaiting their arrival.
They were led to the hall, where they were served tea. After some time, a woman clad in a blue long-sleeved dress tied together with black laces appeared. She greeted Vallaire with a smile before joining her.
Stuck between talks of two mature women, Amon found himself lonely. Despite that, he was smart enough not to intervene. Noticing Amon's expression, Ravena asked him to go and play with Hiranyaksh, pointing toward the path that led to the back door.
The eyes of the boy lit up, and he looked at his mother as if asking for her permission. When he saw her nodding at him with a smile, he dashed toward the door, unwilling to waste any more time.
The moment he stepped outside the door, he found himself on a lawn that looked more like an open-air gym. A figure appeared in his view, training like a madman. He was doing pull-ups, holding massive weight in his legs.
Amon's eyes widened when he saw that; he had never imagined someone to achieve such a feat by only relying on his physical strength. Hiranyaksh continued, only stopping after he had completed his set; he sat down on the metallic swing. Using it to rest and enjoy at the same time.
He ignored Amon's existence as if he didn't exist; noticing that, Amon approached the other swing beside it and started moving back and forth. A silence descended for a while before both swings stopped. "What are you doing here?"
Amon was stuck, clueless, with his face hitting the ground. He slowly stood up and dusted off his clothes before replying, "I am Amon; we have met before. Don't you remember me? You judged the fight in which I faced Damien."
Hiranyash looked at him for the first time. His yellow eyes locked into him, scanning him as if determining his worth. With a nod, Hiranyaksh replied, "You have changed a lot."
Amon approached him and gave him a bow before asking politely, "Can you please teach me how to use Prana like you?"
"No," replied Hiranyaksh, not even taking a second to think. Amon was speechless, never expecting to be rejected like that in such a straightforward tone.
"There are many reasons I can't; the main is because I am not here to train kids. I am here to enjoy my holidays with my mother," he added.
"Anything else?" He looked at Amon, who stood there paralyzed as if he had just been hit by lightning. Acting as a mirror showing him the reality, making him believe that he can't change his fate.
"Then, at least tell me how I can control Prana.," asked Amon, looking at Hiranyaksh with hopeful eyes.
Hiranyaksh started his training again, doing finger pushups while balancing the weight on his back. He continued his training till he completed his set.
"You are quite ambitious, aren't you, to hit a target with Arrow? Do you see the target or draw the bow and aim first?" He asked, wiping his sweat with the red-colored towel in his hand.
"I will first see the target, then I will draw the bow and aim," replied Amon without even thinking about it.
"Same logic applies to everything. To control anything, you first need to be able to sense it. Learn the rest by yourself; I only answered your question because I found you interesting," he said before starting training again.
After answering this, he ignored Amon, not replying to him. After not getting any response from him, Amon just watched him from afar, trying to learn how to train his body by watching him.
Hiranyaksh was at least three times stronger than a pure-blood Fallen Angel, which was something very hard to believe. An average Fallen angel was believed to be five to seven times stronger than a human.
Even other Oni demons were twice as strong as a fallen angel; Hiranyaksh was a beast even without using Prana. Time passed, and he watched as Hiranyaksh's workout became more challenging.
He was manipulating the weight somehow to push his body further. Amon noticed the strain on his body even while lifting small weights. This only applied until he was completing his set; after that, he could easily lift even the heaviest weight with only one hand.
Amon had never heard of someone capable of doing it through magic. His fist clenched, and now even more eager to learn Prana. He closed his eyes, focusing on remembering what Hiranyaksh had told him.
Sitting in a comfortable position with his back straight, his chin lifted, and his eyes gently closed. He tried to sense Prana but failed miserably, unable to sense anything.
After talking with Hiranyaksh, he now knew where to start. At first, when he tried to sense it, he was dissatisfied, as he could not sense anything. However, he continued with an unflinching resolve, and he started noticing improvement.
He started clearing his mind of any distractions; his complete focus was on sensing Prana. At first, it was hard for him; he was distracted easily, but he used his breath as an anchor to stop his mind from diverting due to any distracting thoughts.
First, he tried to sense the Prana inside his body. It took him some time, but after that, he was able to sense it. Every time he breathed; some ripples appeared in his body. He remembered the first time he used Prana.
From the first time he had noticed that breath played an important part. It was as if this power inside him could be controlled by breathing properly.
He focused his mind and took multiple small breaths. He noticed a small energy ripple created in his body that made him believe Prana inside his body had increased by a minute amount. The moment he exhaled, he felt a similar ripple of energy.
This slow process continued for several minutes before he was able to sense Prana inside him. He felt like this was energy hidden deep within his body. He was able to manipulate it using his breath.
Soon he found his body filled with this energy; a smile appeared on his face, and he succeeded. After learning about the Prana inside his body and its presence, his senses started looking for it in the surroundings.